Two American states, Colorado and Washington, have passed laws which allow marijuana to be used for recreational use. Since this has never happened in the United States, many are wondering how it will affect our nation. I have a few questions of my own: How is the sale of marijuana going to affect society? Will it be beneficial for society or will it have a negative effect because of it’s initial prohibition? Over the past decade, more than twenty states have legalized marijuana medically, permitting doctors to prescribe patients with illnesses such as epilepsy, glaucoma, and nausea. Even though marijuana is a pharmaceutical drug, many users smoke marijuana to enjoy it recreationally. My research on this subject incorporated finding the positives and negatives of legally selling marijuana for recreational use. To fully comprehend this debate, I found academic journals, and articles comparing negative and positive effects of marijuana taxation and influence to society. Finishing my research, I see myself leaning towards pro-marijuana if it benefits society by bringing in revenue even though marijuana can be harmful for a user. Upon doing research I found that legal marijuana sales will be taxed by the government. My first step when researching was to study the business aspect of marijuana. I wanted to be well acquainted with the finances and the laws regulating marijuana sales. In The Washington Times Valerie Richardson discusses the taxation on medical marijuana in 2009. Although the article is out-dated, Richardson discusses the positive effects of taxing marijuana sales. Another interesting source I found was “Tax Planning for Marijuana Dealers,” by Benjamin Moses Leff. This was an interesting article because it gave me insight into how colorado taxes marijuana dealers. Like other states that legally sell marijuana, Iowa plans to tax approximately 35% to all marijuana retail dealers (Leff 531). Some of the 35% tax revenue is