AS IT IS 2016-07-06 Two Years After Legalizing Marijuana Sales, What Has Happened?

AS IT IS 2016-07-06 Two Years After Legalizing Marijuana Sales, What Has Happened?

Two years ago the U.S. states of Washington and Colorado became the world’s first legal marketplaces for recreational marijuana. In other words, people in those states can now legally use marijuana for pleasure, not just for medicine.

A man VOA is calling “Ryan” is one of them. He is at a marijuana store in Denver. He shows a store worker a document that shows he is over 21 years old.

Ryan is buying about a small amount of marijuana. It will be placed in a container that is difficult for children to open.

Almost everywhere else in the United States, Ryan could be arrested for buying marijuana. And workers at the store could be arrested for selling it to him.

“In the past, I would have to go to the black market. But now I can freely¹ go to any shop that I please and I can really pick someone that I feel comfortable with as opposed to going and calling a random² number that I would have no idea where it’s going.”

One of the effects of making marijuana legal, Ryan says, is that buying it feels safer and more comfortable.

Pot problems

Police, advocates and researchers also want to know the effects of making recreational marijuana legal.

VOA spoke³ to a leader of the Boulder⁴ County⁵ Sheriff’s group that fights illegal drugs. He says that if they follow the rules like any other business, marijuana stores do not cause problems. But those who grow marijuana illegally do.

The police officer works⁶ undercover, so he did not want VOA use his real name or voice. But he explained that his office receives many reports of people illegally smoking marijuana in public, driving after they have smoked, or selling the drug to people younger than 21.

The officer also says criminals come to Colorado, rent several houses to grow marijuana, then transport the drug out of the state to earn a higher price.

And, he says, many people call to complain about their neighbors growing or smoking so much pot that the smell disturbs them.

The officer says these marijuana-related problems add to the problems police already deal with, and stretch the resources of the department.

More pot = more crime?

Yet federal⁷ law enforcement⁸ agencies⁹ have found that marijuana-related arrests in Colorado have dropped by almost 50 percent since selling the drug became legal. And, they say, the overall¹⁰ crime rate in the state has not changed much.

These reports show that Colorado’s experience is a success, some advocates say. Jason Thomas is a spokesperson for a group called Law Enforcement Against Prohibition¹¹. He and his group want to make all drugs legal across the country.

He says current federal laws punish non-violent drug users¹² too severely¹³. Does it seem fair, he asks, that having or selling a drug like marijuana could result in being put in prison for years?

Thomas suggests that some drugs should be sold at a store and others should be more regulated¹⁴. For example, he says marijuana should be treated differently than cocaine¹⁵. And similarly¹⁶, he says, marijuana-related crimes should be treated differently than cocaine-related ones.

People and money

Researchers are also watching Colorado’s experiment with legalizing marijuana. They want to know if more young people are using pot now that it is legal.

A study by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, reported by The Washington Post newspaper, says no.

The study found that, before marijuana became legal in Colorado, 1 in 4 teenagers there reported using it within the last month. After the drug was legalized, 1 in 5 teenagers reported using it within the month.

In other words, the rate did not change much. If anything, it went down. And, researchers note the current rate is also slightly below the national average.

However, experts say more adults -- about 1 in 7 -- use marijuana in Colorado now that it is legal.

And what about the money?

Time magazine reports Colorado has collected an estimated¹⁷ $70 million in taxes on marijuana sales in the past two years -- that is a lot of money. And there is some evidence that some people are traveling to the state, and spending tourist dollars, because they can legally buy marijuana there.

Words in This Story

recreational – adj. used for pleasure instead of for medical purposes

container – n. an object (such as a box or can) that can hold something

black market – n. a system through which things are bought and sold illegally

random – adj. chosen or done without a particular plan or pattern

undercover – adj. done or working in a secret way in order to catch criminals or collect information

stretch – v. to cause or force (something) to be used for a longer time or for more purposes than originally planned or expected

prohibition – n. the act of not allowing something to be used or done

1 freely   

adv.自由地，随便地，无拘无束地

参考例句：

• She was unable to keep back her tears,and wept freely.她抑制不住泪水，痛痛快快地哭了起来。
• A liquid flows freely and has no fixed shape.液体能自由流动，无固定形态。

2 random   

adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动

参考例句：

• The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 boulder   

n.巨砾；卵石，圆石

参考例句：

• We all heaved together and removed the boulder.大家一齐用劲，把大石头搬开了。
• He stepped clear of the boulder.他从大石头后面走了出来。

5 county   

n.县，郡

参考例句：

• When the good news reached there,the whole county rejoiced.喜讯传到那里时，全县的人都欢欣鼓舞起来。
• In that year county after county fell to the enemy.那一年一个又一个的县城沦入敌人手中。

6 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

7 federal   

adj.联盟的；联邦的；(美国)联邦政府的

参考例句：

• Switzerland is a federal republic.瑞士是一个联邦共和国。
• The schools are screaming for federal aid.那些学校强烈要求联邦政府的援助。

8 enforcement   

n.实施, 执行

参考例句：

• MPs called for tougher enforcement of the existing laws on drugs. 下院议员呼籲加强现行毒品法律的执行力度。
• The court is ineffective because it lacks the necessary enforcement machinery. 法院效率低是因为缺乏必要的执行机制。

9 agencies   

n.代理( agency的名词复数 )；服务机构；（政府的）专门机构；代理（或经销）业务（或关系）

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations. 联合国有许多专门机构。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The project is funded by the World Bank and other multilateral agencies. 这项计划由世界银行和其他多国机构资助。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 overall   

n.工作服，工装裤；全面的，全体的

参考例句：

• The shop assistant was wearing a white overall.那店员穿着白色的工作服。
• How much will it cost overall?一共多少钱？

11 prohibition   

n.禁止；禁令，禁律

参考例句：

• The prohibition against drunken driving will save many lives.禁止酒后开车将会减少许多死亡事故。
• They voted in favour of the prohibition of smoking in public areas.他们投票赞成禁止在公共场所吸烟。

12 users   

用户，使用者( user的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The new software will prove a boon to Internet users. 这种新软件将会对互联网用户大有益处。
• Ramps should be provided for wheelchair users. 应该给轮椅使用者提供坡道。

13 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

14 regulated   

控制( regulate的过去式和过去分词 )； 管理； 调整； 调节

参考例句：

• The activities of credit companies are regulated by law. 信贷公司的业务受法律的制约。
• A person's behavior is often regulated by his circumstances. 人的行为常受其所处环境的约束。

15 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。

16 similarly   

adv.类似地，相似地

参考例句：

• He was late and I similarly was delayed.他迟到了，我也晚了。
• These two pages are similarly glued together.这两页好像粘在一起了。

17 estimated   

adj．根据估计的

参考例句：

• She estimated the breadth of the lake to be 500 metres. 她估计湖面大约有500米宽。
• The man estimated for the repair of the car. 那人估算了修理汽车的费用。