Marijuana laws loosen gradually around the globe
Marijuana
From the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, state laws restricting marijuana use are slowly going up in smoke, a newspaper review indicates. Advocates of legalizing marijuana say shifts propelled by culture, politics and generational attitudes have moved the United States to the point that could see the relaxation of 40 years of tough restrictions on medicinal and recreational marijuana use, USA Today reported Tuesday.
“Let’s face reality,” said James Gray, a one-time federal prosecutor who now advocates legalizing marijuana. “Taxing and regulating marijuana will make it less available to children than it is today.”
A Gallup Poll in October indicated 44 percent of respondents said they favored legalizing marijuana. An ABC News-Washington Post poll in January indicated 81 percent said they favored legalizing marijuana for medical use. Last fall, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said raiding medical marijuana facilities would be the lowest priority, a move that prompted many states to re-examine their pot policies.
At least 14 states this year will consider legalizing marijuana for medical purposes or reducing penalties for possessing small amounts for personal use. Fourteen other states and the District of Columbia already eased up their marijuana laws.
Marijuana growing room
“We are absolutely in an important new era in which increasing majorities of Americans are not just questioning the wisdom and efficacy of marijuana prohibition but are demanding alternatives,” Stephen Gutwillig, California director for the Drug Policy Alliance, which favors legalizing marijuana, told USA Today. Even opponents admit it’s harder to persuade lawmakers to hang tough.
“We’re going to multiply the problems we have with alcohol abuse,” said Michael Carroll, president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and police chief of West Goshen Township in Chester County, Pa. “Things are not going our way, but that’s not stopping us for speaking out about it.”
