Why do you think the United States is generally more lax on marijuana than countries in Europe?
Posted by Intrepid_Arrival5151@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 164 comments
Meowmeowmeow31@reddit
It’s Canada and Mexico, too, not just us.
I think North America is more right on this than other continents. There are studies that quantify how harmful different drugs are, and alcohol is way ahead of marijuana in terms of both harm to the user and harm to others. Making marijuana legal allows more people who want a buzz to get it from a less harmful substance.
KevrobLurker@reddit
The various state govts finally took Sam Kinnison's advice.
″If you give us back the pot, we’ll forget the crack.″
https://www.reddit.com/r/LiveFromNewYork/comments/zrsfyj/if_you_give_us_back_the_pot_well_forget_the_crack/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
urnbabyurn@reddit
Sam was never giving up the cocaine though.
FlyByPC@reddit
He'd end up with too much blood in his cocaine system.
Aquarius_K@reddit
I've never understood why alcohol and tobacco is legal and Marijuana is not.
Stop_Already@reddit
Racism. It’s simple really.
Libertas_@reddit
Look into the history of why it made illegal.
MuchDevelopment7084@reddit
Because it was a drug preferred by Mexican's and blacks. During the jazz age. It was a fixture in the clubs. Literally racism in action.
Jwkaoc@reddit
Hippies opposed Reagan. Hippies consume marijuana. Make marijuana illegal. Arrest hippies. Other countries follow America's lead.
Dangerous-Safe-4336@reddit
Goes back to the 1930s. Same idea, though.
Twin_Brother_Me@reddit
Farther back than that - the entire "war on drugs" is a Nixon brain child
MiketheTzar@reddit
This is a bit of a misnomer.
There is significantly more information on the negative affects of alcohol on the body, but that's largely because it has been legal for close to 100 years federally (some states had prohibition until 1966 and some counties in some states still have prohibition.)
While people have been smoking for a long we have significantly less data on it as the use of it being a crime precluded a lot of real world use.
As we get more and more data around it we are getting some interesting information. Most of it is to be expected. Small dosages of it take as food or topically aren't that bad for you. Smoking it however is by the sole virtue that your lungs aren't designed to handle smoke at all. Where as your stomach, lover and speel are all design to help filter out toxins daily.
Meowmeowmeow31@reddit
Legal cannabis is available in the form of edibles, seltzers, and vape pens. You don’t have to smoke it.
MiketheTzar@reddit
This is true, but according to the CDC smoking is still the most popular way by a wide margin. The difference in smoke and water vapor is also relatively academic in this sense as while smoking is objectively worse it is still using the lungs to get a chemical into the body that isn't oxygen which isn't what they are designed to do.
As we continue to expand access to gummies and drinks we are also able to test a lot more accurately as those are more controlled methods of delivery with more empirical methods of measurement in both preparation and transmission.
The simple truth is that we just don't have near as much data on the affects of cannabis and as we have that data trickle in we are finding out a lot of things. Mostly that it's casual use isn't bad, but we are funding that its heavy use is.
SabresBills69@reddit
anti pit fuck— blame the Fed govt for not reclassifying it for medical research.
codiene ir morphine are far more dangerous
SaltandLillacs@reddit
40/50 states have medical cannabis.
24/50 have rec weed.
Annethraxxx@reddit
The obtuse comments in here trying to pretend that Europe is equally lax as the US are infuriating.
Intrepid_Arrival5151@reddit (OP)
Why are they even doing that??
Annethraxxx@reddit
Because r/Americana’s I guess. Which is fair in most cases but certainly not this one.
boulevardofdef@reddit
If there's one thing I've learned from the internet in recent years, it's that most humans are utterly incapable of understanding nuance. If something is good in some ways, it must be good in all ways; if something is bad in some ways, it must be bad in all ways.
PikaPonderosa@reddit
Yeah, but it isn't all humans /s
Annethraxxx@reddit
Once I saw the /s, I snorted. lol
PikaPonderosa@reddit
~~Cute~~ Snorts is what we aim for.
Annethraxxx@reddit
I literally commented on this already today. “Wait, you’re saying something can be two things AT ONCE??”
earthhominid@reddit
While European countries have stricter laws, my experience with Europeans over the last two decades has given me the impression that they were much more lax about personal use than americans prior to our wholesale loosening of laws over the last 2 decades.
I may be wrong and subject to sampling bias just by the nature of the people I've spent time with, but I've known people from Ireland, Brittain, France, Germany, Italy, Romania, and Bulgaria that all expressed surprise at how intolerant of public personal use America was (this would be circa 2006-2012 or so) compared to their home countries.
MyUsername2459@reddit
A lot of people honestly think Europe is fairly permissive on the subject.
For a very long time, people thought of Europe as permissive on cannabis, specifically because of the relatively tolerant policies around it in the Netherlands. For a long time, if you wanted to use cannabis at least somewhat legally, Amsterdam was a destination of choice for Americans.
That's changed in the last few decades, but it did put ideas in the culture that Europe was at least relatively tolerant of cannabis use.
PureMitten@reddit
I recently had a conversation with an older Gen Xer where the topic of Amsterdam came up. They started making jokes about visiting a cafe that all really fell flat since we were across the street from a dispensary and down the road from a town with decriminalized magic mushrooms. We kind of just sat there for a minute afterwards and pondered how fast things change, or I did at least.
HeyPurityItsMeAgain@reddit
It's what I was told all my life. Along with many other lies about Europe.
A-Moron-Explains@reddit
Since December of 2018 pretty much every state has legal rec weed. There was a hemp farm bill that basically serves as a massive loophole.
Unfortunately that is being reversed in November 2026, though groups are trying to delay the reversal. As of right now though, every state has legal weed you can buy and get delivered in the mail.
ClickClick_Boom@reddit
There's a lot of FUD and misinformation about farm bill compliant THC products, a lot of people think it's the same as synths/K2/spice and convince others of this too. They don't realize it's literally THC just different forms of it than the form most commonly found in weed. I think a lot of this is because there are a lot of shady products that are farm bill compliant, the type of shit you see sold in shady gas stations.
Most times I've told someone who is into weed that I just buy THCa flower online they get disgusted and treat me like I'm using spice, even after explaining exactly what it is and that THCa and the other forms of THC are literally in the weed the buy from some shady dealer (I'm not in a legal state).
It's nuts to me so many people have slept on the fact that recreational weed has been de-facto legal in the USA since 2018. I honestly don't have much hope in the BBB rider banning it getting removed, it was fun while it lasted.
Realtrain@reddit
Don't worry, when congress passed the bill re-banning in, they super duper pinky promised they'd pass another law before the ban goes into effect re-legalizing it...
TelevisionFunny2400@reddit
The United States is a federalist system, with each state being a "laboratory of democracy," which allows the US to experiment with different policy approaches at a smaller scale. Remember that marijuana is still highly illegal at the US federal level.
Also the US is generally more business driven and focused on individual choice than Europe, which tends to be more concerned about quality of life impact and more paternal. As the US saw the massive business and state tax revenue that was generated in early experiments with recreational marijuana in states like Colorado, it became easier to accept full legalization. Meanwhile European countries have been focused more on the medical benefits of marijuana, concentrating on harm reduction and public health.
Finally, the US had a disastrous and aggressive War on Drugs in the 80s and 90s that put numerous non-violent drug offenders behind bars for decades. A lot of the marijuana legislation has been a reaction to those aggressive mass incarceration policies. Most Americans see marijuana use as far less damaging than locking people up for using it.
TLDR: U.S. leniency on marijuana is driven by a mix of state-level autonomy, capitalist incentives, and a course correction from mass incarceration of marijuana users
boulevardofdef@reddit
I would note, however, that because marijuana is outlawed federally, the federal government could swoop in and close "legal" dispensaries -- and even arrest their owners, employees and customers -- at any time. It's not insignificant that they have chosen not to.
tinkeringidiot@reddit
Early in the state nullifications, federal agents did exactly that. Presidents since that time have each issued orders or memoranda directing federal law enforcement to "deprioritize" marijuana prohibition enforcement in states that have legalized or made it available medicinally.
NateTheCadet@reddit
this should be the top comment
getElephantById@reddit
I think this is basically it. Despite being illegal at a federal level, the states had enough leeway to work around the regulations and try it due our federated government structure and the limitations imposed by the Constitution. Once a couple states tried it, other states saw that they could make money taxing marijuana rather than spending money prosecuting it. At that point, the dam burst, and here we are. Honestly I'm surprised there are still holdouts.
Stop_Already@reddit
Money, mostly.
Dave_A480@reddit
Because of the decentralized nature of the US legal system.
Weed is still 100% illegal in the United States (federally).
If it gets moved to Schedule 3, the recreational forms will still be 100% illegal, but it will be easier for drug companies to get pills/shots/etc approved that contain THC.
However the federal government has a very minor role in day to day law enforcement. It's state governments that do 'thst'.
And the state governments enforce their own laws - not federal law.
So this creates a situation where the federal government is too busy with its other priorities to arrest individuals for weed (unless they're in the military or convicts in federal prison)...
And the state no longer has a law against it that state level law enforcement can enforce....
This is the case in about 50% of states...
In the others, weed is 100% illegal just like federal law.
4Q69freak@reddit
Being that it’s still illegal federally is why a lot of dispensaries are still largely a cash business, because large banks don’t allow their credit cards to be used for fear of federal prosecution for money laundering, and loss of their banking charters.
HeyPurityItsMeAgain@reddit
You should be Asking Europe. I thought open air drug markets were their idea.
ElijahNSRose@reddit
It varies wildly from state to state on both continents.
eapaul80@reddit
Are they? It was criminal to have it until 20 years ago
Loud_Inspector_9782@reddit
Depends on the state.
Viktor_Bout@reddit
Why is Europe strict on it in the first place? Id be curious about the history of that.
The USs drug policy history largely comes from the racial politics of the 60s and 70s that I dont think existed in Europe.
SAM5TER5@reddit
Europe is strict on all sorts of things, and in many examples the U.S. is still decidedly superior on various freedoms/liberties/rights, including in our implementation.
For starters, Europe is a LOT more than just Western Europe, and even Western Europe is far from being a monolith. For whatever reason, Americans like to glorify the hell out of Europe as if ANY of it is some kind of progressive utopia…when in reality each country has just as many massive issues as any other first-world nation. Some issues are the same, some are very different.
European countries are the ones that professionally inflicted centuries of terror, exploitation, and atrocities against the rest of the world, and fairly recently too. It’s also home to the original Nazi’s, and many of the world’s worst and most cruel dictators. Racism and xenophobia are very much alive and well, and a large number of populist bullies like Trump were successfully elected into office all over Europe.
LinuxLinus@reddit
Europeans like to do that to themselves and act as though the US has a monopoly on basically anything bad -- to the point of having caused most of the bad things in their own countries. It's deeply obnoxious.
boulevardofdef@reddit
Trump in fact explicitly tried to tie himself to Brexit in 2016, even referring to himself repeatedly as "Mr. Brexit." The message was that he was going to bring a successful European right-wing movement to America.
cohrt@reddit
Hell Britain is responsible for how fucked up a lot of the world is thanks to their colonial shenanigans and the arbitrary borders the drew up.
PAXICHEN@reddit
Two words: Belgian Congo
6BakerBaker6@reddit
What is the US superior in as far as freedoms/liberties/rights?
transportgeek@reddit
Ironically? Abortion. Europe is much stitcher than the US. Andorra forbides abortions period. No exceptions. Malta had the same law until 2023 when they made limited exceptions. Even in countries where it is legal, it tends to be much more restricted. Roe v. Wade died due to a 15 week ban in Mississippi. Portugal has a 10 week ban, for example.
Janeiac1@reddit
Cannabis. Did you read the OP that you are commenting under?
Also free speech, right to assemble, free press, right to redress in court (first amendment to the constitution) and guns (second amendment).
gcalfred7@reddit
1st Amendment.....there is nothing like it in Europe.
Rodic87@reddit
America doesn't have a monopoly on racists or racial injustice.
soul_separately_recs@reddit
agreed. it’s baffling that there would even be a debate about this.
however…
It may not be a monopoly - but at the very least - it’s a controlling interest.
The u.s. was built by being racist and did it with audacity
Savilly@reddit
America learned it from somewhere.
cat_prophecy@reddit
If you think that race doesn't drive any legislation in Europe then, boy have I got bad news for you.
TheROL1@reddit
But was marijuana use ever strongly tied to minority racial groups in Europe?
Savilly@reddit
It’s from the Hindu Kush mountains.
They make EU hash in Morocco and Lebanon.
Yeah it’s a “brown” people thing.
pandymen@reddit
Yes. Hashish is tied to minority populations from the middle east. I can't say that I know the history of MJ law over there, but there's definitely a tie similar to the US.
Viktor_Bout@reddit
I'm saying specifically.
Did European politicians outlaw marijuana to disenfranchise gypsies and keep them from voting?
lokland@reddit
I mean much like the US, often indirectly yes. As directly and overtly? No.
Some_Cicada_8773@reddit
That's not what they said
Kielbasa_Nunchucka@reddit
economic factors played a part as well, trying to protect already established industries such as paper and textiles. race politics were certainly a large factor, but not the only one. definitely the most disgusting tho.
but that's part of our govt's system of control: if they can make you hate people because of the color of their skin, their language, their religion, etc, we ignore the real issue of wealth disparity. they (the rich and powerful) want us to fight each so that we don't start lookin up the totem pole for the real enemy of the common man. framing the upper classes as stewards of our nation and also an attainable goal keeps the rank and file citizen focused on the straw man.
and these marijuana-specific policies started way earlier than the 60s and 70s... more like the 10s thru the 30s. the high n mighty keeping their boots on our head has been going on for much longer; in fact, it was one of our first imports in the colonial days.
N-Y-R-D@reddit
All crimes are being watered down to alleviate the cost of prosecution.
IsThisDecent@reddit
In almost half of states, it is recreationally legal
gcalfred7@reddit
We are?
Intrepid_Arrival5151@reddit (OP)
We've made many legal firsts in Marijuana legalization for example, the first US state to authorize weed being used medically was in 1996 while the first European country to follow did so in 2003, the first state to allow recreational use was in 2012 and it took until 2021 for that milestone to be reached in Europe
Plow_King@reddit
i moved to CA in 1995. while that move was from NJ, i grew up and starting smoking weed in MO. i remember medical pot being on the first ballot i cast there in 1996 and figured that was a good omen.
big_sugi@reddit
I can personally guarantee you that Amsterdam allowed recreational use long before 2012.
Meowmeowmeow31@reddit
Um.
big_sugi@reddit
Yes. As that article says, you can go to Amsterdam, walk into a coffee shop, and order some cannabis for recreational use.
You might be thinking of this:
That rule is not enforced in Amsterdam.
Vincent Vega explained it all for you in 1994
Meowmeowmeow31@reddit
We are talking about states and countries, not cities.
big_sugi@reddit
Yes. Amsterdam is in the Netherlands. And commercial recreational marijuana use has existed in the Netherlands since 1976.
big_sugi@reddit
Most of Europe doesn’t have commercial recreational sales, which are becoming increasingly common in the US. Conversely, possession can still be a felony in many states. So, as usual, “the United States” is not a monolith.
Bcatfan08@reddit
It's only a felony in states if a person has over a certain amount. Usually an amount large enough that it wouldn't be seen as for personal use. Like an ounce or more. I think only Alabama has a felony for a lower amount, but that's for repeat offenders. For the most part, Marijuana has been decriminalized across the US if you have just a personal amount of Marijuana on you.
reflectorvest@reddit
It’s a complete patchwork, so not really. For example, I live in a state that doesn’t even have medical marijuana. I can order completely legal edibles online that are mailed to me, but if a cop found them in my home I could be arrested because my town has an ordinance against them. “But that’s not legal!” They don’t actually care.
Bcatfan08@reddit
Yeah but if you get caught, it's likely just a misdemeanor at most and you don't serve any time. Maybe just a good sized fine and at worst you'll have some community service and/or parole. Now if you keep getting caught or you have a large enough amount on you, that could be another thing and you could see jail time.
reflectorvest@reddit
And either way you have a criminal record you will have to disclose for the rest of your life, for something that is legal to have.
Intrepid_Arrival5151@reddit (OP)
Yes, keyword "generally"
2Asparagus1Chicken@reddit
Reminder Europe has 44 countries.
spongeboy1985@reddit
Depends on the state
Annethraxxx@reddit
*most states allow for either commercial or medical cannabis. 40/50. That’s a lot more lax than Europe.
FoolhardyBastard@reddit
We have more people from cultures where it is more commonly used. That was the reason for the prohibition in the first place… as we are meld together more and more opinions on it have changed a lot.
IsThisDecent@reddit
It is called Marijuana, a Mexican slang term, to make it sound more Mexican and therefore more scary
Plow_King@reddit
as someone who's be using cannabis for over 4 decades, i'm still surprised how legal it now is here.
legalize it, don't criticize it!
Aquarius_K@reddit
I always thought it was the opposite. My state just now approved medical use I think. I don't like it so I don't follow it too much lol. Isn't Dubai something to do with pot?
Janeiac1@reddit
You know how the rest of the world mocks the US notion of freedom?
Turns out it's actually real, not merely a belief.
Realtrain@reddit
It's a mixed bag. Do adults under the age of 21 have freedom to buy alcohol or cannabis in the US?
Do people from a growing minority of states of the freedom to browse pornography websites?
There are some things where the US concept of "freedom" is more than just talk, and other areas where it's completely ignored.
Punkinpry427@reddit
Fuck the govt telling me what plants I can and can’t have in my possession lol. This the only damn thing keeping me sane rn
Lchau_1268@reddit
My immediate thought was Amsterdam… I heard about the laxity there before it was ever legalized in the states 🤷🏻♀️
LopsidedGrapefruit11@reddit
Because our mandatory sentencing requirements ruined the lives of one too many kids of rich and powerful people.
Low_Plastic363@reddit
I was worried about it when it was first fully legalized in my US state. I imagined zombies in traffic all the time.
As it turns out, the people who used to smoke (vape, edible, whatever) a lot still smoke a lot. The people who didn't because it was illegal now have a gummy at a party or a vape they bring out on the weekends or late at night.
I've seen no negative impact, and people are drinking less. That's a win.
Hi_Im_Paul1706@reddit
Don’t do it Europe. Medical marijuana maybe good for many people. Recreational not so much.
himtnboy@reddit
Why? Pot shops here in Colorado are a background detail. No one notices them anymore.
Ppt_Sommelier69@reddit
Proximity… a lot of marijuana in the USA used to come from Latin America.
Aggressive-Emu5358@reddit
In the ancient times lol
himtnboy@reddit
I miss $35/quarter brick weed
Apprehensive-Log3638@reddit
Decades of grass root work and public education.
hornwalker@reddit
Yep, for most of our history we were not light on it.
CFBCoachGuy@reddit
I’d recommend a great book called, appropriately, Grass Roots, which details the history of both pro- and anti-marijuana activism in America
LobsterNo3435@reddit
Yep it's been there all along. Government had to give in some.
707Riverlife@reddit
Pun intended?
Nodeal_reddit@reddit
We have a lot of black people who really like weed.
Minimalistmacrophage@reddit
Until very recently.... it wasn't.
Federally and in some states it can still be quite harshly punished.
Annethraxxx@reddit
Pretty sure OP is asking about now and not “very recently”
Minimalistmacrophage@reddit
"Now" it can still be very harshly punished
https://themarijuanaherald.com/2025/01/states-with-the-harshest-marijuana-possession-laws/
Annethraxxx@reddit
You’re being incredibly obtuse. I have lived in multiple states where I can walk 5 min and buy weed in 15 different forms.
Meowmeowmeow31@reddit
Biden pardoned everyone in federal prison for marijuana possession alone.
Minimalistmacrophage@reddit
True. But Trump rescinded the leniency policy in possession cases instituted under Biden.
pmonichols@reddit
I think federalism is the primary reason, and the fact that the federal government only has constitutional authority over interstate commerce and absolutely no authority over intrastate commerce. Most of Europe are unitary states without these critical nuances, so they don't really have the "laboratory of democracy" that allows different states to try different policies.
baddspellar@reddit
It's not legal at the federal level, and recreational use is only legal in 24 of the 50 states.
Icy_Consideration409@reddit
“Only”
How many European nations have legal rec?
Careless_Studio_1293@reddit
Most of the US is not. It’s really only a handful of states that are leading the charge. They just happen to be large, highly populated ones.
SugarReyPalpatine@reddit
Handful? Marijuana is legal in some form in 24 states. Almost exactly half. That’s not just a handful.
Careless_Studio_1293@reddit
Mostly medically. I’m talking about the states where recreational use is decriminalized as well.
IndependentMemory215@reddit
Why not google this before commenting with false information twice?
Adelaidey@reddit
Where do you get your information, chatGPT? You're way off.
scruzgurl@reddit
24 recreationally 40 medicinally
Intrepid_Arrival5151@reddit (OP)
Most of those states are the densely populated coastal ones at that
Remarkable_Ship_4673@reddit
No
That is 24 recreational
It's like 39 medical
SchroedingersSphere@reddit
Yes, and it's still Federally illegal, which can still result in charges.
Boopa0011@reddit
It's far more than half of the population, as well.
TaterTotJim@reddit
Most of the USA has legal access to marijuana.
There are only 8 states where you can’t smoke weed.
LunarVolcano@reddit
Not sure but it’s one of the few things here that’s better than 10 years ago
Duque_de_Osuna@reddit
I do t know that we are. At least on a federal level. Some states have legalized it with a prescription and a few fully legalized it, but it’s illegal in a lot of states. I think it also depends on where in Europe. I know pretty much anything goes in the Netherlands but is it the same everywhere?
alxfx@reddit
I think a lot of commenters on this post are a decade or two off-base with their marijuana knowledge.
Marijuana is legal for medicinal use in 40 states, and recreational use in 24.
I wouldn't necessarily call half of the country "a few states".
As for Europe, recreational use is technically legal in Czechia, Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg - but it is highly controlled and not at all the same idea of "free use" as we have here in the US
ch4nt@reddit
We are not nearly that lax on marijuana. The fact that there are immense statewide differences in marijuana here does not make us a lax country. Canada would be a better comparison point.
P00PooKitty@reddit
Europeans have been weirdly anti-weed for millennia and went all in on alcohol.
AfterAllBeesYears@reddit
Do you know if there are ways for citizens to put legalization on a ballot? Because that's how the first states got medical, and later, recreational use legalized. After enough states legalized, it was both less taboo and it was just easier for people to travel to get it, that other states followed suit.
Not all states could have citizen led initiatives that put the issue onto a ballot. But some of those states had politicians that were willing to bring it up themselves, since it was less taboo and supporting legalization wouldn't be a career killer like it was in the past.
sobeboy3131_@reddit
My impression was always that Europe was more lax. Keep in mind it is still illegal many places in the US, and there are a lot of people in jail in the US because of weed...
big_sugi@reddit
Europe was more lax. Cannabis was pretty much always “legal” in Amsterdam, but by the early 2000s, it had been decriminalized in multiple other places and is now decriminalized (either de jure or de facto) most of the EU countries.
Cannabis is not, however, commercially available for recreational use anywhere other than the Netherlands, and only the Czech Republic, Germany, and Luxembourg allow limited non-profit distribution for recreational use. Conversely, ~24 US states now allow recreational sales. (In Virginia, possession and use has been legal for years, but we’re about to start commercial sales, and DC has the “gifting” work around where you buy a sticker or something for $20 and they give you an eighth for free.)
sobeboy3131_@reddit
Huh, interesting. Are Europeans involved in big campaigns to "legalize it" like Americans have done in the past?
DrMindbendersMonocle@reddit
We dont think that
pickledplumber@reddit
America has less sense.
CandidateHefty329@reddit
Alcohol lobbyists?
___coolcoolcool@reddit
This was my first (and only, really) thought as well. It’s not like we don’t have alcohol lobbyists of our own, but I would imagine centuries-old wine and spirits makers have a different grasp on public governance than here in the states.
cheekmo_52@reddit
I don’t think that. Amsterdam is in Europe, is it not?
beauh44x@reddit
Amsterdam was a beacon for American weed smokers long before any sates legalized. But I get what the OP is saying
purplehorseneigh@reddit
Okay correct me if I am wrong, but for starters, isn’t marijuana native to the americas? that could be at least a little a part of it first of all
WhatABeautifulMess@reddit
You’re thinking of tobacco, I believe.
SaltandLillacs@reddit
it’s native to Central Asia
MetroBS@reddit
Generally yes
Angry_GorillaBS@reddit
Didn't know they were. I actually assumed the opposite.
I just naturally expect the US to be way behind on everything I guess.
Bcatfan08@reddit
I think people are realizing if you have legalized alcohol, then criminalized Marijuana makes no sense. A drunk person is a much worse hazard than a high person. Marijuana was originally criminalized and vilified a century ago because the cigarette and alcohol industries didn't want another industry encroaching on their sales. They paid politicians a lot of money to make sure Marijuana was out of the picture. At least for as long as they could. People now realize that and know that it isn't a terrible drug.
Our country has been pretty prone to specific industries paying politicians to pass off something completely unproven as a fact. Like for a century we were told breakfast is the most important meal of the day when it actually isn't all that important. That was an idea the cereal industry pushed hard. It isn't bad to have breakfast, but we've associated breakfast with a very unhealthy food, which causes our population to want sugary unhealthy food every day. One of the reasons why we have such a big weight problem in the US.
sjedinjenoStanje@reddit
Americans are less uptight than Europeans*.
*Except for sexual matters and even then American prudes are a very specific but politically powerful group.
HyperXanadu@reddit
tell that to the tons of people serving time for it
SpiritualPurple8659@reddit
Capitalism.
OkayDay21@reddit
Idk but a lot of people like smoking pot and a lot of people are making a lot of money off of it. I think that has something to do with it.
Annethraxxx@reddit
The tax revenue actually isn’t that good because it’s not federally legal and therefore requires a ton of hurdles and fees to keep the shops open. Check it out, but more and more pot shops are illegally operating because of the federal restrictions, which limits tax revenue.
quitealargeorangecat@reddit
Philly decriminalized weed a while ago and has recreational dispensaries though.
Giverherhell@reddit
Because a substantial portion of our population supports the use of it + there are some health benefits.
Worriedrph@reddit
Because freedom
El_Culero_Magnifico@reddit
Depends on the country and depends on the US state. Your question is way too general.
Live_Book_4551@reddit
This and this.
Aggressive-Emu5358@reddit
I have to agree because of location, even the birds here are high. But the rest of the country… absolutely not
Own-Appointment1633@reddit
A combination of economic (needed tax revenues) and state powers — the federal government never would have allowed it first.
buried_lede@reddit
Because we have some left over cool from the jazz and beats and hippy generations that we hid from Reagan
blking@reddit
Depends on the state, but as whole..no. When I lived in Poland, I smelled pot everywhere and saw people light up in front of cops . No one cared.
KartFacedThaoDien@reddit
Sounds like Oklahoma.
Perfect_Storm_425@reddit
Cuz we all high as a kite
furie1335@reddit
depends on the state.
localjargon@reddit
🤑🤑🤑
AutoModerator@reddit
This subreddit is for civil discussion; political threads are not exempt from this. As a reminder:
Do not report comments because they disagree with your point of view.
Do not insult other users. Personal attacks are not permitted.
Do not use hate speech. You will be banned, permanently.
Comments made with the intent to push an agenda, push misinformation, soapbox, sealion, or argue in bad faith are not acceptable. If you can’t discuss a topic in good faith and in a respectful manner, do not comment. Political disagreement does not constitute pushing an agenda.
If you see any comments that violate the rules, please report it and move on!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.