Part 6
Regulation
Aug. 5, 2014
The New York Times Calls for Marijuana Legalization
Repeal Prohibition, Again
By THE EDITORIAL BOARD
It took 13 years for the United States to come to its senses and end Prohibition, 13 years in which people kept drinking, otherwise law-abiding citizens became criminals and crime syndicates arose and flourished. It has been more than 40 years since Congress passed the current ban on marijuana, inflicting great harm on society just to prohibit a substance far less dangerous than alcohol.
The federal government should repeal the ban on marijuana.
We reached that conclusion after a great deal of discussion among the members of The Times’s Editorial Board, inspired by a rapidly growing movement among the states to reform marijuana laws.
There are no perfect answers to people’s legitimate concerns about marijuana use. But neither are there such answers about tobacco or alcohol, and we believe that on every level — health effects, the impact on society and law-and-order issues — the balance falls squarely on the side of national legalization. That will put decisions on whether to allow recreational or medicinal production and use where it belongs — at the state level.
We considered whether it would be best for Washington to hold back while the states continued experimenting with legalizing medicinal uses of marijuana, reducing penalties, or even simply legalizing all use. Nearly three-quarters of the states have done one of these.
But that would leave their citizens vulnerable to the whims of whoever happens to be in the White House and chooses to enforce or not enforce the federal law.
The social costs of the marijuana laws are vast. There were 658,000 arrests for marijuana possession in 2012, according to F.B.I. figures, compared with 256,000 for cocaine, heroin and their derivatives. Even worse, the result is racist, falling disproportionately on young black men, ruining their lives and creating new generations of career criminals.
There is honest debate among scientists about the health effects of marijuana, but we believe that the evidence is overwhelming that addiction and dependence are relatively minor problems, especially compared with alcohol and tobacco. Moderate use of marijuana does not appear to pose a risk for otherwise healthy adults. Claims that marijuana is a gateway to more dangerous drugs are as fanciful as the “Reefer Madness” images of murder, rape and suicide.
There are legitimate concerns about marijuana on the development of adolescent brains. For that reason, we advocate the prohibition of sales to people under 21.
Creating systems for regulating manufacture, sale and marketing will be complex. But those problems are solvable, and would have long been dealt with had we as a nation not clung to the decision to make marijuana production and use a federal crime.
In coming days, we will publish articles by members of the Editorial Board and supplementary material that will examine these questions. We invite readers to offer their ideas, and we will report back on their responses, pro and con.
We recognize that this Congress is as unlikely to take action on marijuana as it has been on other big issues. But it is long past time to repeal this version of Prohibition.
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Read Part 1
Let States Decide on Marijuana
It’s time for the federal government to step aside.
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The Public Lightens Up About Weed
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Share your views on the Editorial Board's call to repeal the federal ban on marijuana. (3413)
States' Rights: What should President Obama do about marijuana laws? (556)
3969 reader responses
SamFor LegalizationVermont
It only makes sense. Surprised that a nation that loves markets hasn't cashed in on this one yet.
Patricia LubrechtFor LegalizationVilla Hills, KY
Alcohol is far more dangerous than marijuana. More lives are harmed because people become addicted to alcohol because it is legal, instead of using a less addictive drug, marijuana, because it is illegal. The war on drugs has created billionaire drug lords that are more powerful than law enforcement agencies. People can't get jobs and become tax payers because they have a record of arrest for having used marijuana. When will we be able to respect Congress for doing what is right and sane?
AnonymousAgainst Legalization
We're already spending millions of dollars a year trying to combat tobacco use (and billions more dealing with the health effects). I fail to understand the push to legalize marijuana.
Christopher GausFor LegalizationChicago, IL
Do everything in his power to leave the choice to states, and support the removal of all cannabinoids from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.
Tim Shaferkittanning pa
I live in PA and it should already be legal especially for sick and suffering people. Obama needs to remove it from a Class I Drug and move it to a Class III Drug. He also needs to pardon anyone who has been convicted of a cannabis arrest.
Moss DavisFor LegalizationChicago
Marijuana helps people relax, eases anxiety, soothes body aches and pains, lifts mood and, for a couple of hours, makes the world a more pleasant place to be. It has been in use for thousands of years, has caused zero overdose deaths, and is widely regarded as the most benign of the recreational drugs, including alcohol. Why are we even still talking about this? Just legalize it already.
NeilFor LegalizationColorado
Don't wait for our do nothing congress to act, take a stand and declassify it under the Controlled Substance Act while you are in office.
StacyFor LegalizationSt. Louis
The U.S.'s war on drugs extends far beyond our borders and continues to be the cause of violence in Central America. This isn't just a domestic policy issue, this is a foreign policy issue, an immigration issue, and a human rights issue. End prohibition, end the war on drugs.
A AlwineFor Legalizationohio
No more drug trafficking of marijuana from other countries. You should be able to grow it in your own back yard garden for your own use, just as you can tomatoes and any other crop. Some people grow their own tobacco and make their own beer/wine. A pot plant in a back yard should be no different.
Gerald M.For LegalizationWashington state
Marijuana is currently legal in my state. I am proud that the voters in Washington had the opportunity to make this choice. I am a sixty year old man who has raised 6 kids. I don't use marijuana and only 1 of my children does. It is long past time to repeal this version of Prohibition. The voting public realizes this.... we just don't have the funds to lobby our elected officials.
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Illustration by Eric Timothy Carlson. Produced by Matt Ruby and R. Smith
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