The use of Medical Marijuana in Washington state has been legal since 1998. Now, fourteen years later, legislation is voting to legalize Marijuana to anyone above the age of 21. The law, which will up for vote in the fall, will make it legal to carry up to an ounce of pot if you are 21 year old or older. The state would distribute licenses to farmers, and stores. The drug would be sold over the counter like alcohol to those with a legitimate ID. The reasoning for this law isn't just to make money off of a popular drug, but to put eliminate to power that drug cartels have. Government regulation of the drug is thought to generate about 600 million dollars in the first year.
The law also states that any driver found with more than five nanograms of THC, the active chemical in Marijuana, per milliliter of blood would be guilty of driving under the influence. Since THC can stay in the system for up to a week, this is potentially problematic. Arguments against the specifically focus on this, saying that it would “will take away driving for all cannabis users.”
Personally, I don't smoke marijuana, mostly because it is illegal and expensive. I've never had a problem with the drug, more people have died drinking alcohol, or smoking cigarettes than smoking marijuana. I've always thought that government regulation would be the best bet for the country. If it were controlled and taxed, the amount of crime would significantly go down in America. It wouldn't completely eliminate drug cartels or smugglers, but it would definitely impact their industry. As for the DUIs that are sure to come from this law, I'm not really sure. I'm against driving anything but sober, even if it is within legal limit. I believe that if you've used anything that could inhibit driving skills, you shouldn't drive until you're sober again.
I think this issue of legalizing marijuana is such a touchy issue, largely due to the overabundance of discussion about legalizng it. From what I do know, marijuana is not harmful (health-wise) so I guess I can understand why people want it to be legalized. Therefore, Seattle's plan seems to be the most effective because it seems to be reaching a happy medium between having it be illegal or legal.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very difficult issue to deal with the negatives and positives evident. I believe it should be legal and I like the plan that Washington as laid out. The amount of revenue that the government would make on marijuana would be an extreme boost. It is a plant and I feel like people should have the right to use it as they please. The part I don't like is the driving under the influence aspect. THC stays in your system for a long time so I don't understand how the police would be able to determine if they smoked before they drove or if they smoked a couple of days ago. Also, how would they test this on a driver?
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