Part of the fiction that keeps cannabis legalization from gaining traction is the idea that legalization would lead to marijuana being sold indiscriminately, unscrupulously, and in some putative scenarios, with the full backing of corporate advertising. If the powers that be were to loosen prohibition, or even to debate the merits of alternative approaches to marijuana policy, chaos would undoubtedly ensue. This fiction, however, ignores the fact that prohibition already creates chaos; drug cartels use murder, terror and graft to compete for market share, illicit marijuana growers show no regard for the environment as they focus on their bottom lines, and teenagers purchase marijuana and other illicit drugs from dealers who never check ID. In reality, legalization would not lead toward chaos, it would lead toward sensible regulation and taxation measures that could manage the harmful consequences of marijuana use, while eliminating the problems caused by marijuana prohibition. A practical approach to legalization would use regulation and taxation to balance the needs of communities, local governments and cannabis consumers alike. Luckily, such regulatory schemes already exist, and they can provide models for future policymakers. Continue Reading →