Dear readers: Trust me. I’m a long-time criminal defense and civil liberties lawyer, and I’m telling you that the “war on drugs” has been an abysmal and wholly destructive failure. Not only has it been responsible for the erosion of myriad provisions of the Bill of Rights, but this “war” has made it significantly more difficult for those interested in promoting healthy practices, especially among the young, to speak with credibility and persuasiveness on the dangers of abusing both lawful and illegal drugs.