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Morality Framing in U.S. Drug Control Policy: An Example From Marijuana Decriminalization
Author(s) -
Ferraiolo Kathleen
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
world medical and health policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.326
H-Index - 11
ISSN - 1948-4682
DOI - 10.1002/wmh3.114
Subject(s) - decriminalization , morality , framing (construction) , politics , elite , legislature , criminology , sociology , normalization (sociology) , public policy , social control , political science , law , social science , structural engineering , engineering
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.