Columns share an author’s personal perspective.
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There is a “green wave” sweeping the country. Ballot initiatives in Arizona, New Jersey, South Dakota and Montana are seeking to legalize marijuana for recreational use.
Don’t be fooled, the green does not represent marijuana – it represents money. More and more states are legalizing marijuana, not because there has been a massive shift in public sentiment on marijuana use, but because states can raise revenue from marijuana sales.
Ever since Colorado and Washington became the first two states to approve marijuana legalization in 2012, nine states and three territories have joined them including Alaska, California, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, the District of Columbia, the Mariana Islands and Guam. Another 16 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands have decriminalized marijuana and 33 states allow medical marijuana use.
It was not long ago that gambling was illegal everywhere…
