Discuss the pros & cons of legalizing medicinal marijuana for recreational use.

Discuss the pros & cons of legalizing medicinal marijuana for recreational use. Explain if it should be or should not be. Include and refer to a recent article on marijuana. Explain your conclusion and why?

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Legalized marijuana for recreational use is now a reality in states like Washington and Colorado. Voters in those states passed ballot initiatives to legalize the drug for recreational use. It’s a move that has raised plenty of questions: How would decriminalization affect local government and law enforcement? Will it increase the rate of addiction to marijuana and other drugs? How does the legalization of recreational weed affect the addiction treatment community

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Revenue boost:
As state and local governments struggle with rising costs and decreased revenue, many are looking for creative ways to increase income to pay for everything from road repairs to new parks. Some believe that marijuana legalization could be a windfall in the form of new taxes applied to its distribution and sale. In Colorado, for example, analysts suggest that taxing the drug could raise between $5 and $22 million annually [1].
More effective law enforcement and criminal justice:
Many advocates for legalization note that by decriminalizing the substance, police officers will have more time and money to pursue criminals for other crimes, including those involving violence. They also argue it would create wiggle room in the criminal justice system, allowing prosecutors and judges to focus on violent crimes while freeing space in crowded prisons. One study estimates that nationwide marijuana legalization would save governments $8.7 billion each year [2].

Less money supporting organized crime:
Legalizing recreational weed cuts off an important revenue stream for many in the illegal drug trade. Advocates of legalization contend that by making the substance less profitable for criminals, it will decrease the violence associated with the trade. The result could save lives while taking pressure off of law enforcement.
Safety controls: When a person buys marijuana off the street, there’s no way to know exactly what dangerous substances are cut into the drug. While current legalization efforts don’t directly address safety issues, they do create a framework for a safety control system, which would work to eliminate some of the risk that comes from smoking a substance potentially laced with toxic ingredients.