Additionally, incarceration has caused more crime than it has prevented
http://qz.com/458675/in-america-mass-in ... prevented/
And an article on the prescription drug abuse epidemic
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wi ... reet-drugs
Like alcohol prohibition during the 1920s and early 1930s, drug prohibition is a losing battle that creates criminals and hundreds of millions in annual expenses. Problem is our government has been too dang slow to figure it out this time around. The government is missing out on a gold mine of an opportunity for new revenue by legalizing drugs in some capacity. Legalizing drugs in some capacity will more than like
*Create more government revenue in sales and/or taxes
*Create more jobs along the entire supply chain of the drug industry
*Reduce the amount of state funds and time spent on drug law enforcement
*Therefore increasing the amount of funds and time that can be spent on legitimate criminal activity
*Pretty much guarantees a decrease in drug criminal activity, which will lead to a drastic decrease in incarcerations in a country where prison overpopulation is common enough for it to be a problem
*Safer drugs
*Could very well lead to a decrease in the rate of prescription drug abuse - which could likely lead to a decrease in robberies at drug stores and a decrease in doctors overprescribing drugs that helps fuel the prescription drug abuse crime syndicate