Systematic attempts to limit or deter illicit drug use as one component of deviance control has been a failure rivaled only by the lack of success in treating hard-core drug addiction in this country. One major trend that has emerged from the current pattern of drug law enforcement has been the equation of drug offenses with the total crime problem; this view ignores the underlying social and economic causes of crime, most of which is not drug-related. The focus of this analysis is on the consequences that the prevalent drug enforcement ideology has wrought in superseding other more urgent societal priorities and constitutional values. The three major groups benefiting from current drug laws include lawful drug companies, the enforcement agencies, and organized and casual criminals engaged in drug law offenses. The author urges policymakers to move toward decriminalization and toward an emphasis on other issues such as gun control and violence that threaten the democratic ethic. 3 tables and 79 notes