Green Party presidential candidate (and physician) Jill Stein really says it all here–marijuana is not dangerous, and keeping it illegal benefits no one and instead puts many in danger. Keeping marijuana illegal fosters a vast illegal market that can itself be unsafe, and marijuana legalization has already started to put an end to that.
In addition, legal cannabis provides medicine to many, has reduced marijuana use by minors, and has generated millions of dollars in tax revenue to legalized states. This tax revenue has proven to be beneficial to many. For example, the city of Aurora, CO, alone has been able to allot $4.5 million to helping fight homelessness. Can you imagine how much revenue would be and could do on a national scale?
Finally, Stein hits the nail on the head at the end of her quote: in addition to the benefits of legal marijuana on a societal and financial level, we also need to recognize that our adult citizens are responsible enough to make their own decisions. We trust adults to drive cars, vote in elections, drink alcohol, and provide for their families, yet for a variety of unsound reasons, the United States continues to prohibit responsible adults from making their own decisions when it comes to cannabis.
It’s senseless, really, and we need to continue fighting for change.
