OPINION: A few less laws and a lot more recreation…

“There’s no way to rule innocent men.
The only power government has is the power to crack down on criminals.
Well, when there aren’t enough criminals, one makes them.
One declares so many things to be a crime
that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws.” – Ayn Rand

It is often joked that there are so many laws on the books that if law enforcement decided to really enforce them, every man, woman and child would be a criminal. Often, in response, people will proclaim that rather than voting for the politician who will instigate certain new laws, it is the politician who promises to start abolishing laws that would get their vote. In Colorado, this very thing was done when marijuana was legalized. The quirky thing about this turn of events is that selling and consuming marijuana is still against federal law. Rather than enforcing it where marijuana has been legalized, however, the president stated that the federal government would not enforce it in such states. This is a change from actions taken against the state of Montana, marijuana was also legalized but people could still be charged and prosecuted for marijuana use. Will this open the door to other states following suit – or, as many have been fighting for it, will it finally lead to national legalization? Only time will tell as we watch what unfolds in Colorado. But perhaps history can shed some light, as well.

Not too long ago, a wave called tolerance swept the country. Funny enough, it was largely instigated by women who were tired of their men getting drunk, abusive and spending all their money on booze. Though it was generally not acceptable for women to speak out publicly, it was acceptable within the context of religion, and they did so with a religious fervor. We all know this period as Prohibition. But, as in all things, there was just no way to predict the outcome of such a law, and all of their good intentions led to one of the largest booms in organized crime that this country had yet seen; rather than removing drink from society, they salted that thirst even more. The would-be angels unwittingly learned that as their ambition succeeded, they evoked hordes of devils to keep the balance. The law was so unsuccessful and so unpopular that the states voted to amend the Constitution and do away with it – Utah being the final and deciding nail in the coffin. With the renewed legalization of alcohol, bootlegging and the organized crime built around it all but disappeared and average citizens, no longer criminals, were able to once again satisfy their appetites under the careful regulation of the state.  It is this idea of regulating, controlling and taxing that is the strongest argument in favor of legalizing marijuana, though the millions we spend on jailing marijuana users and the drug trade surrounding it is a close second.

When a product is legally available and sold, it allows businesses to compete commercially in the market. No longer can drug cartels or gangs hold the corner on the market and thus, more or less, they get put out of business. Furthermore, new businesses will spring up that states and the federal government can tax and bring into the economic fold. Not only do they stand to raise revenue, they stand to save money that used to be spent criminalizing marijuana. Can you imagine if our police officers could spend less time busting college students, old hippies and sick people and more time going after hardcore drug users and real criminals? While there are certainly legitimate concerns to legalizing marijuana, it seems that the benefits far outweigh them. Just like Prohibition before it, the criminalization of marijuana use has done nothing to stop it, has increased crime surrounding it, and in the process has turned otherwise law-abiding citizens into criminals. Furthermore, it is a financial drain on our system as petty marijuana users routinely fill up jails. With the right regulations in place, marijuana can be legally controlled just like alcohol or cigarettes, with the added medical benefits that are widely known based on sound medical research, experience and results. Should Utah follow Colorado’s lead? I’m not sure, but I’m also not sure it shouldn’t. It seems to me that this state could stand a few less laws and a lot more recreation.

Written by Greta Hyland