Legalization and Decriminalization of Drugs

Abstract During the latter part of the 20th century, the “War on Drugs” found particular expression in a range of punitive sentencing doctrines for drug offenses. But the problematic extremes of the modern drug war, with particular concern for racial disparities and mass incarceration, grew salient by the start of the 21st century and prompted targeted sentencing reforms and broader drug decriminalization and legalization efforts. State marijuana legalization and other drug policy reforms now echo through criminal justice and sentencing systems in myriad ways, but the creation of an enduring infrastructure for ameliorative reforms may be critical to sustained and effective policy developments in this space.