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Recreational Marijuana
Table of Contents
  • Introduction
  • Terminology
  • Early History of Cannabis in the United States
  • Trend towards Outlawing Marijuana, Early 1900s
  • Marijuana Became Illegal. 1937
  • Marijuana, 1938 - the 1960s
  • President Nixon and the 1970 Controlled Substances Act
  • NORML, Holland, and Decriminalization
  • Marijuana at the End of the 20th Century
  • Recreational Marijuana Legalization at the State-Level
  • Federal Response to State Legalization
  • International Laws
  • Pros
    • Pro 1: Legalizing recreational marijuana results in helpful regulation of a safe drug, without increasing potential negative consequences.
    • Pro 2: Legalizing recreational marijuana would end the costly, and frequently racist, enforcement of marijuana laws and debilitate the illegal marijuana market.
    • Pro 3: Legalizing recreational marijuana boosts the economy by creating new tax revenue and jobs.
    • Pro 4: Most Americans agree recreational marijuana should be legal.
  • Pro Quotes
  • Cons
    • Con 1: Legalizing recreational marijuana comes with serious societal costs.
    • Con 2: Legalizing recreational marijuana dramatically increases growth of the plant, which is bad for the environment.
    • Con 3: Legalizing recreational marijuana creates a “Big Marijuana” industry, while boosting illegal marijuana sales and use.
    • Con 4: Health experts do not believe recreational marijuana should be legal.
  • Con Quotes
  • State-by-State Recreational Marijuana Laws
  • 1-minute Survey
  • Discussion Questions
  • Take Action
  • Sources
References & Edit History Related Topics
Images
Marijuana smoking

Recreational Marijuana: Related Content

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Photos

Marijuana smoking
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Related Topics and References

Topics
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The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Recreational Marijuana". Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Jul. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/facts/recreational-marijuana-legalization-debate. Accessed 9 July 2025.
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