With the Justice Department's release of an important policy memo, we find a small bit of common sense seeping into the long-failed "War on Drugs." Federal prosecutors have been instructed not to target patients or sanctioned providers of medical marijuana for prosecution in states that allow the substance for medical purposes. This means people in 14 states that allow some use of marijuana -- Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington -- do not need to fear being thrown into a federal prison as they seek to free themselves of their medical condition with a completely natural substance.
It seems that rationality has moved into the public consciousness -- a development that is not only welcome, but long overdue.
Marijuana is a useful medicine for people who suffer from many different conditions. For those who lose appetite from chemical treatment, it can restore the body's desire for fuel. For those who are allergic to opiates, it alleviates pain far more effectively without turning the patient into a heaving zombie. I know this for a fact, because I have seen it with my own eyes. For our government to come out and display even this slight sign of sensibility is a monumental point in our nation's history.
Quite simply, the ridiculous ban on marijuana needs to come to an end. The arguments are many: it is less harmful than alcohol and tobacco; enormous revenues from taxation would be raised, which could prevent the need for higher taxes down the road; huge savings on prosecutions and incarcerations of users would be made; court dockets would be streamlined to hear more important cases sooner; it would provide a profitable cash crop to struggling family farmers; the feds would be able to concentrate on more effectively keeping illicit drugs like cocaine and heroin from entering the country; and a black market would be instantly made impotent if marijuana could be bought in state-sponsored stores, like liquor. The fact that it is a beneficial medicine only makes a more compelling case for the end of a senseless prohibition.
It is time for our country to grow up and cast aside all of the misinformation and propaganda that have infected our notions of what marijuana is and what it is not. For 14 of our 50 states to agree that marijuana is a legitimate medicinal substance is a step in the right direction. For the federal government to announce that it will not prosecute users and the sanctioned providers of marijuana in those states is another promising step. We have many more strides to take before sensibility in this matter is fully restored - but at least we are on the right path.