Have Americas Youth Been Left In The Smoke Of Marijuana Reform?

Published on January 18, 2013 by admin   ·   No Comments

Marijuana.com

Washington and Colorado voters cast their ballots to legalize the recreational use of marijuana last November —crushing the pot hating opposition with a double digit margin of victory for both CO and WA. Yet, as most of the pro pot people celebrated their victory – the 18 to 21 year-Old’s who stepped up  and cast their ballot for marijuana legalization have been left behind, still shackled with oppressive criminal sanctions for the consumption of pot.

The pro pot organizations which lead the popular legalization efforts stated that MJ activists themselves created the age limit. Additionally both spokespeople for two of the nation’s largest marijuana reform organizations stated they’re not interested in doing anything that might lower the acceptable age limit for recreational pot smoking.

“It is still illegal for people under 21 to possess any amount of marijuana, and the penalties will be no different than they were before the initiative passed,” noted Mason Tvert, the ex-co-director for the campaign in favor of Amendment 64, the Colorado pot-legalization initiative. 

Tvert, who now acts as the spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project, said it made sense to cap the pot-use age at 21 since Colorado doesn’t allow anyone younger than that to consume alcohol, another “intoxicant.”

The MPP (Marijuana Policy Project), a group that helped to finance Colorado’s Amendment 64, “will not be working to lower the age limit in Colorado or any other state that passes similar legislation including a 21 age limit,” Tvert noted.

As well, the executive director of NORML – Allen St. Pierre explained that “NORML assists the victims of cannabis prohibition” and represents “the interests and concerns of the tens of millions of Americans who responsibly consume cannabis.” As far as St. Pierre is concerned, the ongoing exclusion for 18- to 21-year- isn’t a primary concern for NORML.

“NORML’s board of directors supports legal access to marijuana to be similar to that of alcohol,” said St. Pierre in an E-mail. “If society deems 18 years old the age of ‘consent,’ fine. If society wants to stick with 21 years of age, that’s fine with us too.”

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