More than two-thirds of Americans think the United States should legalize marijuana. Support has grown consistently in the last few decades, and there's no reason to think it will wane anytime soon. And yet efforts to legalize the drug have largely been limited to state governments — 24 of which (plus Washington, D.C.) have made recreational use legal. On the federal side, there have been only very modest policy moves by the last few administrations when it comes to cannabis. Now, finally — as the contributing Opinion writer Maia Szalavitz writes in a guest essay published today — the Biden administration has taken the biggest step yet toward a more common-sense policy on marijuana. On May 16, the Justice Department announced it would move forward with reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule III drug, from its long status as Schedule I. Though this won't make the drug legal in the eyes of the federal government, it does open up more opportunities for researching the medical benefits of it, and for more open business in states where it's already legal to use. It's not legalization, but it's a start. In her essay, Szalavitz makes a convincing case for why this is an important opportunity not just to consider the federal legalization of marijuana but also, more importantly, to think about how we intend to regulate it. That's because like any drug, it's critical not to open the gates for free, unfettered access. Legalization without proper regulation would be a disaster, allowing unsafe products to make it into consumers' hands, fueling the continued existence of unregulated black markets and potentially exposing children to pervasive drug advertisements. Szalavitz illustrates in sharp detail how federal regulators can play a key role in each of these areas by controlling safety, influencing pricing and putting much-needed restrictions on marketing and promotion practices. But in order to make sure the likely eventual transition to legalization goes smoothly, we should start thinking about these regulatory levers now. Many states have already contended with these issues, and the lessons they've learned show us a clear path for how the federal government ought to proceed with regulation. There's little reason to kick the can down the road on this. If the Biden administration is serious about listening to voters' desires on the legal status of marijuana, then they also need to make sure they are addressing skeptics' concerns on how they intend to regulate the drug. Here's what we're focusing on today:
We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. Correction: Saturday's edition of Opinion Today misstated the legal status of the man accused of shooting three college students in Burlington, Vt., in November. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment. He has not pleaded guilty to three counts of attempted murder. Games Here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle and Spelling Bee. If you're in the mood to play more, find all our games here. Forward this newsletter to friends to share ideas and perspectives that will help inform their lives. They can sign up here. Do you have feedback? Email us at opiniontoday@nytimes.com. If you have questions about your Times account, delivery problems or other issues, visit our Help Page or contact The Times.
|
Monday, May 20, 2024
Opinion Today: It’s time to start thinking about legal marijuana
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment