Oregon's Measure 91: Legalizing Marijuana

This ballot measure is as close to a no-brainer as anything on the ballot. Our draconian drug laws have made the U.S. the laughingstock of the world. We imprison our citizens at a higher rate than any other country on this planet; having only 5% of the population, we nevertheless have 25% of the world's prisoners, and most are there because of the stupid drug laws.

Millions of lives have been ruined because of drug convictions. And these drug laws result in persons of color being arrested and imprisoned at far higher rates than whites, even though the rates of drug use among different ethnic groups is comparable.

Legalizing marijuana is a useful first step in reforming our ridiculous drug laws. Washington and Colorado have proven that legalizing marijuana can be undertaken in a responsible manner. There is really no good reason to oppose this measure, and it needs to be passed overwhelmingly. Let the police work on catching real criminals, and leave the weed smokers alone!