Morality Framing in U.S. Drug Control Policy: An Example From Marijuana Decriminalization

The politics of so‐called “morality policies” including same‐sex marriage, abortion, gambling, and drug control have captured the attention of the public and social scientists in recent years. Drawing on data from journalistic accounts, legislative transcripts, elite interviews, and document analysi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:World medical and health policy 2014-12, Vol.6 (4), p.347-374
Main Author: Ferraiolo, Kathleen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abortion
Decriminalization
drug control policy
Drugs
Elite
Family
Gambling
Gay marriage
Marijuana
marijuana decriminalization
morality policy
Public policy
Risk
Social scientists
United States
Youth
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Summary:The politics of so‐called “morality policies” including same‐sex marriage, abortion, gambling, and drug control have captured the attention of the public and social scientists in recent years. Drawing on data from journalistic accounts, legislative transcripts, elite interviews, and document analysis, this study examines the extensiveness of morality talk in debates over marijuana decriminalization in the United States. The results indicate that critics deployed moral (decriminalization sends the wrong message to youth, decreases risk perception, and promotes “normalization”), mixed (decriminalization has negative effects for families, communities, and society), and non‐moral (decriminalization negatively impacts individuals vis‐à‐vis physical, mental, and social health) arguments. The results both improve our understanding of the factors that will shape United States marijuana policy in the future and offer theoretical implications for our understanding of morality policy as a substantive category of public policy.
ISSN:1948-4682
2153-2028
1948-4682
DOI:10.1002/wmh3.114