US Drug PolicyIntroductionDrug policy is a crucial topic in the country today. Drug addiction, along with drug-related crime rates, is a major problem. It's a fact. However, there is much disagreement over how to solve the problem of drug addiction. Some believe that stricter laws regarding drug possession and use would solve the problem, while others believe that loosening restrictions would be a better option. The issue of legalizing drugs, particularly marijuana, is constantly debated. In fact, in 1995 a survey was conducted on the most important political issues and eighty-five percent of the country placed drugs at the top of the list (Falco 1996). Many states are now beginning to decriminalize, or even legalize, the use of medical marijuana. In fact, two states, Washington and Colorado, have legalized recreational marijuana use for anyone over the age of twenty-one since 2012. (Hawken, Caulkins, Kilmer, and Kleiman 2013). Legalizing and regulating marijuana would significantly reduce crime. and solving many problems, including overcrowding in jails and prisons, reducing the taxes people have to pay to support these incarcerated criminals, and regulating the economy. Importance of Drug Policy Debates Most Americans would agree that the debate over legalizing drugs and which ones to legalize is an extremely important topic. Whether you're conservative, liberal, or somewhere in between, chances are you've thought about this question and have an opinion on it. It's not just a political issue, it's a social issue. Drug use and abuse affects countless people, as well as their families and friends. This problem does not only affect drug users and trafficking...... middle of paper ...... Marijuana: physical, psychological and spiritual. Pennsylvania: Lifeservices Press, 2008 Boyum, David and Peter Reuter. Are we losing the war on drugs? : An analytical assessment of US drug policy. AEI Press, 2005 Falco, Mathea. “US Drug Policy: Addicted to Failure,” Foreign Policy No. 102 (1996): 120-133Hawken, Angela and Jonathan Caulkins and Beau Kilmer and Mark Kleiman. “Quasi-legal Cannabis in Colorado and Washington: Local and National Implications,” Addiction No. 108 (2013): 837-838Inciardi, James A. The Drug Legalization Debate. California: Sage Publications Inc., 1999Nadelmann, Ethan A. “US Drug Policy: A Bad Export,” Foreign Policy No. 70 (1988): 83-108Reinarman, Craig and Peter DA Cohen and Hendrien L. Kaal. “The Limited Relevance of Drug Policy: Cannabis in Amsterdam and San Francisco,” Am J Public Health No. 94 (2004): 836-842