Legalize It, Everywhere!
Why citizens favor the federal legalization of cannabis in the United States
The world is becoming more cannabis-friendly with each new day. According to a recent study, more than 20 million US adults openly admitted to consuming cannabis daily. Additionally, the cannabis industry in the United States has become one of the quickest-growing industries economists have ever seen. Some believe it is time to legalize cannabis across the entire country.
Early Cannabis Prohibition in the US
Believe it or not, the United States was not always friendly to cannabis (that’s a joke.) In the 1920s, often known as the ‘Reefer Madness Era,’ saw cannabis become public enemy #1. Cannabis propaganda was at an all-time high. Misinformation concerning cannabis was commonplace. Citizens were prosecuted and even killed over the cultivation and possession of ‘the Devil’s lettuce.’ This anti-cannabis mindset would carry on for generations. The damage of the Reefer Madness Era is still evident to this day. Most cannabis historians believe the federal prohibition of cannabis that still exists today is the biggest blemish on the United States’ ‘War on Drugs’ resume.
Legal Cannabis Advancements
Despite the overwhelming prohibition of cannabis in the early days, there are a handful of municipalities that are making these wrongs right. Countless states have implemented some form of medical or recreational access to cannabis. Moreover, there are a handful of governments that have enacted laws to decriminalize the possession of cannabis. Some states have decided to remove cannabis from the list of prohibited drugs for job interviews. An astonishing ⅔ of the United States has pro-cannabis laws on its books. Despite these advancements, cannabis is still illegal on a federal level. This means that cannabis consumers and cannabis businesses are still susceptible to being charged with cannabis-related crimes on a federal level.
Fixing Cannabis on a Federal Level
As aforementioned, anti-cannabis laws still exist on a federal level in the United States. Technically, it is still illegal to cultivate, possess, and distribute cannabis in the county. This is a dangerous thing to consider for those who are in the cannabis industry. Moreover, those same legislations can imprison some of these cannabis entrepreneurs for the rest of their lives despite it being legal on a state level. These prohibitions must be removed to protect the integrity of the cannabis industry.
How the Public Feels about Federal Legalization
Since the Counterculture Era of the 1970s, there has always been a strong population of individuals who favor the federal legalization of cannabis. Moreover, those figures are at an all-time high. According to recent figures, nearly 70% of US adults are in favor of legalizing cannabis on a federal level. This means that 7 out of 10 adults believe weed should be legal across the entire country. Before these findings, about 5 out of 10 adults believed the former. Using this momentum, pro-cannabis activists believe now is the perfect time to get weed off the books across the country.
Congress’ Response to Legalizing Cannabis
The US citizens are not the only group of individuals who are becoming more privy to legalizing cannabis on a federal level. Believe it or not, Congress has also become more proactive than usual regarding the federal status of cannabis. Moreover, the United States House of Representatives will partake in one of the most powerful maneuvers towards the advancement of cannabis decriminalization. The Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement Act, MORE Act, is designed to do what its name implies. Although studies believe the bill will not be passed in its original form, it is noteworthy that Congress is taking the necessary steps to discuss abolishing the federal prohibition associated with cannabis once and for all.