The 2012 election brought drastic new changes to the American people: a re-elected president, new laws and things we have never seen before. Two states, Colorado and Washington, voted for the use of recreational marijuana for people over the age of 21. Oregon also had it on its ballot, but voted against the proposed law.
There are also 17 other states that legalized marijuana for medical use. The Drug Policy Alliance says that according to a Gallup poll performed last year, 50 percent of Americans support the legalization of marijuana. We believe it would be a positive move for other states to follow suit.
Since marijuana is an illegal drug according to the federal government this could cause a potential clash between states rights and federal laws. The War on Drugs was initiated in 1971 by President Nixon. So the question stands: is this the end of the war on drugs or a whole new beginning?
Marijuana as a state regulated product has the potential to create millions of dollars of revenue. Within the next couple months, Colorado and Washington will tax marijuana 15 to 25 percent, three times in its entire journey: grower to producer, producer to retailer and retailer to customer. The two states are looking at an annual tax revenue of $60-$500 million a year.
If marijuana was federally legalized, The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) says the government would save $10 billion dollars a year in prevention and enforcement. So it is safe to say that not only would it cut spending, but also it may help boost the economy if legalized. States and the federal government could stop cutting back on important programs and initiatives such as education. Regulation could also create numerous jobs. Farms, processing plants and retail stores could all be built in response to legalization.
Enormous amounts of money are spent on law enforcement and on jails every year. NORML says in a normal year, approximately 750,000 people are arrested for possession throughout the country. People’s lives are being ruined because they are committing a crime that is not hurting the people around them. Not to mention the cost of sending a person to jail for a long period of time coming from the pockets of every taxpayer in America. This number exceeds the amount of violent crimes committed a year including rape, murder, robbery and aggravated assault. Law enforcement could then focus solely on teen prevention rather than such a broad spectrum of users and more serious crimes that harm others.
Although the excessive use of marijuana is harmful to teenagers, and we do not endorse its use, is it worse than alcohol and cigarettes? According to NORML, there is no record of deaths by marijuana and it is not possible to overdose. So why should this product be illegal when cigarettes and alcohol are legal? Each year 443,000 people die from smoking cigarettes, and alcohol accounts for an average of 80,000 deaths, but yet these products are stocked on shelves on almost every corner.
This law is economically sensible, would prevent mostly harmless people from going to jail and proves to be a safer drug than the already legal cigarettes and alcohol. Could the legalization of marijuana in two states mark a revolution of societal changes? Only time will tell to see how this newly planted seed will grow.
–STAFF EDITORIAL