New York Times Calls for Cannabis Legalization

The calls for medical and recreational marijuana legalization nationwide are getting louder and louder. Politicians are starting to join the list of advocates and celebrities that are voicing their support for the plant and now one of the country’s most prominent newspapers has made its stance on the issue loud and clear.

The New York Times editorial board has begun a six-part series of articles entitled “High Time: An Editorial Series on Marijuana Legalization” that calls for the end of federal prohibition of marijuana. Each article will be published by a different member of the board and will illuminate the various reasons why cannabis should be legal, how it could potentially be regulated on a state level, the almost-infinite number of health benefits of pot and more

In the introduction to the series, appropriately titled “Our Position,” the editorial board advocates for the legalization of cannabis for adults over the age of 21. They address a number of legitimate concerns regarding the social and legal implications of legal weed, explaining that it can and should be regulated in the same fashion as tobacco or alcohol — substances that truly have no medicinal benefits or healing qualities yet are still legal to consume.

The first part of the series, “Let the States Decide,” is broken into three sections that offer insight into how states are taking marijuana laws into their own hands and knowingly defying the government’s Controlled Substances Act by allowing medical marijuana to be used by licensed patients. The article also suggests that the federal ban on cannabis could be solved with a bill that was introduced by Representative Jared Polis of Colorado called the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2013. The bill would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act, allow it to be regulated in the same way as alcohol and authorize people with federal permits to grow and distribute it.

Although support for cannabis legalization has been rapidly spreading, the New York Times is the biggest newspaper in the United States to show full support for such a controversial topic in such a public way. There will be a new article released everyday until August 5.
What do you think about the New York Times stance on marijuana legalization? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.