Legalization of Marijuana-A battle between individual rights and the common good

Proposition 19 was the California 2010 ballot measure that proposed to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, granted with a number of restrictions. Proponents of the ballot measure, also know as the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act (http://www.voterguide.sos.ca.gov/propositions/19/analysis.htm), claimed that the proposition would benefit the community as a whole, allowing the government to control marijuana use and sales, while “generating billions of dollars in revenue”. However, opponents of Proposition 19 were skeptical. Those against Prop 19 argued that the stated regulations on marijuana would not actually be enforced, and that legalizing pot would be a threat to public safety. In the end, the measured failed, with 46% of voters voting yes on Prop 19, and 54% voting no.

While the arguments made against Proposition 19 seem valid, neither they, nor the proponents can realistically deny that people will continue to smoke pot even though the Prop 19 failed, so why didn’t voters seize the opportunity to set regulations on marijuana while increasing tax income? What does this say about the American political system? First, I think that it is important to note that the constituency of the electorate in midterm elections is not the same as the electorate that votes in presidential election years. Indeed, those who vote in midterm elections tend to be older and more conservative, which could explain their opposition to such a seemingly radical proposition. Another concept called into question by this issue is that of the American creed. Those against prop 19 viewed it as a threat to public safety. Many voters believed that by denying members of the public above the age of 21 what would be their personal right to smoke marijuana under the new state law, they were doing their part to keep the public safe. Therefore, in rejecting Prop 19, voters actively upheld the argument that there are times in which individualism, a central value in the American creed, must be limited to protect the common good.