About two weeks ago, Alaska, Oregon and Washington D.C. joined Colorado and Washington State as the only states and provinces in the United States where it is completely legal to recreationally enjoy marijuana. Over the past few years, the debate on the legality of the cannabis plant and its uses has gotten much more attention as these states begin to change their laws, and the issue is brought to the federal level. Both sides of the matter have substantial reasoning for their stance, as well as holes in their arguments that need filling. Even though any two people do not have the exact same stance on the matter, I will look at the two polar sides of the debate and a middle-ground compromise that many are also calling for. An increasing majority of Americans believe that marijuana should be completely legal for …show more content…
For example, one thing that the local and federal governments could do once it is legalized is to regulate the sale and quality of the product. One never truly knows what they are getting when they go to a dealer; the marijuana could be poorly grown and not worth as much, or could even be laced with any other substances ranging from crack-cocaine to spray able glass used to increases the weight of the product. The consumers in legal states know the purity, cost, quantity and quality of every purchase before they even decide to buy some because it is closely monitored. In addition to being able to control these aspects, the government will be able to tax the purchase of every gram sold. The Colorado state government collected about $8 Million dollars in tax revenue in August of 2014, a number that has increased from only $3 Million dollars in January (Washington Post). This number is expected to continue to steeply increase as more retailers open and tourism continues to
The legalization of marijuana has been a hot topic in the media for many years now. There is a major divide in those who believe it should be legal, those who do not, and those who think it could be legal with modifications on the usage. The number of those who support the legalization of marijuana is on the rise with nearly 50% supporting recreational marijuana legalization, and 81% supporting marijuana legalization for medical treatment as of 2015 ("Public Support for Marijuana Legalization, 2015”). Marijuana should be legalized on a federal level because it is safer than alcohol, it will increase the economy, and there is an unfair criminalization of marijuana.
Growing up, I’ve always been taught that drugs are bad, and my parents have always told me that there is nothing good to them. I remember taking D.A.R.E in fifth grade, learning how marijuana was bad for you and that you should go to jail if you use it. My teachers and parents were my role models though, so I took in everything they told me as a fact, until now. Now I realize that drugs are a good thing. Drugs are a way of life, and they are used by millions of people everyday. There are drugs such as advil, which is used to help patients who suffer from many things, including headaches and fevers. But the drug i’m talking about is marijuana.
Marijuana has been used in religious ceremonies or for medical purposes for thousands of years. I have always been against the use of Marijuana up until four years ago when my husband at the age of twenty seven underwent invasive surgery on his knee and has never been the same since. Colorado took a huge step several years ago legalizing marijuana for medical use and in recent years took the plunge to legalize it for recreational use. Marijuana is not always a bad thing nor is it always a good thing. A lot of people will compare it to any other mind altering substance and have very valid points. I would rather have a loved one or myself smoke marijuana or ingest it, instead of popping pain pills or other harmful substances put on the market by the pharmaceutical industry; Recreational use can be safe and accepting if it is regulated correctly and used responsibly.
With the future legalization of marijuana, it would boost the economy. It is estimated that Washington’s legalization of marijuana could bring in $500 million dollars in tax revenue per year, Nationwide. The inmates that are incarcerated on marijuana related charges cost the U.S 1 Billion dollars annually according to a 2007 study. In the state of Colorado, it raked in 53 million in tax revenues. Colorado enacted a Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR), which provides that if state and local tax revenue grows at a rate that exceeds the combined growth of the inflation rate and the population, the excess must be refunded back to the
The subject of marijuana legalization has been an exceedingly popular discussion topic in recent years and, as time goes on, only seems to grow more popular. This discussion has resulted in many arguments that support marijuana’s legalization. One popular argument says that since alcohol is worse for you, and alcohol is legal, marijuana should be legalized. However, this argument that marijuana should be legalized because marijuana’s effects when consumed or smoked are better than those of alcohol is a purposeless argument. This argument fails to consider the many negative effects marijuana would have on the individual, environment, and, society.
Marijuana usage is a topic that has been discussed for some time now but the recent medical and recreational legalization of this drug has brought about a new area of unchartered territory. The business industry will have to revise many of their employment and safety requirements. After viewing some current policies many businesses are likely to be forced to established new protocols for intra and inner state practices. There are many types of complications as to why the marijuana usage laws should stay at the federal level and not within the state.
Many year in United States has been a congress war for legalization of cannabis. Many states had approved to legalize marihuana, some of them just medicine marihuana, others such as Colorado and Washington the cannabis is recreative. Here in Florida cannabis should be legal, medicine and recreative. People should not be restricted to the use of a plant that grows from earth. No one before has ever died of a marihuana overdose. Cannabis is much safer than already legalized drugs. The city is going to have a huge income by cannabis shop owners.
The debate over marijuana has been going on for decades, and it still continues. The issue is usually over whether or not marijuana should be legalized for recreational use, but the video shows that the real issue actually surrounds medical marijuana. The video states that the reason so many people voted to allow the legalization of marijuana is because they failed to read the fine print. I can say that I am one of those who failed to read the fine print, and didn’t realize that marijuana can be prescribed for almost any condition. When it was first legalized for medical use it was only legalized for people who were terminal and really sick, not for people that were depressed or had a minor pain in their leg. I find it ironic that the state
United States legality of cannabis have been tricky lately. Marijuana is illegal under federal law, but in some states are decriminalize and could be used for medical purpose. Cannabis is a plant which have been used for personal pleasure, however; it’s also been an old medicine in some cultures in old centuries. Late study’s shows that marijuana have proven to help people who have cancer, super hyper person, mentality issues and chronic pain. In 2012, cannabis been entirely legalized in Colorado and Washington. The two states point of view that marijuana isn’t more harmful than alcohol or cigarettes. It will increase the tax income and reduce the crimes. The people who are not in favor of cannabis claims that it would
The debate on whether marijuana should be legal is very controversial. Cannabis is illegal to possess, consume, purchase, grow, and transfer in most countries. Currently medical marijuana is legal in 23 states and has been legalized for recreational use in Colorado, Washington, Alaska, and now Oregon. Many people want to keep marijuana illegal, yet they have little information on all facts about marijuana and the purposes it can serve. While some people may enjoy a glass of wine after work to relax, others may want to smoke a little weed to find the relaxation they desire after work. Just as some people are social drinkers, we now know there are social smokers as well. Over the years the number of people supporting Marijuana legalization has
Marijuana legalization has been argumentative and complicated issue to our country for as long as one can remember. The prohibition of marijuana has been the subject of debate for decades, but now the discussions are moving from dorm rooms and dinner parties to state legislatures and federal hearing rooms. Over 98 million people over the age of twelve has smoked marijuana. Despite its many practical uses, medical, and of course recreational use. Our government insists on preserving the status of the growth, possession, and use of marijuana as a crime. In contempt of the evidence that the legalization of marijuana would have a positive influence on America in many different ways.
There has been a tremendous amount of debates on whether or not to legalize marijuana in the United States. Marijuana has been used and is continuously being used by individuals for medicinal purposes and recreational use. As of today there are only five states in which “legalized small amounts of marijuana, such as: Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Washington D.C., and Alaska” (“Marijuana Legalization and Regulation”). Citizens seem to have different views on passing a law that allows marijuana use. People argue their position with supporting or opposing reasons on this topic. I argue for and support making marijuana legal for three different reasons. The reasons are: medical benefits,
The legalization of marijuana has brought up many controversial point of views about this subject. Indeed, some believe it should be used for recreational purposes, while others believe that it should only be allowed for medicinal use, or not at all. Although it is true that people are allowed to do what they want, this shouldn’t apply to all cases in today’s society. Indeed, according to the NY Times, since the legalization of marijuana in Colorado, there has been an increase in problems with law enforcement, and emergency room doctors. The use of marijuana does not only have effects on oneself, but also on their surroundings. As a result, the use of marijuana should only be allowed for medical treatment cases, and should not be legalized.
One mala prohibita in the US that I think should be legalized is marijuana use. There is not enough evidence that proves that cannabis use is toxic to our neurons. In a study that used subjects from ages 13 to 38 who were chronic cannabis users to test their IQ after prolonged marijuana use. The results saw that the chronic users who started before 18 had an 8 point drop in their IQ at the age of 38.
To smoke or not to smoke? That's the question for voters across the United States, as debates on the legalization of marijuana light up the news. Marijuana is a drug made from the dried leaves and flowering tops of the Indian hemp plant called Cannabis sativa (“History”). Also known as weed, herb, pot, grass, bud, Mary Jane and a vast variety of other slang names, marijuana is the new image of the modern culture. Rappers and other artists base their music and appearance off of the drug and also movies like Neighbors or any film written by Seth Rogen, lean on the glorification of marijuana for their story lines and butts of their jokes. However, this “funny” drug contains over 400 known chemicals, including the same cancer-causing substances found in tobacco smoke (“History”). By legalizing weed we are helping shape the misconception that this mainstream drug is safe and has no ramifications, just like in the movies. The mistaken belief that marijuana is “harmless” is why this drug should not be legalized.