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“The anti-marijuana campaign is a cancerous tissue of lies, undermining law enforcement, aggravating the drug
problem, depriving the sick of needed help, and suckering well-intentioned conservatives and countless
frightened parents.”
— William F. Buckley, Jr.
“I happen to believe that the Federal Government shouldn’t be locking up anyone for making a decision of what
he or she should privately consume, whether that person is rich or poor, and we should never be giving people
the excuse, especially Federal authorities, that they have a right to stop people or intrude into their lives in order
to prevent them [from doing so].” — Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R - California)
Today, most Americans agree that marijuana prohibition Since 2012, 10 states — Colorado, Washington, Oregon,
should be brought to an end. According to an November Alaska, Maine, Massachusetts, California, Nevada,
2019 Pew Poll, 67% of the public supports making marijua- Michigan, and Illinois — have replaced their states’ prohibi-
na legal, with support among Republicans more than dou- tion of marijuana with legal and regulated adult markets,
bling over the past decade to 55%. When it comes to states’ similar to those for alcohol. Today many conservative
rights, however, 57% of Republicans think the federal gov- leaders, like Congressman Rohrabacher, have picked up the
ernment should not enforce its laws prohibiting marijuana torch from Messrs. Buckley and Friedman and are helping
in states where it is legal, according to Pew Research Center to lead America in a more sensible direction on marijuana
in 2013 — and 67% of Republicans believe the enforcement policy.
of federal marijuana prohibition is not worth the cost.
Marijuana Prohibition Has Failed, With Serious Negative Consequences for Society
Vermont Senate Republican Leader Joe Editorial Board of the National Review — “[D]rug
Benning — “Despite seven decades
of pro- prohibition has not produced the desired results; . . . it
hibition in the so-called War On Drugs, a creates enormously powerful economic incentives for
sizable number of Vermonters use marijua- domestic trafficking operations and allied cartels abroad;
na. We kid ourselves if we believe prohibi- … the human and financial costs of fighting a ‘war’ on
tion will eventually win the battle. I’d argue drugs are enormous, and .. the martial rhetoric and
assumptions associated with that effort are a menace to
it is time to change our approach.” photo credit:
Vermont Press Bureau privacy and civil liberties …”
The Federal Government Should Respect States’ Rights to Enact Sensible Policies
Grover Norquist, founder and president of Senator Cory Gardner (R - Colorado) —
Americans for Tax Reform — “[A]s a matter “Since the campaign, President Trump
of States’ rights, regulating marijuana and has consistently supported states’ rights to
alcohol seem indistinguishable; and, alcohol decide for themselves how best to approach
policy has been entrusted to the States since marijuana… President Trump has assured
the repeal of Prohibition in 1933.” me that he will support a federalism-based
photo credit: legislative solution to fix this states’ rights photo credit:
Washington Times
issue once and for all.” U.S. Congress
continued
The Federal Government Should Respect States’ Rights to Enact Sensible Policies … continued
Senator Ted Cruz (R - Texas) — “Look, I actually think this is a great embodiment of what
Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis called ‘the laboratories of democracy.’ If the citizens of
Colorado decide they want to go down that road, that’s their prerogative. I personally don’t
agree with it, but that’s their right.”
Marijuana Prohibition Fails to Recognize That Marijuana is Less Harmful Than Alcohol and Other
Schedule I Drugs
Former Congressman Tom Tancredo (R - Congressman Matt Gaetz (R - Florida) —
Colorado) — “I am endorsing Amendment “To classify marijuana with heroin and
64 not despite my conservative beliefs, but LSD continues a generational sequence
because of them. Our nation is spend- of lying by the federal government to the
ing tens of billions of dollars annually in American people. And those lies have led
an attempt to prohibit adults from using to overly punitive criminal penalties. Our
a substance objectively less harmful than photo credit:
policies on marijuana for the last genera- photo credit:
Florida House of
alcohol.” United States Congress tion have done irreparable harm.” Representatives
Marijuana Prohibition is Fiscally Irresponsible and Bad for the U.S. Economy
Syndicated columnist Michelle Malkin — Cato Institute — “[Our] report concludes that … [a]bout
“[T]he legalized marijuana entrepreneurs $8.7 billion of … savings would result from legalization of
here in my adopted home state are just like marijuana … Legalization [of marijuana] would also gener-
any other entrepreneurs: securing capital, ate tax revenue of … [a]bout $8.7 billion.”
paying taxes, complying with a thicket of
regulations, taking risks and providing
goods and services that ordinary people photo credit:
David All
want and need.”