Persuasive Essay On Legalization Of Marijuana

Marijuana has already been legalized for recreational purposes in 3 states, it is only a matter of time until the rest follow suit. Colorado, Washington, Oregon and the District of Columbia have made it legal for individuals to possess amounts of marijuana for personal use and consume that marijuana on private property. These states have begun to realize the numerous benefits that legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes would have on our society and voters made the ultimate decision to change public policy. We have transcended the days where “reefer madness” ran amok and have arrived to a time where we can end an aspect of our war on drugs. The benefits for legalizing marijuana far outweigh the detriments and the time is right for widespread legal reform. Marijuana must be legalized for recreational purposes in the interest of public health and to eradicate the legal stigma attached to the plant that causes a burden on the legal system and the lives of countless individuals. As medicinal marijuana became more popular and marijuana was thrust into the forefront of the public

An individual is less likely to receive a job offer if they have been committed of any crime, so a charge for minor marijuana possession could lead to lifelong consequences. In their research, Erickson and Goodstadt (1979) called a number of job recruiters posing as people with and without a criminal record featuring minor drug possession. Their research suggests that “the status of criminal took precedence over that of drug user in determining the employer’s response” (p. 214). As opposed to being looked at as someone that occasionally uses marijuana, they were looked at as criminals and not offered jobs as results. We should not be punishing people for life because they recreationally use marijuana; a criminal record is something that follows you until you