In 1972 a National Commission called for marijuana decriminalization. President Nixon dismissed the idea...leading to modern marijuana prohibition
NORML, Chris Goldstein
AUDIO STASH SPECIAL REPORT- EXCLUSIVE!
SPECIAL REPORT PT2: 1972 Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse.
Today we'll hear from Keith Stroup, the Founder of NORML and Dr. Thomas Ungerleider who sat on the commission and helped craft the report, Chicago Tribune Columnist Clarence Page, NORML Executive Director Allen St Pierre and actual audio, never-before broadcast, from the Nixon White House courtesy of whitehousetapes.org.
Thirty-five-years ago, the first - and to date, only - US Congressional Commission to address marijuana and public policy recommended the government amend federal law so that the possession and use of small quantities of cannabis by adults would no longer be a criminal offense. That commission, known as National Commission on Marihuana [sic] and Drug Abuse (also known as The Shafer Commission) concluded: "[T]he criminal law is too harsh a tool to apply to personal possession even in the effort to discourage use. â�æ It implies an overwhelming indictment of the behavior which we believe is not appropriate. The actual and potential harm of use of the drug is not great enough to justify intrusion by the criminal law into private behavior, a step which our society takes only with the greatest reluctance." SPECIAL NORML.ORG SHAFER INFO PAGE