Minnesota’s Neighbor About to Legalize Recreational Marijuana

I'm keeping my fingers and eyes crossed on this one. With midterm elections about a month and a half away, if you go by the polls, it looks like North Dakota is on pace to legalize recreational marijuana.

You hear the rhetoric, millions in tax revenue, job creation, etc. And, of course, there's the "Kids are going to get it", "It's a gateway drug" or "We don't need a bunch of stoners stumbling around". "Other states with legal marijuana are having big problems".

None of these are very valid points. It will create big tax revenues. It will create jobs in the industry. As far as kids getting it, it will have the same enforcement as alcohol, 21 years old to buy and possess. BTW, scientists have concluded the alcohol is actually the "gateway drug".

As far as other states where it's legal, the majority say it's been a good thing. People's lives are not ruined by being arrested for possession of a plant. Opiate deaths are down roughly 25% and opiate prescriptions are way down.

Of course the tax revenue is a big plus as many states are struggling with their budgets.

Many feel it's time to end decades of prohibition brought on many years ago, in the 30's, by political interests.

Science is proving the medical value of marijuana and I believe once the Federal Government moves it off the schedule one drug list where pot is lumped in with meth and heroin,banks will be allowed to do business with the industry. Currently they can not because banks are federally insured.

Do you think Minnesota will get around to what many states are doing, legalizing recreational marijuana?