Randy E. Barnett

In the following viewpoint, Randy E. Barnett claims that drug laws cause more harm to addicts and society than drugs themselves. According to Barnett, drug prohibition makes drugs so expensive that addicts turn to crime in order to obtain money to buy them. Furthermore, drug prohibition is unfair in that it punishes users for committing a “crime” that has no victim. Barnett is the author of a number of books about the legal system, including The Structure of Liberty: Justice and the Rule of the Law.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How do higher prices make drug use more hazardous for users, in Barnett’s opinion?
2. According to the author, what harms are unavoidable as long as force is used to minimize drug use?
3. What are two...