Medical Marijuana Should be Legalized

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Marijuana has been in the news lately since two states, Colorado and Washington, have voted to legalize recreational marijuana. Currently they are the only two states to legalize recreational marijuana. Twenty states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana. Iowa, at this time, has decided not to legalize medical marijuana in spite of many Iowa citizens advocating for the legalization of the drug. Iowa is taking a cautious approach to medical marijuana. Medical marijuana has been proven to help with seizures, pain management, nausea and improve the quality of life of people with certain medical issues. Regulation of medical marijuana will keep the drug safe by overseeing the growing and sale of the drug and will produce much needed revenue to Iowa and other states.

President Obama stated in an interview in The New Yorker magazine (Renick) “As has been well documented, I smoked pot as a kid, and I view it as a bad habit and a vice”. The president feels marijuana is no more dangerous than alcohol or tobacco. Obama’s administration has given states permission to experiment with marijuana regulation. The inconsistent number of arrests and incarceration of minorities for marijuana use bother President Obama. Users should not be locked up for long stretches because they are poor and lack the resources to hire a decent lawyer.

(Chokshi)Colorado on January 1, 2014, legalized the sale of recreational marijuana. Washington state will begin selling recreational marijuana later this spring. California is ready to introduce a statewide referendum to legalize marijuana in 2014. California’s Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom feels pot (marijuana) should be legal in the Golden State.

The states are starting to...

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...d Sara Weisfeldt. "10 Things to Know about Nation's First Recreational Marijuana Shops in Colorado." CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 2014. Web. 15 Mar. 2014.

Renick, David. "Going the Distance." The New Yorker. The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2014. Web. 03 Mar. 2014.

Solomon, Christopher. "Legal Pot Could save US Billions." MSNMoney. MSN, 05 June 2012. Web. 03 Mar. 2014.

The Associated Press. "Colorado Adopts Regulations for Hemp Farming." - The Denver Post. N.p., 02 Jan. 2014. Web. 22 Mar. 2014.

Tislinger, Sarah. "Welcome!" Muscatine Journal. Muscatine Journal, 27 Feb. 2014. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.

Varied Sources. "Hemp - Could Save America." Hemp - Could Save America. N.p., 25 Feb. 2004. Web. 03 Mar. 2014

Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. "Most Iowans Approve of Medical Use of Marijuana." Muscatine Journal. Muscatine Journal, 22 Mar. 2014. Web. 22 Mar. 2014.

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