The drug reform movement faces challenges and opportunities. A lot of the news is good:
- States continue to enact medical marijuana laws, most recently Delaware, the 16th medical marijuana state; Vermont, a new medical marijuana dispensary state; and Maryland, with a new necessity defense bill that will study medical marijuana dispensaries.
- Nationwide support for legalizing marijuana is nearing 50 percent, and Congress will take up a legalization bill this year.
- States including Georgia, Oklahoma, Florida, Kentucky, Delaware, Ohio and many others are reducing drug sentences or considering it.
But the forces of prohibition aren’t sitting still:
- US Attorneys and Montana’s legislature are pushing back against medical marijuana.
- A historic though partial reduction in crack cocaine sentences passed by Congress last year remains not retroactive, and draconian sentencing bills continue to pop up.
- Despite the horrific, continuing violence drug prohibition has inflicted on Mexico, leaders continue to duck the issue and suppress debate.
