(Editor’s Note: A couple of years ago, GRAND Magazine ran a survey of grandparents on this topic that resulted in an 85% approval for legalizing marijauna.)
By Diane Russell, Maine State Representative, Portland
Prohibitionists suggest the status quo is great way to keep marijuana out of the hands of kids. The evidence, however, clearly proves the opposite.
- More than 80% of high school seniors have easy access to marijuana, according to an annual government survey. That number has held constant for more than four decades.
- Here in Maine, 38% of high school students say they have tried marijuana at least once.
If this is how they define success; I’d really hate to see Prohibition fail.
It’s why I’m with the 58% of Americans who believe it’s time to end Prohibition, and instead legalize, tax and regulate marijuana like we do alcohol.
Help Me Fight for a Common Sense Approach to Marijuana Policy!
It’s time for a common sense approach that controls the market by rewarding responsible business owners instead of ceding the market to drug dealers. It’s time for an approach that provides resources to educate our kids about the dangers of adolescent marijuana use. It’s time for an approach that respects the rights of responsible adults to decide what they consume within the privacy of their own home. And, it’s time for an approach that rechannels precious resources away from the prison inudstrial complex and the Mexican drug cartels – and toward investments in education, prescription drugs for the elderly, addiction treatment services and youth prevention outreach.
Let’s replace the failed policies of prohibition with a strict regulatory structure designed to protect our communities – and our civil liberties.
Sign the Petition Supporting a Common Sense Approach to Marijuana Policy!
Earlier this week, 67% of voters in Portland, Maine – many of whom I represent in the Maine House – voted to legalize marijuana within our city’s borders. 82% of the people in my neighborhood voted for it.
This was a victory for science, for common sense and for liberty.
I’m working to make Maine the first state in the country to have the Legislature vote to regulate marijuana in a similar manner to alcohol. The votes in WashingtonState and Colorado were transformational for the cause of liberty. Equally transformative will be the day a legislative body votes to support a more rational policy, signaling to Congress that elected representatives can lead on this issue – and do so responsibly.
Support a Responsible Approach to Marijuana Today!
Find me on Facebook and Twitter @MissWrite
Find me on Facebook and Twitter @MissWrite
