Rich Lowry

Marijuana is a relatively harmless drug, argues Rich Lowry in the following viewpoint. In fact, he asserts, alcohol and tobacco are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans every year while marijuana has never killed anyone. In addition, most marijuana users slow down or stop smoking the drug as they enter their thirties, he claims. Lowry maintains that the prohibition against marijuana is based more on cultural prejudice than on facts and should be repealed. Lowry is the editor of the National Review, a conservative weekly magazine.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What does California’s Proposition 36 require for first- and second-time nonviolent drug offenders, according to Lowry?
2. According to the report by the Institute of Medicine cited by the author, how many Americans have tried marijuana or hashish at least once...