Social Stratification and Marijuana DecriminalizationSocioeconomic status is a measure of social stratification manifested in recent support for legislation promoting the legal use and possession of marijuana. Prior to the passage of Initiative 502 in Washington State, there was little legislative support for legalizing the recreational use of marijuana. Previous initiatives in Washington had not enjoyed the level of popular support that Initiative 502 enjoyed. This initiative was openly supported by mayors, senators, state representatives, religious leaders, professors, law enforcement and health professionals (New Approach, 2012). These followers enjoyed power, property, and prestige because of their elected status, financial well-being, profession, and role in the community. The socio-economic status of these supporters provided demonstrated support from a certain class of society and conferred a certain level of respect and legitimacy to the initiative. Even the President of the United States has spoken out on the issue, noting that the federal government should not target marijuana users in compliance with state laws, and that "you've seen voters speak out on this issue ". From social stratification theory regarding micro- and macro-level perspectives, the outcome of marijuana legalization could make a significant difference on children's prospects as they become adults. From a microeconomic perspective, children growing up in the Ocean Hill/Brownsville neighborhood of New York are more than 150 times more likely to have their parents arrested for marijuana possession than in the Upper East neighborhood. Side of the same city (Brooklyn Rail...... middle of paper...... 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 19th Century America, 2012. Retrieved from: http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.trident.edu:2048/docview/1027932439