To Legalize, or Not to Legalize, That Was the Question

Several weeks ago I was asked if I supported legalizing marijuana during a Brockton cable TV program. The Enterprise picked up the issue during a recent State Rep. debate.

Unfortunately, the front-page, Sunday story made it seem as if I supported legalizing cocaine and heroin, while I opposed the legalization of marijuana. Totally illogical, right?

The Enterprise issued a correction. But as you can imagine, the story has caused quite a stir. So here’s what I said.

When asked about legalization, I stated that I was opposed to decriminalizing marijuana because some studies indicate that it’s a “gateway” drug to harder, illegal substances.

My thought is it doesn't seem prudent for the government to legalize one spectrum of drug use that is likely to lead to the illegal consumption of other drugs.

I went on to say, however, that based on lessons from prohibition when alcohol was illegal, the best way to get rid of the black market and the cartels—which incubate most of the violent crime—is to seriously consider legalizing all drugs so that it can be heavily regulated and taxed and the tax revenue can be used for prevention, treatment, and enforcement programs.

I ended the cable interview by saying that legalizing all drugs would be politically impossible; so the best route in my opinion would be not to legalize any illicit drug, including marijuana.

It's worth noting that recent studies show that among young people, cigarette and alcohol use are on the decline, while illegal drug use is on the rise.

I believe there’s a lot to learn from how we’ve regulated cigarettes and alcohol so that we can start to reduce the increasing consumption of banned substances.

So, the next time you hear someone say, “Jass Stewart wants to legalize heroin and cocaine but not pot,” could you please send them this post.

Thanks!

PS: You can learn more about my campaing for State Rep. at www.JassStewart.com.