The effects of legalizing recreational marijuana in all United States’ societies are still very unknown. Marijuana has not been legalized long enough to give us accurate information on the effects it will have on crime, gang violence, and profit. According to USA Today, test results show both increases and decreases of drug use in different states that have legalized recreational marijuana (Kennedy). A point brought up in the fishbowl which The Washington Post clarified was Portugal decriminalized all drugs and since then there has been a decrease in drug use (Hollerson). Even though seeing these effects can help us infer what could happen in the United States I do not think we can base legalizing recreational marijuana in the United States off of other countries. We have many different cultural values …show more content…
I believe this because the National Institute on Drug Abuse explains the two parts to marijuana, THC and CBD. The CBD has positive effects on those who are in serious pain due to medical conditions. It has the ability to reduce inflammation and control seizures. If this drug is safety distributed though medical experts there is little harm in its legalization. Another point brought up in the fishbowl was the positive effect medical marijuana has on people with mental illnesses. It has been shown to help with depression and anxiety (Abuse).
The decision of legalization should be made by national government. If the national government continues to not respect the state rulings then it is their duty to declare if it is legal or not. It is also important the restrictions are chosen by the national government. All states need consistency in the rules of the amount you can buy, who grows it, the amount of education consumers receive on it, and where it grows. The rest of the details should be decided by the state governments. For example, the state government should decide pricing and who is allowed to sell