The picture isn’t as grim as marijuana opponents still try to report
The thing about scientific data is that it is based on science. It cannot be argued as fact or fiction – it is always fact. Many marijuana opponents have tried, however, to skew the facts to support their beliefs, and they continue to fall flat on their faces. The good news is that there is always an increasing amount of science to pool from and the numbers don’t lie – legalized marijuana is nowhere near as disastrous for society as some had believed.
Looking at tax revenue, Colorado earned $270 million in taxes on more than $1.2 billion in sales last year. Comparatively speaking, the alcohol industry only gave the state $45 million. Some had argued that legalized marijuana would take away tax revenue, but the overwhelming amount provided by marijuana sales more than compensates for any reduction in alcohol sales.
A number of studies have already debunked another myth – that legalized marijuana causes a rise in adolescent consumption. One study in particular showed that teenagers in Colorado have had a significant decline in marijuana use over the past three years, which coincides with the amount of time recreational marijuana has been legal.
Anyone who still tries to assert that marijuana legalization leads to more crime shouldn’t be allowed to comment publicly on the subject. There isn’t a single study that supports this claim – except studies that have shown that crime has increased in cities that have legal marijuana. However, it has also increased in cities that don’t have legal marijuana. There is no correlation between legalized marijuana and an increase in crime, except by those who ineffectively try to cling to their dying position. Those individuals also conveniently choose to leave out an important statistic. According to the FBI, crime clearance rates have increased in Colorado and Washington State following marijuana legalization.