As many as 11 states now allow consumers over 21 to use marijuana recreationally, and many of those states have enjoyed legal weed for over five years to great success. You might wonder what America will look like when marijuana is in the corner store and at the farmers market.

Marijuana Legalization Encourages Use

As drug policy undergoes big changes, I’ve been watching rates of youth cannabis use with interest. Whether you like the plant or not, as with alcohol, only adults should be allowed to partake of intoxicating substances. But youth cannabis use is near its highest level ever in the United States.

In Portugal, by contrast, youth rates fell from 2002 to 2006, after all drugs were legalized there in 2001. Similarly, a 2011 Brown University-led study of middle and high school students in Rhode Island found no increases in adolescent use after the state legalized medical marijuana in 2006.

What’s more, marijuana doesn’t seem to be the “gateway drug” it has been labeled. Different drugs tend to produce different kinds of highs, and people who enjoy the sensation of using marijuana are rarely interested in the experiences offered by more dangerous drugs, like heroin or meth. Again, research does not support the “gateway” hypothesis, so legal availability shouldn’t lead to increases in abuse for any substance.

Legalizing Marijuana Leads to an Increase in Crime

Another common misconception of marijuana legalization is that it causes an increase in crime. By legalizing cannabis, however, crime rates inevitably drop, as there is no longer a punishment for small possession of marijuana. The drop in arrests and charges following legalization was apparent in Washington D.C. In the year following legalization, possession arrests decreased 98 percent and arrests on any marijuana-related charge dropped by 85 percent.

This downward trend in crime following legalization also extends, however, to crimes unrelated to cannabis. For example, according to a study by the Drug Policy Alliance, the overall crime rate in Colorado dropped in the first 11 months after the first retail marijuana stores opened their doors in 2014. Violent crime throughout the state fell 2.2 percent, and in Denver burglaries and overall property crime dropped by 9.5 percent and 8.9 percent, respectively. Another study examining the impact of medical marijuana legalization nationwide derived similar conclusions, with crime decreasing in states following the passing of medicinal cannabis laws.

Marijuana Is More Dangerous Than Alcohol

Alcohol is, unequivocally, a poison. Once inside the body, alcohol diffuses into each and every cell, causing serious dehydration and miscommunication within the nervous system. The liver metabolizes alcohol into acetic acid and releases the acid into the bloodstream; in high concentrations, acetic acid will burn through tissues, killing them. Alcohol poisoning is the result of a buildup of acetic acid, and it can permanently scar a drinker’s tissues or kill the drinker outright.

In contrast, marijuana is not a poison. Though there are risks associated with using too much weed, the substance itself does not harm the human body — in fact, there is emerging evidence that marijuana does much to improve the body’s functions. The body’s natural endocannabinoid system, which is associated with mood, memory, sleep, appetite and libido, is triggered by cannabinoids like THC and CBD, which is why marijuana is so effective at managing various conditions, like anxiety, insomnia and the symptoms of cancer treatment. In almost no way is marijuana more dangerous than alcohol; in fact, it is much, much more beneficial.

Legalizing Marijuana Leads to More DUI’s

With marijuana’s psychoactive effects, opponents of legalization claim that allowing people to use cannabis will cause a bump in incidents of driving under the influence. While it’s true that large doses of marijuana can affect psychomotor performance and perception, research from states that have legalized marijuana have shown this concern to be unwarranted.

The Drug Policy Alliance study found that traffic fatalities in Colorado in the 11 months following the beginning of recreational marijuana sales dropped by 3 percent compared to the same period in the year prior. A 2013 study published in The Journal of Law & Economics had similar conclusions, as marijuana legalization was associated with sharp decreases in alcohol consumption and traffic fatalities. Most recently, a study by researchers from Colby College found a fall in DUI’s in states with medical marijuana laws.

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Big Tobacco and Big Alcohol would Control the Legal Cannabis Industry

In 1978, the Carter administration changed alcohol regulations to allow for microbreweries. Today the craft-beer market is worth $10.2 billion annually. The top-shelf cannabis farmers in California’s Emerald Triangle realize this potential. “We’re creating an international brand, like champagne and Parmigiano cheese,” says Tomas Balogh, co-founder of the Emerald Growers Association in Humboldt, Calif. As Balogh puts it: “When people ask me if the small farmer or the big corporation will benefit from the end of prohibition, I say, ‘Both.’ The cannabis industry is already decentralized and farmer-owned. It’s up to consumers to keep it that way.”

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