The catastrophic failure of the war on drugs is evident in its $1 trillion price tag since 1971, which has only succeeded in creating a violent black market where drug profits fuel illegal gun trafficking, particularly through easily accessible American firearms. In contrast, Portugal's 2001 decriminalization saw drug deaths plummet from 80 to 3 per million by 2015, while HIV infections dropped 95% as people safely sought treatment. The current system has imprisoned 374,000 Americans for drug offenses - disproportionately affecting minorities who are 3.73 times more likely to be arrested despite similar usage rates. Meanwhile, legalization success stories abound - Colorado generated $2.2 billion in cannabis tax revenue (2014-2021), Canada created 151,000 legitimate jobs, and Mexican cartels lost $14 billion in revenue, reducing their ability to purchase weapons. States that expunged marijuana convictions saw an 11% employment increase among affected individuals and reduced recidivism. Oregon's 2020 drug decriminalization led to 96% fewer arrests without increasing use rates, while making 47,000 convictions eligible for expungement. The evidence is clear - regulation and treatment work better than prohibition, which only serves to enrich criminal enterprises and fuel gun violence through an endless cycle of black market profit and arms procurement.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​