The city of Denver passed a law Wednesday legalizing the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana by people over the age of 21.
The law, which passed 54 percent to 46 percent, is the second of its kind passed in less than a year. Oakland, Calif., passed a similar law, making the possession of small amounts of marijuana the lowest law enforcement priority. Seattle, Wash., and other cities across America have adopted similar policies over the past few years.
Although some feel the legalization of marijuana is a step forward for the progressive Colorado city, others agree that the legalization of what has been termed a gateway drug can only do the community harm.
“The legalization or decriminalization would make harmful, psychoactive and addictive substances affordable, available, convenient and marketable,” Drug Watch International said in a printed statement. “It would expand the use of drugs. It would remove the social stigma attached to illicit drug use and would send a message of tolerance for drug use, especially to youth.”
Proponents of marijuana law reform said the law illustrates a new wave of thinking in America.
“This is the wind in the sails of reform,” Bruce Mirken, spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C., said Wednesday. “Rethinking marijuana prohibition is mainstream. This is the heart of America saying, ‘Hold on, maybe our current marijuana laws don’t make a lot of sense.’ And the fact is, they’re right.”
Mirken’s claims may be accurate, according to Gallup Poll results published this week. According to the survey, the percentage of Americans who support the legalization of marijuana has risen from 25 percent in 1995 to about 36 percent in 2005, an all-time high.
Although support for the legalization of the substance may be rising, the majority of Americans still oppose the use and decriminalization of the substance.
“Marijuana is a drug,” junior mathematics and theater major Will Cooper said. “I don’t believe that people should take drugs because they can alter your perception on reality and harm your body.”
However, those who support marijuana law reform sing a different tune.
“I think the legalization of marijuana is a very progressive and positive step,” junior French major Ian Stoutenburgh said. “The marijuana culture isn’t a culture limited to 16-year-old kids; the lines of the generations of marijuana use are blurred. People need to realize that this isn’t necessarily a counterculture activity.”
Supporters of the movement also agree that government criminalization of marijuana is an example of the legislature trying to regulate the morality of society.
“Government cannot and should not legislate morality or try to remove life’s dangers and risks. Risk will always be with us,” the Internet Party, a group that promotes freedom of choice on issues such as abortion, drug use and sexual preferences, said on their Web site.
Those who oppose the legislation, including Drug Watch International, feel that the legalization of marijuana will lead to increases in drug use as well as drug-related crime. Legalization would decrease price and increase availability, the group said.
Proponents and opponents of marijuana legalization disagree on the effect legalization in major cities like Denver will have on legalization in the rest of the United States.
Mirken said Denver’s initiative will lead to the regulation of marijuana similar to that of alcohol and cigarettes.
“I think getting the issue brought to the forefront in the legislature will show the current and future administration of our nation that the issue has been discussed and studied by intelligent people, and it is OK,” Stoutenburgh said. “Government control over this doesn’t avail anyone any benefits.”
Cooper, however, said that while the law in Denver will spark interest, national law will not likely conform to that of the Mile High city.
“To legalize marijuana in America will be a very slow process,” Cooper said.
“Slowly America will follow suit because we are becoming desensitized. If they are doing this, what’s next?” he said.
In spite of the arguments from both sides, the fact is, marijuana use in America is on the rise. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States.
“This isn’t just articles in Rolling Stone. This isn’t just a blip in Newsweek,” Stoutenburgh said. “It’s here and now, and we have to talk about it.”