Trends in drug use and drug control vary widely among countries. The same applies to current experiments involving the decriminalization of drugs. Based on historical and empirical data concerning the “Portuguese experimentation,” this paper argues that the “war on drugs” is coming to a close. Can drug consumption be regulated by something other than criminal law? Based on an analysis of the data from the Portuguese experiment, this paper argues that the answer to that question is “yes.” This paper also argues that decriminalization does not increase public health problems or crime.