Drug War Books: Experts Pick Best Books About The American Drug War

6 Expert-Recommended Reads About The Drug War
FILE - This Sept. 15, 2009 file photo shows marijuana plants in Seattle at a medical marijuana growing operation. Tax enforcers have started auditing medical marijuana dispensaries in Washington, escalating a dispute over whether the outlets should be collecting money for state government. The state Department of Revenue has worked since 2010 to tell marijuana establishments that they must remit sales taxes on their transactions. Some 50 dispensaries have registered with the state, helping the state collect some $750,000 in taxes from the industry over the span of one year. Officials believe that there are many other outlets that remain unregistered, and that some registered entities are improperly reporting that they had no taxable business. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
FILE - This Sept. 15, 2009 file photo shows marijuana plants in Seattle at a medical marijuana growing operation. Tax enforcers have started auditing medical marijuana dispensaries in Washington, escalating a dispute over whether the outlets should be collecting money for state government. The state Department of Revenue has worked since 2010 to tell marijuana establishments that they must remit sales taxes on their transactions. Some 50 dispensaries have registered with the state, helping the state collect some $750,000 in taxes from the industry over the span of one year. Officials believe that there are many other outlets that remain unregistered, and that some registered entities are improperly reporting that they had no taxable business. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

As election season gears up, a few political books have garnered attention. Certainly, Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" was revisited or poked fun at by many after vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan's adoration of the objectivist literature came to light. Amazon is playing its part in highlighting popular election-themed books with its map that determines a state's party affiliation based on the number of "red" or "blue" books purchased there.

Still, some important topics are being skirted as far as political books are concerned. One such topic: The war on drugs. Just last summer, the Global Commission on Drug Policy released a statement that "the war on drugs has failed," but what exactly does this mean? How can Americans help decrease illegal drug sales and usage? Do Americans even view this as an important objective? And how have Americans' opinions on drug policies changes over the years?

We've consulted experts on American drug policy, including authors and non-profit leaders, to suggest reading material that can help answer these questions, but here's a brief run-down of Romney's drug policy history:

-In 2004, he supported harsher penalties for drunk driving in Massachusetts.
-In 2005, he created legislation to up the fines for those in possession of methanphetamines.
-In 2007, 2011 and 2012 Romney supported funding "narco-terrorism" in Mexico and South America.
-Romney is known for having unclear views on the drug war, however. In a 2008 video, he stated that American money should be spent on handling teen drug prevention domestically, rather than attacking drug importation issues.
-Romney IS clear about one thing: He strongly opposes the legalization or marijuana, even for medicinal purposes.

Next week, we will highlight Barack Obama's stance on the war on drugs. Meanwhile, check out these books on the topic. Both new reads and older, more comprehensive histories are included:

HuffPost Live will be taking a comprehensive look at America’s failed war on drugs August 28th and September 4th from 12-4 pm ET and 6-10 pm ET. Click here to check it out -- and join the conversation.

"DRUG CRAZY: How We Got Into This Mess & How We Can Get Out" by Mike Gray

Books About America's Drug War

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