Perhaps some of the best news to come out of this election- at least here in Oregon- was that voters here passed Measure 91, which will legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana. Finally, Oregon will treat marijuana in the same manner it does alcohol…even though alcohol is by far the more destructive of the two drugs. We join Washington and Colorado in legalizing and regulating marijuana, which is a step in the direction. As in those two states, Oregon should realize significant additional tax revenue AND free up resources in our criminal justice system for more productive uses.
For far too long, the “Reefer Madness” mentality has held sway- even here in Oregon, which has a well-earned reputation for being fairly progressive. As with the momentum sweeping the nation for same-sex marriage, common sense seems to be taking voters by storm. Too many innocent Americans have done hard time for marijuana possession, a “crime” that should never have been one. The only difference between alcohol and marijuana is that one is socially acceptable and one hasn’t been. That this is changing will mean that Oregonians can smoke a little ganja without being on the wrong side of the law. It also means the end of abusing Oregon’s medical marijuana system, which has been as easy as it is endemic. Medical marijuana cards are easy to come by, and many Oregonians have obtained their marijuana through friends with cards. The system hasn’t worked, in the sense that no one who wants marijuana hasn’t been able to obtain it. Now it will be regulated and taxed like alcohol, which means that those who want it for personal use will be able to find it and buy it legally…and Oregon’s taxpayers will benefit as well.
Marijuana enforcement has never really been emphasized in Oregon. Even before this election, one generally had to work pretty hard and be fairly stupid in order to get busted for marijuana possession. Still, the passage of Measure 91 means that law enforcement is finally officially free to focus on more important things…and Oregonians can look forward to what’s happened in Washington State and Colorado since they’ve legalized marijuana.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens going forward? What will legalized marijuana look like in Oregon? Will people still be able to be fired for testing positive for marijuana? It’s difficult to imagine all the double standards disappearing immediately, but time will tell. The devil is in the details, and those will take some time to work out, but judging by the experiences of Washington and Colorado, the future looks pretty bright. Finally, getting high will be treated in the same way as getting drunk. Common sense finally reigns…and it’s about damned time.
