I am a lawyer, former prosecutor (assistant state attorney general, 1982-1986), and a member of a drug reform organization called Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP).

Responsible citizens should be appalled by the news from Mexico about the near 30,000 homicides committed by the drug cartels in the past three years.

People on the Cape and Islands might ask if this is our problem. Do we share the blame? Is there anything we can do about it?

The homicidal rampage underway across the border is rooted in competition for the hundreds of billions of dollars in the black market in illegal drugs, the major portion involving marijuana. This is caused by the U.S. policy of drug prohibition and is fueled by the insatiable demand for marijuana and other illegal drugs in this country.

What can we do? End prohibition. Support legalizing, taxing and regulating marijuana and other drugs as a public health issue, beginning with marijuana. A nonbinding question aimed at accomplishing this — question four on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, and question five in Gosnold and precincts one, two, five and six of Falmouth — will appear on the November ballot. Support it and send a message that marijuana prohibition should end.

Marijuana prohibition does not work. By any measure, marijuana prohibition and the “war” on drugs has been a complete failure. It has not deterred consumption or sale of the products.

In 1971, when Richard Nixon declared “war” and criminal enforcement of drug laws was given priority, there were fewer than 40,000 prisoners being held on drug charges in this country. After 40 years of rigorous enforcement and implementation of draconian sentencing, we now have more than 500,000 inmates being held on drug charges. In that time, we have spent more than a trillion dollars. We continue spending at a rate of more than $75 billion a year, $20 billion just for the prison bill.

One could argue that the human and financial costs would be worth it, if it worked. No credible observer can say that it has. Today, there are more drugs, easily available, stronger and cheaper than they were in 1971.

Drug prohibition has created a $600 billion-a-year criminal enterprise. The racketeers perpetrate untold violence and murder to protect their operations. The 30,000 Mexicans killed in the past three years are a small fraction of the homicide victims resulting from the failed policy. Ending marijuana and drug prohibition would shut down the drug cartels and end the enormous bloodshed.

Marijuana prohibition does not work because we lack a strong consensus. Almost half of our citizens have admitted using an illegal drug, primarily marijuana. This includes the president and his two predecessors, George W. Bush and William Clinton. This severely undermines respect for the rule of law, the foundation of our democracy.

Marijuana and drug prohibition is utterly hypocritical when viewed from a public health standpoint. Marijuana is a minor public health issue compared with the sanctioned addictive products, alcohol and tobacco. This hypocrisy cannot be sustained with draconian criminal laws.

If drugs and marijuana were legal and regulated, the government would save billions of dollars and raise revenue. If a small fraction of that savings and tax revenue were spent on education and treatment of drug abusers, we would more effectively deal with substance abuse.

This year, California voters will decide whether to end the irrational prohibition of marijuana. Here on the Cape and Islands we can make such a statement on our ballot. Vote yes on the nonbinding question four on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, and question five in Gosnold and precincts one, two, five and six of Falmouth.

John Amabile lives in Vineyard Haven. This piece was published in The Cape Cod Times on Oct. 25. It appears here with permission.