# The Unintended Consequences of Drug Prohibition (with Jeff Miron)

**URL:** <https://www.libertarianism.org/podcasts/free-thoughts/the-unintended-consequences-of-drug-prohibition-with-jeff-miron>

**By** Jeffrey A. Miron, Aaron Ross Powell, Trevor Burrus

**Published:** January 25, 2019

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Drug prohibition, which drives the black market, makes it harder for rational people to take advantage of drugs they find necessary, argues Jeff Miron.

As more states move to legalize marijuana for recreation or medicinal purposes, a debate has arisen. Should public policy determine what pleasures are okay to indulge in and which are not?

Jeff Miron joins us today to discuss how drug prohibition actually hurts the naive drug user the most.

Are drugs an economic good? What is the economic logic of prohibition? How much does drug prohibition cost? Did alcohol use go down during prohibition? Are drug companies trying to make their products more addictive in order to drive revenue?

## Further Reading:

[The Budgetary Effects of Ending Drug Prohibition](https://www.cato.org/publications/tax-budget-bulletin/budgetary-effects-ending-drug-prohibition), written by Jeffrey Miron

[Data Confirm That Marijuana Decriminalization is Long Overdue](https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/data-confirm-marijuana-decriminalization-long-overdue), written by Jeffrey Miron and Sietse Goffard

## Related Content:

[Is the DEA Trippin'?, with Rick Doblin](https://www.libertarianism.org/podcasts/free-thoughts/is-the-dea-trippin-with-rick-doblin), Free Thoughts Podcast

[How Drug Prohibition Caused the Opioid Crisis](https://www.libertarianism.org/podcasts/free-thoughts/how-drug-prohibition-caused-the-opioid-crisis), Free Thoughts Podcast

[The Case for Legalizing Hard Drugs](https://www.libertarianism.org/essays/case-legalizing-hard-drugs), written by Jarrett Wollstein