Gee, and you'd think with all of the interdiction efforts and all of the people imprisoned since 1988 that prices would have gone way up and use would have gone way down. That is of course if this whole fiasco of a drug war actually worked. As long as there is demand it will be met. Success cannot be measured by the amounts of drugs seized or the numbers of people convicted and sentenced to prison.
My conclusion is that this is probably as good as it gets given the amount we're spending and the number of laws in place. I don't think the public will tolerate an increase in either, since I think we're at a level of diminishing returns.
Any future reduction, IMO, will come from a reduction in demand due to social (peer) pressure, parental involvement, continued drug education, and an improved economy.
I'd be interested in any study which compared drug use in the states that legalized medical marijuana vs. those that didn't. Also, those that have decriminalized vs. those that didn't.
Oops. I don't think the public will tolerate an a large increase in either, since I think we're at a level of diminishing returns.