Marijuana has been in the news lately since two states, Colorado and Washington, voted to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Currently, these are the only two states to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Twenty states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana. Iowa, at this time, has decided not to legalize medical marijuana, despite many Iowans advocating for the legalization of this drug. Iowa is taking a cautious approach to medical marijuana. Medical marijuana has been proven to help relieve seizures, manage pain, nausea, and improve quality of life for people with certain medical conditions. Regulating medical marijuana will keep the drug safe by overseeing its cultivation and sale and will produce much-needed revenue for Iowa and other states. President Obama said in an interview with The New Yorker (Renick) magazine: "As has been well documented, I smoked weed as a child and I consider it a bad habit and a vice." . The president believes that marijuana is no more dangerous than alcohol or tobacco. The Obama administration gave states permission to experiment with marijuana regulation. The inconsistent number of arrests and incarcerations of minorities for marijuana use bothers President Obama. Users should not be locked up for long periods of time because they are poor and don't have the resources to hire a decent lawyer. (Chokshi) Colorado, on January 1, 2014, legalized the sale of marijuana for recreational purposes. Washington state will begin selling recreational marijuana later this spring. California is set to hold a statewide referendum to legalize marijuana in 2014. California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom believes pot (marijuana) should be legal in the Golden State. ..d Sara Weisfeldt. "10 Things to Know About the Nation's First Recreational Marijuana Stores in Colorado." CNN. Cable News Network, January 1, 2014. Web. March 15, 2014.Renick, David. “Keep the distance”. The New Yorker. The New Yorker, January 27, 2014. Web. March 3, 2014. Salomon, Christopher. “Legal pot could save the U.S. billions.” MSNMmoney. MSN, June 5, 2012. Web. March 3, 2014. Associated Press. “Colorado adopts regulations for growing hemp.” -The Denver Post. Np, January 2, 2014. Web. March 22, 2014. Tislinger, Sarah. "To welcome!" Muscatine Journal. Muscatine Journal, February 27, 2014. Web. March 17, 2014. Various sources. “Hemp could save America.” Hemp – could save America. Np, February 25, 2004. Web. March 3, 2014 Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. “Most Iowans approve of the medical use of marijuana.” Muscatine Journal. Muscatine Journal, March 22, 2014. Web. March 22. 2014.