What effect would legalizing marijuana have on society?

The legalization of marijuana in some states remains a controversial issue, and there continues to be a lot of debate about whether or not marijuana is harmful to one's ... read more

Legalizing cannabis would affect society in a myriad of ways, some good, some bad. For the most part, though, it would have an extremely positive effect on communities, who would benefit enormously from having a healthier, wealthier population and a better funded government with more resources to focus on serious issues. read more

And the notion that prisons filled with minor drug offenders would be relieved of overcrowding—a selling point of legalizing marijuana—has been blown to smithereens. Denver’s homeless population has exploded since Amendment 64 went into effect. read more

Research has shown that marijuana’s negative effects on attention, memory, and learning can last for days or weeks after the acute effects of the drug wear off, depending on the person’s history with the drug. 53 Consequently, someone who smokes marijuana daily may be functioning at a reduced intellectual level most or all of the time. read more