Pew Poll April 2014: Americans view alcohol as more harmful than marijuana

[Comrade Grumpy]

2. The tide is turning in drug policy.

We have 21 medical marijuana states, 18 decriminalization states, and 2 legalization states already.

I predict Alaska, Oregon, and Washington, DC, will legalize via the initiative process this year.

Then California, Arizona, New Mexico, and maybe Maine or Michigan or Ohio in 2016. Via the initiative process.

Then state legislatures, probably first in the Northeast, start legalizing it.

There are already bills in Congress to end federal pot prohibition; I think that will happen within five years or so. Then it's like alcohol--up to the states--and who wants to be the last pot prohibition state?

And that's just pot.

We've seen important sentencing reforms in about half the states and now, thanks to Obama, at the federal level, with, hopefully, more to come. Also, the Obama administration is now literally asking federal drug prisoners to seek commutation of their sentences. We could be seeing thousands of federal drug war prisoners come home soon.

And the fact that our latest heroin "epidemic" is linked to pain pills seems to be making it easier to both talk about treatment instead of prison and provide sensible harm reduction services, like providing Narcan to first responders and friends and family members.

The public understands the drug war is a disastrous failure. Now, the politicians have to catch up. At least they're catching on.