One of the outcomes from this tumultuous election that was widely overshadowed but still carries a huge impact is that four more states approved measures to legalize recreational marijuana use for adults over the age of 21. Now California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada have joined Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington State, the District of Columbia with similar laws.
Despite marijuana advocates claiming that the drug is relatively harmless, recent scientific research has proven otherwise. One of the worst impacts is on the developing brain of adolescents, and despite it being legal only for adults, the flood of legal weed into the marketplace makes it much more accessible for teens as well.
Beyond the memory and motivation loss tied to smoking weed, there is the impact of users who mix the drug with alcohol and other substances, and how this makes already life-threatening situations, such as driving under the influence, even more deadly.
Additional Effects of Legal Weed
Although the revenues from taxing marijuana sales may seem appealing to many struggling state and local economies, that money is not without a price. It has been noted that the cost of increased drugged driving problems, criminal activity and emergency room visits along with the loss of productivity at work and schools raise questions about any perceived benefits of those tax dollars.
There is of course also the fact that marijuana can be addictive, which is something that we see and hear from families and individuals throughout the country on a routine basis. Drug dependency of any kind can destroy lives in numerous ways.