The 2012 election was a game changer in U.S. marijuana law—for the first time in over 70 years, two states legalized the plant for recreational use. It’s a defiant break from long-standing federal prohibition, yet other states are considering a similar path. Is America going to pot, or is there more behind legalizing marijuana than just an excuse to get high?
To date, 18 states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana, but voters in Colorado and Washington have taken another step: ending prohibition.
While the two laws differ on details, voter referendums passed in both states essentially grant cannabis the same restrictions as alcohol: permitted only for adults over 21.
To some, marijuana is a panacea of health and happiness. To others, a slothful scourge. As with any modern controversy, numerous studies make a case for both sides.
But it is the changing attitude toward legislation that is finding more common ground. You can find many unexpected legalization allies in an organization called LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition). Founded in 2002, the group consists of individuals who have fought on the front lines of America’s drug war, including police, judges, prosecutors, and federal agents.
Founding LEAP member and Board Chair Jack Cole has witnessed the effects of U.S. drug laws up close and in practice. Cole retired as Detective Lieutenant after a 26-year career with the New Jersey State Police. More than half of his career was spent in narcotics, mostly undercover.
“When I got out, I felt very bad about my role in implementing what today I’ve decided is not just a failed drug policy, but a self-perpetuating and constantly expanding policy disaster,” Cole said. “Every year it’s worse than it was the year before. And every year we try to correct for it by throwing more cops and more money at it.”
To understand Cole’s change of heart, you have to consider the federal policy it’s breaking from—the War on Drugs.
