10 Reasons Why Marijuanas Should Be Legal

A 2018 Gallup poll found record 66 percent support for marijuana legalization, up from 12 percent in 1969, the first year the pollster asked about marijuana. [249] The survey exceeded 50% support for the first time in 2011. According to Gallup, “the shift in public attitudes toward marijuana over the past half-century has reflected the liberalization of public attitudes toward gay rights and the same-sex marriage movement.” [67] While Democrats (72 percent) and independents (67 percent) were more likely to support legalization, a majority of Republicans (51 percent) now agree. [67] Both CBS News and AP polls found that 61 percent of Americans support the legalization of marijuana. [68] [170] Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine have found that “rates of marijuana use by youth are declining, even as more U.S. states legalize or decriminalize marijuana use and the number of adults using the drug has increased.” [38] Marijuana use among Grade 8 students in Washington State increased from 9.8 percent to 7.3 percent in 2014/2016 after legalization in 2012, according to a December 2018 RAND report. [254] A study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that marijuana use last year among U.S. children aged 12 to 17 percent increased from 15.8 percent in 2002 to 13.1 percent in 2014. declined. [37] [41] Teens aged 12 to 17 in Colorado reported a nearly 12% decrease in marijuana use, just two years after adult use was legalized, according to the National Survey of Drug Use and Health.

[39] [40] When considering the economic benefits of legal marijuana, it is important to think about the money that could be saved, as well as the revenue that could be generated by such a process. Currently, enforcing the federal marijuana law costs billions of dollars a year. A 2013 report from the American Civil Liberties Union found that the cost at the time was about $3.6 billion a year. Cases of exposure to poison-seeking marijuana in children aged 9 and under have more than quintupled in Colorado after legalization. [12] NAS found “an increased risk of unintentional cannabis overdose injuries in children” in legal marijuana states. [255] The University of Colorado Burn Center reported a “significant increase” in the number of marijuana-related burns after legalization. [161] Workplace incidents involving employees under the influence of marijuana increased from 6% to 20% in the year following legalization in Colorado. [134] [124] Employees who tested positive for marijuana used to have had 55% more workplace accidents, 85% more injuries and absences than those who tested negative, according to a study of postal workers.

[125] [126] Paul L. Bittner, a partner and vice chair of the ice miller law firm`s labor and employment group, said, “Not only are you losing productivity, but the biggest concern for employers is potential liability in the event of someone`s accident and injury or death.” [122] If marijuana were to become legal nationally, marijuana companies would be free to list their shares on all U.S. exchanges, which would improve liquidity and open up access to many more investors. If the growth rates of the cannabis space continue as they have in recent years, it is likely that investors will express a great interest in the industry. Alcohol and tobacco are legal, but they are known to cause cancer, heart failure, liver damage, and more. According to the CDC, six people die every day from alcohol poisoning and 88,000 people die each year due to excessive alcohol consumption in the United States. [45] [168] No deaths have been recorded as a result of a marijuana overdose. [46] [47] When it comes to assault under the influence, you never hear someone getting high because of marijuana and fighting. Still, I always hear about people getting drunk and fighting. In fact, the only thing that is dangerous about marijuana is the criminal world around it and making it legal would make it completely safe again. Instead of arresting people for marijuana, police could focus on serious crimes such as rape, assault, and murder.

[62] For example, the legalization of marijuana in Washington has significantly freed up law enforcement resources; The number of arrests for marijuana possession rose from 5,531 the year before legalization to 120 the following year. [64] Research suggests that people drink less and that alcohol sales decline in places where marijuana is legalized. [36] [35] [23] The level of crime and violence caused by alcohol use is ten times higher than marijuana use, and alcohol is a factor in about 40% of violent crime. [33] [32] Switching from alcohol to cannabis use will reduce alcohol-related crimes such as family violence and physical assault. According to FBI crime statistics, violent crime in Washington decreased in the years following legalization (295.6 violent offenses per 100,000 Washington residents in 2011, up from 284.4 violent offenses per 100,000 population in 2015). [31] Marijuana use has never been considered socially deviant behaviour, nor has alcohol use. In fact, maintaining legality was seen as an “enlightened vision.” It is now medically proven that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol. Unlike alcoholics, stoners do not engage in reckless conduct or violent fights.

They tend to be shellfish and pleasant under the influence of marijuana. The marijuana industry (adult and medical) in the United States could reach $24 billion in sales by 2025. [7] For every $1.00 spent in the marijuana industry, between $2.13 and $2.40 in economic activity is generated. [1] [2] Tourism, banking, groceries, real estate, construction and transportation are some of the industries that benefit from legal marijuana. [3] Marijuana cultivation leads to deforestation, soil erosion, habitat destruction and river diversion. [142] [140] Cannabis plants need almost twice as much water as growing grapes or tomatoes. [144] [145] Rosamond Naylor, Senior Fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, said, “Taking water directly from rivers and streams in the summer [to grow marijuana] not only reduces the water available for agriculture, but also threatens wildlife. Regardless of the legal status of marijuana, the way we currently manage the impact on water and wildlife in California simply doesn`t work.

[142] Marijuana is particularly dangerous for young people because the human brain is not fully developed until the age of about 25 (four years after the legal age in states that allow recreational marijuana). [79] [80] The American Academy of Pediatrics has stated that adverse effects of marijuana use in adolescents include “impaired short-term memory and decreased concentration, attention span, and problem-solving that clearly interfere with learning. Changes in motor control, coordination, judgment, reaction time and follow-up capacity were also documented; These can contribute to unintentional deaths and injuries. [156] Studies show that students who use cannabis perform worse in school.