As a teenager growing up in 2016, I've been raised with a very open-minded view of things frowned upon in past generations. With the election rapidly approaching, one important new question remains in certain states -- should the recreational use of marijuana be legalized? With Nevada being one of the potential growth states, it's crucial we understand what this new law would entail. I'd like to begin with stating this is based solely on my opinion and the limited research I have conducted.

Marijuana is the "gateway drug" linked to stereotypes such as hippies, stoners, and party people. But what many fail to accept is that anyone can smoke weed -- anyone can get high.

After the hippie movement of the iconic 1960s, earlier generations have resented legalization. In such a forward time of change and living in a generation of progress, I personally believe a natural drug that's as common as marijuana is today should not be illegal. With things like alcohol and tobacco being legal, why is marijuana not? While the logistics and the adjustments are more complex than they appear, one must understand how far we've come with things -- we don't even think twice about alcohol. Thinking back to prohibition in the 1920s, when alcohol was illegal; still there were black market deals where alcohol was passed around under the table much like marijuana is today. Although it's technically illegal, many still use it recreationally via independent dealers and inaccurate medical cards.

What most fail to acknowledge as well are the benefits marijuana has. In the documentary Rolling Papers, a mom shares about how her young son suffered badly from frequent seizures. He was hospitalized and put on medications that zombified him -- they took the life out of his personality until he was someone she didn't really recognize. It wasn't until she gave her son medical marijuana tablets daily that she saw genuinely positive results. He stopped having seizures and rather became a happy, healthy, normal kid. Not to mention the many economic benefits as well. Making marijuana legal will create many new jobs on farms and in dispensaries and bakeries around. Marijuana can also be taxed which will increase state funding and go to things like schools and roads.

Sure, there are negatives that come along with it, as in any drastic change. The important thing to remember is to educate and regulate. Like they do with tobacco and alcohol, set an age requirement for purchasing, and educate in the schools about the harmful effects -- people deserve to know the "what ifs" of whatever they put in their bodies. Colorado, a state in which recreational has been legal since 2014, has yet to see significant spikes in teenage use. Legalizing it has not done much in encouraging the youth to smoke; more so, it has made it safer for those who already did.

Currently, the polls read that more than half of Americans are in favor of legalization. And all I can say is a growing country, a growing economy, a growing population needs something new to grow.