The official student newspaper of Walter Johnson High School

The Pitch

The official student newspaper of Walter Johnson High School

The Pitch

The official student newspaper of Walter Johnson High School

The Pitch

Potted Plant Provides Promising Possibility

As the downward spiral that has defined recent economic troubles continues to spin, the general American focus has shifted from the failures of past administrations towards hope for future ones. In this dramatic sweep, with so many great challenges looming on the horizon, the possibility of change certainly seems imminent, but just as real is the possibility of tragic failure to address issues that have been in the shadows of more prominent problems for decades.


The unrealistic, unproductive, and altogether unworkable legal status of marijuana is one of these issues. It is a problem where the potential for reform is so great, and the continuation of current practices so potentially devastating, that a fundamental change on the federal level is a prospect America cannot afford to ignore.

Behind only cigarettes and alcohol, marijuana is the third most commonly used drug in the United States, and what America needs is a public policy that accurately reflects this reality, rather than overzealously condemns it in backward quest founded on ignorance and paranoia.

However, marijuana is, we must not forget, a drug. Chronic abuse can lead to memory loss and problems with word association skills, and it does affect the judgement of the user. But the same can be said about alcohol, and the potential for addiction of marijuana is miniscule in comparison to that of cigarettes, yet in many states the possession of marijuana is treated as a criminal offense. The problem with this approach is so clearly evident it borders on obvious, and if America is truly invested in a decade of “change,” the legality of marijuana would be an excellent place to begin.

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