The New York Times reports that there may be an unexpected youth turnout to the polls this November if marijuana is on the ballot. This November, Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon, and South Dakota will vote to consider legalizing marijuana. This article, “Measures to Legalize Pot May Lure Young To Polls”, illustrates the how young people ages 18 to 34 can have an huge affect on the outcome of this vote because this is on issue that most young voters feel strongly about. The supporters of legalizing marijuana “argue that regulating and taxing the drug just like alcohol will reduce crime at the border and could yield an additional $40 billion in revenue annually.” (Lorber) Even the chief of Seattle police explains how the drug cartels “thrive on marijuana prohibition” and how most of the profits of these cartels come from marijuana. The border war is dangerous and necessary but the money that is generated from illegal marijuana trafficking enables these cartels to buy guns, increasing the death toll on both Mexican and American soil. I agree with the position of this article. We should tax and regulate marijuana, putting the revenue into the hands of the U.S. economy. I’m sure that young voters who are intelligent enough to think critically about this issue will vote to legalize it! It is up to us to make an informed decision.
Lorber, Janie. The New York Times- Politics. Aug 5, 2010. Web Aug 2010.
http://thecaucus.nytimes.com/2010/08/05/measures-to-legalize-pot-may-lure-young-to-polls/
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