Over the past half century, governments around the world have been involved in a wanton war against drugs, its users, producers and distributors, with the intention of creating a drug-free world. This war has been lost, as evidenced by the exponential increase in drug use over the past two decades and the creation of new drug trafficking syndicates across southern Africa (Rolles et al, 2012). This is true for Zimbabwe, a country in the heart of southern Africa, which, like its global counterparts, has adopted a punitive ban, criminalizing use, possession and production with harsh penalties (Ndlovu, 2012). This prohibitionist stance has created a multi-faceted crisis for the country, exacerbated by the government's structural incompetence. A progressive and robust solution such as decriminalization is required immediately. Nature and scale of the problem The prohibitionist approach anchored in Article 157 of Criminal Law 23 of 2004 criminalizes use, possession and production, with a maximum sentence of 14 years. This prohibitionist policy has created a multitude of social, economic and political problems. The problems range from: ME27993 Page 2 Mass incarceration. The scope of current legislation is too broad and criminalizes a wide range of activities. This has led to overcrowding in prisons, with the prison service on the brink of collapse. An ever-increasing budget for drug prosecutions. The government devotes a substantial portion of its budget to prosecuting drug-related cases. Indirectly, the government spends more to keep these offenders in prison.  An increase in the prevalence of drug addiction. There is no clear scientific correlation between criminalization and reduced drug use...... middle of article ......criminalized the trade and use of high-grade tobacco in nicotine. The black market intensified and thousands of people were incarcerated, but with decriminalization the illegal market was wiped out (Zimbabwe's Report Card on WHO, 2011). The government must act similarly to tackle the drug problem. Concluding Remarks The criminal justice system has failed to stem the drug problem; in fact, it had unintended consequences, impoverishing Zimbabwe and its people. Drug decriminalization is the only viable policy option available to the state. In its quest for progressive governance consistent with global standards and trends, the government must act on policy recommendations now. The government must respect the autonomy of citizens, improve their quality of life and above all act as a guardian to protect them from all danger...