“Come for the marijuana, stay because you forget to leave.”  Jimmy Kimmel accurately depicted Colorado’s newest license plate slogan after the state turned over a new leaf when it became the first to legalize recreational marijuana for those aged 21 and over. According to the latest Gallup Poll, U.S. support for legalization has tripled since the 1970’s to over 58%, and CNN believes the dramatic increase of support is because there is “widespread agreement that [smoking pot] is not morally wrong.”  Moreover, there is widespread belief that since many Americans are going to smoke pot wether or not it’s legal, the financial beneficiaries should be the government and entrepreneurs instead of the criminals.

As reported by the Huffington Post, 37 new dispensaries in Colorado have already stimulated the economy by creating a new line of jobs while earning over $5 million in just the first week of sales.  The Huffington Post also states that if marijuana was legalized for recreational use throughout the entire United States, the government would save about $7.7 billion that would have otherwise been used to enforce prohibition, and could also gain an additional $6 billion per year if marijuana tax rates were similar to alcohol and tobacco.  That is $13.7 billion going back into the hands of the government.  Just think about how much green would be flowing…(not to mention the cash too)!

On the other hand, opponents of legalization cite medical risks, safety concerns related to driving while under the influence, and the societal gateway drug phenomenon. According to The Heritage Foundation, the Federal Drug Agency has reaffirmed that although there has never been a documented case of a death caused by a marijuana overdose, “smoking significantly impairs bodily and mental functions.”

In order to find interesting and divergent opinions on the subject, I interviewed members of the Pine Crest community.  Mr. Kashdan, Mrs. Sollitto, Bryan Steiner, and Kayla Mitchell provided compelling statements about their perspectives on this very timely issue.

“I think people have to remember that advocating legalization is not the same as condoning drug use. The main benefit of legalization would be to end the War on Drugs (or at least part of it), which has been an abysmal failure. Not to mention the violent drug trade that is an inevitable side effect, along with the militarized, intrusive police tactics that go along with it. Those of us who are lucky enough to live in good neighborhoods have not experienced the true cost of prohibition. I think increased use is a legitimate concern, but besides weighing the costs of continuing these policies, the international evidence on decriminalization and legalization have not led to the results that people have feared.”  –Mr. Kashdan

“I believe if the experiment with legalizing marijuana in Colorado is successful then you are going to see other states go in the same direction. If other states go in the same direction, I think the national government will treat marijuana the same way that they tax alcohol and tobacco.  This will eventually lead to the legalization of marijuana across the nation.  In all likelihood, the state and federal governments will want to control the production, sale and distribution of marijuana and address people’s behavior under its influence similar to how they treat the use of alcohol.” -Mrs. Sollitto

“Many existing substances that are legal are also harmful.  Take alcohol for example.  The purpose of legalizing marijuana is to recognize the reality that recreational drug use is a common part of society. There is no justification for using drugs such as marijuana, but there is an opportunity to take advantage of recreational drug use if we admit it will always exist.” –Bryan Steiner (Class of 2014)

“I first became familiar with marijuana in the 6^th grade while living in Colorado when my friends started smoking on the playground after school.  With such early exposure, I can only imagine how many young kids will get their hands on marijuana on a day-to-day basis.  There is a reason why marijuana is referred to as the “gateway drug”.  If marijuana is legalized across the country, then it further opens the door to the next level of drug consumption.  Although marijuana isn’t deadly by itself, cocaine, meth, and heroin are. I just don’t understand how it can positively influence our society.” –Kayla Mitchell (Class of 2016)

Whether or not Americans throughout the country embrace  the use of recreational marijuana will likely be based, at least in large part, on the success or failure of the Colorado experiment.