Senate Bill 420 Could Legalize Marijuana Across the United States
Oregon Senator Ron Wyden proposed legislation on Friday that would allow states to allow legal cannabis markets without federal criminal intervention, WMTW reported.
Wyden, a Democrat, was quoted by WMTW as saying,
"The federal prohibition of marijuana is wrong, plain and simple. Too many lives have been wasted, too many economic opportunities have been missed".
If passed, the bill would remove federal criminal penalties levied against individuals or businesses when it comes to state marijuana laws.
There has been some talk in Albany about legalizing the recreational use of marijuana in New York, but so far, it still remains illegal to use except for medicinal purposes.
So far, 10 states and the District of Columbia have made it legal to use marijuana recreationally. According to Governing, those states that do allow the recreational use of marijuana include; Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.
Legalizing the recreational use of marijuana will not only create jobs, but it will raise millions of dollars in taxes and help ease prison overcrowding. It would also free up law enforcement to focus their efforts on more serious and more dangerous drugs.
According to ProCon, New York and Pennsylvania are two of the 33 states that have legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes.