aGameOfThrones
02-02-2015, 07:58 AM
For decades, marijuana was a drug few would have ever supported legalizing. Between the 1960s and the mid-2000s, support for marijuana's legalization ranged from the low teens to as high as 34%, according to Gallup. But the past decade has seen a major shift in momentum favoring the legalization of marijuana.
Since 1996, the number of states that have legalized medical marijuana shot from just one to 23, with Florida narrowly missing becoming the 24th state this past November.
Perhaps an even greater sign of change is the fact that four states -- Washington, Colorado, Oregon, and Alaska -- plus Washington, D.C., have legalized marijuana for recreational adult use. If the opinion of the American public wasn't clear enough in these figures, Gallup noted in 2013 that those in favor of legalization had shot up to 58%. It's the first time in history that more people were in favor of legalizing marijuana than were opposed to its approval.
Despite its clear momentum, marijuana also has a number of well-documented challenges it still has to face. This week, marijuana received its latest challenge not from a study but from a lawmaker very much in tune with the ups and downs associated with legalizing marijuana on a recreational basis.
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper. Source: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture via Flickr.
"This was a bad idea"
In an interview with CNBC's Squawk Box a week ago, this Friday, Colorado's Governor John Hickenlooper stated that legalizing marijuana "was a bad idea," and that "if I could've waved a wand the day after the election, I would've reversed the election." These words shouldn't be a huge shock as Hickenlooper has long been opposed to legalizing marijuana. However, with these words coming from the governor of one of the two states that was the first to legalize marijuana it also exposes marijuana's greatest weakness: the unknown.
As Hickenlooper stated on CNBC, "You don't want to be the first person to do something like this." It can be costly to try something new, especially when the federal government doesn't have the back of Colorado, or the aforementioned three states, either. The federal government has obliged by taking a hands-off approach to marijuana, letting individual states enforce their own marijuana laws. But, it's not a far-fetched idea to assume that there could be a breakdown in production controls that could force the federal government to take a more active approach in enforcing the law. And as a reminder, the federal government still considers marijuana to be a schedule 1, illicit drug.
A sea of unknowns
Aside from the legal aspects, there are the unknowns associated with the social, economic, and health aspects of marijuana use.
As we've examined previously, marijuana has presented a mixed bag of results when its effects have been studied over the long term. Some studies have demonstrated little adverse effects on users' lungs when used in moderation over the long run. Additionally, marijuana has demonstrated clinical benefits in treating aggressive forms of brain cancer and in controlling diabetics' blood sugar.
Source: Flickr user Michigan Municipal League.
But on the flipside, studies have shown that marijuana use has led to cognitive decline in users, especially if used heavily, can lead to a discernable increase in impaired driving, and increased the incidence of trying other illicit drugs over their lifetime for adolescent users.
Marijuana could also be a boon for state and local governments looking for ways to boost taxable revenue. But even here, there could be problems.
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/02/01/this-governor-just-exposed-marijuanas-greatest-wea.aspx
Since 1996, the number of states that have legalized medical marijuana shot from just one to 23, with Florida narrowly missing becoming the 24th state this past November.
Perhaps an even greater sign of change is the fact that four states -- Washington, Colorado, Oregon, and Alaska -- plus Washington, D.C., have legalized marijuana for recreational adult use. If the opinion of the American public wasn't clear enough in these figures, Gallup noted in 2013 that those in favor of legalization had shot up to 58%. It's the first time in history that more people were in favor of legalizing marijuana than were opposed to its approval.
Despite its clear momentum, marijuana also has a number of well-documented challenges it still has to face. This week, marijuana received its latest challenge not from a study but from a lawmaker very much in tune with the ups and downs associated with legalizing marijuana on a recreational basis.
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper. Source: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture via Flickr.
"This was a bad idea"
In an interview with CNBC's Squawk Box a week ago, this Friday, Colorado's Governor John Hickenlooper stated that legalizing marijuana "was a bad idea," and that "if I could've waved a wand the day after the election, I would've reversed the election." These words shouldn't be a huge shock as Hickenlooper has long been opposed to legalizing marijuana. However, with these words coming from the governor of one of the two states that was the first to legalize marijuana it also exposes marijuana's greatest weakness: the unknown.
As Hickenlooper stated on CNBC, "You don't want to be the first person to do something like this." It can be costly to try something new, especially when the federal government doesn't have the back of Colorado, or the aforementioned three states, either. The federal government has obliged by taking a hands-off approach to marijuana, letting individual states enforce their own marijuana laws. But, it's not a far-fetched idea to assume that there could be a breakdown in production controls that could force the federal government to take a more active approach in enforcing the law. And as a reminder, the federal government still considers marijuana to be a schedule 1, illicit drug.
A sea of unknowns
Aside from the legal aspects, there are the unknowns associated with the social, economic, and health aspects of marijuana use.
As we've examined previously, marijuana has presented a mixed bag of results when its effects have been studied over the long term. Some studies have demonstrated little adverse effects on users' lungs when used in moderation over the long run. Additionally, marijuana has demonstrated clinical benefits in treating aggressive forms of brain cancer and in controlling diabetics' blood sugar.
Source: Flickr user Michigan Municipal League.
But on the flipside, studies have shown that marijuana use has led to cognitive decline in users, especially if used heavily, can lead to a discernable increase in impaired driving, and increased the incidence of trying other illicit drugs over their lifetime for adolescent users.
Marijuana could also be a boon for state and local governments looking for ways to boost taxable revenue. But even here, there could be problems.
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/02/01/this-governor-just-exposed-marijuanas-greatest-wea.aspx