It begins with a historical overview of attitudes toward drugs in America, followed by a presentation of the U.S. government's official drug policy, which supports continued prohibition. The Federal position is then supported with several articles by leading American intellectuals and politicians. Perspectives on the "medical marijuana" issue follow, with position statements and analysis by advocates of the repeal of drug prohibition. The repeal position is supported by anthropological, libertarian, and rights-based perspectives of the "war" on drugs. The arguments are supported with research on heroin, cocaine, and morphine, as well as summaries of similar studies on alcohol. These papers include evidence that addiction has more to do with mind and environment than chemistry and physiology. New definitions of addiction consistent with these findings are offered. Other papers within these perspectives argue against the idea that crime stems from drug use and that addiction and criminal activity are involuntary. Another paper examines the issue of the First Amendment's guarantee of freedom of religion as it applies to mandatory drug and alcohol treatment that involves adherence to specified religious beliefs and self- concepts. The volume concludes by contrasting the free-will and disease models of drug addiction and their implications for treatment techniques. Chapter references, notes, tables, and figures