Two months ago, marijuana for recreational use was banned across the United States. But as of Election Day, the people of Colorado and Washington changed this.

Taking their constituents’ opinions into consideration, both states have recently passed amendments regarding the legalization of America’s favorite illegal drug.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper released a statement pledging to follow through with this amendment.

“The voters have spoken and we have to respect their will,” he said. “…Federal law still says marijuana is an illegal drug, so don’t break out the Cheetos and Goldfish too quickly.”

Although there is some speculation, it is unclear how the federal government will respond.

But in a government that is for the people and by the people, shouldn’t the people have a say in the law?

Well, it seems that the people have spoken.

According to the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 16.7 million Americans aged 12 and older used weed at least once in the month prior to the survey. To put that in perspective for you, that is more than twice as many people as live in New York City.

It is clear that whether the government likes it or not, Americans love weed.

But there is still debate.

Jason Hanna, associate professor in the Department of Philosophy, objectively outlined the two main arguments of this issue.

The side supporting the legalization of marijuana is what Hanna calls the strong libertarian argument. “Libertarian like to say, ‘You can do whatever you want with your body as long as it doesn’t harm anyone else,” Hanna said.

According to Hanna, the main argument against marijuana is, “people who smoke marijuana harm themselves and that can be a reason to ban it.”

There will always be arguments on drug prohibition, but in my view, this act of law is not about legalizing marijuana. It is about listening to the people.

For years, there has been debate over marijuana, and according to a 2011 Gallup survey, 50 percent of Americans approve of its legalization.

Considering this, legalizing marijuana is a fairly simple issue.

A democratic government asked its citizens for their opinion. They answered and a law was passed. Whether the federal government will take the same action is uncertain.

However, Washington and Colorado showed that the common man can still make a difference in history. We can still affect change.

So, in the end, this issue is not just about marijuana or drug prohibition. It’s about democracy. It’s about you.