Blog Post 1.2 "Marijuana Law Issues"
1. How much of the US population lives in a state or district with access to legal marijuana?
25% of the American population lives in a state where they have access to legal marijuana.
2. Where in the US were the first places to make marijuana fully legal?
3. In the states where marijuana is legal, what differences might there be state to state? And how are Vermont and DC different?
States where marijuana is legal, there are variations state to state with regard to how much marijuana someone can possess. In Vermont and DC, where marijuana is legal, residents cannot buy or sell marijuana, but they can grow it.
4. What is the difference between marijuana legalization and marijuana decriminalization?
Marijuana legalization implies that people can, mostly, use, sell, produce, and possess marijuana without any government interference. Marijuana decriminalization means that people caught possessing or selling a limited amount of marijuana will not face jail time, instead facing a small fine. However, if someone is possessing or selling a large level of marijuana, they can face jail time.
5. Why does the ACLU argue that marijuana prohibition is bad for the government?
ACLU argues marijuana prohibition is bad because it diverts police resources away from serious problems. Also, it reduces the government's credibility among American-Americans because African-Americans are caught and arrested for possessing marijuana more than other races, which makes the government seem racist.
6. Why do some argue that "Big Marijuana" corporations would be dangerous if marijuana were legalized?
Some people do not want to legalize marijuana because they are worried "Big Marijuana" corporations will market aggressively to people who have an addiction issue, as the tobacco and alcohol industries did.
7. How has public support for marijuana legalization changed since the year 2000?
In 2000, 31% of Americans supported legalizing marijuana. In 2018, 66% of people support legalizing marijuana.
8. How does the federal government classify marijuana? What does that mean?
The federal government classifies marijuana as a schedule 1 drug, meaning that is has no medical value and can be abused. The government says that cocaine and meth are safer than marijuana, for those two are schedule 2 drugs.
9. How have the Obama and Trump administrations treated the states that have decided to legalize marijuana?
Obama's DOJ adopted a lenient approach to marijuana, allowing states to do as they wish with the drug. Trump's DOJ, under Sessions, said it would enforce marijuana laws more aggressively; however, now, under Bill Barr, the DOJ is following Obama's approach to marijuana.
10. Why are many marijuana businesses in "legal states" operating only in cash and not using banks?
Banks do not want to accept money from marijuana businesses because marijuana businesses are breaking federal law, which could put banks at risk if they were to accept marijuana money.
25% of the American population lives in a state where they have access to legal marijuana.
2. Where in the US were the first places to make marijuana fully legal?
Colorado and Washington were the first states to make marijuana fully legal.
3. In the states where marijuana is legal, what differences might there be state to state? And how are Vermont and DC different?
States where marijuana is legal, there are variations state to state with regard to how much marijuana someone can possess. In Vermont and DC, where marijuana is legal, residents cannot buy or sell marijuana, but they can grow it.
4. What is the difference between marijuana legalization and marijuana decriminalization?
Marijuana legalization implies that people can, mostly, use, sell, produce, and possess marijuana without any government interference. Marijuana decriminalization means that people caught possessing or selling a limited amount of marijuana will not face jail time, instead facing a small fine. However, if someone is possessing or selling a large level of marijuana, they can face jail time.
5. Why does the ACLU argue that marijuana prohibition is bad for the government?
ACLU argues marijuana prohibition is bad because it diverts police resources away from serious problems. Also, it reduces the government's credibility among American-Americans because African-Americans are caught and arrested for possessing marijuana more than other races, which makes the government seem racist.
6. Why do some argue that "Big Marijuana" corporations would be dangerous if marijuana were legalized?
Some people do not want to legalize marijuana because they are worried "Big Marijuana" corporations will market aggressively to people who have an addiction issue, as the tobacco and alcohol industries did.
7. How has public support for marijuana legalization changed since the year 2000?
In 2000, 31% of Americans supported legalizing marijuana. In 2018, 66% of people support legalizing marijuana.
8. How does the federal government classify marijuana? What does that mean?
The federal government classifies marijuana as a schedule 1 drug, meaning that is has no medical value and can be abused. The government says that cocaine and meth are safer than marijuana, for those two are schedule 2 drugs.
9. How have the Obama and Trump administrations treated the states that have decided to legalize marijuana?
Obama's DOJ adopted a lenient approach to marijuana, allowing states to do as they wish with the drug. Trump's DOJ, under Sessions, said it would enforce marijuana laws more aggressively; however, now, under Bill Barr, the DOJ is following Obama's approach to marijuana.
10. Why are many marijuana businesses in "legal states" operating only in cash and not using banks?
Banks do not want to accept money from marijuana businesses because marijuana businesses are breaking federal law, which could put banks at risk if they were to accept marijuana money.
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