Over the past week, a bipartisan group of Oregon lawmakers proposed a bill which would allow the state to accumulate revenue by growing and taxing medical marijuana, and a prominent assemblyman in California put forth legislation that would completely legalize (and tax) pot. At this point, there is little chance either measure will pass. Yet, with the new Justice Department indicating that it will take a hands-off approach to any marijuana legislation enacted by the states, America seems closer to legalizing pot than at any point since it was banned in 1937.

And this could be just the first step. Earlier this month, the esteemed British news magazine The Economist -- not often confused with High Times -- laid out a serious and sophisticated plea for legalizing all drugs.

After a costly century-long battle, could the War on Drugs be on its comedown? And if it ends in surrender, would that be a good thing? We debate after the jump.

Legalize it.

- The drug wars in Mexico have gotten so bad that even American spring breakers under age 21 and desperate to drink legally have begun to shun our neighbor to the south. Once drugs are legalized, Mexico can get back its dignity and return to being the place American teenagers go when they want to pee in the streets and have sex with cheap hookers.

- Hopefully legalization of proper drugs will finally put an end to all of this glue-sniffing and paint-thinner-huffing. The other species laugh at us humans when we abuse household inhalants.

- It would reduce crime, put an end to prison overcrowding, make drugs safer, put tens of billions dollars that were previously going to criminals into federal and state coffers and allow almost 50 percent of the population to finally respect the laws of their nation.


By careful what you wish for.

- While the price of illegal drugs fluctuates from year to year, the overall trend line, depending on the drug, has either been stable or has declined over the past few decades. Yet many report that the quality and potency of drugs are getting better over time. Fat chance that rosy scenario continues once the government takes over.

- Drugs -- in particular marijuana -- are a fairly harmless way for young people to "stick it to the man." But once everyone and their soccer mom is openly smoking blunts, teenage rebels will have to resort to other antisocial activities. And these new forms of shocking behavior will probably be really gross, like blood-drinking or feces-tossing.

- Those who claim overall drug consumption won't increase with legalization aren't fooling anyone. With increased access to narcotics, more of us will be getting high. Like with booze, most folk will be able to handle their new recreational habit just fine. But some won't. And those new problem drug abusers will bring pain to themselves and the people around them.