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Troy Pierce

Should Marijuana be legalized?

             The legalization of marijuana in today’s society is becoming a very big controversy now that we have two states that have legalized it. Marijuana should be legalized because we have proof and facts that these states are thriving with the new boost to their economies. These states also have less people that are in prison or jail for petty marijuana cases. This means they have more money to spend on more productive activities than paying to keep all of these prisoners alive.

           Colorado has made 250 million dollars just from medical marijuana alone, recreational has made about 175 million dollars all in just their first year of legalization. Another startling fact is that only 9% of Colorado residents are regular pot users, the heaviest users are the ones that are consuming almost all of the supply of pot. Citizens expected the legalization to make it easier for kids to obtain pot, but in a recent study they did 20 spot checks of dispensaries, none of them would sell to underage kids. Even though it has only been a year, Colorado seems to be striving much better than before pot was legalized.

           Legalization of medical marijuana has great benefits as well. Medical marijuana can help people with epilepsy to reduce the amount of seizures they have all the way to eating disorders to give people their appetites back. Even the world famous Sanjay Gupta has reversed his opinion on medical marijuana, he now promotes it and thinks it can be used to benefit many of those who suffer from medical conditions. Marijuana has been proven to help with Glaucoma, it reduces the pressure in the eye to give relief. It is also used to help prevent and cure cancer due to the CBD or cannabidial that kills cancer cells. Marijuana is just as great at helping anxiety and depression due to the dopamine that is released to the brain.

           The state’s department of revenue in Colorado has reported that in the first 10 months of legalization they made 40 million dollars in tax revenue alone. The city of Denver had a decrease in crime rates in the first 11 months. Traffic fatalities are continuing to decrease as well according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. About 8 million dollars has been given to fund youth education and drug prevention efforts, Colorado is experiencing economic growth and the lowest rate of unemployment hey have had in years. This state is a prime example of why at the very least, medical marijuana should be legal in all states.

           With all the information and facts we have about marijuana now in today’s society, it has become apparent that we need to legalize it for at least medical purposes. This will save us tax money from petty marijuana related offenses to making much more tax revenue because marijuana is taxed in legalized states. This puts less money into the black market and more into government spending on actions that are more important. This also allows our police force to focus on much more serious drugs and offenses that will make a much bigger impact in the community. At the rate things are going all states will have medical use of marijuana legalized within the next 10 years at the maximum.

    "Charts: After a Year of Legal Weed, Colorado Hasn't Gone to Pot." Mother Jones. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 June 2015.