Moving Forward: Medical Marijuana


On Nov. 6, 2012, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington took a vote on whether or not to make pot legal for anyone 21 or older; Colorado and Washington passed it. The national opinion is shifting, as well. Gallup reported in October, for the first time, 50% of Americans think marijuana should be legal; in 1970, just 12% were for legalization.

Almost four decades later, a pot renaissance is sweeping parts of the USA: Seventeen states and the nation’s capital allow the use of medical marijuana with a doctor’s order, which in some places is ludicrously easy to get. Thirteen states have decriminalized small amounts of pot. However marijuana is still illegal under federal law.

Under Initiative 502, Washington would impose a 25% marijuana tax at wholesale and another 25% AT RETAIL. In its fiscal note on I-502, the state Office of Financial Management estimated possible marijuana - tax revenue in the year ending June 30, 2015, at 434 million. OFM also estimated the total state and local government revenue from marijuana at 566 million.

As it is used recreationally, marijuana is arguably a better option than alcohol, as it is not often linked to crimes, such as OUI or assaults, and users cannot overdose. Of course, it’s not good for anyone to smoke – marijuana, tobacco, or anything else – but that’s not the only way marijuana is consumed. The problem with state legalization, however, is that marijuana will still be illegal at the federal level, and federal law trumps state law. With several states pushing the envelope on marijuana, it’s time for the federal government to address a national policy. The bottom line; legalizing marijuana offers government a pot load of money, both in revenue and in savings.