Pros And Cons Of Marijuana Legalization

The question of whether or not marijuana should be legalized for recreational and medicinal use has been a three decade long conversation. There are many pros and cons to legalizing marijuana. There are many different ideas about the effects of marijuana, but as with any drug answers are going to vary depending on the person you survey. Age, health, and mental stability are all factors to consider how a drug can positively or negatively affect you, and marijuana is no different. To be legal or not to be legal is the million dollar question up for debate.

Recreational marijuana legalization in Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska have, technically, broken federal law. As long as the federal government does not do anything about the state’s blatant disregard for higher law they can do what they want. I think that because state and federal law contradict at the moment there should be clarification. States should only be able to pass a law such as this if it is also legal on a federal level, but if there are no repercussions for violating federal law where does it end? Recreational marijuana is a state issue, in my opinion. If it is to be legalized in America at a federal level then each state should be allowed to choose their side. At this point, federal government is showing its cracks. 4 of our states are currently not obeying the Constitution; federal law trumps state law. Our government needs to pull itself together and start paying attention to what the states are doing.

Before 1937, marijuana was freely bought, sold, grown, and smoked in the United States. Since that time, all of these activities have been illegal, but many groups and individuals have fought to decriminalize marijuana. The congressional decision to classify marijuana as a Schedule I drug in 1970 has made the legalization campaign more difficult, since it officially established marijuana as a dangerous, addictive drug with no medicinal benefits.

Christopher Ingraham looks into marijuana’s first year as a business industry in “Colorado’s Legal Weed Market”. In Colorado’s first year of legalization, their recreational dispensaries brought in an estimated $700 million in sales and $63 million in tax revenue (Ingraham). Katie Rucke reports that nearly 10,000 new job opportunities have arisen in “Six Months In, How Has Marijuana Legalization Treated Colorado?” The state’s unemployment rate has dropped down to 6%, one of the lowest rates in the nation, and the lowest it has been in the state since the recession (Rucke). Many jobs created by the

According to Council Bill 20-409 the targeted population of those affected by this bill “a person 18 years of age or older who possesses marijuana weighing less than one ounce shall not be guilty of a criminal offense. Such possession shall be a civil violation, subjecting the person to a civil fine of $100 and forfeiture of the marijuana” (Simple Possession of Small Quantities Of Marijuana Decriminalization Amendment Act, 2013). The bill also targets individual under the age of 18 years of age. “A person under the age of 18 who possesses marijuana weighing less than one ounce shall not be guilty of a criminal offense. Such possession shall subject the person to the same civil penalties in (3)(A) and the person under the age of 18 shall be

The governor of Colorado said that the people voted for legalization by a large margin, 55 to 45 votes, which demonstrate the popularity of legalization. When marijuana was illegal, citizens could have felt shunned by the action of illegal activities. By legalizing it, citizens come together publically and for a good cause to smoke marijuana. For example, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra hosts parties that invite the public to not only listen to classical music and engage in a fundraiser, but also enjoy marijuana socially. This brings different classes of people, and those that might not normally attend a classical performance, together to mingle over a common interest: marijuana. It becomes a shared public activity that becomes acceptable through the eyes of others. With the citizens of Colorado rallying around marijuana, it shows that it has benefitted Colorado socially. These gatherings model events for other states to follow when considering

Colorado, California, Oregon, Washington, Maine and even the nation’s capital has turned a new leaf and began this transition on marijuana being legal. For example, Marijuana has been legal in Colorado for more than a year. It’s a new industry, so it took some work to get it up and running. So far, Colorado has become the talk of the nation especially being the first state to officially legalize marijuana recreationally, not like other states where it was only legal medically. The rise of marijuana in Colorado has brought in more job opportunities and brought in 44 million dollars in taxes, which still comes 30 million dollar short from what the state expected. Either way, the amount of revenue coming in to the state shows the leverage of a brand new industry and the promise it has in the near future. One big issue still going on is that marijuana is cash business and under federal law, marijuana is still classified as a schedule 1 drug and banks are insured federally. Dispensaries across the U.S are still using personal safes inside their facility to store cash. President of Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, Kelly Brough said, “I think we worry about the banking issue. I think it’s a real issue. It’s a cash business which I think can put employees at risk, people around at risk, because that is a lot of cash to be moving around.” Now this could lead to some violence across the state but there

Starting with California in 1996, twenty one states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical cannabis. Medical Marijuana users are recommended by a doctor to treat symptoms of illness and other conditions. The two main cannabinoids that can be useful as medicine from the marijuana plant are THC and CBD. THC is used to increase one’s appetite and reduce nausea while CBD is useful in reducing pain and inflammation. CBD also helps control epileptic seizures that are appearing in someone's life. Americans should be against issues of legalized marijuana because clinical data suggests concerns of medically used cannabis, the environmental and electric grid drains could be huge, and studies have proven marijuana will lower users quality

“To use or not to use?”--that is the real question at hand. Medicinal marijuana can be used for healing processes but can also have some side effects. Marijuana recipients can abuse the product and make it, as the article says, a “wider distribution”. (“Pros and Cons: Should Marijuana Be Legalized for Medical Purposes?” 1) Medical Marijuana has many purposes such as physical, psychological, and industrial benefits, but the product does have downfalls as well.

“Legalizing and regulating marijuana could bring the nation's largest cash crop under the rule of law; this could create jobs and economic opportunities in the formal economy instead of the illegal market” (Marijuana Legalization and Regulation, 2014). For example in Colorado after legalizing marijuana, first year sales rained in at $63 million in tax revenues with an additional $13 million for licenses and fees. Marijuana is such a debatable topic and brings so much confusion amongst society. While debating if it should be legalized there are different models and methods used in the framework of the legislation in regards to this topic.

Imagine a drug that could cure diseases but the drug is illegal and people that need the drug are unable to get it without being arrested. What if a child could be seizure free but the drug to cure the seizures was illegal. What about a drug that could increase revenue for the economy and decrease crime. This drug is marijuana and it has been illegal in the United States since 1930. Marijuana should be legalized in all fifty states for recreational and medicinal purposes. Legalizing marijuana will increase revenue, decrease drug related crimes, and assist chronically ill patients.

Marijuana is one of the most misunderstood forms of medication. Since there is so much controversy about whether it is harmful or beneficial, there is naturally a fear of unknown side effects(Strickland, CNN). Although supporters of medicinal and recreational marijuana significantly outnumber its opposers, it’s prohibition is just now beginning to waver. Many doctors and officials are still fighting to keep the ban. Little did most of America know, cannabis could be found in most medicine cabinets in the early 1900’s before it became illegal(Reiman & Burnett, Drug Policy Alliance). It has been clinically proven that marijuana is less habit-forming than other opiate drugs, and there is absolutely no risk of fatal overdose(Gupta, CNN). Research proves that the plant is able to treat and cure numerous types of illnesses.

This paper informs the reader on the effects of medical marijuana laws on the use of recreational marijuana and the impact it has on the general population. The paper evaluates how medical marijuana laws are not positively correlated with the abuse of marijuana. Medical marijuana dispensaries are leading to a greater use of recreational marijuana. The authors found that there is a greater use of marijuana for medical and recreational reasons in states where there are medical marijuana laws rather than states without medical marijuana. This paper includes trustworthy inquiries that can further research for the legalization of marijuana. This paper appears to be a credible source because the material was published in recent years also, all research

Cannabis is becoming increasingly widespread and increasingly common in modern-day society for both recreational use and for medication. The article by Craig Reinarman, ‘Criminalisation, legalisation and the mixed blessing of medicalisation in the USA’ generates many controversial issues of cannabis.

Should Marijuana be Legalized? Over half of Americans answer ‘’Yes.’’ Marijuana is greatly frowned upon, not just in America, but all across the globe. But these laws against Marijuana are up for debate in several countries. Especially in the United States. There are sixteen states in this country that allow medical usage of Marijuana.