Annotated Bibliography

Blake, David, and Jack Finlaw. "Marijuana Legalization in Colorado: Learned Lessons." Vol.
8.Issue 2 (2012): P359-380. EBSCO. Web. 5 Nov. 2014.
<http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.db16.linccweb.org/ehost/detail/detail?vid=9&sid=3eeb9ebb-a409448a-b22298d4fe8964f2@sessionmgr4001&hid=4202&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ==#db=a9h&
AN=98968750>.
Colorado was the very first state in the United States to legalize marijuana as a
recreational purpose. It won this election with a fifty five percent advantage over the rest. This
was not an easy task for the people but they ended up overcoming and winning this election. At
first many people were criticizing this amendment stating that this will bring many health
problems to the community. The opposition said that this will bring great cost in drug treatments,
prevention programs, emergency room visits, health care and traffic accidents. But the
proponents of legalization were ready and started telling people the common sense of comparing
it to alcohol and telling parents that the tax money will go into reducing the education budgets.
But the most convincing part about this is that the first $40,000,000 of any state tax revenue on
Marijuana goes to public school constructing. Which says that the greater revenue on marijuana
is going to help local and state governments.
Kleiman, Mark. "How Not to Make a Hash Out of Cannabis Legalization." Washington Monthly
19 Mar. 2014. Washington Monthly. Web. 5 Nov. 2014.
<http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.db16.linccweb.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=3eeb9ebb-a409448a-b222-98d4fe8964f2@sessionmgr4001&vid=13&hid=4202>.
The perspective on marijuana has been changing in peoples minds for a good 4-5 years
already. Some states like Colorado and Washington already have it legal for recreational use
since 2012. Other states like Alaska, Washington D.C, Arizona, California, Nevada and Oregon
are trying to pass the bill to get a chance to vote on this situation on their perspective states.
Americans nowadays spend roughly about 35 billion dollars a year on illegal cannabis.

Americans also spent about 1 million dollars of public money in keeping growers and dealers
behind bars. If Americans legalize cannabis the revenue would be even possible to reach 20
billion dollars a year which is around only 1 percent of state government revenue. All of these
points are always contradicted and will continue to be debated but as studies show it would be a
positive thing for a government to legalize. Digest, Congressional. "Marijuana Policy."
Congressional Digest 18 Oct. 2014. Congressional Digest. Web. 5 Nov. 2014.
<http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.db16.linccweb.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=3eeb9ebb-a409448a-b222-98d4fe8964f2@sessionmgr4001&vid=18&hid=4202>.
Marijuana has been used already for many centuries. It was written that in 1619 the
farmers in Jamestown, Virginia grew it and sent it back to England to sell. The use of marijuana
increased when the U.S. government passed the alcohol prohibition act. In 1937 congress passed
the marijuana tax act which imposed a tax on anyone who bought marijuana. But this act did not
criminalize marijuana. But in 1970 congress passed the controlled substances act which made it
illegal for anyone to grow, sell, or possess the drug. But a few years later medical marijuana has
been legalized in 20 states and two states-Washington and Colorado have legalized it fully. Since
the Obama administration they sent a message to the federal prosecutors to not enforce the law of
the land on those policies because it was going to bring them no good and not benefit them in
any way.
Ducatti Flister, Larissa. "The Economic Case for Marijuana Legalization in Canada." Journal of
Alternative Perspectives in the Social Sciences Vol. 5.Issue 1 (2012): P96-100. Print.
The marijuana legalization in Canada has not been approved yet but the situation or
perspective has two sides to it. Many people think that legalizing cannabis would have all the
drug mafias monopolize the cannabis shops or retailers. But the other argument that has the
oppositions view that agrees with the legalization brings up the topic of tax revenue which they

show the stats of the amount of cannabis used in Canada if taxed would produce a revenue of
about $2 billion for the government. And if they keep using this scheme for a few years the
country will cut their deficits by $1.3 billion. Another advantage would be that with the tax
revenues this money could be used to pay yearly health insurances for approximately 356,252
Canadians.
Bernasek, Anna. "TWO NUMBERS. WHY THE IRS WILL LOVE LEGAL POT." Newsweek
Global 10 Jan. 2014, 10th ed., sec. 1: P98-100. Print.
Marijuana is coming up as the next big thing after alcohol and cigarettes according to the
annual revenue and money consumption a year. The consumption calculated yearly by
Americans is about $33 billion which this number is a conservative estimate. Other calculations
have the U.S. market ranging from $70 billion to $100 billion. Comparing these numbers to the
cigarette industry which makes about $91 billion and the beer industry which makes about $97
billion the cannabis industry might just be the next big thing.

Rosenthal, Ed, and Steve Kubby. "Health Effects." Why Marijuana Should Be Legal. 10th ed.
Vol. 2. Colorado: Publishers Group West, 2003. 100-130. Print.