by Ira Glasser

About the author: Ira Glasser is the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), an organization dedicated to defending Americans’ Constitutional rights.

Before January of 1998, no one except his most devoted friends and followers had ever heard of Ross Rebagliati. But this 20-something Canadian snow boarder became an international figure after his hard-won Olympic gold medal was temporarily snatched away from him when a post-event drug screen revealed traces of marijuana metabolites in his urine. After a suspense-filled 48 hours, the Court of Arbitration of Sports decided to return the medal to its rightful owner.

The conclusion to this episode was a surprise to those who have become accustomed to defeat in the arena of marijuana law reform. Along with the passage of a medical marijuana voters’ initiative in California and a more...