New York Times editorial board calls for guardrails for marijuana after backing legalization

OG article by Jacob Wendler

February 10, 2026

The New York Times editorial board, which previously supported marijuana legalization, now argues the U.S. has "gone too far" in normalizing the drug and urges stronger regulatory guardrails without recriminalization. In its February 9, 2026, editorial, the board cites evolving evidence of harms, retracting earlier views that marijuana’s addiction risks pale compared to alcohol or tobacco. It notes roughly 18 million daily users per national surveys and widespread weekly use, alongside rising adverse health outcomes over the past 15 years as 40 states approved medical marijuana and 24 legalized recreational use for adults 21+. The board warns legalization has produced worse results than expected, particularly as more states like South Carolina, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania advance proposals. It advocates balancing freedom and public health by curbing use growth through measures like a federal marijuana tax, limits on high-THC products, and curbs on misleading advertising. Federal baselines are needed to avoid a "race to the bottom" in lax state rules, akin to alcohol and tobacco regulations. This shift occurs amid President Trump’s December 2025 executive order reclassifying marijuana from Schedule I to III—opposed by many Republicans—though federal illegality persists for most purposes.