Mitchell Clark
Drugs in AS
John Agley
23 April 2013 “Marijuana Legalization: Colorado and Washington State Grapple With Implementing New Laws” http://www.policymic.com/articles/22459/marijuana-legalization-colorado-and-washington-state-grapple-with-implementing-new-laws “President Obama’s Marijuana Problem” http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/04/president-obamas-marijuana-problem-2.php
Marijuana Legalization in America In November, Colorado and Washington created major ripples in the debate over the legality of the marijuana. Colorado’s Amendment 64 and Washington’s Initiative 502 legalized the possession and recreational use of up to one ounce of weed for those who are at least 21 years old. Under the national Controlled Substances Act, it is illegal to buy, sell, or even possess any amount of weed. By legalizing it’s recreational use, these states are directly violating the national policy. Many people believe that these actions will cause the federal government to crack down on Colorado and Washington. There has been talk of lawsuits being filed. However, their actual response remains to be uncertain. In the article “President Obama’s Marijuana Problem,” Obama himself said, “We’ve got bigger fish to fry. It would not make sense for us to see a top priority as going after recreational users in states that have determined it’s legal.” The government is put in a tough position, so a reaction to the new measures may take quite a while, if at all. I believe that the implementation of this legalization will create a domino effect with other states. I think that other states will eventually follow suit and create similar procedures regarding marijuana. I think that this will happen before the national government can do anything. The people who live in these states are already accustomed to this new law causing it’s reverse to be extremely difficult. Also, pro-pot activists are going to use this new leverage to try and implement other reform laws. Overall I feel that these laws will remain in place. I feel that the best way to deal with marijuana is to fully legalize it at the state level. Obviously such a drastic change will have large consequences. There would be a great number of people who support the change, as well as an equally great number of people opposing it. I feel that people would agree because the legalization would help the American economy in ways that reforms and bailouts could never do. The average amount of money spent on one prisoner in the US every year is $25,000. By legalizing pot throughout the country, the number of prisoners sent to jail would decrease significantly. In our country, marijuana is the most