The Weed Lobby’s Success In Legalizing Pot State By State Is An Impressive But Dangerous Feat

The smoke is getting thicker as the pro-marijuana lobby trudges forward, state by state. With patience, tenacity, and money, they have successfully helped change laws throughout the country. This year’s midterm ballot measures to legalize marijuana across five different states are more evidence of the weed lobby’s advancements.

Even though the results were not as some had hoped, with only two of five state ballot measures passing, pandora’s box has been opened. In Maryland, the measure passed by almost a 2-1 margin. The measure squeaked by with passage in Missouri, based mainly on voters in St. Louis and Kansas City, both large metropolitan areas.

With the assistance of groups such as the ACLU, the pro-legalization lobby has used race and the claim of disparaging treatment of minorities who smoke pot. The narrative goes hand in hand with the anti-police rhetoric found in the same inner-city areas. These claims pressure politicians to support legalization initiatives, often cowering to the leftist supporters of the movement.

The progression from “it’s medicinal” to “it’s racist not to legalize weed,” is in many ways, what’s most interesting and even most impressive about the movement’s success. From the days of High Times Magazine and NORML, many thought it was a movement that would never gain the momentum needed to achieve legalization. But despite setbacks, pushback, and strict laws, the movement was focused and kept moving forward. Undeterred, they needed an angle, a foot in the door, so to speak. They could make their presence known if they could get that invite to the party.

Who could argue with those suffering from debilitating diseases or cancer claiming that nothing helped them like marijuana? At first, the anti-legalization groups and the government countered with the fact that the same chemical in marijuana that so many claimed they needed was already available pharmaceutically. The drug was Marinol and was available for those ailments advocates claimed they suffered. Yes, they said, but it’s not the same as smoking.

The government and those opposed were left scratching their heads. It was at this point that the pro-legalization groups succeeded. After decades of trying, they got their foot in the door and now had the leverage they needed. Knowing that all-out legalization was the ultimate prize, they pushed forward.

With some give and take, such as decriminalization, medical use, and one of their best weapons, race, the pro-marijuana movement made significant strides. Pay no attention to the researchers behind the curtain, they claimed. They don’t know anything about marijuana. They are all just against it. It’s harmless and no worse than alcohol. Yet, as more states have reformed their marijuana laws, many of the harms are only beginning to surface.

Today, many of the arguments made by the pro-marijuana movement have been proven wrong. New studies emerging every month show previously unknown detrimental effects on the brain and, more importantly, the brains of young people. You no longer hear the life-saving stories of the sick who could now

featured Image Credit: Elsa Olofsson

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