Oregon, Alaska, Washington, D.C. legalize marijuana By Dan Merica
This Tuesday Oregon, Alaska and Washington D.C. voted to legalize recreational marijuana by a sweeping majority. Oregon and Alaska's law is similar to Colorado which allows the personal possession, manufacture, and sale of marijuana for people 21 years or older.It will also institute a tax and regulatory system. Washington D.C. did not commit to as large of a law as the other two states. They only allows for someone 21 years old to possess two ounces of marijuana as well as six cannabis plants in their home, but they cannot sell their product. Many pro-legalization activists say that these three wins show that many other states could put legalization initiatives on their ballots in 2016. They are also hopeful for federal recognition because it has been legalized in their "backyard". The only state to vote no on the legalization of marijuana was Florida.
The legalization of marijuana in two states and the nation's capitol is a great victory for pro-legalization activists, This could lead to more states legalizing the drug in 2016, and perhaps even federal recognition due to the fact that Congress will soon be surrounded by marijuana. The recent legalization have continued to change the perception of marijuana and could impact voters in the next election. I think it is interesting that Washington D.C. legalized marijuana because many would not expect the government's hometown to be filled with drug supporters. Also, I think that this could lead many people to change their view on the drug and see it as a more acceptable. Finally, I was surprised that these laws passed because in recent years teenagers and the younger generation were less likely to vote in midterm elections, so I did think that these initiatives could gain the same support with the older generation.
It does make you wonder how long it will be until we (our class) has to vote on the legalization of marijuana. To be honest, although I don't support drug use, I do wonder if legalizing it in America will affect the drug cartels in Mexico. It seems like it might hurt their business.
ReplyDeleteGosh, I honestly didn't know how to react to that title. It's a very controversial subject, so when the time comes for us to vote on the legalization like Alexa said, it's definitely going to take some serious evaluation. I agree with Alexa too -- it's going to be interesting to see the effects of this legalization if it becomes nationwide. Funny to think that it could hurt the cartel's business -- never really crossed my mind, but it's a good point.
ReplyDeleteI think it's kind of a shame that our country's capital is one of the few areas that allows the use of this drug. It really shows how America is changing, and it surprises me that these laws pass because it seems like most people would be against it. I wonder if there will soon be a federal law allowing or disallowing the use of marijuana.
ReplyDeleteWell if we were hoping that something would be getting done in D.C, it's not going to now. I understand that D.C. is a separate territory that allows it citizens to vote on things like any other state in the country. I would hope that they would try to lead by an example of keeping something that has been illegal for a while out the place where it was original considered illegal.
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