An undeclared war is on between the federal and state authorities on Marijuana because a large number of U.S. states have already legalized marijuana for either medical or recreational purposes, but the federal laws are not in sync with the thinking of the states. A recent nationwide poll from Quinnipiac University has revealed that majority of registered voters were for allowing states to decide the legality of marijuana because it is a revenue earner.
The scene in Colorado
Fox News reports that Colorado had legalized recreational marijuana in 2012 and the sales have continued to show an upward trend with February being the ninth consecutive month when sales have gone beyond the $100 million mark which is something that cannot be ignored.
However, the White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer has indicated that the administration could ramp up enforcement of federal laws against recreational marijuana use and that is not good news.
Action by the Administration
The image that the Trump administration wants to present is one that would be tough on crime with a focus on bringing to heel violent crime in the cities coupled with a simultaneous crackdown on immigration. However, as far as pot is concerned, the picture is hazy because of problems likely to be encountered while trying to enforce federal laws in states that have already legalized the use of medical and recreational marijuana.
A task force will be created to go into various aspects of fighting crimes and marijuana features on the list since it is responsible for many crimes.
The growing tensions are apparent from the action taken by Colorado’s Senate which has passed a bill to enable marijuana growers and sellers to classify their product as medical in case the federal agencies intervene.
The bottom line
While marijuana continues to remain illegal under federal laws, at least eight states have accorded legal status to it – among these are Washington, Colorado, and California, apart from the District of Columbia.
According to statistics, the legal sale of the product was around $7 billion, and it generated a substantial amount of sales tax in the region of half a billion dollars.
Obviously, this is something that cannot be scoffed at. As revealed in the Quinnipiac University survey, a meager 23 percent feels the U.S. government should enforce federal laws against marijuana in states that have legalized it for recreational or medical use against 71 percent who are of the opinion that it should not.
It stands to reason that marijuana can be compared to the goose that lays golden eggs and such an asset needs to be protected if states have to prosper because the revenue that it generates is quite substantial. There is no doubt that those who are addicted to marijuana are a danger to society, but the same can be said about any other crime - it is all about the bent of mind of the individual and the perception of others.
