Pubdate: Wed, 19 Feb 2014 Source: Daily Targum (Rutgers, NJ Edu) Copyright: 2014 Daily Targum Contact: http://www.dailytargum.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/715 Author: Matthew Boyer MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION POLICY IS AN ISSUE OF LIBERTY In 2012, two states legalized the recreational sale and use of marijuana. There are already 16 states that have decriminalized marijuana possession in addition to the 20 states and the District of Columbia that have liberated their medical marijuana markets. Colorado - the landmark state for the end of marijuana prohibition - recorded more than $5 million in sales on their first week of business. It is clear that America's opinion has changed regarding pot laws when such news grabs our nation's headlines. A Gallup poll conducted this past fall illustrated that a majority of Americans now support legalized marijuana, and many people recognize the failure of our nation's war on drugs. Regardless of the politics that hinder ending marijuana prohibition, the issue is one concerning liberty and the free market. Today, all across America, citizens are being charged and sentenced for non-violent drug crimes. That is, they are being jailed for possessing marijuana - a substance that has historically seen the majority of its prohibition here in the United States. It is this prohibition that costs taxpayers an estimated $40 billion a year between the losses of potential revenue from taxes collected via marijuana sales and the savings in the criminal justice system. In other words, this $40 billion a year would otherwise be able to help pay off debt, fund education or pay for domestic infrastructure projects. Meanwhile, those who are victim to this anti-liberty prohibition - mainly minorities and urban dwellers - are subject to jail time and large court fees. If you can die for your country and vote for your president as an adult, why can't you smoke a joint? Here in the so-called "free world," Republicans want you to believe they embrace the principles of free market economics. Well, marijuana prohibition is antithetical to a free market. Between the sale of marijuana for medical and recreational use, the sale of associated products and services and the endless possibilities of industrial hemp production, this is a market waiting to be tapped. One very strong argument for ending marijuana prohibition is that the prohibition itself is anti-business in nature. The economic role that the cultivation of the marijuana plant, cannabis, plays is one that our nation's founding fathers celebrated. They understood the economic and environmental benefits of the plant - - citing the use of it in rope, paper and oil production among several other products necessary for a prosperous nation. Additionally, they understood that in a free society government should not ban a crop, such as cannabis. The Democratic Party is one that has been the labeled leader in ending marijuana prohibition, except that isn't exactly the case. The party, which supposedly embraces the social and medical right to marijuana, can't seem to unite on the issue. Many progressives believe in the ideological notion that the government knows what is best for the individual. This includes - but is not limited to - bans on trans fats, soft drinks and tobacco products. The party promotes public health programs including the reduction of access to fatty foods. Their argument for recreational pot is inconsistent with their stance on most issues: The government knows what is best for the citizenry. Therefore, when they advocate for restrictions on foods, tobacco and guns, their argument for the freedom to own and grow pot seems insincere. Many establish that Democrats will not be advocating for marijuana legalization anytime soon. Their position on other issues is blatantly anti-liberty. What is especially concerning regarding marijuana prohibition is the president's inconsistency on the issue. The Obama administration has upheld the standard of marijuana as a schedule one drug. Other drugs that are listed at this level are heroin and ecstasy. Anyone who is even remotely informed on the plant knows that this is simply an irrational ranking. The bottom line is that the president wants to avoid this issue. Sure he has been completely open about his prior use of drugs, but the persistence of the war on drugs under his administration has sustained. The federal government is still raiding marijuana dispensaries. The president did not even mention the need for federal marijuana policy reform in his State of the Union address. For a candidate who was very much so pro-pot, his track record proves otherwise. Now is the time for marijuana policy reform across the nation. Just as America ended our alcohol prohibition, we will end our marijuana prohibition. States, such as Colorado and Washington, are leading the way on what has been deemed an experiment on legal pot. Although, the end of marijuana prohibition will not materialize until the federal government changes their policies as well. This issue has the potential to be bipartisan, but it may also bring a new perspective into the mainstream: Libertarianism. Matthew Boyer is a School of Arts and Sciences sophomore majoring in political science with a minor in German. His column, "Legalizing Life," runs on alternate Wednesdays. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom