What are 3 Pros of Cannabis Use
Denver, Colorado legalized weed and crime dropped. Is it really that bad of an herb?
Tax dollars are pouring in, crime is down in Denver, and few of the early concerns about social breakdown have materialized. In the first four months, marijuana sales amounted to more than $202 million, about a third of them recreational. Taxes from recreational sales were almost $11 million. Despite some critics’ fears of a “pot-related” crime explosion, Denver police say burglaries and robberies were down by between 4 and 5 percent in the first four months of the year.
Besides the falling crime rate, what are some other possible benefits of legalized recreational marijuana? Here are some of the arguments amongst the population.
Pro #1: Legalizing marijuana boosts the economy.
The marijuana industry in the United States could surpass $24 billion in revenue by 2025. For every dollar ($1.00) spent in the marijuana industry, just around $2.10 – $2.40 in economic activity is generated. A few of the industries that benefit from legal marijuana are Tourism, banking, food, real estate, construction, transportation, and many others. The legal marijuana industry generated around $7.2 billion in economic activity in 2016 and added millions of dollars in federal taxes paid by cannabis-based businesses. A study on adult-use marijuana in Nevada projected $7.5 billion in economic activity over the first seven years of legalization, including $1.7 billion in labor income. A study by the University of California Agricultural Issues Center estimated that the legal marijuana market in California could generate $5 billion annually. In Colorado, marijuana brings in three times more tax revenue than alcohol. The state raised $78 million in the first fiscal year after starting retail sales, and $129 million in the second fiscal year. Washington collected a total of $220 million in tax revenues in its second fiscal year of sales.
Pro #2: Legalizing marijuana results in decreased marijuana use in teens.
Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine have found that “the rates of marijuana use by young people are falling despite the fact more US states are legalizing or decriminalizing marijuana use and the number of adults using the drug has increased.” Marijuana use among 8th graders in Washington state decreased following its legalization in 2012, from 9.8 percent to 7.3 percent from 2014 to 2016, according to a report from RAND in December of 2018. A study from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that past-year marijuana use decreased by 17%, from 15.8% in 2002 to 13.1% in 2014, among US kids and teens ages 12 to 17. Colorado teens between 12 and 17 years old reported a nearly 12% drop in marijuana use just two years after adult-use was legalized, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
Pro #3: Traffic deaths and arrests for DUIs do not increase, and may decrease when marijuana is legalized.
Traffic deaths dropped 11% on average in the states that had legalized medical marijuana. Arrests for driving under the influence have decreased in Washington and Colorado. Benjamin Hansen, an economics professor at the University of Oregon at Eugene who studied traffic deaths post-medical marijuana legalization, stated that “Public safety doesn’t decrease with increased access to marijuana, rather it improves.” Studies show that drivers under the influence of marijuana tend to be more cautious and attentive, make decisions with better judgment and take fewer risks than drunk drivers, such as making fewer lane changes and reducing speed. A fact sheet about marijuana’s effects on drivers posted on the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration website stated that “Some drivers may be able to improve performance for brief periods by overcompensating for self-perceived impairment.”
Read more about the legalization of marijuana in Denver in this article from Huffington Post below and share your thoughts: