Should all recreational drugs be legalized and regulated?

Recreational drugs—substances used primarily for pleasure rather than medical purposes—include a wide range of psychoactive compounds such as cannabis, MDMA, LSD, psilocybin, cocaine, and heroin. The question of whether all recreational drugs should be legalized and regulated involves public health policy, legal history, pharmacology, and human rights. The current global framework for drug control is rooted in the early 20th century, when international treaties like the 1912 Hague Opium Convention and the later 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs categorized certain substances as illegal and enforceable through criminal law. These agreements formed the foundation for the global "War on Drugs," a campaign spearheaded by the United States in the 1970s that promoted prohibition, eradication, and strict policing worldwide. Under this model, possession, sale, and use of many drugs remain criminal offenses in most countries, leading to mass incarceration, especially among marginalized communities. However, in recent decades, there has been a global shift. Countries like Portugal decriminalized all drugs in 2001, focusing instead on public health and treatment. Others, including Canada, the Netherlands, and parts of the U.S., have legalized or regulated cannabis and are experimenting with frameworks for psychedelics and harm reduction. Regulation refers to systems where drugs are produced, distributed, and consumed under legal oversight.