Can Marx or Durkheim be applied to “War on Drugs”?

Question: Can Marx or Durkheim be applied to “War on Drugs”?
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Answer:

Answer by Cole
Sure, conflict theory (i.e. including Marx) would look at the War on Drugs as a way to control the population. It would focus on the vast numbers of inmates in the U.S. (the largest prison population in the world) who are locked up for non-violent drug charges. It is just another way for the “haves” to impose social control over the “have nots.”

Durkheim would be a structure-functionalist, looking at the War on Drugs as a way to help maintain the system. All who are employed to combat drugs, no matter how ineffective their results, help to employ people and keep people feeling safe, believing in, and contributing to the overall social system.