Several authors like Sullivan (2001) point out the hypocrisy in drawing arbitary lines around certain classes of drugs. In fact, all drugs are potentially harmful. Even caffeine is bad for health when abused. Legally acquired pharmaceutical drugs can be lethal, whereas marijuana has no known cases of overdose. The discrepancy in laws and sentencing policies should be eradicated in order to create a more just society. As Walsh & Hemmens (2008) point out in the chapter on "Law and Social Change," the prohibition on drugs is no different than the prohibition on alcohol. Both have caused the proliferation of organized crime and neither solved the underlying issues related to mental and physical health. One of the main reasons to legalize drugs is to reduce the market power of organized crime syndicates. Prohibition of alcohol "literally kick-started organized crime in the United States, and ushered in a decade of gang wars and widespread corruption,"...

241). The same can be said with regards to Central and South American drug cartels. Legalizing drugs would strangle the source of organized crime.
References

Anderson, B (2002). Heroin should be legalized. In Rolleff, Tamara L. 2004. The War of Drugs: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press.

Beaver, a.L. (2010). Getting a fix on cocaine sentencing policy: Reforming the sentencing scheme of the anti-drug abuse act of 1986. Fordham Law Review.

Grant, K. (2002). Legalizing heroin will harm the poor. In Rolleff, Tamara L. 2004. The War of Drugs: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press.

Johnson, Gary E. (2000). Illegal Drugs Should be Legalized. In Rolleff, Tamara L. 2004. The War of Drugs: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press.

Linker & Feder (2001). Legalizing marijuana would harm society. In Rolleff, Tamara L. 2004. The War of Drugs: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press.

Lowry, Rich. (2001). Marijuana should be legalized. In Rolleff, Tamara L. 2004. The War of Drugs: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press.

Nagel, L. (2001). Marijuana should not be legalized for medical use. In Rolleff, Tamara L. 2004. The War of Drugs: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press.

Rosenthal & Kubby (1996) Marijuana should be legalized for medical use. In Rolleff, Tamara L. 2004. The War of Drugs: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press.

Sullivan, a. (2001). The Distinction betwen legal and illegal drugs is arbitrary. In Rolleff, Tamara L. 2004. The War of Drugs: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press.

Walsh, a. & Hemmens, C. (2008). Law and Social Change. Walsh & Hemmens.

Wisher,…