The post Should We Lower Legal Adult-Use Marijuana Laws to 18? appeared first on High Times.
Should we lower legal adult-use marijuana laws to 18? Now that more states are legalizing weed, it’s definitely something to consider. But why does the default age for legal consumption seem to be 21?
The United States has been sending 18-year-olds into combat for years while refusing to sell them alcoholic beverages. Now, this trend has become the standard with respect to the legalization of marijuana. There is no federal policy to strong arm cannabis advocates to reach for legal weed based on these politics.
Yet this is how the cannabis industry is being set up for future generations. Are we passing these types of adult-use laws because it is the right thing to do? Or is the cannabis industry simply following in the footsteps of alcohol because it is more palatable?
History of Adult-Use Laws
The U.S is one of only four countries that prevents adults between 18 and 20 from enjoying booze and weed. The age restriction is a fairly new concept. It originated in the 1980s as one of the most effective methods to control drunk driving. We suspect this was less complicated than imposing the more common-sense policies recommended by the commission on drunk driving.
President Reagan eventually signed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act in 1984. The law did not force states to increase their legal drinking age to 21-years-old. But it twisted their arms a bit by threatening to revoke a percentage of their highway funding.
These days, every state follows this policy. But, contrary to popular opinion, there is still no national minimum drinking age.
Similarly, there is nothing on the books to persuade