States vs. Nation in the Legalization of Marijuana

On July 15, 2017, Avantika Chilkoti, posted an article on New York Times, titled "States Keep Saying Yes to Marijuana Use. Now Comes the Federal No." Attorney General Jeff Sessions (who has compared marijuana to heroin), has hired a task force to review a link between marijuana use and violence, as eight states have now legalized the drug for medical and recreational use. He is backed by a small amount of Americans who believe that marijuana is a gateway drug, and even go as far to say using marijuana is self destructive behavior. Others who support the use of marijuana claim that it curbs the black market and stops money laundering. Though parts of the federal government are trying to crack down against marijuana use, the overall increasing popularity of it should ease the worries of those in the marijuana business. I think this article is worth reading because it focuses on federalism and the separation of powers between national government and state government, and gives a real example of how federalism is being divided in present times. It also helps those to understand the increasing popularity and use of recreational and/or medical marijuana.