New York Times has found that in recent studies marijuana arrests outnumber those for violent crimes. People can be arrested for the littlest bag of marijuana for their recreational purposes. In fact, the marijuana arrests were about 13.6 percent more than the 505,681 arrests made for all violent crimes, including murder, rape, and serious assaults (Bustillo). If the recreational usage of marijuana were to be legalized, people with actual charges can be put into jails rather than people who are found with a taboo herb in their possession. The individuals that are content with recreational marijuana being illegal state that marijuana is a gateway drug leading to criminal behavior (Campoy). Despite there being no factual evidence of it actually being a gateway drug, the recreational legalization of it would create a domino decrease effect in crime rates such as theft and …show more content…
The source , Drug Free Work Place, lists the cons of recreational marijuana but reading through its text the “failures” mentioned by the group are seemed to be common sense and “no brainers”. For example the first issue they present is as quote: “ Marijuana use in Colorado is 42 percent higher than the national average” (Campoy). Considering the fact that Colorado is one of five states that totally allow the use of marijuana, both recreationally and medically, Colorado should have a distinct contrast of the use of marijuana. Another factor regarding to Colorado having more use of marijuana is that Colorado’s tax on marijuana is the second smallest percentage in comparison to the other five states. Colorado’s tax percent on marijuana is 15 percent, Washington’s is 37 percent, Oregon’s is 25 percent, Alaska’s policy is $50.00 to the ounce, and in District of Columbia there is no tax percent on the sale of marijuana. Another failure that the group mentions is that “ Tax revenue from marijuana sales in 2014 had a 42 percent shortfall” (Campoy). In a study of the success of Colorado