Those in favor of America’s current “Zero Tolerance”
Policy claimed that marijuana is dangerous like any other drug, and 1 in 10 users are addicted. They fear that legalization would lower price
and raise demand for cannabis, which would require public money to be spent on
medical treatment and rehabilitation. Opponents
asserted that medical marijuana is unsafe, so
patients should use government-approved cannabis based medications
instead. They also refute the claim that
American legalization would hurt Mexican drug cartels.
Time Magazine reports that 42% of Americans have tried marijuana, despite the American government’s “Zero Tolerance” Policy. However, only 20% of people from the Netherlands, where marijuana has been decriminalized, have tried the drug. These numbers raise questions about the effectiveness of American drug policies. Current presidential candidates are taking positions on the issue of legalization. President Obama opposes legalization and California’s Proposition 19. Republicans Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, and Newt Gingrich support America’s War on Drugs and demand harsher punishments for offenders, while Ron Paul supports legalization. Republican candidates are attempting to stick to their principles while still catering to young voters, who are more likely to favor legalization and are therefore swinging towards libertarianism in the current election.
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