#  Why We Must Legalize Marijuana Nationally

     Details    Robert Reich   ![logo](https://mail.citywatchla.com//templates/ja_teline_v/images/logo.png)         May 23 2019      [  ![](https://mail.citywatchla.com/images/stories/May-2019/042v.png)    ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/370-420-file/17729-why-we-must-legalize-marijuana-nationally)

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> **420 FILE**--The federal prohibition on marijuana has been a disaster. For decades, millions of Americans have been locked up and billions of dollars have been wasted. It’s also deepened racial and economic inequality.
>
> We must end this nonsensical prohibition.

 The facts are staggering. I[n 2017, more Americans were arrested for marijuana possession than for murder, rape, aggravated assault and robbery combined.](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.norml.org%2F2018%2F09%2F24%2Ffbi-marijuana-arrests-spike-for-second-straight-year-far-outpace-arrests-for-all-violent-crimes%2F&t=ZDRkYjZiYzEyYmUyYzU2NjhkZTgxMGNmMWM3ODY3ODY4ZGY1NDAzMSxEVkpBaWZwcA%3D%3D&b=t%3AhQ9Ds4P3Iv6D7mgEr8WMqg&p=https%3A%2F%2Frobertreich.org%2Fpost%2F185047810990&m=1)T[hat’s one marijuana arrest every minute](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fnews%2Fwonk%2Fwp%2F2017%2F09%2F26%2Fmore-people-were-arrested-last-year-over-pot-than-for-murder-rape-aggravated-assault-and-robbery-combined%2F%3Futm_term%3D.a11250381653&t=ODg1NTk5OTUwYzYzOTIzMmE4NTVmNzZhYTMyZmU1ODhmNTk1NWNjNixEVkpBaWZwcA%3D%3D&b=t%3AhQ9Ds4P3Iv6D7mgEr8WMqg&p=https%3A%2F%2Frobertreich.org%2Fpost%2F185047810990&m=1).

The costs associated with enforcing this ban – including arrests, court costs, and incarceration – [reach nearly $14 billion a year](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fscholar.harvard.edu%2Ffiles%2Fmiron%2Ffiles%2Fbudget_2010_final_0.pdf&t=YmEzOGE0ODg5MzcyMGY2OTY5YmRiZDMxOWRmZGRjNDE5N2NlODM2YyxEVkpBaWZwcA%3D%3D&b=t%3AhQ9Ds4P3Iv6D7mgEr8WMqg&p=https%3A%2F%2Frobertreich.org%2Fpost%2F185047810990&m=1).

Prohibition also hurts the economy in terms of lost wages. And Americans with criminal records have a harder time finding a job and getting the education they need.

On the other hand, legalizing, taxing, and regulating is good for the economy and creates jobs.

By simply levying a tax on marijuana like we do cigarettes and alcohol, state and local governments could raise more than $6 billion a year.

By simply levying a tax on marijuana like we do cigarettes and alcohol, state and local governments could raise [more than $6 billion a year](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fscholar.harvard.edu%2Ffiles%2Fmiron%2Ffiles%2Fbudget_2010_final_0.pdf&t=YmEzOGE0ODg5MzcyMGY2OTY5YmRiZDMxOWRmZGRjNDE5N2NlODM2YyxEVkpBaWZwcA%3D%3D&b=t%3AhQ9Ds4P3Iv6D7mgEr8WMqg&p=https%3A%2F%2Frobertreich.org%2Fpost%2F185047810990&m=1). This doesn’t even include additional revenue from taxes on the marijuana industry.

[States like Colorado and Washington that tax and regulate marijuana have already generated millions of dollars](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cde.state.co.us%2Fcommunications%2Fmarijuana-fact-sheet-marijuana-tax-revenue-for-education-after-july-2018&t=Nzg5OWVlM2FkN2UyNmE2OTUwZjFlY2ExYTdlOWFjMDVhMWJjZDBmMCxEVkpBaWZwcA%3D%3D&b=t%3AhQ9Ds4P3Iv6D7mgEr8WMqg&p=https%3A%2F%2Frobertreich.org%2Fpost%2F185047810990&m=1)for health care, education,and other public investments.

But this is more than an economic issue. It’s also a matter of racial justice and equality.

The [federal prohibition on marijuana dates back to anti-Mexican sentiment](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Flibguides.law.uga.edu%2Fc.php%3Fg%3D522835%26p%3D3575350&t=MzYyNDVlZTAxMjY3YTJhZmExOWRjYTVjZTJjMWI5MjMwMTAxNjIyZixEVkpBaWZwcA%3D%3D&b=t%3AhQ9Ds4P3Iv6D7mgEr8WMqg&p=https%3A%2F%2Frobertreich.org%2Fpost%2F185047810990&m=1)in the 1930s. In large part, it was nothing more than another way to criminalize communities of color.

[Today, black and brown Americans are still much more likely to be arrested for marijuana than white Americans](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.americanprogress.org%2Fissues%2Fcriminal-justice%2Freports%2F2018%2F06%2F27%2F452819%2Fending-war-drugs-numbers%2F&t=ODAyYzk4NGEwOGJlNjNkYWQ2MDJhYjlkZDcyMWRmMmQ1MDI0YTFhNyxEVkpBaWZwcA%3D%3D&b=t%3AhQ9Ds4P3Iv6D7mgEr8WMqg&p=https%3A%2F%2Frobertreich.org%2Fpost%2F185047810990&m=1), [despite using marijuana at similar rates. ](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aclu.org%2Freport%2Freport-war-marijuana-black-and-white%3Fredirect%3Dcriminal-law-reform%2Fwar-marijuana-black-and-white&t=OThmZmY4ZWE2NDk5OTk0NmI2ZTcwZTJlZWIxMzQ2Y2JiMzJiOWMwMSxEVkpBaWZwcA%3D%3D&b=t%3AhQ9Ds4P3Iv6D7mgEr8WMqg&p=https%3A%2F%2Frobertreich.org%2Fpost%2F185047810990&m=1)

Given the racist legacy of these laws, it’s particularly important that the economic gains of legalization extend to communities that have been most harmed by the war on drugs.

[Support for marijuana legalization has surged in recent years, with two-thirds of Americans now in favor of it. Even a majority of Republicans are in support](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.gallup.com%2Fpoll%2F243908%2Ftwo-three-americans-support-legalizing-marijuana.aspx&t=NzUxMzM5MWRjNTIxNjMzZTMxM2VjYzAyNDgyZDFhOTUyNjA5ODlkZCxEVkpBaWZwcA%3D%3D&b=t%3AhQ9Ds4P3Iv6D7mgEr8WMqg&p=https%3A%2F%2Frobertreich.org%2Fpost%2F185047810990&m=1), and more states are taking action to reform their laws and move toward legalization.

Yet Donald Trump and his administration are trying to turn back the clock. They’ve even formed a task force to weaken public support for legalization and help spread misinformation about so-called [“marijuana threats.”](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.buzzfeednews.com%2Farticle%2Fdominicholden%2Ftrump-secret-committee-anti-marijuana&t=ZDA5ZDBhZGNiM2QyOTU1M2FkODY1YmQ2NzJiMDEwZmNjNDM4NDYxYyxEVkpBaWZwcA%3D%3D&b=t%3AhQ9Ds4P3Iv6D7mgEr8WMqg&p=https%3A%2F%2Frobertreich.org%2Fpost%2F185047810990&m=1)

Just as with the prohibition on alcohol in the 1920s, the federal prohibition of marijuana has been unnecessarily cruel – wasting billions of dollars, unjustly harming millions of lives, and furthering racist policies.

It’s time to legalize marijuana.

*(CityWatch guest columnists, Robert Reich, is Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy, University of California at Berkeley and the author of Aftershock: The Next Economy and America's Future, now in bookstores. This post originally appeared at* [RobertReich.org](http://robertreich.org/post/183389236450)*.)*

*-cw*

  - [  Previous Article **Cannabis Access Laws Accounting for Fewer Opioid Prescriptions** ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17882:cannabis-access-laws-accounting-for-fewer-opioid-prescriptions&catid=370)
- [  Next Article **US Turns to Israeli Know-How for Medical Cannabis Research** ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17664:us-turns-to-israeli-know-how-for-medical-cannabis-research&catid=370)

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