4/20 Today

More than seven years ago, as far as I know, only me and DrugWarRant were blogging full time for drug policy reform. While there were other policy reform advocacy groups like NORML, Drug Policy Alliance and DRCNet with long established websites, no one was blogging. Most people still didn't know what a blog was. And no one outside of the reform community was really talking about legalization. We've come a long way since then.

Yesterday being 4/20, the unofficial holiday for marijuana consumers, the mainstream media was rife with pot themed stories. Atlantic Wire collected a roundup of cannabis legalization columns. Former Republican Governor of New Mexico, Gary Johnson issued a press release calling for the legalization of marijuana as a means to reduce crime and cut expenditures. A local news station did a profile on the first-ever marijuana growers convention in Colorado.

Medical marijuana has been legalized in over a dozen states, with many more considering legislation to do the same. In DC, their Council unanimously passed a medical marijuana bill yesterday. Other states, like Oregon and Massachusetts have decriminalized recreational use. Many municipalities have passed resolutions to direct their local law enforcement to make marijuana arrests their lowest priority. Polling on the issue shows a rise in the percentage of Americans who support legalization and regulation of the plant.

Seven years ago, I, along with many advocates, predicted we would see full legalization within ten years. Looks like we're still on track to see that prediction come true.

[More posts daily at The Detroit News]