It begins with a sketch of a free market drug-legalization policy based upon the current marketing of alcohol and tobacco. The discussion issues addressed include FDA drug regulation, pharmaceutical testing, cost and taxation, and legal liability of manufacturers and sellers of psychoactive drugs. Another legalization option discussed is a government-regulated system, preferably Federal rather than State or local. The third legalization option consists of distribution of psychoactive drugs by health care professionals, such as the British public health model that provides heroin to heroin addicts in the course of a treatment program. The paper also discusses the cultural implications of legalization, particularly the transformation of American society from an alcohol culture to a poly-drug culture in which a wide range of drugs become legal equivalents of alcohol. Persons supporting legalization need to analyze its meaning, its implementation, and its effects on key institutions. 12 notes