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Austin Mispagel
Mr. Swanson
Emerging Technologies

Legalization of Marijuana in the United States

There has been several discussion topics and research conducted on marijuana that brings
the idea of legalization more into a reality in the United States. Almost half of the states have
legalized marijuana for medical purposes but only a few have legalized it for recreational use. In
a poll, 58% of Americans now favor legalization which was a 10% jump from the previous year.
Marijuana legalization is becoming more supported in the U.S.
In the United States, 23 states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes while only
4 states have legalized marijuana for recreational use. Since legalization, the economy of these
states has improved rather than those that have not legalized marijuana. Money plus tax revenues
from marijuana sales could be used for purposes such as education, health care and other reasons
to benefit the state. For example, Colorado and Washington charge 25% tax on marijuana sales
and as a state, they are estimated to bring in nearly 70 million dollars in new taxes. Colorado
Governor John Hickenlooper, has compared Colorados economy to other states by saying
While the rest of the countrys economy is slowly picking back up, were thriving here in
Colorado.
Marijuana use is underestimated in relation to how it helps people rather than hurting
them. Marijuana is used for therapy reasons by helping to treat anxiety, depression, stress, sleep
difficulties, problems with concentration and physical pain. It is also used for medical purposes
such as helping cancer, seizures, eating disorders, glaucoma, nerve pain and a few others. New

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discoveries of marijuana and its possibilities to help treat diseases and other disorders are the
reasons why medical use of marijuana is becoming legal among the United States.
Alcohol and tobacco have led to several health problems such as cancer, cardiovascular
disease, and problems with pregnancy just to name a few. Alcohol has led to approximately
88,000 deaths and tobacco has led to more than 480,000 deaths. Marijuana effects in the body are
associated with white matter development which causes a person to have little forethought and to
act on a whim and is usually seen in teens rather than adults. Although, marijuana itself is
responsible for 0 deaths and is far less dangerous than alcohol and tobacco.
Marijuana legalization is becoming more supported in the United States because of how
it can help people and also because of how other states are showing improvements in their
economy. With marijuana being legal for medical use in 23 states and also being legal in 4 states
for recreational use, we will continue to see other states legalize marijuana for both medical and
recreational purposes in the years to come. As citizens of the United States, we need to become
more familiar with the reasons why marijuana is not legal in all states and as well as the reasons
it is legal in 23 states. The topic of legalizing marijuana is not going away in society and will
continue to be more of a discussion in the near future.

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Works Cited
Gruber, Staci. "Worth the Wait: Effects of Age of Onset of Marijuana Use on White Matter and
Impulsivity." EBSCOhost. Springer Science & Business Media B.V., Apr. 2014. Web. 30
Sept. 2015.
Bottorff, J. L. "Relief-oriented Use of Marijuana by Teens.." EBSCOhost. BioMed Central
Country of Publication, 23 Apr. 2009. Web. 30 Sept. 2015.
Shane, Scott. "Why Colorado and Washington Were Wise to Legalize Pot." Entrepreneur.
Entrepreneur Media, Inc., 20 Jan. 2014. Web. 30 Sept. 2015.
Roberts, Jeff. "7 Ways Marijuana Legalization Has Already Benefited Colorado In Only 8
Months." CollectiveEvolution RSS. Jeff Roberts, 13 Sept. 2014. Web. 30 Sept. 2015.
"Fact Sheets - Alcohol Use and Your Health." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 07 Nov. 2014. Web. 30 Sept. 2015.