I&#x27;m not saying the addiction rate would go down if it were legalized. Undoubtedly, it would increase. But there are still questions... how much would the addiction rate increase, and what is the social cost of that addiction, relative to the social cost of our current policy of criminalization?<p>Certainly, violence among dealers would disappear. Liquor stores don&#x27;t have drive-by shootings to settle their turf. America&#x27;s absurd incarceration rate would drop tremendously. Incarceration is a major contributor to child poverty. Moreover, a felony criminal record makes it extremely difficult for many adults to find productive work even after serving their time, which begets more crime and more cycling of the system.<p>The incredible militarization of our police forces, the costs of civil forfeiture (which doesn&#x27;t require a conviction to take someone&#x27;s property), the racism, the myriad other ways the &quot;War on Drugs&quot; damages our society and our souls - are you <i>certain</i> that an increase in addiction is so profoundly evil that it&#x27;s worth this price?