J Drug Educ. 2001 ; 31(4): 319-28.

Beyond the theoretical rhetoric: a proposal to study the consequences of drug legalization.

Yacoubian GS.

Center for Substance Abuse Research (CESAR), University of Maryland, College Park, USA.

Drug legalization is a frequently-debated drug control policy alternative. It should come as little surprise, therefore, that the arguments in favor of both legalization and prohibition have resulted in a conceptual stalemate. While theoretical deliberations are unquestionably valuable, they seem to have propelled this particular issue to its limit. To date, no works have suggested any empirical studies that might test the framework and potential consequences of drug legalization. In the current study, the arguments surrounding the drug legalization debate are synthesized into a proposal for future research. Such a proposal illustrates that the core elements surrounding drug legalization are not only testable, but that the time may be right to consider such an empirical effort.