The initiative 502 is law that was drafted to legalize the use and possession of marijuana. The initiative separated marijuana from the rest of the cannabis plant. The law legalized the use of specific amounts of marijuana, tax people who deal with the drug and use the revenue collected in the fight against drug and substance abuse. The use and possession of marijuana is however, restricted to person above the age of 21 (Reed, par 1). This initiative came under sharp criticism but it was passed in to law when it was voted for by the citizens.
The advantages of this initiative are to be felt across other states in the United States. Across the country many states use a lot of money on its war against drugs specific cannabis. Over the years this cost has become more expensive as many people indulge I n the trade and abuse of marijuana. With the legalization of the drug this cost will reduced significantly. The cost used in the prosecution and fight against marijuana would be important if put in to use in other social issue like public education on the effects of drugs and substance abuse (Ellison, par 5).
With marijuana being an illegal drug in the United States, many criminal gangs and cartels were formed to establish illegal units of trade. This greatly increased the number of criminals across the United States as many youths engaged in the activities of these cartels (Ellison, par 2). With its legalization we could have a society of less drug cartels operating in the United States. People dealing with marijuana will be allowed to do their trade without endangering the lives of people by dangerous cartel operations.
It is an obvious assumption that legalization of marijuana will have a significant impact in the revenue of states across the United States (Ellison, par 4). In the wake of the implementation of the initiative 502, the body in charge of taxing and legalizing marijuana dealers received over 300 applications for business ventures. With proper taxation, the marijuana business could contribute a significant amount of revenue to state governments.
Works cited
Ellison, Jake. . Web. 21ST FEB, 2012. Web
Reed, Sam; Washington State Secretary of State. (2011). . Web. 27TH AUG, 2011. Web
