The USA currently has 13 states in which the recreational use of marijuana is now perfectly legal, something which many people would never have believed could have happened. Of all the cities who are able to buy marijuana from a dispensary Los Angeles has often lead the way when it comes to the legalization of marijuana and today I want to take a look at some of the steps that lead to this change. It has been a long road for many campaigners and as more and more states and actions make this legal change, here are the reasons for the drastic change of approach by the law.
Social Attitudes
Society often contributes greatly to changing of laws and over the last 20 years we have become far more relaxed about the use of marijuana. Gone are the days where anyone who used the plant was considered as a ‘hippie’ or worse still a ‘danger to society’. As we have learned and experienced more as a society we have helped to shape the changing attitudes towards the use of marijuana for recreational purposes.
Facts
Over the years we have been told that marijuana users are just a step away from injecting heroin or that anyone who uses it will plummet into a world of paranoia and schizophrenia but science has now confirmed that much of what we thought we knew about marijuana is actually not true at all. This greater knowledge has thankfully put to bed a great many negative rumors about using marijuana and this is why the law has reacted in the way that it has.
Medical
Now that we have managed to remove a great deal of fiction that existed about marijuana we have been able to start exploring the many benefits that its use can have, especially from a medical standpoint. In fat we have seen evidence of the huge benefits which marijuana can have on people who have extreme pain from things like arthritis or those who are facing conditions such as cancer. We have also seen the wonderful benefits which marijuana use can have on glaucoma. Finally we are also seeing some brilliant studies carried out by universities and research facilities about the positive effects that marijuana can have on the brain, helping to reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s and dementia. Owing to these medicinal benefits it has helped to change the overall opinion of marijuana usage.
Taxes
Something we shouldn’t forget of course is that the government will be able to make money from the legalization of marijuana and they can use the additional taxes which they gain from it to invest in other areas such as charitable causes, medical research and a whole range of positive contributions towards society. This additional money not only comes from the taxes which are earned but also on the fact that the police system will no longer be bogged down in looking for people who are involved in the marijuana trade.
