[Sangama34]

The war on drugs has worked for those it was meant to work. It has helped governments grab more power, engage in more violence and create the prison industrial complex we all abhor on HN.

>The monetary cost of U.S. domestic drug policy is equally remarkable. Since the War on Drugs began more than 40 years ago, the U.S. government has spent more than $1 trillion on interdiction policies. Spending on the war continues to cost U.S. taxpayers more than $51 billion annually

That is $1T to polices, contractors, private prisons, prison guard unions and so on. It is an economy in itself.

Here is plenty of information on the topic.

https://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/four-decad...