Legalization of marijuana

Emily's post "Should marijuana be legal or not ?" can be found here

It is definitely time for the United States do decriminalize marijuana. Over the past years, the U.S has spent billions fighting a pointless war on marijuana. This is due to tens of thousands that have been imprisoned due to possession of the substance. In order to get to the point where recreational use of cannabis is legal, we have to take baby steps. We have to begin by reducing the penalties for possession just like other governments have begun doing. Only then can we begin to think about using it for medicinal purposes and so on. As for those who like to abuse the drug, we should treat them just as any nicotine addict. Get them help and not incarcerate them. Study's show that those who imprisoned for a crime are far more likely to commit the crime again, leading use to a circular slippery slope. Isn't it ironic how a partnership for a drug-free America has been largely funded by cigarette, alcohol and pharmaceutical companies? Thousands of Americans die every year from taking ibuprofen and aspiring yet no one on congress has ever called for a war on pharmaceutical drugs such as Advil. I'd also like to affirm the fact that in over decades of recorded use no one has overdosed on marijuana.

Should we raise the federal minimum wage

  Raising the national minimum wage has been a matter that many liberals have fought for many years. While I do believe that the minimum wage should be raised I don't think that it should immediately go up 15 dollars an hour. While there are currently some states that have successfully managed to raised their wage to $15, I don't believe that it's the case for all of the rest. Companies, especially smaller ones need time to adapt, so if a state goes from $7.25 directly to $15 then there will be a backlash of negative repercussions. Employers will be forced to cut workers hours or lay off employees. Another valid concern would be that fast food chains will push automated technology. From this perspective raising the minimum wage directly to 15 would only be counterproductive to those in poverty. There would be more competition for low skilled jobs leaving more people in poverty. However, that's not to say that the current minimum wage is acceptable. The Congressional Budget office has stated that an increase to a $10.10 wage would remove 900,00 people out of poverty. Perhaps a smarter approach would be to gradually increase depending on the state. For example, Seattle is currently a state with a minimum wage of $15 dollars an hour. They have gradually increased over time from $9 and hour. There is no simple answer to raising the minimum wage. Both the negatives and positives have to be considered when making a decision. Each state has drastically different economic factors that widely vary from state to state.