NEW YORK— The cover of the July 12th National Review (which hits stands Monday June 28th) stars a marijuana leaf and the headline “The growing movement toward ending America’s irrational marijuana prohibition.” The country’s premier conservative journal offers a fresh challenge to the federal government’s prohibitionist policies.

The article, “An End to Marijuana Prohibition,” was written by Ethan Nadelmann, the executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance. It engages and refutes the principal arguments made by marijuana prohibitionists, analyzes growing public support for decriminalization and legalization, and suggests the process by which marijuana prohibition may ultimately end in the United States.  “I’ve had countless conversations with police and prosecutors, judges and politicians and hundreds of others who quietly agree that the criminalization of marijuana is costly, foolish and destructive,” writes Nadelmann.  "Marijuana prohibition is unique among American criminal laws.  No other law is both enforced so widely and harshly and yet deemed unnecessary by such a substantial portion of the populace."

"We felt it was important to re-ignite the public debate with a cover story that provides both fresh perspectives and a compelling case for ending marijuana prohibition," said Rich Lowry, editor of National Review.

Did you know that:

• Police make about 700, 000 arrests per year for marijuana offenses —roughly 87% of those are for nothing more than possession of small amounts.
• Almost as many people are arrested for marijuana as for all other illicit drugs combined.
• Enforcing marijuana laws costs an estimated $10-15 billion taxpayer dollars per year in direct costs alone.
• More than 50% of Americans between the ages of 18-50 have tried marijuana at least once.
• 72% of Americans favor decriminalization—applying a fine, not jail time,
• 40% of Americans favor legalizing marijuana and treating it like alcohol, according to a 2003 Zogby poll.
• Unlike alcohol and many other drugs, no one has ever died of a marijuana overdose.
• Alabama locks up people convicted three times of marijuana possession for 15 years to life.
• The federal Higher Education Act prohibits student loans to young people convicted of any drug offense; all other criminal offenders remain eligible.
• More than 80% of high school students report that it’s easy to get marijuana.
• Every state ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana has been approved.
• Though it publicly denies that marijuana has medical value, the federal government currently provides marijuana from its own production site in Mississippi to a few court-certified patients.
• In Holland, where cannabis is decriminalized, it is no more popular than in the U.S.