Thesis
There are certain pros and cons to the legalization of marijuana in Colorado State. However, no matter what positives and negatives exist, the initiation of legalizing marijuana has not brought the world to an end for the State.
History
Since the year 2000, Colorado permitted chronically ill cancer patients to use marijuana for medicinal purposes. It was relatively easier to obtain a license for using marijuana if one had cancer, epilepsy or the like. In 2009, it became even easier to obtain licenses for marijuana when the US Attorney General further relaxed the laws for the marijuana offenses. In 2012, the use of marijuana was even more liberated with the news that the retail sale of marijuana would be fully possible by 2014. Over 300 dispensaries moved into the sale of marijuana thereafter.
The aftermath of marijuana legalization caused the possession charged of cannabis to fall down from 30,000 to below 2500 in the year 2014. Also, the bulk of revenue brought by legal marijuana made Colorado one of the fastest growing economies in America, generating $40 million a year in marijuana taxes. 41% of arrests for drug possession have gone down as people can privately own it.
Body
Pros
Crime rates have gone down.
Since the legalization, violent crimes, street crimes and burglaries and property crimes have decreased
Taxes have risen
The increased sale of marijuana has caused an increase in taxed generating a lot of revenues.
A niche created for increased employment
The marijuana industry has created as much as 16000 vacancies for employment for people thus decreasing unemployment in the State.
Cons
Contaminant testing of cannabis still hasn't been carried out.
The users are at risk because the cannabis has not been tested for carrying mold, and other contamination and many have failed the testing thus questioning the safety of residents in the State.
Neighboring countries and lawsuits
States like Oklahoma and Nebraska have been suing Colorado for the cross-border arrests of people carrying marijuana.
Limited places to legally use marijuana
As the use is limited to a private place like home, people who are touring the city have a problem in consuming it which leads to arrests and disrupting in law and order.
Conclusion
Legalized marijuana in Colorado is a step that has helped to reduce crimes, bring up employment rates and improved taxation. On the downside, it has health and safety risks for contamination of cannabis, pressure on State because of lawsuits by neighbors on the arrest and the limitation of legal use of the drug in the city.
Hence, on the whole, if the drug is tested for its safety and contamination, it is virtually helping the people through their rough time and has significantly brought down crimes which is great in order to stabilize the State.
Recommendations and further study
The use of latest facts and figures from the State could help to give more accurate news on the matter. Medical reports and police reports could help to show the major impacts of marijuana on the people as well as the State.
References
Leafly. (2015). Colorado Recreational Cannabis Legalization. Retrieved from
https://www.leafly.com/news/headlines/one-year-later-the-positives-and-negatives-of-colorados-legal-rec
Anderson, D Mark, Hansen, Benjamin, Rees, Daniel I. (2013). Medical Marijuana laws, Traffic
fatalities, and alcohol consumption. Jstor. The University of Chicago Press. Retrieved
Sarah D. et al., (2012). Affects of State Medical Marijuana Laws on Adolescent Marijuana use.
American Journal of Public Health. Retrieved
