Social Stratification and the Decriminalization of MarijuanaSocioeconomic status is a measure of social stratification that is demonstrated in recent support for legislation favoring the legal use and possession of marijuana . Before Initiative 502 was signed into law in Washington State, there was little legislative support for legalizing the recreational use of marijuana. Previous initiatives in Washington have not had the level of popular support that Initiative 502 has enjoyed. This initiative has been openly supported by mayors, senators, state representatives, religious leaders, professors, law enforcement, and medical professionals (New Approach, 2012). These supporters enjoyed power, property, and prestige as a result of their elected status, financial well-being, professions, and community roles. The socioeconomic status of these supporters brought with it the demonstrated support of a certain class of society and gave a certain level of respect and legitimacy to the initiative. The President of the United States also weighed in on the topic, commenting that the federal government should not target marijuana users who comply with state laws, and that "you've seen voters talk about this issue." From the theory of social stratification regarding the micro- From the perspective of the meso and macro level, the outcome of the legalization of marijuana could make a notable difference on the outlook of children when they become adults. From a micro-level perspective, children growing up in the Ocean Hill/Brownsville borough of New York City are over 150 times more likely to see their parents arrested for marijuana possession than in the Upper East Side borough of the same borough. city ​​(Brooklyn Rail...... middle of document ...... Retrieved from: http://www.brooklynrail.org/2011/10/local/marijuana-arrests-gateway-into-the-criminal- justice-systemChang, Alisa, WNYC, Police Commissioner Calls on NYPD to Stop Improper Marijuana Arrests, 2011. Retrieved from: http://www.wnyc.org/story/160516-police-commissioner-calls -nypd-stop-improper- marijuana-arrests/US Code, 21 US Code § 812 - Controlled Substance Schedules, 1970. Retrieved from: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/21/812Gustafson, Craig, Donald Abrams, Md: Evidence-Based Effectiveness of the Medical Use of Cannabis, 2013. Retrieved from: http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.trident.edu:2048/docview/1463113438Weir, Robert, Historical Journal of Massachusetts, The Specter of Salem: Remembering the Witch Trials in Nineteenth-Century America, 2012. Retrieved from: http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.trident.edu:2048/docview/1027932439