Marijuana laws are outdated and should be changed. They have failed in their goal of controlling the plant. They punish people who are not a threat to society. The costs of enforcing the laws are huge. The enforcement costs take money from other goals that are more valuable.
The majority of the population in both Canada and the US supports either decriminlization of legalization. Many US states have passed medical marijuana laws that permit medical use of the plant. In both Canada and the US law enforcement officials have made marijuana enforcement a low priority.
Local politicians are speaking out against prohibition on a more regular basis. These people see the immediate effects of prohibition. The policing costs come from their over-taxed budgets. They see the pointlessness of spending tax dollars without getting results.
Insanity has been defined as doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results. Our elected officials have been doing exactly that. |It has become cheaper, more potent and more widely used since being criminalized. That was not the goal of prohibition. Regardless of result, we keep funding prohibition from the public purse. That is the definition of insanity.
It is possible that the policy was simply ill-conceived in the beginning. With time, however, self-serving interests in prohibition have developed. Tough on crime politicians benefit by demonizing marijuana. Law enforcement budgets have benefited from the war on drugs. And, whether it is an outright conspiracy or not, the liquor industry benefits from marijuana prohibition.
As positions hardened and usage increased one other interest benefited as well. Criminal organizations made millions of dollars. Hand in hand with organized crime came violence.
While politicians, law enforcement, corporations and crime benefited from prohibition, many otherwise law abiding citizens suffered. Small amounts of cannabis could lead to a criminal record. Job prospects and international travel restrictions resulted. Worse, millions of people have been incarcerated.
It is time to realize that prohibition doesn't work, punishes the wrong people, and benefits the wrong people. The policy has not worked. The harm of prohibition vastly outweighs any harm done by the plant. On balance, considering that prohibition has increased usage, increased potency, reduced price, increased violence, enriched criminals and wasted tax dollars, it is time for legalization. And most important of all for a democracy, repeal of prohibition is what the majority of responsible adult citizens desire. The time for action is now.
The majority of the population in both Canada and the US supports either decriminlization of legalization. Many US states have passed medical marijuana laws that permit medical use of the plant. In both Canada and the US law enforcement officials have made marijuana enforcement a low priority.
Local politicians are speaking out against prohibition on a more regular basis. These people see the immediate effects of prohibition. The policing costs come from their over-taxed budgets. They see the pointlessness of spending tax dollars without getting results.
Insanity has been defined as doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results. Our elected officials have been doing exactly that. |It has become cheaper, more potent and more widely used since being criminalized. That was not the goal of prohibition. Regardless of result, we keep funding prohibition from the public purse. That is the definition of insanity.
It is possible that the policy was simply ill-conceived in the beginning. With time, however, self-serving interests in prohibition have developed. Tough on crime politicians benefit by demonizing marijuana. Law enforcement budgets have benefited from the war on drugs. And, whether it is an outright conspiracy or not, the liquor industry benefits from marijuana prohibition.
As positions hardened and usage increased one other interest benefited as well. Criminal organizations made millions of dollars. Hand in hand with organized crime came violence.
While politicians, law enforcement, corporations and crime benefited from prohibition, many otherwise law abiding citizens suffered. Small amounts of cannabis could lead to a criminal record. Job prospects and international travel restrictions resulted. Worse, millions of people have been incarcerated.
It is time to realize that prohibition doesn't work, punishes the wrong people, and benefits the wrong people. The policy has not worked. The harm of prohibition vastly outweighs any harm done by the plant. On balance, considering that prohibition has increased usage, increased potency, reduced price, increased violence, enriched criminals and wasted tax dollars, it is time for legalization. And most important of all for a democracy, repeal of prohibition is what the majority of responsible adult citizens desire. The time for action is now.
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