Pricing Prohibition

Noted economist Gary Becker, of the University of Chicago, argued in 2005 that the ongoing war on drugs -- really, a crusade against personal choice -- has a stratospheric cost that can, at least in part, be measured in dollars and cents. wrote the noted Nobel Prize-winner:

After totaling all spending, a study by Kevin Murphy, Steve Cicala, and myself estimates that the war on drugs is costing the US one way or another well over $100 billion per year. These estimates do not include important intangible costs, such as the destructive effects on many inner city neighborhoods, the use of the American military to fight drug lords and farmers in Colombia and other nations, or the corrupting influence of drugs on many governments.

You might also add to that list of intangible costs the lives lost to misfired paramilitary police raids, the years wasted in prison by people engaged in victimless activities, and the liberty eroded in the name of pursuing a pointless and impossible ban on officially disfavored intoxicants.

Perhaps those soaring costs are why one-time drug warrior and former congressman Bob Barr has joined the ranks of political and law-enforcement figures who have had a change of heart. Barr, the one-time sponsor of a measure that that blocked the District of Columbia from legalizing medical marijuana, has taken on a new job as a lobbyist for the Marijuana Policy Project. The Politico quotes Barr saying:

“I, over the years, have taken a very strong stand on drug issues, but in light of the tremendous growth of government power since 9/11, it has forced me and other conservatives to go back and take a renewed look at how big and powerful we want the government to be in people’s lives.”

Barr's move is an important one. More than his recent affiliation with the Libertarian Party, it pretty much closes the door on his participation in GOP politicking. It's difficult to imagine him seeking office again as a Republican after having advocated marijuana decriminalization. That's what convinces me of his sincerity. For a politician, there's no advantage to be gained, and much to be lost, by being right on the drug issue.

$100 billion per year, plus "intangible costs," can sway minds in powerful ways. Opinions can change when the dollars -- and lives -- start stacking up.