Why is the cause for pot legalization continuing to gain momentum in America?

Last November both Colorado and Washington voted to legalize marijuana, and now Rhode Island and six other states are in negotiations to legalize the substance as well. This fast-paced legalization seems ironic because we have been “at war” with drugs for almost 40 years now, but perhaps the biggest irony of all is something that many of us have never even thought about before. That something is: Republican support for the cause.

In College Station, for example, at almost every “house-party” I have been to, I have been offered pot in one form or another. At the same time, Texas A&M is nationally known for its conservative views. We even have a Political Science college called the “Bush School”, named after a former Republican president named George H.W. Bush. While the argument could be made that today’s youth has less traditional and more liberal leaning views, Republicans in Congress are backing marijuana because doing so would cut federal government spending going towards the War on Drugs.

For extremely conservative individuals, such as former president Ronald Reagan, one of the most important economic goals has always been to reduce federal government spending. The more states that legalize marijuana, the less the federal government will be able to tax Americans for the War on Drugs. It seems like many Republicans and Democrats have been able to come to an agreement on this issue, especially in the states, which has resulted in momentum towards legalization. How do you feel about the legalization of marijuana? Can you think of something different that has encouraged legalization?