While decriminalizing all drugs might reduce prison populations and some criminal justice costs, completely eliminating mandatory minimum sentences without careful regulation could lead to increased drug trafficking and abuse. Mandatory minimums serve as a deterrent and ensure consistent punishment for serious offenses, helping to protect communities from the harms of illegal drug distribution. Instead of full decriminalization, reforming mandatory minimums to focus on violent offenders and repeat traffickers, while expanding treatment and rehabilitation programs, strikes a better balance between public safety and reducing over incarceration.