Understanding the Landscape of U.S States with Legal Marijuana
As of today, a growing number of U.S states have begun modifying their laws to allow for the use of marijuana. The decision to legalize this substance either for medical or recreational purposes stems from several considerations including its potential for revenue generation, its medicinal properties, and a shift in societal attitudes towards its use.
The list of states that have legalized marijuana keeps increasing with every passing year. To date, 15 states and Washington D.C. have legalized marijuana for recreational purposes and 36 states have legalized medical marijuana. The federal law, however, still classifies marijuana as a Schedule I Controlled Substance. Therefore, the dichotomy between state and federal laws creates a complex legal landscape.
States like California, Oregon, Massachusetts, and Colorado, have had legal access to marijuana for both medical and recreational use for several years. This has paved the way for various businesses and dispensaries to flourish, offering a wide range of products from cannabis plants including cannabis medicines.
Numerous states have legalized the medical use of marijuana based on comprehensive, publicly available scientific research. These studies make evident that cannabis can perform a crucial role in medicine by providing relief for symptoms of several serious ailments. These include multiple sclerosis, cancer, HIV, glaucoma, and Parkinson’s disease, making the availability of ‘cannabis medicines’ a heated topic of discussion.
On the adult-use front, the states which have legalized recreational use of marijuana have mostly framed it as a matter of personal liberty. They suggest that consuming marijuana is part of the right to decide for oneself whether to participate in potentially harmful activities. This argument has gained many supporters, who point out that adults have an inherent right to privacy regarding their lifestyle choices, provided they do not harm others.
Revenue generation is also a key benefit from the legalization of marijuana. Recreational marijuana comes with considerable tax revenue. Colorado, for instance, by 2020 had garnered over $1 billion in total state revenue from the legal marijuana industry, since its inception in 2014.
Additionally, legal marijuana states have contributed significantly to job creation. The burgeoning marijuana industry has created full-time jobs for growers, processors, distributors, and retailers. Also, there is increased demand for ancillary services such as security, law, financial services, marketing, and technology, contributing more to both state and local economies.
On the dark side, several issues have seen to arise from the legalization of marijuana. These include increased usage, higher risk of impaired driving, and complication due to the clash of state and federal law.
In conclusion, the marijuana legalization journey has been a roller coaster ride in many states. While the move brings along numerous advantages including economic growth and availability of medicinal cannabis, there are still issues that need careful attention. Prominent among these is the challenge of balancing the benefits against potential health risks associated with marijuana use. Going forward, it will be interesting to observe how many more states will join in legalizing marijuana and how federal law will evolve in response to this ever-changing landscape.