Minnesota considers legalizing recreational marijuana

March 3, 2017

Bill H.F.: 0927 was introduced to the House of Representatives Feb. 20 by Jon Applebaum (DFL). If passed, Minnesota will be the ninth state to permit recreational consumption to those 21 years or older.

Legalization creates no dubious behavior

The recent legislation to legalize the use of recreational marijuana in Minnesota will only benefit the state.

In the past two years, eight states legalized the use of recreational marijuana. 20 states, Minnesota included, legalized medical forms. It’s only logical to assume in the coming years more states will adjust their policies to adhere to the growing trend.

Also, marijuana will be available at dispensaries, ensuring the drug people ingest is regulated and safe, unlike marijuana purchased illegally from dealers, which could be potentially laced with other harmful substances.

Colorado made over a billion dollars after the legalization so a substantial amount of money can be made in the recreational marijuana industry, which could only help Minnesota state revenue.

According to the Colorado Department of Education, money made off taxes from both medical and recreational marijuana benefits the state directly, since a portion of the money goes toward aiding local schools. In fact, the state of Colorado mandated that the first $40 million would go to the construction of public schools.

Compared to highly addictive legal substances available like alcohol and cigarettes, marijuana addictivity is significantly lower.

According to the Center for Disease Control, alcohol accounts for approximately 88,000 deaths per year compared to nearly zero caused by marijuana.

If legalized, the use of recreational marijuana would be banned on all public property. Therefore those who would rather not be affiliated with the legalization will not be directly affected by the bill.

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Legalization promotes unnecessary problems

There are many economic benefits of legalizing marijuana, however the drug promotes health issues and accidents.

Although marijuana would only be legally sold to citizens ages 21 and older, mass distribution of the drug could make it more accessible to the underaged population. Although marijuana is not highly addictive compared to other drugs, many users become dependent on the substance.

According to National Institute of Drug Abuse, those who begin using marijuana before age 18 are 4 to 7 times more likely to acquire an emotional addiction than adults.

As recreational use of the drug becomes widespread, regular consumption can become an increasing addiction problem.

Another point to address is the safety hazards caused by the usage of the drug. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, studies show those who drive while under the influence of marijuana are twice as likely to be involved in a crash.

When recreational use is more prominent in Minnesota, DUIs and driving accidents could increase. The usage of marijuana diminishes reaction time, impairs judgment and worsens driving abilities.

Marijuana legalization is not widespread, which makes it difficult to conduct control testing. With this being said, there is a lot of unchartered territory and unearthed risks of taking the drug.

Marijuana has many health benefits related to pain but the legalization of recreational marijuana contains many ethical and raises health precautions. Before legalizing the drug, it is important to consider these implications.

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