In his first stint as California governor in the 1970’s, Jerry Brown had a reputation for eccentricity. “Governor Moonbeam,” he was called, because he was so unconventional.
Back for a second tour in Sacramento, Brown looks more traditional today, at least about drug use. With most other governors, he is cautious about legalizing marijuana. “… We ought to … watch and see how things go in Colorado,” he argues.
That’s good advice.
Since 1996, twenty states and the District of Columbia have approved using marijuana for a very wide range of medical conditions. Two have gone further, permitting the drug’s sale to any adult. With a well-financed lobby behind it and a majority of Americans now favoring it, more states seem headed in that direction.
By taxing sales of the drug, advocates claim, states could gain a potentially large, new source of revenue. Moreover, if selling pot were not a crime, overcrowding in the nation’s jails would be eased. Not least important, both Left and Right contend, government should not ban a product that is no more harmful than alcohol or tobacco.
However, the effects of marijuana are still debated. Some scientists believe regular use can stunt development or lead to more dangerous drugs. Governor Brown also noted the social cost of legalizing pot: “… how many people can get stoned,” he said, for us to “still have a great state or great nation.” While many people are arrested for using marijuana, less than 1 percent of inmates are in state prisons for only doing so.
In recent decades, the United States has made great strides in reducing smoking and drinking. Legalizing pot would be a step in the wrong direction.
Sources
Brown and governors opposed to marijuana
Legalization debate: David Frum, “Don’t Go to Pot,” Commentary, April 2014.
