Houes Representative Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.)
is about to introduce the Respect State Marijuana Laws Act, which would protect pot users and business owners from federal prosecutions, provided that they are in compliance with state regulations. Pot users in the state of Colorado and Washington would receive the most immediate benefits from the act if it is passed, since they have already voted to legalize marijuana for age 21 and above. The Representative reported in an interview that "
the bill [is] 'common sense' and said it '[keeps] the federal government out of the business of criminalizing marijuana activities.'"
The historical opposition to the legalization of Marijuana started to break down in the recent years. As of now,
60% of Americans believe that marijuana should not be interfered by federal regulations in the states where it is legalized.
Already, Rep. Denny Heck (D-Wa) is pushing for the legitimization of financial service for the marijuana industry. A majority of both the Republicans and Democrats think that marijuana prohibition is not worth
the cost.
Since Colorado and Washington moved to legalize pot, Obama's justice department has yet to decide clearly what it is going to do about it. Putting the the debate of whether pot should be legalized aside, the passage of the act would end the conflict between state and federal law. But, more than that, it would also be a significant milestone in the legalization movement.
Do you think that the Respect Sate Marijuana Laws Act would be a good idea? Do you approve of the movement to legalize marijuana? What role should the federal government play in the process? Should this be deemed as a concession that the war on drug is a failure?
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2 comments:
It seems like a decent idea to me. I think there's a problem with having the federal law say marijuana is illegal at the same time that some state laws say it's legal. It's contradictory, and I don't think there's any better way to fix this problem than just leaving authority to the states, considering that the Bill of Rights says to leave most random rights to the states. I suppose it's a blow on the war on drugs, but it looks like that's been going downhill lately anyhow, seeing as the research shows an upward trend of people being okay with marijuana's legalization. A majority already supports legalization.
I agree with Tina that federal law and state law need to have some kind of agreement about the legalization of weed. Leaving the legalization of marijuana to the states seems ideal because states can make the best decision for their people. I think legalizing marijuana has numerous benefits. Marijuana would be taxed, which will raise money for needy programs. The time and energy spent by law enforcement finding and convicting marijuana users will be spent on other things, such as more serious offenses. Law enforcement will also save money because they are not wasting time prosecuting charges that no longer exist. Legalization could also weaken drug rings and criminal activity. I agree that legalizing marijuana is rather counter intuitive to the war on drugs. However, many constituents find potential benefits in legalizing marijuana. With two states already enacting legalization of marijuana, the United States will see the benefits or consequences of legalization soon.
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