What do you think has been the biggest effect of the War on Drugs?

Scott Renshaw: Drugs won.

Derek Carlisle: I have no idea about all that; I go to the pharmacy like the rest of Utah.

Bryan Bale: In 1971, President Nixon set an unfortunate precedent for the use of phrases that begin with “War On.”

John Paul Brophy: There are three major effects: 1. an unprecedented increase in the prison population; 2. widespread disrespect for the law and law-enforcement personnel; and 3. a disproportionate ratio of minorities in prison.

Margaux Lodge: Heightened awareness, a slight decrease in availability, but other than that, not much. Until larger-scale issues such as border and port security are tackled, there will always be a large problem with drugs that are primarily grown out of the country.

Eric S. Peterson: The creation of an incarceration nation is probably most troubling. Politicians get easy points with voters by passing laws that punish minor drug offenders with more severe sentences, while at the same time not giving two shits about funding drug treatment and treating addiction like the disease that it is.

Pete Saltas: Seems like more and more states are jumping on the medicinal mary jane bandwagon. The “war” itself definitely gets a failing grade for a whole litany of various other reasons.