Make Marijuana Legal, Michigan

[bobandtorey]

Michigan voters will have to decide next November whether they want to become the fifth state to legalize the drug. They ought to say yes.

But don’t resort to ideo­logical arguments for or against the recre­ational marijuana. Look at the facts. If you do, you’ll see passing such a measure would have a positive impact on your state and its economy.

The recre­ational use of marijuana has been lawful in the state of Wash­ington for nearly three years, and the retail sale of marijuana has been legal for just over a year. As a native of Wash­ington, I can tell you “The Evergreen State” is certainly seeing more green.

Since July of 2014, the sale of marijuana has generated over $80 million in tax revenues. Further, Wash­ington has saved millions of dollars because law enforcement officials no longer have to arrest and prosecute low-level marijuana offenses by anyone over the age of 21.

Recre­ational marijuana also has had no negative impact on crime in my state.

The violent crime rate in Wash­ington has actually declined in each year since the recre­ational use of marijuana was legalized, and is now at a 40-year low, according to FBI data. Between 2011 and 2014, Wash­ington has also seen decreases in the murder rate and burglaries while property crime rates have remained stable.

This corre­lation does not prove causation, but these facts seem to show that legalizing the recre­ational use of marijuana does not lead to a spike in crime.

According to the Wash­ington State Healthy Youth survey, no significant trends in marijuana use by youths in the state of Wash­ington have occurred since it was legalized.

Addi­tionally, more than 77 percent of Wash­ing­tonians believe that the marijuana law has had either a positive impact or no effect on their lives, according to Public Policy Polling. You can count me among those 77 percent.

While admitting that legalizing the recre­ational use of marijuana can have some benefits, an opponent to recre­ational marijuana might still bring up the negative impact cannabis or any drug can often have on a user’s life.

Yes, smoking marijuana is bad for a person’s health, but denying indi­vidual freedoms is bad for a society’s health.

The positive impact legal recre­ational marijuana has brought to Wash­ington is not an irreg­u­larity. Legal marijuana has brought similar economic and societal benefits to Colorado.

Michigan, you have an important decision to make next fall. The choice is this: deny personal freedom by keeping marijuana illegal and spend needless dollars on filling low-level marijuana offenses, or support indi­vidual liberty by legalizing marijuana and enjoy the financial benefits it will have on your economy.

Legalize recre­ational marijuana. Do it for fweedom.

 

http://www.hillsdalecollegian.com/2015/10/make-marijuana-legal-michigan/

[t-pain]

facts? facts? we dont need no stinking facts!

 

we have reefer madness and white women consorting with black jazz musicians!

[bobandtorey]

I'm meeting with my Rep Jim Townsend tomorrow in Royal Oak @ 10 am if anyone wants to come along