Forty-four years after President Nixon declared “war on drugs”, four US states have now agreed to legalise the sale of marijuana and a majority of Americans supports legalisation. Across the world, drug laws are being relaxed, from Uruguay to Portugal to Jamaica to the Czech Republic. Does this global trend mean the war on drugs has been lost? The Inquiry hears from expert witnesses including an ex-president and a former prosecutor who now defends drug traffickers.
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US President Donald Trump reacts after signing executive orders imposing tariffs on imported goods in the Rose Garden at the White House on April 2, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik via Getty Images)