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A historical moment for supporters of marijuana legalization in the U.S: the States of Colorado and Washington have legalized the possession and sale of marijuana for adult recreational use.
The laws would put both states on a collision course with federal drug laws.
Morgan Fox is Communications Director for the Marijuana Policy Project:
“The citizens of Colorado and Washington had decided to take matters in their own hands while legislators are far behind on the issue and they’ve seen that prohibition doesn’t work.”
Critics of current bans on marijuana argue the laws don’t stop any one from using the drug and come at a great cost to communities through court expenses and incarceration.
According to the FBI, 750, 000 people are arrested for possession each year at a cost of more than 40 billion dollars.
Jasmine Tyler , Director of National Affairs with the Drug Policy alliance, compares the marijuana ban to laws that prohibited alcohol use in the U.S in the 1920s:
“I mean it’s the same as we saw with the, with the, you know, toppling of the alcohol prohibition as well. You know that people knew that prohibition itself caused more harm and was just ineffective.”
“Good Afternoon.”
The day after the election, the Justice Department said it was reviewing the ballot initiatives but did not comment on how it will respond. The statement did say the enforcement of federal drug laws remains unchanged.
Experts say enforcing the federal laws could be politically awkward for the Obama administration.
More Colorado citizens voted for the initiative than for the President. And national polls show the majority of Americans support legalizing marijuana.
Again, Jasmine Tyler:
“Polling numbers are as high as they have ever been and they have risen steadily over the last ten years and when you think about the polling numbers for medical marijuana and marijuana, taxing regulating, you can’t avoid them any more.”
Former drug control officials have commented that the victory will be short lived. They predict the Obama administration would either stop the initiatives up front or challenge the laws in court. | 
发表于 2016-8-2 11:28:16