In the last election, the people of Colorado and Washington voted to legalize small amounts of marijuana for the recreational use of adults. And fortunately, it now looks like the federal government is going to let that happen with trying to nullify those new state laws. This has broken the ice on the issue of legalizing marijuana, and many (including me) believe that other states will soon follow the lead of Washington and Colorado.
The Marijuana Policy Project believes there are 10 states that could legalize marijuana by 2017, and they have announced they will be supporting efforts to end prohibition in those 10 states. MPP executive director Rob Kampia says:
“Most Americans are tired of seeing their tax dollars used to arrest and prosecute adults for using a substance that is objectively less harmful than alcohol. Voters and state legislators are ready for change, and the federal government appears to be ready, as well.”
The MPP says it is currently helping with efforts to get an initiative on the ballot in Alaska in 2014. They also will help to get initiatives passed in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Maine in the 2016 election. They will also be lobbying and helping grassroots efforts to persuade the state legislatures of Hawaii, Maryland, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island to legalize (and tax) marijuana for recreational use by adults.
It will not be easy to get this done. There are a lot of groups who make a lot of money off keeping marijuana illegal -- and you can be sure the alcohol makers and distributors will fight it tooth-and-nail (because they are afraid this far less harmful drug will cut into their sales). But it is time for the prohibition of marijuana to end, and if just a few of the efforts in these states are successful it will encourage other states to follow suit.
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