Running Head
Running head: ASSIGNMENT #3A: CRITICAL RESPONSE #2
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"How to Legalize Pot" by Bill Keller
Venessa Douse
Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning
In the article “How to Legalize Pot” by Bill Keller, the author explains his view points on how to make the recreational use of marijuana legal in the U.S.A. In the article, he points out that Mark Keliman, a drug policy expert he spoke to in 2002 on why the legalization of marijuana was not the best idea is now leading a team that is advising the state of Washington invent the first fully legal commercial market for cannabis in the U.S.A. He points out that one practical challenge facing the legalization is avoiding big profiteers from exploiting the market with not just for smoking but also with edibles, vaporizers and inhalers. According to the author, other factors that go into creating this market include inventing product labels, placing limits on marketing, hiring inspectors to make sure the labs are running smoothly and building certified labs to configure the potency and “weed” out the contamination. The author expresses his concern how the state will use the estimated $35 to $45 billion dollars from this new market to avoid a black market and not crate more addicts. With Colorado being the only other state to create a commercial market for cannabis, it is not the only state to decrimalize the recreational drug use of this drug in small amounts. In 1977, the state of New York decriminalized the possession of small amounts on the terms that it will be used indoors and not for public display. He also points out how on the west coast, California’s laws are very different. In the article he states that the state of California has more medical marijuana dispensaries than Starbucks. In his conclusion, he addresses that even advocates of the full legalization of cannabis have admitted that things are getting out of control and Mark Kleiman hopes someone makes the
1
"How to Legalize Pot" by Bill Keller
Venessa Douse
Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning
In the article “How to Legalize Pot” by Bill Keller, the author explains his view points on how to make the recreational use of marijuana legal in the U.S.A. In the article, he points out that Mark Keliman, a drug policy expert he spoke to in 2002 on why the legalization of marijuana was not the best idea is now leading a team that is advising the state of Washington invent the first fully legal commercial market for cannabis in the U.S.A. He points out that one practical challenge facing the legalization is avoiding big profiteers from exploiting the market with not just for smoking but also with edibles, vaporizers and inhalers. According to the author, other factors that go into creating this market include inventing product labels, placing limits on marketing, hiring inspectors to make sure the labs are running smoothly and building certified labs to configure the potency and “weed” out the contamination. The author expresses his concern how the state will use the estimated $35 to $45 billion dollars from this new market to avoid a black market and not crate more addicts. With Colorado being the only other state to create a commercial market for cannabis, it is not the only state to decrimalize the recreational drug use of this drug in small amounts. In 1977, the state of New York decriminalized the possession of small amounts on the terms that it will be used indoors and not for public display. He also points out how on the west coast, California’s laws are very different. In the article he states that the state of California has more medical marijuana dispensaries than Starbucks. In his conclusion, he addresses that even advocates of the full legalization of cannabis have admitted that things are getting out of control and Mark Kleiman hopes someone makes the