In November, Alaska will vote on the legalization of recreational marijuana, thus following the footsteps of Colorado and Washington. Ever since these two opened the door to recreational marijuana, the rest of the country has been wondering which state will be next to capitalize on the “green rush”. Some thought it will be Oregon, which has had some sort of a relationship with recreational pot since 1998 – at least that’s what the Oregon Live claims in their recent article in which they go on about the first time the state of Oregon legalized marijuana for medical purposes. The big question Oregon is facing at the moment is how will the state keep the roads safe if they legalize marijuana – following on a car crash from 2013 when a young man fell asleep at the wheel thus causing a crash, while high on marijuana. Oregon’s Ballot Measure 91, unlike laws in Colorado and Washington, sets no limit on the level of THC in a driver’s blood. So, what’s that got to do with Alaska anyway?
Vote Yes on 2
The funny name from the subtitle is not something we invented, but the name of the Alaskan campaign to regulate marijuana in the same manner as alcohol. The campaigners claim that the current law against recreational marijuana has been as ineffective, wasteful and problematic as alcohol prohibition was. Duh, captain Obvious. The campaign also cites various studies that show alcohol to be more dangerous than marijuana. Again, captain Obvious. Now the crucial part on why the state should legalize pot for recreational use argues that the legalization of recreational marijuana would boost the state’s economy by creating jobs and generating new revenue through legitimate, taxpaying businesses. They also say that with this new system the law enforcement could focus on more violent crimes. Exactly, but haven’t people heard that already many times before? Haven’t news from Colorado found their way to Alaska? Or from Washington?
Both Support And Opposition Are Strong In Alaska
Because “Vote Yes on 2” wasn’t funny enough, the opposition has come up with a unique opposing name “Vote No on 2”. Big Marijuana Big Mistake, otherwise known as “Vote No on 2”, is people’s coalition dedicated to keeping marijuana illegal in Alaska. The coalition argues that the ballot measure would industrialize and commercialize not only marijuana, but also concentrates and edibles, which are more potent and have caused deaths in Colorado – which as a cause have Colorado re-thinking the rules of cannabis-infused food. Beside the argument of pot being bad for one’s health, opponents also fear that recreational marijuana is going to be heavily commercialized by giant corporations, which would change the landscape of local communities. Both sides have compelling arguments and they are choosing their weapons wisely. If the votes are in favor of recreational pot this November, it will definitely be interesting for other states to see how Alaska handles the legalization.
