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>A final problem with Prop 19 is that it would only have legalized marijuana under state law, since federal law also bans marijuana. That was always my problem
by metageek 16y ago
>A final problem with Prop 19 is that it would only have legalized marijuana under state law, since federal law also bans marijuana.
That was always my problem with this (and with Prop 215, medical marijuana, in 1996): they completely ignore the fact that states can't nullify federal law. It's as if their backers never heard of the Civil War.
- alphaBeta1234 16y agoThat was always my problem with the DEA (and the war on drugs, etc.): it completely ignores the fact that the basic building block of government is supposed to be the states, not the fed. It's as if their backers never heard of the tenth amendment.
- metageek 16y agoAgreed. The whole war on drugs needs to be stopped. But nullification is not the right tactic--not least because it just doesn't work.
- alphaBeta1234 16y agoThe two examples I'd bring forth to suggest that nullification (I'm assuming nullification = legalization) would work are America's Prohibition (banning alcohol only worsened the problem, http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/04/what-can-prohibition-teach-us-about-marijuana-legalization-and-other-tales-from-last-call-author-daniel-okrent/ http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/04/what-can-pr...) and Portugal's recent legalization (a resounding success; http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=portugal-drug-decriminalization http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=portugal-dr... and http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1893946,00.html http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1893946,00.ht...) Or did you mean something else by nullification that I missed?
- metageek 16y agoNullification is the idea that states can override federal laws.