IndexThe criminal justice system and legalization of marijuanaMarijuana should be legalized throughout the United StatesWorks CitedOne of the most extensive debates of the last decade is the topic of marijuana. There has been some debate as to whether it should be legalized or not. However, many countries have legalized the drug after extensive research due to its potential economic and social effects that could accumulate if used in a well-controlled environment. One of the countries that has been at the forefront of this debate is the United States. Colorado was one of many states in the United States that legalized recreational marijuana. However, medicinal marijuana has been used in the healthcare sector for a long time. The legalization of marijuana has had some economic and social impacts on the public. According to Light et al., the state of Colorado reports a total of $996 million in sales, a total of $2.39 billion in economic benefits, and as many as 18,005 jobs in economic impact in the year alone. 2015 (1 ). That's a lot of revenue generated by a single state. Perhaps this is why many states have considered legalizing marijuana in other states as well. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Socially, marijuana legalization has reduced criminal charges among marijuana defendants, thus saving on fines, legal fees, lost days of work as well as asset seizures for those convicted of marijuana use. As a result, it has helped the state's disadvantaged communities by repairing broken families and increasing social mobility in the state (Evans, 7). Significantly, crime rates resulting from marijuana use have dropped to nearly zero percent in Colorado. A more positive attribute is that marijuana legalization has significantly reduced the use of other hard drugs in the state, such as opioids, which are more harmful and can easily cause death. The Criminal Justice System and Legalization of MarijuanaAfter the legalization of marijuana, a myriad of challenges arose in the criminal justice system in the state of Colorado, among other states, that needed to be addressed amicably. So far, enforcement policies have not been entirely effective. There were many cases of drugged driving, which posed a significant risk to the people of Colorado. There was a need to apply laws that took into account driving under the influence of drugs; otherwise the cases of accidents reported would be many every day. Additionally, there has been an increase in criminal activity among marijuana sellers as sellers try to outdo each other through the creation of a drug territory. The state of Colorado has benefited immensely from the legalization of marijuana. In 2014, the state economy grew just 3.5%. However, sales grew by 42.4%, thus outpacing all other industries in Colorado (Light et al., 6). In the form of taxes, revenue collected from the sale of marijuana was the second largest after tobacco in 2015. Revenue in terms of taxes was $63.4 million in 2015, and in 2015 it was $121 million. dollars (Luce et al., 10). Therefore, the marijuana business in Colorado seems to be booming, and an increase in the number of marijuana establishments is possible in the near future. The legalization of marijuana hasn't come without its problems either. For example, in the state of Colorado there has been an increase in cannabis use, (2016): 25.