(Photo credit: rafael-castillo)
The New York Times has jumped into the marijuana debate with a series called High Time, adding its voice to the growing calls for legalization. States continue to decriminalize marijuana and approve it for medical uses, and two (Oregon and Alaska) are considering following Colorado and Washington in legalizing it. But while the trot toward full legalization may seem inexorable, loosening the government’s reins doesn’t mean we should let the horse run free, even if it is champing at the bit. Legalization is bad policy.
Marijuana is a modestly harmful drug, which means it should be modestly discouraged. Decriminalization is clearly a positive step. It keeps a mild deterrent in place without giving offenders criminal convictions for minor wrongdoing. This is especially important because blacks and Latinos are disproportionately targeted by law enforcement.
Making medical marijuana accessible is also a good move because doctors should have every option available to them. Of course, the potential for abuse is high without careful state oversight, so it is important to devise a more effective system than the lax regulations in California.
Legalization goes too far. The government has a responsibility to limit substances that are harmful, and it should do so when feasible.
With a legal way for adults over 21 to obtain marijuana, marijuana usage will undoubtedly increase for both adults and minors (even under Prohibition, which is thought to have been less effective than the marijuana ban, alcohol consumption did decrease). As with alcohol, marijuana can be used safely in moderation, but dangers abound. There are health risks, from lung damage to stunted brain development for adolescents. There are social risks, as people can become dependent on marijuana and lose motivation or neglect their relationships. There are public safety risks, such as people driving under the influence. The bottom line is that our society will not be better off when more people are using marijuana.
The Times points out there is a “clear consensus of science that marijuana is far less harmful to human health than most other banned drugs and is less dangerous than the highly addictive but perfectly legal substances known as alcohol and tobacco.” It is true that our society would be better off if marijuana were legal and alcohol or tobacco were banned, but that is a false dichotomy – it would be better for our society if all three were banned.
Unfortunately that is extremely unlikely, as history has enshrined alcohol and tobacco in our culture. Alcohol’s roots in Western civilization date back to Mesopotamia. Beer and spirits were staples in colonial America, and wine plays an integral role in our two largest religions, Christianity and Judaism. Europeans began to consume tobacco in the 16th century, and the first colony, Virginia, only became viable when the colonists started to cultivate the New World plant. Compared to alcohol and tobacco, marijuana is a newcomer, arriving in the U.S. at the beginning of the 20th century. Therefore, not only are restrictions on marijuana more effective because it is not ingrained in American society, but also it is important to restrict marijuana so that it does not become ingrained in American society.
This isn’t the new Prohibition, and the ban on marijuana shouldn’t be repealed. It’s not “high time” for legalization.