I am sure that this question has been raised in the past, however I would like to bring it up again as the 2012 elections approach and there are several marijuana legalization questions on the ballot.
It seems very obvious (to me at least) that there is very close to literally no logical and coherent reason for the continued criminal prohibition of marijuana.
On the contrary there are a large number of arguments, moral, legal, fiscal, ethical, criminal, economical, that suggest that the legalization of marijuana is not only appropriate but very important. That prohibition is causing a hell of a lot more problems than it ever has solved, and so on.
However, thus far, the movement for legalization has come very slowly, with heavy resistance along the way at every step. We’ve had states where it was totally legal and then became illegal within the past 20 years (Alaska). States that passed medicinal programs are receiving a backlash from the federal government, and in some cases from the citizens. While there may be public uproar there is only evidence of how successful these programs have been.
Now with the legalization question on the ballot for five states (this has only been on a few ballots ever in the past), is it finally time for marijuana to start to become legalized, or will this cause only more backlash and throw back the legalization movements???
I think it would help if people could think rationally about marijuana without all the cultural, social, and political baggage it’s accumulated over the last 50 or so years. However, I doubt if that’s possible since the drug still seems to be a berserk button issue with a lot of people. Also, even if states and localities decided to legalize it, federal law still trumps everything in this matter.
That being said, perhaps the proposal that has the best chance of success is reclassifying marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule IIdrug. It’s not complete legalization but it’s better than the status quo.
I forgot to include this in the original post but recently the scales tipped in terms of support.
Now 50% support legalization as opposed to 46% against. When will the government wake up and accept the will of the people? (this isn’t the first or last time)
This is true. The support for ending the drug war and legalizing drugs in general has not gained any momentum for a long time. It is a fringe issue by hardcore libertarians (Ron Paul), retired law enforcement (LEAP), and hardcore drug users (me).
However the support for legalization of marijuana has made significant and serious strides not only in popular support but in practice. Medical marijuana, the decriminalization of marijuana in several states… public opinion. It seems like a matter of time… but when?? If ever? And can someone on this forum form a coherent and logical argument as to why it should remain illegal?
Frankly, I think it will go legal within the next decade, at least for medical use. Shortly after that when the government realizes it isn’t the whole Demon Weed scare substance. At least it is finally decriminalized in many states so it won’t non-federally fuck up so many lives.
From what I understand, Massachusetts had proposals on the ballot for several election cycles to turn marijuana possession (in limited quantities) into a civil infraction requiring only a fine. These votes were stated to be advisory only and voting yes would not have a direct effect of being put into law. Each time, they passed. I don’t know how many times they asked (I haven’t lived here my whole life) but it did finally take in the real legislature.
Pot will become incrementally less illegal, but never fully legal. Much the same way that tobacco is now legal and is becoming incrementally illegal as time goes by.
Once the local and state governments figure out how to milk the cash-cow that is marginally legal pot, the legal jurisdictions will fall like dominos.
And law inforcement will finally fall under the teet of the cash cow too. DUIIW. Driving under the influence of weed. It’s golden! It has dollar signs and federal funding written all over it!
No need. It’s already effectively legal in CA. You have to be an idiot to get busted for personal consumption here.
BTW, for the OP, I believe it is the same in Alaska.
It’s one of those things that I don’t think making it legal will change much. It won’t be legal to smoke it in public, even if it is legalized. And right now, anyone who wants it can get it. Considering how many people are regular users, the number of people getting busted for personal use has to be negligible.
I partially agree with that. I can see marijuana being treated similarly like alcohol is now with the states and localities regulating it as they see fit. However, as I referred to in my previous post, there’s still the problem that under the Commerce Clause, federal laws that criminalize the production and use of marijuana have supremacy over state, county, and city laws that approve of its use (e.g., see Gonzales v. Raich, 545 US 1 (2005)). Thus, for the most part, any successful effort to legalize marijuana or at least allow some de-evolution of authority so the states are given more control, begins with Congress and for that to happen, it would have to overcome a significant block of socially conservative reps from the Bible Belt and the Deep South. With those people, I think even getting them to support a bill allowing usage of medical marijuana would be a herculean task.
It’s effectively legal in California. Anyone with a pulse can get a Medical MJ card. Even if you don’t have a card and get caught with a small to moderate amount, all you get is the equivalent of a parking ticket. It’s considered an infraction which is less than a minor misdemeanor.
Beaten to the punch, but yeah - here in Oakland it’s effectively legal already. If the rest of the country wants to continue to make it a major issue, people in favor of legalization need to make their voices heard.
Effectively legal but not actually legal. It’s like the old Montana law that fined drivers a flat $5 for going over 55 MPH. It basically amounted to a $5 fee that allowed you speed on Montana highways.
I think you’ll see decriminalization federally within the next 10-15 years. Like a lot of social issues it is driven by generational values. Once the last of the WWII generation die off, more and more of the boomers retire, and Gen x takes the reigns you’ll see changes. Slowly, but surely.
