Why is Marijuana legalization so important?

Of all the issues one faces in the modern world, why take on this one? Well, this issue is much bigger than just to smoke or not to smoke. It comes down to personal rights. Somewhere there is an invisible line where society ends and the individual begins, and laws like this one blur it beyond recognition.

English economist and philosopher, John Stuart Mill, discusses this line, it's blurring, and it's effect on the individual in his essay On Liberty.

"Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign"

This means: As long as what you do affects only you, and does no harm to another person, you are free to act as you see fit. This seemingly simple idea has been debated for ages. He goes on to discuss what he terms the Harm Principle.

"He cannot rightfully be compelled to do or forbear because it will be better for him to do so, because it will make him happier, because, in the opinion of others, to do so would be wise, or even right... The only part of the conduct of anyone, for which he is amenable to society, is that which concerns others. In the part which merely concerns himself, his independence is, of right, absolute"

Once again, do what you will and harm no other. So even though what the Government wants may even be correct, even if marijuana is the most terrible substance on earth, it isn't the job of a legislative body to tell us how to think or what to feel. Mandating personal safety and happiness can actually have deadly results, and make the world a much worse place than if they just left it alone. Look at the state of society. There are overcrowded jails in every state in the U.S., there is a war going on at the Mexican border with black market drug cartels, and more importantly there are sick people who need their medicine.

When it comes to marijuana, I understand what the government is trying to do (yeah, I said it).
I understand that not all of the prohibition pushers mean harm, they aren't ALL corrupt. I'm sure many of them mean well, but it's time to look at the result of their actions versus the results of legalization. From that point of view it's tough to refute the case for rational policy.

Many consider John Stuart Mill to be one of the fathers of libertarianism, and a hero of liberalism. In my next post, we will discuss a hero to conservatives, Ayn Rand, and how her philosophy can also justify legalization.

Till next time, please discuss!