(Newswire.net — March 3, 2020) — A brand new year brings with it a whole host of new laws across the United States, which citizens need to be aware of. There are big changes in various states, as more local governments look to ease up on laws regarding marijuana consumption. Another significant move is for the benefit of the environment, with plastic bags being outlawed in a vast number of jurisdictions across the nation. In addition to those moves, Americans should be aware of new gambling legislation.
Environmentally Friendly Changes
The world is finally starting to wake up to the fact that big changes need to be made if we are to save the planet from irreparable damage in the next few decades. The world’s population produced 320 million tons of plastic in 2016, and this figure could double by 2034 according to www.sas.org.uk. With the man-made material being a major threat to marine life, environmentalists like Greta Thunberg are trying to raise awareness of this catastrophic problem.
According to research from the www.theguardian.com, the US is way behind a number of other developed countries when it comes to the recycling of plastic waste. The government has identified this as something which needs to be rectified, which is why new laws regarding plastic are going to be enforced in 2020.
American shoppers are going to need to get used to bringing their reusable bags with them when they go shopping, as single-use plastics could soon be facing a nationwide ban. The latest state to introduce this new law is Oregon, with New Mexico also planning to bring in a similar initiative.
Biggest Gambling Laws Changing for 2020 in the USA
Gambling laws across the US vary greatly from state to state, with only Nevada and Louisiana allowing for casino gambling statewide. When it comes to online gambling and betting, a lot of states have had strict legislation up to now which prevents this sort of activity. But calls for an easing up of these laws are getting louder, with a number of states and governments beginning to take note.
There are currently ten states in which online gambling is legal, and these include California, Delaware, and Iowa. When players from these states go online, they will find that they can access the best online slots at sites like www.slotsofvegas.com. But if residents try to access it in states like Alabama, where online gambling is still illegal, the site will come up with a restricted message. On top of online gambling, sports betting is becoming more widespread, with 19 states now allowing bettors to stake on certain markets online.
A number of bills were passed in 2019 which legalized sports betting in Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, and Montana among others. This could spark other states to follow suit throughout 2020. With online gambling bringing in such high revenues worldwide, it is hard for local governments to ignore the benefits of legalizing it.
New States to Legalize Marijuana
Ever since Colorado and Washington became the first two states to legalize recreational marijuana use in 2012, other parts of the country have gradually been following in their footsteps. Now, medicinal marijuana is legal across 33 states, and it is allowed for recreational purposes in eleven. The rise in the number of states which have loosened up their laws on the drug has been swift in the last few years, with more to come in 2020.
Governors in a number of key states have expressed their openness towards the recreational use of cannabis, and it is thought that most of these are working on legislation which will make the drug legal in 2020. These states include New York, New Mexico, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. In other states, advocates of marijuana legislation are working on getting signatures in an effort to push a bill forward. Some of the states said to be working on this include Montana, Florida, Arizona, and Arkansas.
The states in which marijuana is already legal have proved that moves to decriminalize the drug have been successful. This trial period has allowed other states to examine the effects it has had and make plans to replicate the laws.
Aside from these huge changes, which could have an effect on some of the country’s biggest industries, there are a few minor laws that US citizens would be wise to take note of. One of these is that in a lot of places it will be a crime to text while driving, with Florida and Massachusetts being two places where this will happen. Another traffic law coming into place is that cyclists will be allowed to breeze through stop signs in Oregon.