For argumentative purposes, the research question I developed is, “How has the legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado impacted the arrest/crime rate and the economy?” These states were specifically researched because Colorado and Washington were the two first states to legalize pot for the recreational and medicinal use.  It is important that this topic is discussed because of the level of controversy that stirs up as to why it should be possible for marijuana to be strongly illegal in one state and openly recreational in another just miles away. It is intriguing how available it is in states that have legalized it for anybody over the age of twenty-one. Leading up to the legalization of pot, numerous debates erupted over whether it should be legal or not. Growing up, most parents and every school enforced the idea that pot was a life ruining drug and that “it was a gateway into becoming a meth addict.” It is utterly insane that only ten years ago I was being told this daily and now people can go shop for their favorite strands of pot like it is groceries. Pot should be federally permitted because there have been no proven negative health effects directly correlated to it.  Through the legalization trials in Colorado and Washington, one can see the true benefits pot has on the economy and lowering the crime rates, which makes it imperitive that it be legalized nationwide now.

The practical use of marijuana has been dated and recorded all the way back to 1000 B.C. in South Asia, where it was used “widely for medicinal and spiritual purposes” (Warf). Though it was used frequently and ultimately as a pain reliever, the fear of it actually becoming popular for recreational use was extremely unsettling among politicians. They viewed it as an “act of race.” What was once “humanities oldest cultivated crop” (Springer) and was required to be sold pharmaceutically, was then starting to be seen as part of a cult. This fear grew as a number of Mexican immigrants came to America in 1910 to escape the Mexican Revolution, bringing pot with them, and introducing the use of “recreational smoking” to America. This point in time was when the herb became recognized nationwide for turning people into “monsters” (Hari).  As the number of Mexican immigrants carrying marijuana to the United States grew, so did the worry that people would turn crazy from participating in the act of smoking.

This fear struck particularly hard to the head of the Department of Prohibition, Henry Anslinger. He, out of greed, was determined to make himself a name and find an impractical use of marijuana to detrimentally make it illegal. At first, Anslinger was solely for the use of marijuana, until the conflict with prohibition ended, leaving his work plate empty. He decided to make use of his government position and was hell bent on finding a way to make marijuana seem bad. Anslinger even asked thirty scientists if it was in any way negative. Twenty nine of the credited scientists reported that their research concluded it was not in any way harmful, one however said yes (Benson). Anslinger took that one scientist’s opinion and ran with it, and was determined to convince the world that pot needed to be banned immediately. He was successful in his argument and by 1938, forty-six out of forty-eight states had banned marijuana both recreationally and medicinally, claiming it turned people evil.

Since then, marijuana has been ruled as a “Schedule One Drug”- in a category with heroin, ecstasy, and LSD. By definition, a Schedule One Drug is a “chemical that has no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse” (Drug Enforcement Association). This lead to an immense amount of controversy because it was once legal everywhere with no opposing arguments, and now it is in a category with addictive, life-threatening drugs. There was technically complete medical and beneficial use to marijuana with no proven addiction or abusive side seen to it. It was even proven by medical studies in the past to not be in any way addictive, and had a purposeful medicinal use in aiding the pain from cancer patients. In 2016, marijuana was given a second look to be removed from the Schedule One category, but was overlooked and denied for no particular reason.

In November of 2012, the Colorado Amendment 64 and the Washington Initiative 502 were both passed, legalizing the recreational use of marijuana in the state of Colorado and Washington. Since the passing of these state laws, the economy has substantially increased and, likewise, the crime rate has substantially decreased. The answers as to why we have seen an influx upwards in the economy and downwards in the criminal activity are explained in a number of different fashions. Recreational marijuana has impacted the states of Colorado and Washington in such a way that it has become a popular destination for tourists and it has encouraged several people to partake in the legal purchase and use of the plant. Most importantly, the two main ideas that need to be recognized are the process of legalization and the economic benefits it has.

The first thing that needs to be recognized in this process is the significance of the passing of these laws. This topic in particular is one of the most controversial topics in this country to this day. How could it be that something that was once, and still is, considered to be a drug as dangerous as heroin could now be available for anyone over the age of twenty-one to legally purchase? The process of the recreational legalization took years to finally pass, but why is it only restricted to certain age groups, or states? The argument of the legalization brought up numerous valid points from both sides of the argument. The opposing side, however, failed to come up with newer and more moral statements as to why it should remain illegal. For the most part, people argued that it should be legal because it can be used as a medicine to help treat the side effects of patients with cancer, epilepsy, insomnia, food disorders, and anxiety. Users of medicinal marijuana claim that it greatly helps to relieve their pain. One must recognize all the benefits that legalization truly holds. Instead of using highly proven addictive opioids such as Oxycontin, Percocet, and Vicodin, pot is being used. Legalizing it for medicinal use would ensure the patients and prescribing doctors that no long-term damage could be inflicted on the patients, and the patient could in no way become addicted to their treatment.

The sole legalization of the plant, even though it was only for medicinal use at first, was a huge step in the industry. The two key ingredients in marijuana, THC and CDB, also became distinctively recognized during this time. THC is the mind-altering, psychoactive ingredient, and CBD is the pain relieving part. States nationwide have legalized the vaporization of CBD, and it is available in tobacco shops to purchase. THC, however, remains illegal in most states because of its mind-altering effects. 

Many argue that pot has the potential to be harmful health-wise, as we were all taught in health class at school. It was strictly enforced to students that smoking marijuana is worse than smoking tobacco. This statement, however, is completely false. Tobacco is the “leading cause of preventable deaths in the US” (Armentano), whereas there are, up to date, no directly known marijuana-related deaths.  In a medical study conducted at the University of California Los Angeles, Professor Emeritus did not find a significantly positive correlation between the smoking of marijuana and cancer. Instead, what he found “was no association at all, and even a suggestion of some protective effect” (Emeritus). Marijuana has also been proven to be in no way addictive. To this day, people have been told that pot is more addictive than alcohol or tobacco and that is why one should stay as far away from it as possible. Although it has been proven to not be addictive, it has become a dependency for users with addictive mindsets. “Marijuana Use Disorder” is a term generalized towards chronic users who psychoactively are unwilling to stop (Internet Mental Health). This term was coined by the government in order to maintain the “Schedule One” drug facade that has been laid out for marijuana.

Another argument against legalization was that it would increase the desire for the youth to use the drug, and that it would be a “gateway” to other drugs. First and foremost, marijuana is only a gateway drug if it is being abused by the wrong person. Scientist have declared pot as a gateway, because over-time, one develops a tolerance to the drug- meaning that a prolonged use wares the effects of the drug, when a user continues to smoke the same amount. Basically, it will take that person more pot to feel the same effects. For some with addictive mindsets, this high becomes not enough for them, causing them to pursue an abusive type use with more harmful drugs. If it is being smoked moderately and responsibly, and not being overused, pot is in no way a gateway drug. It could depend on who is using it, but that is why there is a strict age limit on who can purchase this, so that youths with underdeveloped brains are not getting ahold of and abusing the plant.

Post legalization, both Washington and Colorado have seen a boost in their economy, especially in both the crime rate and collected tax revenue from the crop. This turned heads in the government chairs. It is truly amusing that something believed to be “so wrong” and “illegal”, actually did something good for the state. It was not just one thing either, but almost every part to the legalization was beneficial! There was little to no seen degrading factors that occurred due to the recreational or medicinal use of pot.

Because in states like Colorado and Washington there are no longer petty crime arrests for the possession of marijuana, they have seen a significant decrease in the crime rates. The state governments have also saved money on the incarcerations and trials of those who have gotten in trouble with the law pertaining pot. After the first two years of legalization, the state of Colorado has seen a 1% decrease in their overall crime rates (Schipani). Arguments that pot made people “monsters” were eliminated. Out of these, there was a substantial decrease in homicides, automobile break-ins, and burglaries. Even licensed Denver dispensaries saw a decrease in their burglary rate. Pot in Colorado is only legal to a certain extent, to where it is then by law illegal to possess or grow over a certain amount at once. This limit was issued by the state governments to ensure that there is no abuse and illegal distribution of the herb. From 2010 to 2014, the state experienced an eighty-percent decrease in marijuana related incarcerations- most of which were the act of publicly smoking marijuana in smoke-restricted areas (Schipani).

Likewise, the state of Washington has also had several outstanding benefits post legalization. One being the crime rate. Overall, the state saw an 81% marijuana conviction decrease only one year after it was ruled “okay” (Drug Policy Press Release). The state even recorded that, in 2011, there were 6,879 low-level pot arrests, and in 2013, that number dropped to 120 (Drug Policy). With this in mind, it can be concluded that the use of marijuana recreationally has no negative correlation to crime rates in states. 

One of the most important benefits streamed from the passage of this law and crime rates is the fact that low-level offenders are no longer having the “criminal” outlook bound to them and their name forever. When one thinks of a criminal, they often picture a brutal, heartless human being before even hearing what that person was incarcerated for. Thus, these “criminals” are quickly written off from any job opportunity or relationship they might have had the chance to gain. In some states, one can be arrested for as little as half of a gram, and it is not fair for that person to then gain the same image and reputation as someone arrested for murder. These offenses are in no way comparable, yet are punished nearly equal. Legalizing pot helps people maintain a stable image to their community and has assisted in the betterment of those whose futures may have suffered from this petty crime.

Another economic benefit for the states of Washington and Colorado is the tax revenue that has been generated from the plant. In the past five years, Washington has received over eighty-three million alone in sales tax revenue. This is not including the money that the states have made from licensing and growing rights and companies. A great part about the revenue that the state is receiving is what they do with the money. Yes, it is used for government programs and help paying off the debt, but the even better part that some of it is almost “charity” sent. The state governments use this money to help fund rehabilitation centers and substance abuse programs. They take the money that they use from the sales of this herb to prevent those from abusing actual and serious drugs. 

In Colorado, they have experienced a much larger reward in tax revenue post legalization. This state alone has generated over $2.4 billion since 2015 from the sales and production of this crop. Studies show that pot is “generating more wealth and activity than almost anything else on a pound-for-pound basis” (Pyke 2016). The marijuana industry has also created an estimated 18,000 jobs- significantly decreasing the unemployment rate. These two states have experienced nothing but extra benefits post legalization, pushing other states to do the same.

The federal legalization of marijuana is extremely crucial to the everyday world because of how much it can impact one person’s life. From pot, one can be relieved of their chemotherapy treatment pain, can become a legal millionaire, can have new job opportunities to support their family, or they can be incarcerated and therefore most likely unemployed for the rest of their life. Honestly, the decision is in the people. To be great, you have to take risks, and that is exactly what these state governments did. The states of Colorado and Washington took a risk on one of the most controversial country wide topics and they were rewarded immensely. Pot has the power to make or break someone, and as a country that is openly known for being the land of opportunities, it is our time to stand against those who deem this as a “drug”. Marijuana is a naturally growing herb that has been beneficially used for thousands of years, but was made illegal by a coward man who only wanted to make a name for himself. We have seen the Colorado and Washington experiments, we know that they were successful, and we need to do something to carry this success into other states. 