How America Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Marijuana
For nearly a century, the United States has been one of the fiercest advocates and practitioners of marijuana prohibition in the world. At the height of the America’s anti-pot fervor in the 1950s and ’60s, one could even receive life imprisonment for simple possession of the drug.
But the puritanical fervor that once dominated the national discussion surrounding cannabis has been conspicuously absent of late. Earlier this month, the Colorado State legislature, by order of a November referendum, passed bills to implement the legalization and regulation of recreational marijuana use. Washington State voters also approved legalization by referendum on election day. And these events have recently been followed by more good news for supporters of cannabis law reform. The Organization for American States recently suggested that marijuana legalization could be a way to cut down on drug-violence in the western hemisphere. Perhaps most important, the movement has finally found a voice on Capitol Hill, as representatives Earl Blumenauer and Jared Polis submitted legislation earlier this year that would end federal prohibition of the drug, and allow states to tax and regulate it as they see fit. As Bill Keller put it recently in the New York Times, “Today the most interesting and important question is no longer whether marijuana will be legalized — eventually, bit by bit, it will be — but how.â€
Indeed, the feeling that the further liberalization of marijuana laws is inevitable is backed up by the polling trends. According to Gallup, as recently as 2005, two-thirds of Americans opposed legalization of marijuana. Now 48% percent of the population supports it. And a similar poll from Pew puts the number even higher – at 52%. But what exactly explains this sudden change in American attitudes towards pot?
Undoubtedly, part of the reason for the increased acceptance is demographic. It might make you feel old to read this, but on Friday, both Bob Dylan and Tommy Chong celebrated birthdays, turning 72 and 75 respectively. The aging of these counterculture icons hasn’t directly changed American attitudes towards marijuana, of course, but it does underscore the fact that the vast majority of Americans living today came of age during a time when marijuana was widely in use. The data bear out the prevalence of marijuana use in today’s society, with 48% of Americans claiming they have tried the drug at least once.
But familiarity with marijuana isn’t by itself going to drive changes in the legal code. Political consensus is necessary too. And while national political leaders aren’t necessarily falling over themselves to endorse marijuana legalization, there isn’t a lot of room in the current political climate to defend prohibition, either. The political right has done an excellent job over the past thirty years convincing the American public of the limitations of government. They have argued that even when the government has the best of intentions it can be astoundingly ineffective at achieving its stated goals, and often creates unintended and pernicious consequences to boot. This is the same argument that has led to deregulation of industry, historically low tax rates, and legislative efforts like welfare reform. It’s only logical to extend it beyond social welfare programs to something like drug policy.
And supporters of ending marijuana prohibition do indeed point to the unintended consequences of the policy as reason to legalize. According to the FBI, in 2011, 1.5 million people were arrested on drug charges, and roughly half of those were for marijuana, costing billions per year in law enforcement and court costs. And that doesn’t count the human toll on those arrested, like potential loss of work, government benefits, the right to vote, and student aid. Meanwhile, the government simply hasn’t come anywhere close to achieving the stated goal of marijuana prohibition, which is to prevent drug addiction. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, since the beginning of the so-called war on drugs, the addiction rate in America has remained steady at 1.3%, despite the fact that each year state and local governments spend more and more money – over $1 trillion in total – fighting the drug war.
What’s more, the unintended consequences of marijuana prohibition do not stop at our borders. In fact, the brunt of the side effects may be being felt in places like Mexico. And as my college Tim Padgett wrote this week, it would appear that America’s allies in the Western hemisphere are looking seriously at ending marijuana prohibition as a strategy for reducing the drug violence that is ravaging much of Latin America. A study issued this month by the Organization of American States declared that it’s now time to seriously consider legalizing pot in order to cut down on this violence. It’s estimated, for instance, that legalizing marijuana in America could eliminate one-third of Mexican cartel’s $30 billion annual haul.
We are in a political moment where social conservatism has been somewhat sidelined as a political force by the growing influence of libertarianism in the Republican party. This dynamic emphasizes the tension between liberty and morality that has been with us since the founding of our country, and at this moment liberty appears to be ascendant. But make no mistake, the puritanical impulses that once made America the leading voice in marijuana prohibition haven’t gone anywhere — and advocates of reform should know that pendulums, once set it motion, swing back again.
"Your as mighty as the flower that grows the stones away"
The penalties are still there. In most cases, the penalties are mandatory, and often more severe than for being convicted of killing a cop or blowing up a school. It is ridiculous.
Even if a state makes it legal, it is still a federal crime. Yiou can still do the time, lose your property and be fined. The situation is a mess. I agree there has been progress, but I am not appeased by MMJ and neither should anyone else.
Yep, every time there is progress the media spreads another story, today is the danger to kids accidentally eating pot, etc. Oh please…
Don’t Date Robots! The world is trained to ignore everything unless it comes from the church, their TV, celebrities, or the media.
The story is about the impending legalization of Marijuana, and how views have changed.
Nothing really about medical, more about America’s changing positions.
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Medical cannabis use is real Ngls. Get over the fact that your state may not recognize it.
If you are using cannabis multiple times a day, regardless if your a child or adult, you are most likely medicating even if you don’t know it. You are taking care of your ADHD, general anxiety, or other conditions you don’t even realize you have.
I for one am a true medical user – shattered orbital bone (baseball bat to the head), shattered kneecap (drunk driver smashed into my car), diagnosed with ADD and on was Ritalin for 10+ years, I was passed around group homes and foster homes my entire childhood. I have been diagnosed as having depression, and was even given the diagnosis of Bi-polar and was put on Citalopram for years. Then they added Abilify. I am also an alcoholic, and had a really bad benzo addiction.
I am off all those shit ass pharmies. No drink for 10+
If my knee hurts too bad I’ll just puff away the pain.
So yes, MMJ may seem like a farce to others. But I am telling you I would give up cannabis in an instant if i could just be "normal", have a actual family, and not be in physical or emotional pain.
Medical marijuana is the way we as a community are breaking down the walls and old belief systems.
And ask youself, why do i really get high? I bet many of you are 100% medical marijuana users and don’t realize it.
Mama marijuana is an amazing healer. Let her into your heart and you will see.
"Your as mighty as the flower that grows the stones away"
For whatever reason you choose to assume I dispute the claim there are medical uses for MJ–as most peeps know, I am aware of and support medical uses for MJ. That being said, giving someone a MJ card means they are now registered as a user by the state. In most iterations, a medical MJ user must choose between a MMJ card and a concealed carry permit, a MMJ card holder is not able to acquire or hold certain security clearances, and an MMJ card holder is not allowed to be considered for a wide range of jobs. It is not progress when one disguises a loss of rights and freedoms to acquire a "privilege". For example, owning a firearm is a constitutional right, and yet you can only gain this privilege if you register; registration to use or own something is a loss of a right, not gaining a privilege. MMJ is not freedom.
MMJ is useful to familiarize people with MJ, and I hope it allows people to become more comfortable with it, and I hope it becomes more commonplace and less counterculture. However, making MJ into a drug opens up a floodgate of regulation issues with the associated enforcement issues. MJ, as a natural product, is almost impossible to standardize, and because there are no direct cause and effect treatments for any specific ailments or diseases based on standardized trials, making an herbal remedy a "drug" flies in the face of several hundred years of standardized procedural and regulatory practices for medicine. MMJ is actually making full legalization harder, because MMJ adds a level of depth to make a regulated material un-regulated. So, I like the fact attitudes are changing, but MMJ is not necessarily the best or most direct route to legalization.
I know you are passionate about it and it is cool you have access to your drug, but like any other hobby or religion there is a lot of conformation bias in your arguments. I Know it is good for you, but the fact of the matter is MJ is primarily used as a recreational drug, historically and at present. Medical claims are impressive, some are valid and seem to be legitimate , but there is no good way to make something like this fit into present definitions of drugs for any specific illnesses. As stupid as it is, regardless of any state regulations, MJ is a federally listed class 1 narcotic and as such many people cannot risk jail time or a fine stemming from simple possession of MJ. Because MJ is a class 1 narcotic material and because MJ metabolites are lipid soluble, people subject to random drug testing cannot use MJ even with a MMJ card, or run a strong risk of destroying their career.
Personally, I qualify several times over for MMJ in any state, by any definition, and I would love to have it some times. I personally know lots of people in my same situation who could have gotten a lot of comfort from MMJ, but to the end the ridiculous laws and attitudes kept MJ from them. All that being said, life isn’t fair and we live in a police state (thanks Obummer for cheerfully signing away habeas corpus et al) so that’s the way it goes–I can’t run the risk of a bad drop or I could lose my career and security. From a more political perspective, I am in an allied profession to big pharma and honestly I do not see MJ being legalized in my lifetime–that’s why blends were a godsend. So, while I keep supporting the reform of marijuana laws for the public good and I try to keep my hopes up, it is unlikely we are going to see real progress until Obummer is out, we get a more libertarian situation in the ruling class for a while, and there is some financial incentive for legalization from the big business sector, combined with some overwhelming public mandate for the repeal of prohibition. As long as there is a two party political system I have some doubts, however.
I’m not even going to get into Obummer’s hypocritical record on MJ. Obummer has always denied using it, although there was some anecdotal evidence from high school friends memories. These people were coerced into silence early in the campaign. Obummer is a slave to big pharma, big oil and big biz. Don’t look for help or inspiration from this guy; as they say you can’t polish a turd.
Let’s not make this a political discussion. Dubya was a joke for 8 years and then we got Obummer–the world thinks Americans are as stupid as a box of hammers, and there is obviously some truth to that. Let’s just support NORML with financial support, let’s try not to upset the cops and authorities and give them fuel to use against us and the cause. Legalizing MJ would solve so many issues–it is the only logical solution. Medical MJ seems like a good idea, but I am concerned it is just more trouble, another layer of issues for eventually repealing prohibition; I still have hopes MMJ is helpful as an evolutionary tool in the process of full legalization.
We will see. On a personal level, Dub, people can disagree and argue with you and you should embrace this–discussion is how things get solved. I respect your experience with MJ and frankly, I am envious of your access to MJ, your willingness to risk all for the cause and admire your passion. Please don’t take this personally friend–I think you and I (and a lot of other Spiced peeps) would have a lot to talk about in person over a few bowls of TKO… The important thing is to keep the discussions going.
I really liked Obama til the MMJ debacle, he really let me down.
Sail and grow
Deep inside
The brave align
Green we stay
-Boss Keloid Lung Valley
I honestly think that it’s the economy that’s fuelling this sudden love fest. States that have gone down the 60’s lovefest of the stickie ickie, whatever iteration variation and other such shit… come out with an economic boom the likes of early internet startups. Suddenly, being a "pot dealer" is a legit job! The state starts getting money hand over fist… crime rate goes down doritos sales go up… soft drink manufacturers make new factories to keep up with demand in your area… etc etc. Everything is interconnected.