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Hi! My name is Hana Ameperosa, and I'm so excited for you to look into this organization!

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Spread the #greenforgreen

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"The states could see a major economic boon because of the legalization. The new measure is expected to bring the two states more than $550 million combined, with more than 300 economists previously estimating that legalizing pot could save the U.S. up to $14 billion a year."

It's clear that there is a hot demand for marijuana and the taxed products could benefit our schools, streets, and overall government fund.

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Two states became the first to legalize marijuana for recreational use Tuesday, but it's not just users that may get a high as a result.

Colorado and Washington state voted Tuesday night to legalize marijuana, sparking celebrations distinct but not mutually exclusive from those rooting for Barack Obama. But it's not just stoners and Democrats who should be exhaling a deep cough of relief -- economists too may find the news worthy of some bubbles or bubblers.

The states could see a major economic boon because of the legalization. The new measure is expected to bring the two states more than $550 million combined, with more than 300 economists previously estimating that legalizing pot could save the U.S. up to $14 billion a year. That's not even taking into account the extra Funyun consumption.
Here are 14 reasons why marijuana is good for the economy:

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14 Ways Pot Legalization Could Boost The Economy

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Two states became the first to legalize marijuana for recreational use Tuesday, but it's not just users that may get a high as a result. Colorado and Washington state voted Tuesday night to legalize marijuana, sparking celebrations distinct but not mutually exclusive from those rooting for Barack Obama.

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"In my view, states should have the right to regulate marijuana the same way that state and local laws now govern the sale of alcohol and tobacco.”- Bernie Sanders, Junior United States Senator from Vermont

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Top 10 Health Benefits of Marijuana In 2737 BC It has been described that during that period, the first direct reference was found in China in the writings of the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung. The first use of cannabis product was used for psychoactive agents.

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Not only is it less harmful and than alcohol and tobacco, it also improves health and the well being of our bodies.

-"Studies in the early 1970s showed that marijuana, when smoked, lowered intraocular pressure (IOP) in people with normal pressure and those with glaucoma."

"It may help reverse the carcinogenic effects of tobacco and improve lung health."

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AP/Damian Dovarganes

States around the country - more than 20 in total - have legalized medical marijuana.

Experts have been changing their minds too - recently, CNN's chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta reversed his opinion on medical marijuana.

While recreational pot usage is controversial, many people agree with Gupta's new stance, and believe that the drug should be legal for medical uses.

And even though the benefits of smoking pot may be overstated by advocates of marijuana legalization, new laws will help researchers study the drug's medicinal uses and better understand how it impacts the body.

Currently only 6% of studies on marijuana analyze its medicinal properties.

Keep in mind, though, that there are negative effects of smoking too much pot or using it for non-medicinal purposes. When overused or abused, pot can lead to dependency and mess with your memory and emotions.

There are at least two active chemicals in marijuana that researchers think have medicinal applications. Those are cannabidiol (CBD) - which seems to impact the brain without a high- and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) - which has pain relieving (and other) properties.

Also keep in mind that some of these health benefits can potentially be gained by taking THC pills like Dronabinol, a synthetic form of THC, which in some ways might be more effective than smoked marijuana.
Randy Astaiza contributed to an earlier version of this story.

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From promoting appetite in chemo patients to potentially protecting the brain from damage caused by a concussion.

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The United States holds 25% of the world's prisoner population. So much money is funneled into the criminalization of the drug. If we were to lift these rules, we'd lower the prison rates, and be able to funnel more money into schools.

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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There is twenty nine states that legalized marijuana but only eight of them legalized recreational use.

Recreational and Medical: California, Nevada, Massachusetts, Washington, Colorado, Maine, Alaska, and Oregon.

Explicitly Medical: Montana, New Mexico, Arizona, North Dakota, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, New York, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Delaware, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island

No Legalization: Idaho, Utah, Kansas, South Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, Texas, Tennessee, Arkansas, Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Indiana, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina.

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Updated medical and recreational-purpose marijuana laws by state

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The age old question of "Why is alcohol legal and weed isn't" is still a very precedent debate. The statistics behind the danger of both drugs speaks volumes.

"A study on marijuana use and intimate partner violence found that couples who used marijuana had lower rates of intimate partner violence in the first 9 years of marriage. In fact, men who used marijuana were the least likely to commit an act of intimate partner violence against a spouse."

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You may have had the debate yourself-what's worse? Alcohol or marijuana? With new studies coming out, more laws legalizing the recreational, and medicinal use of marijuana, the conversation seems to come up again and again.

Even though we may all have different opinions, marijuana remains a Schedule I drug, while alcohol is legal to consume for people who are 21 years of age or older.

In a now famous New Yorker interview, President Obama said, "I don't think it [marijuana] is more dangerous than alcohol."

So, is alcohol or marijuana more dangerous? Here we present both sides of the debate so you can decide for yourself.

Overdose

In most cases, drinking alcohol is not life-threatening. However, when people consume too much alcohol, it can be fatal. The CDC reports that nearly 88,000 alcohol-related deaths occur each year. And binge drinking accounted for about half of these deaths.

In comparison, the number of deaths caused by marijuana is almost zero. A study found that a fatal dose of TCH, the potent chemical in marijuana, would be between 15 and 70 grams. To give you an idea of how much marijuana that is, consider that a typical joint contains about half a gram of marijuana. That means that you would have to smoke between 238 and 1,113 joints in a day to overdose on marijuana. That's a lot of joints.

Crime Rates

When it comes to what substance will put someone at risk for getting hurt or hurting others, alcohol is considered to cause the most harm.

A study on marijuana use and intimate partner violence found that couples who used marijuana had lower rates of intimate partner violence in the first 9 years of marriage. In fact, men who used marijuana were the least likely to commit an act of intimate partner violence against a spouse.

Driving

Driving stoned is considerably safer than driving drunk, but it is still dangerous.

Besides alcohol, marijuana is the most commonly detected drug in drivers involved in car accidents. One study found that marijuana increased the odds of being in car accident by 83%.

You may think that 83% is high, but when alcohol was involved, the odds of being in a car accident increased more than 2,200%!

When both alcohol and drugs were in the system, the risk of having a fatal car accident is especially high.

What's the takeaway here? It's never a good idea to drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol, but especially both.

Learning and Memory

After a long night of heavy drinking, you may not remember what happened the night before. This is often referred to as a "blackout."

When you drink heavily it can impair your ability to create new memories. Over 50% of frequent binge drinkers reported at least one time in the past year when they blacked out and forgot where they were or what they did when they were drinking.

In an email survey, college students reported that after a blackout they did things that they could not remember, like driving drunk, having unprotected sex, or engaged in risky behavior.

Along the lines of memory, recent studies have shown that adolescents who smoke marijuana may be at greater risk for problems with memory and learning later in life. The studies remain inconclusive about how much marijuana use causes impairments of learning and memory. But studies have demonstrated that these types of changes in the brain may increase the risk of psychological difficulties later in life.

Controversy remains over what percentage of psychosis risk can be linked to marijuana use and how much depends on a person's genetics.

Pregnancy

Using alcohol even during the first few weeks of pregnancy can cause long-lasting effects on a child. According to the CDC, 3.3 million women are at risk of exposing their baby to alcohol.

If you drink during pregnancy, you are at risk for having a child born with physical, behavioral, and intellectual disabilities-these are called fetal alcohol spectrum disorders ( FASDs). According to the CDC there is no known amount of alcohol that is safe to consume during pregnancy.

But marijuana may not be safe either. Studies show there may be a link between marijuana use during pregnancy and low birth weight. Despite marijuana being the most commonly used illegal drug during pregnancy, it's hard to tell what the effect of marijuana use is, since there are not many studies out there.

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You may have had the debate yourself-what's worse? Alcohol or marijuana? With new studies coming out, more laws legalizing the recreational, and medicinal use of marijuana, the conversation seems to come up again and again. Even though we may all have different opinions, marijuana remains a Schedule I drug, while alcohol is legal to consume for people who are 21 years of age or older.

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Known for treading cautiously in progressive laws, Texas reportedly might agree to the big "OK" for medical marijuana.

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News about marijuana and medical marijuana. Commentary and archival information about marijuana from The New York Times.