As Marijuana Becomes Legal in More U.S. States, Alcohol Sales are Challenged

Marijuana still remains illegal under United States federal law. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) recently and arrogantly turned down two petitions to remove marijuana from the schedule 1 of the Control Substance Act (CSA). Removal of marijuana from schedule 1 of the CSA would have enabled more people to grow the plant for research purposes. This would have ultimately ensured federal legal status for the plant.

However, it is now obvious to the majority of Americans that the federal government and the DEA are being manipulated into not allowing the removal of marijuana from schedule 1 of the CSA. There are industries and institutions that have teamed up, working hard to ensure that the plant remains illegal under federal law.

We have all the names of industries and government institutions that are manipulating the DEA and politicians into this position. Already, we have exposed some, and will continue to expose the rest.

For this instance, we are pointing the finger at the alcohol industry.

The alcohol industry is one of the main opponents fighting to keep marijuana illegal under federal law, and in some states. The industry spent more monies lobbying and bribing politicians in Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., in order to keep the plant illegal. States who want to defy the federal ban on the plant are constantly being lobbied by the alcohol industry never to do so.  Back in 2010, the California Beer & Beverage Distributors contributed $10,000 in campaign contributions to a committee working to prevent the passing of Proposition 19, which would have legalized and taxed marijuana. There is only one reason the alcohol industry does this: It fears competition. Yet, irrespective of the laws, the marijuana users population in the United States is fast growing.

Recently, a new poll by Gallup revealed that the percentage of American adults who smoke marijuana has nearly doubled in three years. According to the poll, published in August 2016, among the American adults who participated in the survey, one in eight – representing 13% of the respondents used in the poll – reported current marijuana use. In 2013, the same Gallup poll revealed that 7% of American adults smoke marijuana. This means the figure nearly doubled within the last three years, since the first study was conducted.

At the same time marijuana users are increasing at a dramatic rate, users of alcohol beverages are dwindling. In the video below, it gives you statistics explaining how many American citizens are quitting alcohol beverages for marijuana. People are choosing something that will improve their health over the one that will damage it.

This has become a big worry for the alcohol industry. It is still pressing politicians never to, at the very least, lift the federal marijuana ban.

But for marijuana advocates, the surge in the use of marijuana is good news, and a sign that the federal ban on the plant will soon collapse.  According to advocates, the surge in the use of the plant in the country is highly influenced by public knowledge that the plant has a medicinal value. Recently, a study published in the journal Health Affairs revealed that legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes helped the United States save up to $165.2 million in medical care costs in 2013 alone.

Currently in the United States, 24 out of the 50 states have legalized medical marijuana. Other states are also pushing for the plant to be legalized for the same purpose. In November this year, some states will be voting to make changes to their marijuana laws. Recently, the State of Washington announced that it will defy federal law by issuing licenses to private laboratories in the state, enabling them to grow the plant for scientific study.

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