R. Keith Stroup

About the author: R. Keith Stroup is founder and executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), an organization that advocates the legalization of marijuana.

Marijuana prohibition began in the 1930s, after its recreational use had become associated with minority immigrants and musicians. The U. S government launched a misinformation campaign against the drug, spreading exaggerations and lies about its effects, and passed a law that criminalized marijuana use. The continued prohibition of the drug by the government today is a destructive policy that wastes law enforcement resources and results in the needless arrests of thousands of productive and otherwise lawabiding citizens. When used responsibly by adults, marijuana is as safe and enjoyable as alcohol. Congress should decriminalize marijuana (that is, remove all penalties for its responsible use by adults...