New York Times calls for marijuana legalization

The New York Times called for the legalization of marijuana on Saturday, in a bold editorial comparing the federal ban on cannabis to Prohibition.
      
The prestigious publication said pot laws disproportionately impact young black men and that addiction and dependence are "relatively minor problems" -- especially when compared with alcohol and tobacco.        
"It took 13 years for the United States to come to its senses and end Prohibition, 13 years in which people kept drinking, otherwise law-abiding citizens became criminals and crime syndicates arose and flourished," the newspaper said.        

"It has been more than 40 years since Congress passed the current ban on marijuana, inflicting great harm on society just to prohibit a substance far less dangerous than alcohol. The federal government should repeal the ban on marijuana."       

Noting that the editorial board reached its conclusion after much discussion, The Times described the social costs of marijuana laws as "vast."       

Citing FBI figures showing there were 658,000 arrests for marijuana possession in 2012 -- far higher than for cocaine, heroin and their derivatives -- it said "the result is racist, falling disproportionately on young black men, ruining their lives and creating new generations of career criminals."       

While advocating for a ban on marijuana sales to those under 21, the paper also said the "moderate use of marijuana does not appear to pose a risk for otherwise healthy adults."       

The call comes just weeks after recreational pot sales began in the western US state of Washington, which followed Colorado's decision to let people buy marijuana with no medical...