If you have not heard, we are getting closer and closer to legalizing marijuana on a federal level. Recently, the medical marijuana community and pro-cannabis organizations have been getting excited about policy changes happening over the course of 2020. To put it simply, the federal government is looking to decriminalize marijuana in the coming decade. So what does that mean? Well, the decriminalization of marijuana is actually something I have written about a lot in the past, so make sure that you go check out some of my other articles about it. At this time, it is no secret that our government in the United States is still financially reeling from the pandemic. Covid-19 swept across our nation, and took with it lives, jobs, investments, retirement and emergency funds, and so much more.

Due to this nightmare that the U.S. went through, many state and local governments are looking for ways to increase tax revenue without putting more taxes on income, property, and various consumer products. The reason for this is because many people are struggling for money right now, and the government needs to incentivize people to keep spending their money in order to keep the economy going. That is why we get things like stimulus checks and all of that. Anyways, the cannabis industry is one way that the government can cash in on more tax revenue. This would all come about through various medical marijuana programs, and would eventually lead to a legalization of marijuana on a federal scale (which would also mean decriminalization). Did you know that in 2018, 4 out of 10 drug arrests were for the possession, sale, or manufacturing of marijuana? Think about how many people would be affected by the decriminalization of marijuana with statistics like these.

So, on a more ground level, what would legalization look like? Well, for starters, the government is looking to approve the legalization that would allow for this. If you have not heard of the MORE Act, it is a piece of legislation that is getting cannabis lovers, medical patients, and pro-marijuana organizations excited. The MORE Act stands for the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement Act. This Act is a bipartisan piece of legislation that would completely remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act (which classifies it as an illegal drug). This is a huge deal for many medical patients that are struggling to get access to medical marijuana in their area due to current policies and laws about cannabis. Not only would it allow more people to access medical marijuana, but this act would create better opportunities for states to create their own recreational cannabis programs. There are currently 14 states in the United States that allow all adults over the age of 21 to legally use marijuana. This is basically the epitome of a world where marijuana is completely legal. In fact, I am stopping up in Michigan in a few days to smoke some weed with my good friend. We are going to be trying a new strain he bought called Orange Dreamsicle, and I am really excited for it. Anyways, that is the future of marijiuana that we can look forward to; however, right now, it is more imperative than ever to make sure everyone has access to medical marijuana to treat their health conditions and diseases.

The decriminalization of marijuana also means that people will no longer be incarcerated for marijuana related charges. The possession of cannabis has caused a lot of Americans to spend time in prison or on parole, and we can look forward to the end of that thanks to the MORE Act.