It is the year 2016, and the times are changing. People are improving past mistakes, and the ways they think. Open-mindedness has never been so prevalent, as well as having the ability to accept once demonized subjects. One would expect with such progression that has been made, one would also have the personal freedom to choose if they want to smoke cannabis. The potential positives for legal marijuana would branch to people who do not happen to partake, as the taxes put on recreational marijuana have been used to build and improve public schools. Cannabis has not only shown to be financially beneficial, but medically as well. There are an estimated 2.6 million medical marijuana patients, with 92% of those patients claiming its positive medical
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Many states do not employ decriminalization, and possession of marijuana can mean some time in jail. Often times people who have been charged with marijuana possession in states without decriminalization, they are sentenced to a yearlong probationary period, where the individual is forced to pay a monthly fee on top of a fee paid to the court. It is common for someone to become caught in the perpetual loop of this system if they cannot find the extra funds. If you do not have the enough money, one is typically punished by being charged more money. Personal freedom is allotted when you help choose the next leader of the United States, decide to join the armed services, or even just how many cheeseburgers you find healthy for yourself. One has the potential to abuse any freedoms, but the important thing is they are allowed to choose not to abuse them. Alcohol can be deadly if not consumed responsibly, yet is legal, regulated, and even advertised. “high school seniors living in states with decriminalization of marijuana policies used alcohol less frequently and were less likely to engage in heavy drinking than adolescents in states with stricter marijuana policies” (Guttmannova, Katarina, et al. 2016). Not only does the legalization of cannabis help promote a much safer alternative to alcohol for youth, but the taxes gained from the sale of recreation marijuana can be used to build and improve education
Many states do not employ decriminalization, and possession of marijuana can mean some time in jail. Often times people who have been charged with marijuana possession in states without decriminalization, they are sentenced to a yearlong probationary period, where the individual is forced to pay a monthly fee on top of a fee paid to the court. It is common for someone to become caught in the perpetual loop of this system if they cannot find the extra funds. If you do not have the enough money, one is typically punished by being charged more money. Personal freedom is allotted when you help choose the next leader of the United States, decide to join the armed services, or even just how many cheeseburgers you find healthy for yourself. One has the potential to abuse any freedoms, but the important thing is they are allowed to choose not to abuse them. Alcohol can be deadly if not consumed responsibly, yet is legal, regulated, and even advertised. “high school seniors living in states with decriminalization of marijuana policies used alcohol less frequently and were less likely to engage in heavy drinking than adolescents in states with stricter marijuana policies” (Guttmannova, Katarina, et al. 2016). Not only does the legalization of cannabis help promote a much safer alternative to alcohol for youth, but the taxes gained from the sale of recreation marijuana can be used to build and improve education