The stated purpose of the task force was to develop and implement rational alternatives to current drug policies at both State and Federal levels. Task force participants were drawn from various disciplines, including legal, medical, and academic fields and government, in an effort to develop a comprehensive approach to future drug policies. The task force examined the failure of existing drug policies to meet their stated objectives, costs and public health consequences of existing drug policies, the relation between drug policies and violent crime, drug law enforcement, the impact of existing drug policies on women, and the impact of existing drug policies on government integrity. The task force made specific recommendations in the following areas: (1) pursue alternative models in establishing future drug policies; (2) provide immediate sentencing relief and additional judicial discretion in the prosecution of drug cases; (3) reduce the harm associated with drug abuse and drug prohibition; (4) concentrate law enforcement resources on reducing violent crime and prosecuting violent offenders; (5) reshape the drug policy debate with a return to objective analysis and realistic goals; (6) implement a public education campaign on drug use and abuse; (7) decriminalize marijuana; (8) reverse encroachments on civil rights and restore due process; (9) provide alternative social and economic opportunities for inner-city youth; and (10) end the war on youth and inner-city communities and restore confidence and integrity in government. 61 references and 68 footnotes