Arguments for drug legalization follow the traditional interpretation of prohibition as a foolish mistake and a moral evil. Two arguments are made against the prohibition and drug analogy: (1) significant differences exist between the two eras that tend to undermine the prolegalization analogy; and (2) many arguments of prolegalizers are weakened by their reliance on popular beliefs about prohibition rather than on recent historical evidence. Therefore, attempts to create the analogy between prohibition and drugs serve only to confuse the debate over drug legalization. 41 notes