Decriminalize Marijuana

Last Saturday, Gov. Gary Johnson of New Mexico and Dr. Lester Grinspoon of the Harvard Medical School rightly advocated the decriminalization of marijuana. These men should be commended for having the courage to address issues that most politicians and academics choose to avoid. As they pointed out, the prohibition of marijuana causes more injustice and social problems than the drug itself—similar to the alcohol prohibition in the 1920s—and thus the ban on its use should end.

Last year, the government spent approximately $30 billion of state, local and federal tax dollars and arrested more than 734,000 individuals to support the futile and destructive prohibition of marijuana. But even with all the government’s money and arrests, last year 89 percent of high school seniors said marijuana was “fairly or very easy” to get.

Not surprisingly, marijuana enjoys widespread use and is far from dangerous. Eighty million Americans have tried marijuana, making it the third most popular drug in the United States. The only two more popular drugs, alcohol and tobacco, are both far more dangerous (and yet legal), with alcohol poisoning causing approximately 50,000 deaths per year and tobacco use causing over 400,000.

America should adopt a system resembling that of the Netherlands, which allows adults to use marijuana responsibly and minimizes minors’ exposure—leading to lower use among adolescents than in the United States. Marijuana is sold in government-regulated “coffee shops,” which must follow five basic regulations: no advertising, no sales of hard drugs, no nuisance, no sales to people under 18 and no sales of more than five grams per transaction. Individual municipalities can regulate closing times and other rules for coffee shops. In general, individuals are allowed to possess up to 30 grams (about one ounce) for personal use.

By regulating rather than prohibiting the marijuana market, America can benefit greatly from tax revenue brought in by shops like these. The marijuana trade, estimated by some to be the biggest cash crop in the United States, would generate revenues in the billions with a moderate tax of 50 cents per joint. Even with higher taxes, the legally distributed marijuana would still undercut the illegal prices because black market price inflation is so high. Thus decriminalization would eliminate the black market for marijuana.

Marijuana has long been called a gateway drug, with opponents alleging that its use leads to harder narcotics. But in 2001, a study published by a federal agency, the National Institute of Justice, found that even though marijuana use rose during the 1990s among 18- to 20-year-olds arrested, young offenders did not seem to be using marijuana to get into harder drugs. It went on to state that this trend would be “good news” if it meant a “rejection of crack and heroin due to their potentially devastating consequences.”

Although people who have used cocaine are statistically more likely than the general population to have tried marijuana, this proves only a correlation, not causation. Certain personality types are more likely to take risks—and thus more likely to break the law and use drugs. These people will choose to use hard drugs whether or not marijuana is decriminalized.

The only direct connection between marijuana use and hard drug use is that many drug dealers who sell marijuana also sell hard drugs. This means marijuana users can often get hard drugs with ease. If the government were to separate the two markets by decriminalizing marijuana, as has been done in Amsterdam, it would give marijuana users less access to—and temptation to use—hard drugs.

Decriminalization would also allow ill patients to use marijuana for medical reasons. Marijuana is currently used to relieve nausea caused by cancer chemotherapy, increase appetite in AIDS patients, relieve intraocular pressure in glaucoma patients and reduce muscle spasms in multiple sclerosis sufferers. While 10 states have moved to legalize medical marijuana, federal law keeps patients in fear of being arrested and prevents many doctors from recommending marijuana to patients who could benefit from it. Medical marijuana would be cheap, versatile and beneficial. Decriminalization will clearly improve the lives of many ill Americans.

Several government-appointed commissions, President Nixon’s 1972 National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse being the most well known, have recommended decriminalizing marijuana. President Carter’s words in 1977 are especially true today: “Penalties against drug use should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against the possession of marijuana in private for personal use.” Congress should immediately move towards decriminalization.

Dissent: Keep A Lid on the Pot

Not only is it very likely that marijuana harms its users; it is a gateway drug that, in many cases, starts teenagers on a slippery slope towards abusing even more dangerous narcotics. Though the war on drugs has its problems, the billions of dollars spent fighting it have prevented immeasurable tragedy.

The cost of enforcement may be high, but throwing up our hands in defeat and decriminalizing marijuana is not the solution.

—David M. DeBartolo ’03