In the United States, marijuana is the most illicitly used drug among young adults. According to government surveys, around 25 million Americans have smoked marijuana in the past year. According to a 2009 national survey, over 104 million Americans over the age of 12 have tried marijuana at least once. America is now becoming one of the leading countries in cannabis use. Finally, with the U.S elections being held and Bernie Sanders being a favorite among the public, wants to legalize the use of marijuana. Legalizing marijuana would have a major affect on the nation due to the health risks it possesses, use will increase under legalization, and finally, it will usher in America’s new version of “Big Tobacco.” In the state of Hawaii, possession of less than even an ounce of marijuana can be charged with a $1,000 fine and up to 30 days in prison. However, in 2000, Hawaii became one the first state to legalize medical marijuana through the legislative process. This allowed patients to grow plants but did not allow them to have dispensaries. Users of medical marijuana must have certain conditions to be allowed the drug such as HIV or AIDS, cancer, chronic pain, Glaucoma, etc. However, Hawaii has certain penalties for illegal uses and possession of the drug. …show more content…
Only about 8% of Americans consume marijuana, that number will skyrocket to a percentage such as alcohol. RAND researchers analyzed California’s effort in 2010 to legalize marijuana, they concluded that the price of the drug would plummet, therefore increasing the consumption percentage. If this were to happen there would also be an increase in negative health effects and an uprise in the amount of deaths. This statement also ties into the fact that legalizing marijuana will usher in America’s new version of “Big