Should the U.S. Legalize Marijuana?

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According to government surveys, nearly 100 million Americans (more than 40 percent of the population over age 12) have tried marijuana. Among high-school seniors, nearly half report having smoked pot -- a percentage that has remain virtually unchanged for over 30 years. To put these numbers in proper perspective, Americans self-reported cannabis use is now more than twice the rate of Dutch marijuana use -- despite the fact that the sale and use of pot is legal in the Netherlands. In fact, according to a recently published study by the World Health Organization, marijuana use is more prevalent in the United States than in any other country in the world, even though the America imposes some of the most severe criminal restrictions on its use.

So, no, not "everybody" is doing it -- NORML has never claimed this to be the case -- but a near majority of Americans have tried pot and there remains no evidence that our current laws and drug policies are dissuading adults or teens from doing so.

Furthermore, Mr. Sabet's comment that fewer than ten percent of Americans report using pot regularly further illustrates the drug's unique safety profile. Indeed, of the nearly one-in-two high-school seniors who report trying marijuana, very few go on to become regular users later in life. Among those who report using marijuana in early adulthood, most report voluntarily ceasing their cannabis use by their mid-to-late twenties. Can Mr. Sabet say the same about tobacco and alcohol?

Criminalizing the millions of otherwise law-abiding Americans who use cannabis is expensive, engenders disrespect for the law, and alienates large numbers of the population — particularly young people. Rather than continue down this path, our laws and should acknowledge the fact that tens of
millions of Americans have smoked pot -- and many continue to do so -- and relatively few have suffered deleterious health effects stemming from their use. America's public policies should reflect this reality, not deny it.