As of June , 23 U. Two states, Washington and Colorado, had legalized recreational use as well. Hockenberry , and Janet R.
Cummings use individual survey data from seven states to examine the effect of legalizing medical marijuana. It was also associated with an increase in adult binge drinking, defined as the number of days on which an individual had five or more drinks on the same occasion in the last month. People 12 to 20 years old were 5 to 6 percent more likely to try marijuana for the first time when medical use was legalized.
Legalization was not associated with an increase in adolescent drinking, or with increased cocaine or heroin use in either group. The survey data include self-reported information on respondent drug use, the frequency of use, and questions designed to assess drug abuse or dependence with respect to criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition. They also controlled for state beer taxes, unemployment rates, average personal income, and median household income.
The survey data do not distinguish between legal medicinal and illegal recreational use. Governors in Illinois, New Jersey, and New York have successfully campaigned on promises of legalization and have lobbied their state legislatures to send them bills to sign that would end prohibition in their states.
Heading into the election, opposing prohibition had previously been seen as a losing political issue. But after becoming the nominee in Roosevelt adopted an anti-prohibition stance and the Democratic Party included ending alcohol prohibition in its party platform as a means of providing economic stimulus to an ailing economy.
But as the times have changed, Joe Biden has softened his position on this issue and now calls for national decriminalization and expungement of criminal records for those with cannabis possession convictions.
While this still puts him to the right of the mainstream within his party, it is a marked shift in the right direction for someone who was a fervent supporter of tough marijuana laws for most of his career. While President Trump has largely continued the Obama era policy of allowing states to implement their own cannabis policies, he remains publicly opposed to legalization and has yet to take note of the political advantage he could reap from being the first sitting president to embrace reform.
This opens up the possibility of Joe Biden earning votes from the growing number of Americans who support legalization, especially the young progressive voters that he has struggled most with at the polls. Doing so could not only help him capture the presidency that he has sought for over three decades, but could become an important pillar in an economic recovery agenda that provides much needed jobs for ailing Americans and tax revenue for ailing federal and state budgets.
The lessons from alcohol prohibition and the role of its repeal in helping the country dig out of the Great Depression are very much applicable to the position we find ourselves in today.
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Bottom Line. Key Takeaways There has been a growing popular movement in the United States to legalize marijuana for medicinal and recreational uses, with several states adopting such measures already. One motivation for legalization is the economic benefits that can come from the regulated commercial availability of marijuana.
Increased tax revenues, job growth, and investment opportunities all are powerful incentives to push for legalization. Article Sources. Investopedia requires writers to use primary sources to support their work. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts.
We also reference original research from other reputable publishers where appropriate.
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