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VOA标准英语2012--Historic Marijuana Vote Pits States Against US Government

时间：2012-11-21 08:56:12

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Historic Marijuana Vote Pits States Against US Government

A historic moment for supporters of marijuana legalization in the U.S. The states of Colorado and Washington have legalized the possession and sale of marijuana for adult recreational use. The laws put both states on a collision course with federal drug laws.

“The citizens of Colorado and Washington have decided1 to take the matter into their own hands. And they have seen that prohibition2 does not work,” said Morgan Fox, communications director for the Marijuana Policy Project.

Critics of current bans on marijuana argue the laws don’t stop anyone from using the drug, and come at great cost to communities through court expenses and incarceration3. According to the FBI, 750,000 people are arrested for possession each year, at a cost of more than $40 billion. 

Jasmine Tyler, director of national affairs with the Drug Policy Alliance, compares the marijuana ban to laws that prohibited alcohol use in the U.S. in the 1920s.

“It is the same awe4 we saw with the toppling of alcohol prohibition, as well. The people knew that the prohibition itself caused more harm and was just ineffective,” said Tyler.

The day after the election, the Justice Department said it was reviewing the ballot5 initiatives but did not comment on how it will respond. But the statement did say the enforcement of federal drug laws remains6 unchanged. 

Experts say enforcing the federal laws could be politically awkward for the Obama administration. More Colorado citizens voted for the initiative than for the president. And national polls show a majority of Americans support legalizing marijuana.

“I think polling numbers are as high as they have ever been. And they have risen steadily7 over the last 10 years. And when you think about the polling numbers for medical marijuana and marijuana, you can’t avoid them anymore,” said Tyler.

Former drug control officials have commented that the victory will be short-lived. They predict the Obama administration will either stop the initiatives up front or challenge the laws in court. 


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1 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的
参考例句：
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
2 prohibition 7Rqxw     
n.禁止；禁令，禁律
参考例句：
  • The prohibition against drunken driving will save many lives.禁止酒后开车将会减少许多死亡事故。
  • They voted in favour of the prohibition of smoking in public areas.他们投票赞成禁止在公共场所吸烟。
3 incarceration 2124a73d7762f1d5ab9ecba1514624b1     
n.监禁，禁闭；钳闭
参考例句：
  • He hadn't changed much in his nearly three years of incarceration. 在将近三年的监狱生活中，他变化不大。 来自辞典例句
  • Please, please set it free before it bursts from its long incarceration! 请你，请你将这颗心释放出来吧！否则它会因长期的禁闭而爆裂。 来自辞典例句
4 awe WNqzC     
n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧
参考例句：
  • The sight filled us with awe.这景色使我们大为惊叹。
  • The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。
5 ballot jujzB     
n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票
参考例句：
  • The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
  • The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。
6 remains 1kMzTy     
n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹
参考例句：
  • He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
  • The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
7 steadily Qukw6     
adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地
参考例句：
  • The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
  • Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

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