--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The War on Drugs will go down in history…" description: "\"“The War on Drugs will go down in history as the most racist crusade since slavery.”\" — Thor Benson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99f/thor-benson-39686_cannabis_the-war-on-drugs-will-go-down-in-history_1074128.jpg" --- # The War on Drugs will go down in history as the most… ![“The War on Drugs will go down in history as the most racist crusade since slavery.” quote by Thor Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99f/thor-benson-39686_cannabis_the-war-on-drugs-will-go-down-in-history_1074128.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99f/thor-benson-39686_cannabis_the-war-on-drugs-will-go-down-in-history_1074128.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99f/thor-benson-39686_cannabis_the-war-on-drugs-will-go-down-in-history_1074128.jpg) > ““The War on Drugs will go down in history as the most racist crusade since slavery.”” [Thor Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thor-benson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The war on drugs is portrayed as a racially motivated campaign surpassing historical injustices. **In simple terms:** Drug policies are deeply racist. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge systemic racism in drug enforcement. Themes racism policy justice Mood critical reflective Type political social commentary When to use this quote - criminal justice reform - public health policy - community activism Key Concepts systemic oppression historical comparison Questions to Reflect On - How does racism shape drug laws? - What alternatives exist to punitive drug policies? A Different Perspective Racism is one factor among many influencing drug policy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cannabis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cannabis/) [Drugs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drugs/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Legalization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legalization/) [Marijuana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marijuana/) [Prohibition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prohibition/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Racist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racist/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War on drugs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-on-drugs/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/) ## Related quotes > [“The growing policy-reform movement is a broad church. It includes everyone from ganja-smoking Rastafarians to free-market fundamentalists and all in between. There are socialists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioan-grillo/the-growing-policy-reform-movement-is-a-broad-church-it-includes/) Ioan Grillo > [“There has never been a 'war on drugs'! In our history we can only see an ongoing conflict amongst various drug users – and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-marincolo/there-has-never-been-a-war-on-drugs-in-our-history-we-can-only-see-an/) [Sebastian Marincolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-marincolo/) > [Marijuana legalization's income may help fund education, prevention and treatment programs for harder drugs. What's clear is that the four-decade-old U.S.-backed war on drugs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andr-s-oppenheimer/marijuana-legalization-s-income-may-help-fund-education-prevention/) Andres Oppenheimer > [The War on Drugs has been an utter failure. We need to rethink and decriminalize our marijuana laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-war-on-drugs-has-been-an-utter-failure-we-need-to-rethink-and/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [“While the legalization of Cannabis is still new and being regulated for growing, packaging, distribution and sales, the IRS is old and has many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loren-weisman/while-the-legalization-of-cannabis-is-still-new-and-being-regulated/) [Loren Weisman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loren-weisman/) > [“The legalization of marijuana is not a dangerous experiment – the prohibition is the experiment, and it has failed dramatically, with millions of victims…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-marincolo/the-legalization-of-marijuana-is-not-a-dangerous-experiment-the/) [Sebastian Marincolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-marincolo/) > [“The first casualty of war is truth, and the war on drugs is no different”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-milton-trott/the-first-casualty-of-war-is-truth-and-the-war-on-drugs-is-no/) Dominic Milton Trott > [“In the War on Drugs, shoot heroin first.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-beeny/in-the-war-on-drugs-shoot-heroin-first/) Eric Beeny > [We're talking about a prison-industrial complex. We're talking about a war on drugs that's generating unprecedented levels of incarcerated folk. We're talking about dilapidated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/we-re-talking-about-a-prison-industrial-complex-we-re-talking-about-a/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [The federal war on drugs is a total failure... The federal government's going in there and overriding state laws... Why don't we handle the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/the-federal-war-on-drugs-is-a-total-failure-the-federal-government-s/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [I believe that the war on drugs is a tragically misplaced use of resources - an immoral venture that produces far more suffering than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harsanyi/i-believe-that-the-war-on-drugs-is-a-tragically-misplaced-use-of/) [David Harsanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harsanyi/) > [The war on drugs is a joke. We spend $40 billion a year, and the proof that it's a failure is that any kid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheff/the-war-on-drugs-is-a-joke-we-spend-40-billion-a-year-and-the-proof/) [David Sheff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheff/) > [“War on Drugs...will only be won when we point our thumbs at ourselves and ask the hard question: “How am I contributing to this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle/war-on-drugs-will-only-be-won-when-we-point-our-thumbs-at-ourselves/) [David W Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle/) > [By creating false environment of a war on drugs, and cruel and unusual punishment with these crimes, 50% of our U.S. population is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/by-creating-false-environment-of-a-war-on-drugs-and-cruel-and-unusual/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [If you support the war on drugs in its present form, then you're only paying lip-service to the defense of freedom, and you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-boortz/if-you-support-the-war-on-drugs-in-its-present-form-then-you-re-only/) [Neal Boortz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-boortz/) ## More by Thor Benson > [“Trump taught us how easily seemingly serious people can become profoundly idiotic. He turned career politicians into circus freaks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thor-benson/trump-taught-us-how-easily-seemingly-serious-people-can-become/) [Thor Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thor-benson/) > [“There is no free expression when you have to pay extra to stand on the soap box.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thor-benson/there-is-no-free-expression-when-you-have-to-pay-extra-to-stand-on/) [Thor Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thor-benson/) > [“If you don’t like the table, then you have to flip it over.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thor-benson/if-you-don-t-like-the-table-then-you-have-to-flip-it-over/) [Thor Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thor-benson/) > [“The drink prices were inflated, and so were the breasts of the bartender. The place had a quiet discord that was waiting to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thor-benson/the-drink-prices-were-inflated-and-so-were-the-breasts-of-the/) [Thor Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thor-benson/) > [“Humans are all too happy to keep company until the company turns out to be less appealing than solitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thor-benson/humans-are-all-too-happy-to-keep-company-until-the-company-turns-out/) [Thor Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thor-benson/) > [“This kind of hostile environment creates division within the cultures themselves, and it pits the bulls against each other while the matador watches from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thor-benson/this-kind-of-hostile-environment-creates-division-within-the-cultures/) [Thor Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thor-benson/) > [“There is a wealth of time and money the size of an aircraft carrier for planning wars, but the amount of time and money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thor-benson/there-is-a-wealth-of-time-and-money-the-size-of-an-aircraft-carrier/) [Thor Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thor-benson/) > [“We’re building our own fucking cubicles.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thor-benson/we-re-building-our-own-fucking-cubicles/) [Thor Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thor-benson/) > [“Writers choose to drink because of their inability to cope with the daily hassles of being part of a society. Why shouldn’t they? Every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thor-benson/writers-choose-to-drink-because-of-their-inability-to-cope-with-the/) [Thor Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thor-benson/) > [“Our country is always willing to lend a hand to the helpless, as long as they lend us a hand when we need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thor-benson/our-country-is-always-willing-to-lend-a-hand-to-the-helpless-as-long/) [Thor Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thor-benson/) [Explore all 11 Thor Benson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thor-benson/) ## More Cannabis quotes > [Freedom is that faculty that enlarges the usefulness of all other faculties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/freedom-is-that-faculty-that-enlarges-the-usefulness-of-all-other/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Many artists and writers have used cannabis for creative stimulation - from the writers of the world's religious masterpieces to our most irreverent satirists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-herer/many-artists-and-writers-have-used-cannabis-for-creative-stimulation/) [Jack Herer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-herer/) > [The trick is to use the drugs once to get there, and maybe spend the next ten years trying to get back there without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/the-trick-is-to-use-the-drugs-once-to-get-there-and-maybe-spend-the/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [A Prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/a-prohibition-law-strikes-a-blow-at-the-very-principles-upon-which/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [We didn't have a strong drug scene by any means. Originally, it was just purple hearts, amphetamines, speed or whatever you want to call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-wooler/we-didn-t-have-a-strong-drug-scene-by-any-means-originally-it-was/) Bob Wooler > [“We must go to the laboratory at once. I have some cannabis.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooklyn-ann/we-must-go-to-the-laboratory-at-once-i-have-some-cannabis/) Brooklyn Ann > [Every cannabis user is a medical patient whether they know it or not](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-peron/every-cannabis-user-is-a-medical-patient-whether-they-know-it-or-not/) Dennis Peron > [Cannabis always made me paranoid; I felt like people were watching me. And now I'm sober, and I've got this talk show in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/cannabis-always-made-me-paranoid-i-felt-like-people-were-watching-me/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [Hemp is a part of the cannabis plant, and it is very useful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ziggy-marley/hemp-is-a-part-of-the-cannabis-plant-and-it-is-very-useful/) [Ziggy Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ziggy-marley/) > [I smoked this joint and then it hit me. I thought, what you gotta do is play your own simply blues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iggy-pop/i-smoked-this-joint-and-then-it-hit-me-i-thought-what-you-gotta-do-is/) [Iggy Pop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iggy-pop/) > [“The grimoires were already illegal; authoring or possessing them was punishable by torture and death. In that case, listing belladonna as an ingredient in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-leitch/the-grimoires-were-already-illegal-authoring-or-possessing-them-was/) [Aaron Leitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-leitch/) > [Breaking down some stress, rolling up some regrets, add a light to the tip, let me enjoy this shit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/breaking-down-some-stress-rolling-up-some-regrets-add-a-light-to-the/) [Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/) > [I don’t know what life is like without cannabis, I hear there is such a thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/i-don-t-know-what-life-is-like-without-cannabis-i-hear-there-is-such/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [I have used cannabis all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-steves/i-have-used-cannabis-all-over-the-world/) [Rick Steves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-steves/) > [It would be wryly interesting if in human history the cultivation of marijuana led generally to the invention of agriculture, and thereby to civilization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-would-be-wryly-interesting-if-in-human-history-the-cultivation-of/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) [Browse all 200 Cannabis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cannabis/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The War on Drugs will go down in history as the most racist crusade since slavery.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thor Benson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thor-benson/the-war-on-drugs-will-go-down-in-history-as-the-most-racist-crusade/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cannabis" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thor-benson/the-war-on-drugs-will-go-down-in-history-as-the-most-racist-crusade/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99f/thor-benson-39686_cannabis_the-war-on-drugs-will-go-down-in-history_1074128.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99f/thor-benson-39686_cannabis_the-war-on-drugs-will-go-down-in-history_1074128.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99f/thor-benson-39686_cannabis_the-war-on-drugs-will-go-down-in-history_1074128.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The War on Drugs will go down in history as the most racist crusade since slavery.” — Thor Benson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Thor Benson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thor-benson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The War on Drugs will go...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thor-benson/the-war-on-drugs-will-go-down-in-history-as-the-most-racist-crusade/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thor-benson/the-war-on-drugs-will-go-down-in-history-as-the-most-racist-crusade/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```