In this interview with Carl Hart, professor of neuroscience at Columbia University, New York, he sets out his belief that the way we think about drugs and addiction is wrong and prevents society to live up to its ideals of liberty and the pursuit of happiness. All drugs, he argues, should be fully legalized, and instead of punishing or shaming people for drug use, we should focus on helping them use drugs wisely. Do we trust the people that regulate drugs to do the right thing to keep people safe? In his view, the answer to this question is a resounding no. We don’t trust those people.