Why Banning Drugs and Guns Never Works

Reason’s Jacob Sullum traces the shared failures of drug prohibition and gun laws, showing how both undermine civil liberties, racial justice, and commonsense safety.

1x 1.1x 1.25x 1.5x 2x 3x

:15 :15

Download

Why Banning Drugs and Guns Never Works

In this episode of The Reason Interview, Nick Gillespie is joined by Senior Editor Jacob Sullum, author of the new book Beyond Control, to discuss the evolution of gun and drug laws in America. They examine how decades of prohibitionist policies have backfired, undermining liberty and justice without delivering safety.

This was originally recorded live on September 4, 2025.

 

Is mass immigration good for America? Join us for a Reason Versus live debate on October 2 in Washington, D.C.

• Producer: Paul Alexander
• Audio Mixer: Ian Keyser

Comments

[sarcasmic]

True libertarians support the military killing drug dealers and banning trannies from having guns. Anyone who says otherwise is a leftist Marxist with TDS.

[Don't look at me! ( Is the war over yet?)]

Zzzzzz

[Eeyore]

Once Congress allocates the funds, if the president fails to employ the drones then a Democrat judge will force the president to employ them.

[I, Woodchipper]

In a truly libertarian society, all the drugs would be legal and available, and all property would be privately owned and owners would be allowed to summarily evict any junkies off their property by any means necessary.

Sadly, we don't live in such a utopia. So, we have to live with city ordinances that come close. That's good enough. Do all the drugs you want in your own home and if you want to live on the sidewalk and poop all over the commons and leave needles on the ground, it's straight to jail.

[Chumby]

JS;dl

[Gaear Grimsrud]

JS, NG;dr

[Rick James]

both undermine civil liberties, racial justice, and commonsense safety.

Fuck off with 'racial justice'. Again, Reason starts with a flawed premise and then builds an so-called libertarian argument around it.

Problem: Not enough Racial justice
Goal: More racial justice.
Solution: Geoengineer racial justice with Web3.0 out of thin air and microbiomes!

Racial justice is collective justice and is in literal opposition to libertarian ideals.

[Use the Schwartz]

"Racial justice is collective justice and is in literal opposition to libertarian ideals."

100%, well written.

[Rick James]

Problem: Not enough racial justice!
Goal: Get more racial justice!
Seattle Solution: Legalize drugs and sleeping on the street!
Result: We have to prohibit people from using the parks and close them all early because we got a little too much racial justice! Ain't liberty grand!

[Rick James]

"WA Supreme Court throws out the state's felony drug possession law.
February 25, 2021
The ruling in State v. Blake means the Legislature must create a new law around simple drug possession."

Far out, man!

Yeah, far out!

"So, what happened in 2023?"

Far out man!

[mad.casual]

Yeah, far out!

I think my favorite part is the implied "of or with" associated with the "pending toxicology" stats. Like you otherwise have a lot of lethal injection homicides, diabetics mainlining insulin, or simultaneous OD/strokes throwing off your dead junkie numbers. Lots of homeless with fresh track marks up their arm dying of exposure and then testing completely clean.

[Rick James]

My favorite "Seattle enacts Racial Justice by legalizing drugs" story was the member of the city council who was literally chased out of his own meeting by his constituents, shaking his fist as he left-- after they kept pressing him on what he was going to do about the rampant crime, filth, and overdose problem in their neighborhoods, and he kept swiveling his hips and saying, "Hey man, don't you like think the Drug War has been like, a failure man?"

[Uncle Jay]

Banning alcohol worked well 100 years ago.
Banning drugs is working out well today.
I'm sure banning guns will eliminate all shootings.
Won't life be wonderful in our glorious nanny state with no guns?

[Rick James]

Problem: There are too may cars on the road! CLIMATE CHANGE!
Goal: Get more cars off the roads!
Libertarian Solution: E-Scooters in every driveway powered by Web3.0!

[Eeyore]

Wen3.0 is so 10 years ago.

[ed tantamount]

Zdravstvuyte, moi dorogiye russkiye tovarishchi.