Unyielding efforts are being made in the Oklahoma State Senate to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes for adults age 21 and older. Senator Connie Johnson has introduced Senate Bill 2116 which, if successful, would legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana similar to alcohol in her republic.

“By taxing and regulating marijuana we can take the lucrative market out of the hands of criminals and drug cartels and put it in the hands of tax-paying, law-abiding businesses,” Johnson declared.

The Sooner State senator was also quick to point out that the perpetuation of the current prohibition of marijuana diverts the attention of law enforcement officials from more serious crimes.

“More importantly, we can stop arresting adults simply for using a substance less harmful than alcohol and focus our law enforcement resources on violent crimes and real threats to public safety,” Senator Johnson affirmed. Not only does Johnson believe that it’s immoral to punish people that choose to use “a substance less harmful than alcohol,” but she also feels there has to be an intelligent alternative to overpopulating the privatized industrial prison complexes with individuals arrested for nonviolent drug crimes such as marijuana possession.

“As taxpayers, we’re spending over $30 million each year policing, jailing and incarcerating our citizens on marijuana-related offenses. Yet marijuana is almost universally available. It’s time for a smarter approach,” Senator Johnson avowed.

Editor's note: This article originally published on the 420 Times on Monday, February 3, 2014.