Just a quick note: Living in Boulder County, CO I have seen first hand how effective the legal marijuana business can be. There are "less individuals" selling marijuana and more looking towards opening a legal business where the tax dollars goto items like education. As someone with a diagnosed chronic pain condition who does not use marijuana, I have talked to others in similar situations who have said its been nothing short of a miracle. I've also heard the other side to the argument from my neighbors, especially in Boulder, CO. Honestly I believe we need more data. More data on crime rates related to marijuana and more medical data to justify its legal sell.
The only thing I can add to your comment is that it's a similar situation with alcohol. It's sold legally, people start businesses to sell it, businesses pay tax towards government programs, and some people may abuse it. The only significant difference is the medicinal properties of marijuana that that have been proven over the years that have substantial beneficial effects. This leads me to believe that there is no reason to keep it illegal, and it should instead, be embraced. As for data, well there is a lot of data, marijuana has been used over decades, and whatever negative effects it has I'm sure those have already been documented.
Just a quick note: Living in Boulder County, CO I have seen first hand how effective the legal marijuana business can be. There are "less individuals" selling marijuana and more looking towards opening a legal business where the tax dollars goto items like education. As someone with a diagnosed chronic pain condition who does not use marijuana, I have talked to others in similar situations who have said its been nothing short of a miracle. I've also heard the other side to the argument from my neighbors, especially in Boulder, CO. Honestly I believe we need more data. More data on crime rates related to marijuana and more medical data to justify its legal sell.
The only thing I can add to your comment is that it's a similar situation with alcohol. It's sold legally, people start businesses to sell it, businesses pay tax towards government programs, and some people may abuse it. The only significant difference is the medicinal properties of marijuana that that have been proven over the years that have substantial beneficial effects. This leads me to believe that there is no reason to keep it illegal, and it should instead, be embraced. As for data, well there is a lot of data, marijuana has been used over decades, and whatever negative effects it has I'm sure those have already been documented.