Is Prohibition an Appropriate Standard? Richard Dennis, the author of Chemical Dependence: Opposing Viewpoints, says that "The appropriate standard in deciding if a drug should be mad;e legal for adults ought to be whether it is more likely than alcohol to cause harm to an innocent party. If not, banning it cannot be justified while alcohol remains legal." By applying Dennis's standard to the prohibition of marijuana in the United States, the logical decision …showed first 75 words of 1345 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1345 total…highly addictive. Alcoholism is one of the most preventable illnesses; yet 7 out of 10 adults drink alcohol. Of these, one out of seven is an alcoholic (FADAA). Though Dennis's standard does not directly support the legalization of marijuana, it questions the authority of the government, and discredits the "because I say so" authority, which is a violation of civil liberty. Dennis's standard appropriately supports the need to question the justification of the government's prohibition of marijuana.