Debate: Should the U.S. Legalize Drugs?

Intelligence Squared U.S. presents a debate on whether the United States should legalize drugs. President Richard Nixon declared a "war on drugs" in 1971. $2.5 trillion dollars later, drug use is half of what it was 30 years ago, and thousands of offenders are successfully diverted to treatment instead of jail. However, 22 million Americans--9% of the population--still uses illegal drugs, and with the world's highest incarceration rate, the U.S. continues to fill prisons with drug offenders. Decimated families and communities are left in the wake. Is it time to legalize drugs or is this a war that we're winning?

For the Motion: Paul Butler and Nick Gillespie
Against the Motion: Asa Hutchinson and Theodore Dalrymple