Marijuana legalization explained
When it comes to the legalization of marijuana in the United States, the landscape of marijuana in the United States is changing. According to a Gallup Poll, 51 percent of Americans think it should be legal. Compare that to 12 percent in 1969.
Recreational use of the drug is already legal in Colorado, Oregon, Washington state, Alaska and Washington, D.C. And 23 states allow medical marijuana.
At the federal level, however, it’s still illegal. But the states have been given some breathing room by the government. President Obama said in a YouTube interview, “The position of my administration has been that we still have federal laws that classify marijuana as an illegal substance, but we’re not going to spend a lot of resources trying to turn back decisions that have been made at the state level on this issue.”
Ahead of the 2016 elections, at least five more states are expected to push for full legalization.
Many supporters of legalization believe harsh drug laws haven’t limited access to marijuana, but instead have cost billions of dollars on arrests and imprisonment of nonviolent drug offenders.
Opponents worry that legalizing marijuana would make it even more accessible, which could lead to wider usage and potentially to more people abusing the drug.
So where a candidate stands when it comes to going green is a critical question on the campaign trail. And when it comes to the state of marijuana legalization in the United States, at least after watching this video, you can say, “Now I get it.”
