Damon Linker

About the author: Damon Linker is the associate editor of First Things, a monthly journal published by the Institute on Religion and Public Life.

The use of marijuana should not be decriminalized. While it is true that people cannot overdose on marijuana, legalization would make it widely available, which in turn would make it more difficult to prevent drug use among youth. Moreover, the pleasure of smoking marijuana differs from the pleasure of using alcohol or tobacco. Marijuana induces a euphoria that would otherwise occur only after the accomplishment of a virtuous and noble endeavor, such as artistic creation or religious devotion. When this euphoria fades, users are left with an empty feeling and a desire for another high. The unearned and artificially induced feelings of elation— coupled with the unproductiveness that pot...