California voters recently disapproved Proposition 19, also known as “Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010”, which would have legalized the recreational use of Marijuana, or Cannabis, to citizens of the state. November 2nd, 2010 not only marked the opening of the polls in California, but as a precedent in voting history, as the people voted either for or against this controversial proposition, though ultimately the bill was defeated. With the denial of this bill, it is apparent that the majority of people, 56% to be exact, in California still disapprove of the recreational usage of Marijuana, which is interesting, seeing as they approved the use of medical marijuana in 1996 with the passing of Proposition 215, oddly enough, with a 56% approval.
The consumption of Marijuana has had a very extensive part throughout history, with many cultures and societies having used Marijuana. Marijuana was popularly used in America in the 1960’s music culture and has become increasingly popular in recreational usage as the years have progressed. However it didn’t start there, Marijuana has been around for …show more content…
Stimson strongly disagrees with the above-mentioned statements about the possible incentives gained from legalizing Marijuana and its possible benefits with the legal system. In his legal memorandum entitled “Legalizing Marijuana: Why Citizens Should Just Say No,” he states that marijuana trafficking is linked to a variety of crimes, from assault and murder to money laundering and smuggling. Legalization of marijuana would increase demand for the drug and almost certainly exacerbate drug-related crime, as well as cause a myriad of unintended but predictable consequences (5). Though there is no guarantee, or even possibility, that Stimson is correct, and I whole-heartedly believe that the legalization of Marijuana will undoubtedly have a positive effect in lowering crime and keeping good people out of