Look to the war on drugs to understand why the United States has become “a prison state,” says Lew Rockwell in a new video interview with Future of Freedom Foundation President Jacob Hornberger. And, says Rockwell, look to educational efforts and state governments’ “nullification” of US drug laws for indications why drug prohibition will end.

While Rockwell notes there are powerful interests fighting to perpetuate the war on drugs, Rockwell also declares in the interview his optimism that educational efforts will help increase public support for ending drug prohibition. Pointing to states “nullifying” US government anti-drug laws through actions including medical and recreational marijuana legalization, Rockwell says “we have every reason to be optimistic” that the drug war “will eventually come to an end.”

Rockwell, who is the founder and CEO of the Ludwig von Mises Institute, also discusses in the interview how legalizing choice regarding drugs and ending drug prohibition would yield, as did ending alcohol prohibition decades ago, many benefits. Rockwell concludes:

Choice is good. Choice is good for the economy, good for us as individuals. It’s good for civilization as a matter of fact.

Watch Rockwell’s complete interview here:

Rockwell is a member of the Ron Paul Institute Advisory Board.

Reprinted with permission from the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity.