The author contends that prohibition causes gangsterism, corruption, and additional law enforcement costs and that alternatives to the drug war have advantages over prohibition. He believes that a better approach is to legalize drugs in order to get the control of drug markets out of the hands of criminals. The author also indicates that drug legalization is an effective response to drug problems, one offering substantial social savings, and he couples his support of drug legalization with a warning against dogmatism. Objections to drug legalization are noted, and practical dimensions of drug legalization are examined that deal with equilibrium in a free market and the regulatory framework. Commentaries offer perspectives on drug addiction and the case for regulated drug legalization and arguments against legalization. References, footnotes, and figures