It's a tricky number to determine because felonies such as murder, assault, burglary, arson, robbery, and even kidnapping can still be linked to the drug war. The Bureau of Justice Statistics claims, "Between 2001 and 2013, more than half of prisoners serving sentences of more than a year in federal facilities were convicted of drug offenses."

There are no prominent right-wing politicians today condoning legalization, but can we at least start with pot? Making teenagers play videogames for hours and laugh too hard at late-night comedies should not lead to prison. How can the downsides of this insidious drug (and it is ultimately pretty bad for you) hold a candle to the intense casualties of this ridiculous war? Take my friend Paul (né Pawel Urbaniak), for example. He's a white ex–pot dealer from Long Island with a thick New York accent, Drake hair, basketball shoes, and a baseball hat at a slight angle. He's 28 now, but he's still 22 in a lot of ways. That's because he just got out of prison after six years for assault and battery—only that's not what happened.