Disclaimer: In writing critically about the drug war, let me emphasize that I mean no insensitivity towards those who have had ill experiences with illicit substances. I also make no pretense of knowledge other than from reading and chatting with folks.

A galling example of what destruction can be heaped upon the populace by an agency vested with coercive power run amok occurred last December. We witnessed the grotesque spectacle of DEA raids to prevent sick individuals from making use of marijuana as a medicine. Here, we see that the DEA is under the illusion that they collectively own our bodies. What business is it of theirs if someone weighs the costs and benefits of cannabis use, given their individual context, then acts on that judgment. Absolutely none! It’s events like this that make me remember Rothbard’s reply to the charge of utopianism…

“the man who puts all the guns and all the decision-making power into the hands of the central government and then says, “Limit yourself”; it is he who is truly the impractical utopian.”
-Murray Rothbard

Yes, the DEA was acting contrary to the wishes of the local electorate, yet the local law enforcement agency took part in this tragedy. We see a split in decision-making power– albeit still in the context of statist institutions — but rights still being trampled. This is a fruitful area for a whole array of activist measures from mass mailings to civil disobedience. Encouragement of willing human walls between DEA agents and their targets would let them know that there is less public support than they think. Understandably, many people may not want to incur that kind of risk, yet it doesn’t hurt to throw out the idea. Speaking personally, in moments of intense political idealism, I feel like I’d be willing to volunteer for such an action.