By Mikayla Silcox
Elm Staff Writer
On Nov. 8, 66.6% of Maryland residents voted for the state to become the twentieth in the nation to legalize recreational marijuana.
Medical marijuana has been legal in Maryland since 2013, and a recent Washington Post poll from Sept. suggested that 73% of state voters supported the full-fledged legalization of this crop.
Nationwide, the interest in making marijuana a legal entity has increased over the years. Polls from Civiqs, Quinnipiac, and Gallup last year indicate that 7 in 10 Americans support the legalization of marijuana, double the count from 20 years ago.
While citizens voted in favor of the legalization for recreational reasons, the economy and market of states have a stake in this vote as well.
MJBizDaily, estimated, for Maryland in particular, that in the first year of its legalization, the marijuana market would generate around $550 million, and potentially up to $1 billion by its fourth year.
Because of both the overwhelming number of Americans who are proponents of the legalization of marijuana and the benefits the industry would have on the economy, the hesitation to enact legalization nationwide seems unreasonable.
“Tonight, we see once again that voters in both red and blue America agree that it’s time to enact sensible cannabis laws that replace prohibition with regulations that protect public health and safety while fostering a vibrant small business sector that can create jobs and new tax revenue for their communities,” Executive Director of the National Cannabis Industry Aaron Smith said, after both Maryland and Missouri officiated the legalization of marijuana.
So, what is stopping this as a nationwide mission?
Some representatives’ concerns come from the dangers associated with marijuana.
According to a study published in the Journal of Forensic Science, “Changing patterns of drug and alcohol use in fatally injured drivers in Washington State,” 12% of motor vehicle accidents that killed that driver involved marijuana.
As marijuana is legalized, however, states are forced to establish some regulations on the drug, and furthermore, states will have more means and funding to do more research on it.
The recent vote for Maryland, for example, is not one without rules. Maryland legislators are now being put to work to establish marijuana tax and distributing and licensing laws.
Furthermore, the Cannabis Business Assistance Fund and the Cannabis Public Health Fund were established in Maryland, not only regulating the marijuana that is sold, but further researching cannabis use and the industry.
If these new establishments work towards investigating the effects of marijuana when operating motor vehicles, then hopefully laws can put more emphasis on the dangers of driving high, which, despite being illegal, is not presented by the media and schools with as much criticism as drunk driving.
If marijuana is treated similarly to alcohol, then perhaps unmoving state representatives will regard it the same. Educators would also be forced to address the possible dangers of marijuana, like alcohol, making it a safer practice than uneducated citizens using the drug.
Another large part of the hesitation for mass legalization comes from the independent views of representatives. As seen from polls, an overwhelming number of citizens are supportive of marijuana, but the votes from representatives do not relay this message.
United States representative Pete Sessions, a Texas Republican who has voted against marijuana reform bills from 2013-2019, spoke on why he believed marijuana should not be legalized.
“The product is being marketed; the product is being sold. The product has been advocated by people who were in it to make money. Slavery made money also and was a terrible circumstance that this country and the world went through for many, many years,” Sessions said.
In his unfounded and unethical comparison, Sessions proves that his disapproval of marijuana is not even based on the potential dangers of the drug.
The product can provide new jobs, allow more money to circulate through the state, and is in no way comparable to slavery.
While polls are not a direct indicator on how the public will vote, they give reasons to be suspicious of the outcomes of the ballot.
Representatives are supposed to reflect the views of the people, but the ballots against the changing opinions from polling and nearby states give reason to doubt whether representatives are effectively pursuing their work.
The legalization of marijuana in Maryland reflects the uptick in Americans supporting it as well. Economically, marijuana is estimated to bring more money into the state while appealing to the desires of the people. The decision is still pending in other states, but hopefully the representation of the people in this way will soon be evident in changing legalization zones.