Legalization of Marijuana: Good or Bad?

     Marijuana legalization has been a major topic in the headlines over the past year and there are millions who are advocating for the drug to be legalized so that it can be used recreationally, like cigarettes are now. But is this just idea healthy for this nation? Or could it lead to an even bigger problem than it always has been?

            

       Colorado and Washington have been the only two states to fully legalize recreational marijuana for anybody to use no matter what the case. Is this a good idea though? In my eyes I do not believe that this is such a good thing for the general public. Drinking and driving is already a huge problem in this nation that takes thousands of people’s lives a year. So you would think that smoking weed and then going out to drive would lead to the same problem. Also, a drug is a drug which means that it changes how the body works. It makes a person, “high”, which does not help how their body works and can even put themselves in dangerous situations that could get them or someone else hurt. My last point is, what good does marijuana do to a person? Yeah you might feel amazing for a little bit but after it is gone you want to go back. This could all lead to an addiction which could lead to even more harm.

                

      Now even though there are a lot of cons to the legalization of marijuana, there might actually be some pros hidden in some places. One pro would be that it might actually help boost the economy in the places where it is legalized. According to the Huffington Post, the state of Washington will get $1.9 billion in revenue over the next five years because of marijuana costs. This could lead to a huge boost in the economy and help fund other projects that might be needed throughout the state. Another positive that comes from marijuana selling is that it will cut off millions of dollars from illegal drug trafficking companies that would distribute this drug when it was illegal. This money would not go towards illegal projects or groups but all the money would go to the state and might even help the entire city as a whole.

               

        Colorado and Washington are just the experimental states that will help determine if the legalization of weed throughout more states will actually help more than hurt in the long run. It also makes sense why Colorado chose to legalize the drug, I mean they do not call Denver the “Mile High City” for nothing, right?