Economists have been among the leading critics of current drug policies, but this criticism does not mean they have reached a consensus about specific reforms. Although drug-policy researchers and economists in general seem opposed to prohibition, they are timid in their advocacy of decriminalization and even less supportive of legalization.

Mark Thornton is a Research Fellow at the Independent Institute and Senior Fellow at the Ludwig von Mises Institute.
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Crime, Criminal Justice, and PrisonsDrug WarEconomistsEconomyGovernment and PoliticsLaw and LibertyPhilosophy and ReligionPolicingThe Nanny State
Other Independent Review articles by Mark Thornton
Spring 2014 Smuggler Nation: How Illicit Trade Made America
Spring 2013 American Nightmare: How Government Undermines the Dream of Homeownership
Summer 2010 Modernizing a Slave Economy: The Economic Vision of the Confederate Nation
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