And it's not just Prop. 215. Jews comprise a remarkably large contingent in the growing movement to reform drug policies in America. In every movement I've been a part of, I have found a disproportionate number of Jewish people, including civil rights, anti-war, the women's movement, disarmament, the environment and now the movement to reform the drug war. The idea, Rosenbaum says, is to accept the fact that America is losing its 25-year war on drugs, as evidenced by the swelling prison population, a substantial portion of which comprises drug offenders. We've tried to get rid of drugs, but we can't seem to.
Drugs are here to stay.
Let's reduce the harm. In the case of legalizing marijuana for the purpose of easing the symptoms of diseases like AIDS and cancer, Rosenbaum says Jews are also concerned about the inherent civil liberties issues. That's a big Jewish hook. As a spiritual leader, Rabbi Martin Weiner cited compassion as a reason for his support of Prop. 215. In the piece, Weiner recounted the story of a congregant who underwent chemotherapy for breast cancer and suffered from terrible nausea.