Who Benefits from the Drug War? Judge Jim Gray Has Answers, Dammit!

Note: On March 8, 2010, Reason.tv released this interview of Judge Jim Gray about the various groups that benefit from the drug war. The video is back among the most-viewed articles at Reason.com, so we decided to let all of you see just what this persuasive critic of drug prohibition was talking about. Here's the original text for the release.

In 1992, Jim Gray, a conservative judge in conservative Orange County, California, held a press conference during which he recommended that we rethink our drug laws. Back then, it took a great deal of courage to suggest that the war on drugs was a failed policy.

Today, more and more Americans are coming to the realization that prohibition's costs—whether measured in lives and liberties lost or dollars wasted—far exceed any possible or claimed benefits. Reason.tv's Paul Feine interviewed Gray about drug policy and the prospects for reform.  The interview was shot by Alex Manning and edited by Hawk Jensen.

Judge Jim Gray is the author of Why Our Drug Laws Have Failed and What We Can Do About It: A Judicial Indictment of the War on Drugs.

Approximately 8.30 minutes.

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