From Spirit Science, October 5, 2015
On October first, Oregon became the third state to legalize the recreational use of cannabis. Dispensaries in Oregon have started selling recreational marijuana to the public, after less than a year since the bill passed. The bill allows Oregon to join the two states where recreational marijuana sales are already legal in Colorado and Washington.
A similar bill has been passed in both Alaska and Washington, D.C., although the Alaskan government is still working out the details, while D.C.’s laws only legalized the possession of weed, not the selling of it. 
Medical marijuana had been legal in Oregon since 1998, but now anyone without a doctors note can buy up to a quarter-ounce per day.
There is an incredibly large market for marijuana that greatly helps pay to keep our societal systems running smoothly. There are already 345 medical marijuana dispensaries in the state, yet only about 200 of them are actually registered.
“Recreational sales will be untaxed throughout the rest of this year, with a sales tax of 25% set to be added in January after regulators determine the framework for taxing recreational pot. When that framework is finalized, the state is likely to receive a boost in tax revenues.
In Colorado, where recreational sales have been legal since the start of 2014, the state collected more money in marijuana taxes in its last fiscal year than it did from taxes on alcohol sales, with a chunk of the cash coming from an excise tax earmarked for public school construction projects.”1
Cannabis is still illegal on the federal level, but the number of states starting to legalize this plant is growing quickly! Voters in a few states such as Arizona, California, Maine, and Nevada — are expected to vote on legalizing recreational marijuana sales.
On the Oregon’s government site have a series of questions answering why the decided to legalize the plant.
“Q: What is the purpose of legalizing recreational marijuana?
A: As stated in Measure 91, the purpose of the Act is to:
- Eliminate the problems caused by the prohibition and uncontrolled manufacture, delivery, and possession of marijuana within this state;
Protect the safety, welfare, health, and peace of the people of this state by prioritizing the state’s limited law enforcement resources in the most effective, consistent, and rational way…” 2
With the abundance of studies that show the positive effects of cannabis, more people are waking up to it’s true benefits. Many had been under the impression that it kills brain cells because of old, out dated studies, but new studies show quite the opposite.
When we legalize a plant that so many have gone to jail for and taxpayers money had been spent on; everyone wins. Our focus shifts to the real problems our world is experiencing; this plant helps us wake up to that reality.
Openhearted Rebellion 