Two of the best skiing states in the USA lead the charge to legalize marijuana. Washington gets the most snow of any state and legalized recreational marijuana this month. Colorado gets the most skier visits of any state and legalized recreational marijuana on January 1st, 2014.
Since legalization, Colorado has seen a 53% drop in the Denver murder rate, the most skier visits in 2014 than they have ever had, and huge profits in marijuana retail sales tax.
The New York Times has seen enough from these two ski friendly states. They’re calling for the USA to legalize marijuana on a federal level. This is a very gutsy move on the New York Times’ part. It will be interesting to see what kind of pressure this will put on Washington D.C. – if any at all.
Regardless, the New York Times is on the offensive and will have articles from various editors all week about why the USA should legalize marijuana as soon as possible.
Repeal Prohibition, Again
By THE EDITORIAL BOARD (of the New York Times)
It took 13 years for the United States to come to its senses and end Prohibition, 13 years in which people kept drinking, otherwise law-abiding citizens became criminals and crime syndicates arose and flourished. It has been more than 40 years since Congress passed the current ban on marijuana, inflicting great harm on society just to prohibit a substance far less dangerous than alcohol.
The federal government should repeal the ban on marijuana.
We reached that conclusion after a great deal of discussion among the members of The Times’s Editorial Board, inspired by a rapidly growing movement among the states to reform marijuana laws.
There are no perfect answers to people’s legitimate concerns about marijuana use. But neither are there such answers about tobacco or alcohol, and we believe that on every level — health effects, the impact on society and law-and-order issues — the balance falls squarely on the side of national legalization. That will put decisions on whether to allow recreational or medicinal production and use where it belongs — at the state level.
We considered whether it would be best for Washington to hold back while the states continued experimenting with legalizing medicinal uses of marijuana, reducing penalties, or even simply legalizing all use. Nearly three-quarters of the states have done one of these.
Continue Reading Here:
One thought on “The New York Times Calls for Federal Legalization of Marijuana in the USA:”