Laws governing the possession and use of marijuana in the United States have been periodically debated and changed since the drug first became popular for recreational use in the early 1900's. Mandates to criminalize the drug,followed by strict mandatory sentencing laws at both state and federal levels have been at the root of national controversies regarding criminal justice and the profiling of minorities, and even the subject of several Supreme Court decisions. In November, voters in three states chose to reform policy putting the debate about reasonable use, and fair treatment of those found in posession, back into the national spotlight.
Changing the Rules
The 2001 film Super Troopers opens with a scene of teenage boys being followed by a patrol car. The boys panic: there are illegal drugs in their vehicle. Throwing a bag of marijuana out the window, they speed off. Moments later the cruiser appears again and this time the car is pulled over. The police inform the boys that they are being arrested for “littering and... littering and... littering and smokin' the reefer,” producing the discarded bag. The group is taken into custody.
The real-life outcome of this scenario could play out somewhat differently now, in part thanks to the bills passed early last month. The November 4th election loosened the restrictions on marijuana possession in three states.
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