The recent rulings in both the states of Washington and Colorado show that legalization of marijuana can and will work, and that the rest of the country could soon follow suit. The State of New York, by becoming the third state in the country to legalize such use of marijuana, can not only be one of the first and foremost leaders in the War on the War on Drugs, but can also improve our state's citizens' quality of life by putting our tax dollars and law enforcement resources towards prosecuting more serious offenses, such as violent crimes and more serious drug offenses (i.e, trafficking of narcotics). By preceding the federal government by making these changes in our state's current penal code (where possession of small amounts of marijuana are already decriminalized), this action could very well convince the rest of the United States of America and the state/federal governing bodies that be to follow suit.