What Are The Benefits Of Legalizing Marijuana

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Legalization of Marijuana The use of Marijuana used to be very taboo. Someone had to “know a guy”, but now someone could just get it from their neighbors. Voting to decriminalize it is still going on in most states. Between health effects, safer society and tax revenues, there are many reasons why Marijuana should be legal in every state. In four states, as well as Washington D.C. recreational Marijuana is legalized. Nineteen states, including Michigan, allow it for medicinal purposes, and fourteen others have decriminalized it. Individuals aged twenty-one or older are allowed to possess and consume the plant. The nineteen states that have allowed Marijuana for medicinal reasons, have many laws that often now go for fines instead of jail or prison sentences, but these laws do not get rid of penalties for large amounts or trafficking (2014). …show more content…
Government officials have put a lot of thought into the legalization because they can levy taxes and it can produce quite a revenue. The state of Colorado allowed recreational Marijuana and has already brought in more than thirty million dollars of taxable profit per month, and the Drug Policy Alliance predicts a raise of 1.4 billion dollars annually if they tax and regulate the sales of Cannabis. Federal legalization of the industry of Marijuana could be more than three times bigger than the National Football League and could all be taxed, therefor boosting the countries economy (2014). As far as Washington state, Marijuana is a social experiment. People who sell, produce, or distribute Marijuana are under strict controls. Most details for distribution are still being worked out through the Washington State Liquor Control Board