Enlightened drug reforms are sweeping the US. Why is Britain so far behind? | Kojo Koram

While other countries turn away from the futile war on drugs', politicians here are still falling for the evil' narcotics narrative

In 1942, the American political scientist Quincy Wright published a lengthy book about how to organise the world beyond endless wars. A Study of War cemented Wright's reputation as an influential liberal thinker of the early 20th century. But Wright would help bring about a new type of endless war in his time. He was one of the first major voices to call for what would later be known as the war on drugs". As early as 1924, Wright argued that the use of drugs for purposes other than medicinal or scientific" is an evil". While working as an adviser to the state department, Wright advocated for the US to lead a global assault against drugs.

Almost a century later, the war on drugs" may need a new leader. Amid the chaos surrounding last November's US presidential contest, drug policy reform quietly took a quantum leap forward. Voters from across the political spectrum chose to legalise recreational cannabis, opening the door for places such as Arizona and New Jersey to recreate the lucrative cannabis industries already found in California, Colorado and other states.