Jessica Corry, a Republican activist in Colorado, is making a conservative case for marijuana legalization. She argues that individual responsibility, the latest scientific evidence, and the necessity for a more fiscally responsible federal budget serve as a robust defense for legalizing the narcotic.
Corry believes that Republicans should change their long-held stance in order to return to a philosophy of civil liberties and strict fiscal conservatism. By legalizing the drug, prisons would be far less crowded, saving the nation a significant amount of money to begin paying down the gargantuan debt. In addition, streets would become safer, as prisons would not be pressured to release serious, violent offenders as a result of unnecessary overcrowding.
From a scientific perspective, Corry argues that alcohol, smoking, and obesity are far more detrimental to one's health, and adds that juvenile alcohol consumption is significantly more deleterious to brain development than marijuana use could ever be.
Corry is part of a growing, nonpartisan movement to legalize marijuana. In an October Gallup Poll, 44% of Americans supported legalization efforts, up from only 31% in 2000. People from across the political spectrum are joining forces to advocate legalization, united in large part by a philosophy of states' rights, civil liberties, scientific inquiry, and fiscal conservatism.
In 2010, California will likely vote on the contentious issue, and based on recent polling data, it stands a legitimate chance of passing.
An insider’s look at what's happening in Sacramento.
