There’s a Responsible Way to End the Federal Marijuana Ban
The key to any nationwide legalization is to keep the free market out of it.
Facing up to reality and the risks.
Photographer: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
On marijuana, politicians are catching up with public opinion, and the federal government is catching up with the states. Fifteen states plus the District of Columbia have made recreational use legal. Most states have made it legal for medical (and “medical”) reasons. Polls show majority support for that policy.
Now the U.S. House has voted, for the first time, to end the federal prohibition, decriminalizing the drug and vacating nonviolent marijuana-related convictions. But the cause has not yet triumphed. Most Republicans still favor prohibition, and so does President-elect Joe Biden. The bill won’t pass the Senate or become law.