I'm originally from Colorado and when the state passed the law for recreational use of marijuana in 2012, the first thing people would say to me from out of state is, "Oh, I bet you're a huge pot smoker." Just because a law passes to make marijuana legal, doesn't mean every person who lives in that state is a recreational user of the drug. As this law becomes more and more prevalent throughout the United States, the stigma surrounding the people who live in pro-marijuana states will slowly diminish. Come election day, Massachusetts will be one of 11 states that will consider passing a law allowing the recreational use of the drug.
Massachusetts is currently one of 25 states that permit the use of medicinal marijuana, but what is going to happen if Question 4 on the ballot this year passes and recreational marijuana becomes legal as well? Some opponents of Question 4 say that legalizing recreational marijuana will lead to more alcohol and drug abuse as well as a rise in crime throughout the state. On the other hand, proponents say that crime rates will be reduced and that there will be a rise in tax revenue. One thing can be said for certain, tax revenue will skyrocket.
The taxation on marijuana in Colorado brought in over $5 million in regulated sales for the state just in the first week of selling the drug. Taxes on marijuana are up to nearly 29 percent including the Denver city tax of 2.59 percent. If Question 4 passes in Massachusetts, the state will most likely follow suit. Even with the large amounts of revenue, tax revenue on marijuana products is not the only benefit of legalizing the drug. In 2012, 749,825 people were arrested in the United States on charges of a marijuana law violation. 88 percent of those arrests were with regards to possession only. The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world and spends over $15 billion each year on the war on drugs. According to the Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, a non-profit and educational organization, the United States has “the highest marijuana and cocaine use rates in the world.” One of the major factors of the war on drugs is the illegal sales of marijuana coming in from Mexico. The Law Enforcement Against Prohibition has on record that about 65 to 70 percent of Mexico’s profits come from selling marijuana into the United States illegally. Legalizing the drug across the United States would make these numbers drop significantly.
Research has been conducted to find statistics on how legalizing the recreational use of marijuana has impacted the state where the law was passed. Marijuana and alcohol use have remained steady while emergency room admissions for marijuana and/or alcohol related incidents have decreased. Crime rates remain steady as well as suspensions in schools.
So, all in all, there is no proof that crime rates will go up, kids will skip school or drug and alcohol use will rise simply because of the legality of the recreational use of marijuana.
According to Boston Magazine, voters seem to be in favor of Question 4, so it may look like recreational use will be legalized come November 8th.
