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Claire Trygstad Mr. Bennion AP GOPO 7 December 2013 Regulating Marijuana: State vs. National Governments

It has been a controversy in recent years as to whether it is the responsibility of the state or the federal government to regulate marijuana usage in the United States. However, it would be much more logical if the state governments would regulate marijuana practice within their own sates. States should be able to impose whatever policies necessary for the well-being of their citizens. They should be able to set whatever marijuana policies work best to improve the public safety and health of their communities. It is undeniably the power of the states to regulate the usage of marijuana within the United States. It is the responsibility of the state government to determine whether or not they allow marijuana to be used by their citizens for medical or recreational usage. Each state should have the right to experiment with different policy ideas. The only reason the federal government would need to get involved is to decide whether marijuana should be taxed at a medical or recreational rate. It should be completely up to the state governments to decide if their inhabitants can use marijuana. The federal government used the Necessary and Proper Clause and the Commerce Clause to establish the ruling that marijuana is illegal in the United States. They declared that marijuana significantly impacts the environment, school scores and drop-out rates, accident and vehicle fatality rates, employee productivity, etc. Those in favor of the federal government say that marijuana has too many negative effects for it to be legalized in the United States. However, as a result of the reserved powers clause, any power not specified to the federal government is reserved as a power to the state governments. Nowhere is it written that the federal government has the power to regulate marijuana, so, the use of the Necessary and Proper Clause and the Commerce Clause is invalid.

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Subsequently, the state governments should be the ones who have the power to regulate the usage of marijuana in the United States. The federal government should not be able to override the power of the state governments in regard to the use of marijuana. Each state should be allowed to try out new guidelines and policies for their residents. State governments should be allowed to control the utilization of marijuana within their own territories because it is a power that is reserved to them.