The Legalization of Marijuana has been a controversial topic for the past couple of years. In the early two-thousands, most people were against the idea. But more recent polls have shown the approval rate has increased dramatically. Some states such as California, Colorado, and Nevada have already legalized the drug along with eight other states. Much like Alcohol, weed will obviously bring disturbances but it’s all about how one manages the product.
There are a lot of pros to the legalization of weed in the states. For instance, the sales of marijuana can boost the state’s economy and create more jobs. According to the Hibbing Daily Tribune,” the Denver-based Marijuana Policy Group told investors at the CannConMN Symposium in Minneapolis that recreational marijuana could bring in $1.12 billion in sales over five years while creating 20,000 jobs and about $300 million in taxation.” Not only is this good for the state but it's also good for the people living there. Based on the economy of the legalized states, there are lower taxes for the resident's thanks to the cannabis dispensaries. The dispensaries also bring a big percentage of revenue that will go to the city. The city can then turn around and invest in upgrades for the city such as roads and schools to better the community. This could potentially increase the passing rate of schools in the state which would get more people off the street and into a good-paying jobs.
In recent years, the approval of marijuana in the States has significantly grown. According to Effingham Daily News, in recent polls,” National support has grown into a solid majority, ranging around 65%.” That’s two-thirds of the country that approves of legal weed. In 2010, over 50% of the country was against it and now that’s cut in half. The eight other states in America have found that the approval rate continues to grow and the benefits continue to add up. For safety reasons, nine of the eleven states have put certain laws on the consumption of weed. For instance, according to Investopedia, these nine states have started to regulate the amount of weed sold to the buyer at a time. They also regulate the amount one can have on their person in public at one time.
Within modern medicine, doctors have found new ways to distribute marijuana and ways to use it in a positive and successful. According to the Hibbing daily tribune, “there are large sizes of growth in the economy for medicinal marijuana.” The use of medical marijuana has shown promise in cancer patients, as well as, in conditions affecting the nervous system. This is giving these patients a better quality of life while allowing them to continue their medical treatments.
It’s no secret that weed is a huge moneymaker, but no one ever expected it to make as much as it has within the last 5 years. According to the Blood Associated Press, “Colorado alone has made over 6 billion dollars on weed sales alone since the legalization in 2014.” The legal changes to the production of weed have created a burgeoning industry of legal cannabis companies. Many companies have even taken on the task of redeveloping the cannabis plant to help medical research and find new cures and vaccines.
In past years, the majority of the nation has been against legal pot.” In 2012, 64% of the country was against it.” According to the Effingham daily news, “that number has completely turned around with 64% of the country being for the legal pot.” More and more people are seeing the benefits of legalization in their cities and want to reap the benefits.
Many cities aren’t as wealthy as they would like to be. They have horrendous roads, distraught school districts, and unsafe neighborhoods for children. With Legal weed, thousands of small and large cities alike could be benefiting from the profits. But where there is prosperity, there is always a crime. The legalization of weed could potentially lead to more high school dropouts and fewer workers coming out of college into the workforce. It all depends on how you manage it. Like most legal medications, the drug needs to be used responsibly. It’s the same situation that a lot of people have to fight with opioid abuse. If we don’t abuse the drug then it should be legal to produce, distribute and use for a better quality of living.
If weed is well managed in a city, the benefits for the growth are endless with the revenue you bring in. The profits alone could completely rebuild society in a matter of months. The legalization of marijuana is a great idea for the United States to accept.