The topic of marijuana causes a lot of statements. Some people may say "It doesn't do anything bad to you!" or "Colorado legalized it, that means it's a good thing!". Many people think marijuana is harmless, so why would legalizing marijuana be a harmful thing?
Marijuana has many negative effects.
Marijuana may not have a big of an impact on a person such as alcohol, heroin, or cocaine, but the long-term effects are very severe.
Marijuana has several physical effects. One of those effects is breathing problems. Similar to tobacco, the smoke of marijuana irritates the lungs, and people who smoke regularly have breathing problems. Marijuana can also raise the heart rate for up to 3 hours after smoking. An increased heart rate can cause a
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Senator Cory Booker supported legalizing marijuana and said doing so would reduce “marijuana arrests happening so much in our country, targeting certain communities – poor communities, minority communities.” According to the Colorado Department of Public Safety, arrests of black and Latino youth for marijuana possession have increased 58 percent and 29 percent, after legalization. Colorado stated that the legalization of marijuana would increase tax revenue, decrease black market sale, and reduce marijuana-related arrest. The state did the exact opposite of their expectations. In 2016, Colorado's overall tax revenue was $13,327,123,798. Marijuana tax revenue was $156,701,018. Marijuana only counted 1.18 percent of the overall tax revenue, not making a tremendous revenue for Colorado as many intended. The black market sale of marijuana has increased, instead of a decrease. Colorado has also seen an increase in marijuana-related traffic deaths, poison control calls, and emergency room visits. Many expected a positive reaction from the legalization, but it turned to be a huge negative impact. The United States should look at Colorado as an example of why legalizing marijuana would be