Not long ago, a supporter of mine visiting from California dropped by my Capitol office. A retired military officer and staunch conservative, he and I spent much of our conversation discussing the Republican agenda. Finally, I drew a breath and asked him about an issue I feared might divide us: the liberalization of our marijuana laws, specifically medical marijuana reform, on which for years I had been leading the charge. What did he think about that controversial position? "Dana," he replied, "there are some things about me you don't know." He told me about his three sons, all of whom enlisted after 9/11. [continues 730 words]
The end of the second prohibition era draws near. The disastrous consequences of the misbegotten "War on Drugs," with its focus on marijuana, are now widely recognized. More humane approaches to drug use are being implemented as states ease restrictions. But not if the bitter-enders prevail - as witness Gov. Chris Christie's struggle with the issue in the most recent GOP debate. President Nixon declared war on drugs in 1971, placing the counter-culture's favored drug, marijuana, on Schedule I of controlled substances. Since then, countless lives have been ruined, not so much by the drug itself, but by the legal regime that followed. [continues 658 words]
I have spent most of my years in public service supporting the federal government's decades-long prohibition of marijuana. Watching it up-close in President Ronald Reagan's administration as well as in Congress, I have come to the conclusion these policies are neither an effective nor efficient way of investing scarce tax dollars. The herculean effort undertaken by the federal government to prevent the American people from smoking marijuana has undeniably been a colossal failure. A willingness to recognize this failure is not tantamount to putting a stamp of approval on marijuana or to say that, if used recreationally, it has no negative consequences. When I was in my early 20s, I smoked marijuana until I realized it was making me unmotivated and clearly having a negative impact on my life. It was that realization - not the government's prohibition - that led me to quit immediately. For millions of users today, current federal policies have been largely ineffective at decreasing marijuana use. Despite ample law enforcement and harsh penalties, marijuana is extremely easy to acquire through the illegal market. [continues 470 words]
