Few people are still unaware that two of the United States voted to legalize marijuana in the recent election. Both Colorado and Washington are the first two political jurisdictions to complete legalize the drug. While medical marijuana programs go half way, these new laws for these two states actually regulate and tax marijuana. This has led to national and even international changes concerning marijuana and will surely lead to more of these changes in the future.
Other States Ease Up
Not surprisingly, many other US states have changed their attitude toward the drug in the past week. Just recently, the Seattle police department officially stated that a small amount of pot was not grounds enough for a search on its own. This town was rather famous for incriminating those in possession of marijuana and it seems they are having a change of heart. It appears that the results of the election in Colorado and Washington have had an effect on more than just these states. Hopefully, this will inspire a ripple effect in the rest of the country and perhaps even the whole world! Marijuana legalization used to seem like a far off dream, but now this idea seems like it could come to pass in our lifetimes!
Affecting the Entire US
These recent votes in Colorado and Washington have indeed had an effect on the entire United States. The federal court in Washington has in fact dropped hundreds of marijuana related charges brought against victims of circumstance. While marijuana is not even officially legal there yet, the judge ruled that it would be unconstitutional to prosecute people for a law that is being changed in a week. As you can see, the effects of this legalization in two separate states has had an effect on the whole United States. Maybe this country does have the head on its shoulders to change after all. Most people have retained the thought that the US would never completely legalize this drug. But 1 / 25th of the state has done exactly that one after the other. This shows that the United States is really growing up when it comes to its views on marijuana.
Changes on a Global Scale
Even other countries have reacted to the recent legalization of marijuana in Colorado and Washington. This shows that even small changes can have an effect on those even that are not immediately around them. Several countries including Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Belize have called for drug reform on a large scale. What we once considered a drug can now be thought of as a recreational substance just like alcohol and tobacco are. The presidents of these countries are concerned because they feel their drug prohibition policies may distance citizens from their country. The fact that cannabis is legal in even one state, let alone two, is cause enough for global reform. These recent changes in Colorado and Washington have had an effect not just on the rest of the country, but the entire world.
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