, Columnist
Maybe Legalizing Weed Wasn’t Such a Great Idea
A new report shows that there are some economic benefits, but do they outweigh the social and cultural costs?
Sign of the times.
Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP
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Depending on where you live and how you want to use it, it is pretty easy to get marijuana in the US. At first medical marijuana, which has legitimate palliative uses, achieved widespread acceptance. Over time, however, the requirements for proof of medical use weakened, leading to de facto legalization in many areas. Now 24 states plus the District of Columbia, representing half the country’s population, have approved legalization for recreational use.
And yet the key question remains unanswered: Is this really a good idea?