Legalization of Marijuana

Legalization of Marijuana

Introduction

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), marijuana is one of the most abused illicit drugs in the USA, with its popularity rising yearly. SAMHSA reports that of the 27 million Americans aged 12, and above, 82% of them reported having used illicit marijuana in the past month. The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy says further that the average age of first abuse of marijuana in America is 17.5 years old. The white house further reports that 50% of Americans have reportedly tried marijuana use at different points of their lives. With these statistics, Marijuana legalization has become one of the most controversial debates in several countries, including the US and the UK. Research indicates that for the first time in history, over 55% of Americans are in favor of the legalization of marijuana than criminizaling it. So far, over seven US states have passed ballot initiatives to end marijuana prohibitions and usher in a legal for the profit marijuana industry.

On the other hand, Uruguay has also gone the extra mile to experiment nation-wide legalization of marijuana. The Netherlands has since legalized the sale of cannabis through retail sales but restricted commercial production of the same. Washington recently passed an initiative to allow for home production and personal possession of marijuana. These moves, among others, shows how serious the debate on marijuana is. Regarding the legalization of marijuana, some several reasons and options must be clarified, including information surrounding the use of marijuana, benefits and dangers of marijuana, and other hosts of regulatory details. All these determine how the state should go about the formalization of the marijuana business and eventually displacing the illicit market. This paper explores the legalization of marijuana by determining the benefits, costs, and dangers of marijuana. It further gives a call for action to the state regarding marijuana legalization.

A Review of Recent Marijuana Policy

In the 1960s, marijuana was highly prohibited in the US with those convicted of growing, selling, or owning even a small portion subject to a sentence of incarceration. However, since the late 1970s to date, over 12 states have reduced or scrapped completely penalties surrounding possession and usage of marijuana. With these trends, many have been forced to believe that it is just a matter of time before the state fully legalizes marijuana. There has been a rapid rise in the usage of marijuana among Americans since 1970, an event that has forced America to decriminalize possession of marijuana in small amounts. So far, several states allow the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes; however, with several provisions on supply and usage of the drug (Caulkins et al. 865). States such as Colorado allow medicinal marijuana through marijuana dispensaries, where they offer expansive definitions of conditions that justify access to cannabis for medicinal purposes.

With the growing debate on whether or not to legalize marijuana, there is evidence that public perception towards cannabis has changed in the last three decades. In the 1960s only 12 % supported the legalization of the drug, but this has since risen to over 50% in 2016. The increase in support is as a result of its associated medicinal benefits (Caulkins, Michael, and Anna 4). Today several Americans see the drug as less harmful as they saw it 20 years ago. Ideally, admission of previous two American presidents to have used marijuana at some point of their lives has somehow played an influential role in the increased American usage of cannabis. While the federal still has its prohibitions on use, possession, distribution and production of marijuana, the US Department of Justice maintains that it will tolerate state-legal marijuana activities as long as the states have necessary regulatory systems that, prevent use of marijuana to enrich gang enterprise, prevent drugged driving, prevent violence, prevent its distribution to minors, prevent growing of marijuana on federal land, and prevent all health consequences associated to the drug.

Costs and Benefits of Legalizing Marijuana

Several arguments are surrounding the legalization of marijuana with those pro-legalization arguing that the state should legalize it to generate more revenue instead of having illicit businesses benefit. Others argue that marijuana users should not be arrested as more harmful drugs such as alcohol and cigarettes are legally traded. These people believed that there is no need to have the state enforce laws that have widespread support as this could reduce the legitimacy of security authorities. According to Roditis and Bonnie (2015), marijuana should be legalized because while over 40% of American have admitted to having used the drug, there have been zero deaths. Reportedly, over 30000 people die annually as a result of drug overdose with 60% from related wrong drug prescriptions.

Additionally, 25,000 others die from alcohol and other drug abuse year making marijuana which is the most abused illicit drug safer. Study finding indicates that harm posed by marijuana is 20 times less compared to combined harm of drugs such as cocaine, tobacco, and alcohol (Davis et al. 373). The negative effect of smoking has made marijuana look dangerous for some users while it is not. Further, marijuana, compared to other drugs has a slight risk of abuse rate. According to reports, while cocaine hooks over 20% and alcohol, over 30% of its users to depend on drug marijuana only manages less than 10% dependence rate among users. Research shows that marijuana is proven safe sleep aid. National cancer institute indicates that patients who ingest cannabis recorded restful sleep (Caulkins, Michael, and Anna 5). On top of reducing insomnia, marijuana has been proved to alleviate different medical ailments. For cancer patients, it helps elevate nausea, a side effect of the chemotherapy process. More so, it helps regain appetite for people suffering from diseases such as AIDS. More so, marijuana helps in muscle relaxation, especially in chronic pain (Caulkins et al., 870).

Anti-legalization team, on the other hand, argue that while marijuana has quite some benefits, the drug poses a real threat to public health and overall safety. Research indicates that marijuana has both acute and chronic health effects, especially with its heavy usage. Some of its associated acute risks to individuals include impaired cognitive functioning, panic, anxiety and dysphoria. With long term usage, there is heavy dependence as well as exposure to respiratory diseases such as bronchitis (Davis et al. 377). More so, while marijuana usage is linked to crime, there is little evidence to prove its direct association. They insist that marijuana is likely to increase dependence among users and increase health-related issues. Cannabis, just like cigarettes, exposes the human respiratory system to different diseases, including lung cancer. Legalizing the drug means that the prevalence of marijuana-associated diseases will rise almost ten-fold, considering its high abuse rate (Caulkins, Michael, and Anna 8). There have been increased cases of illnesses for countries and American states that have already legalized it, including impaired memory, heart problems, increased risk of borne fractures, and increased risk of lung infections, among others, thus, making the drug more controversial than before.

Regulating Marijuana

With the usage of marijuana growing either legally or illegally, there is a need for regulations that will shape consumption trends. Marijuana has vast benefits, especially to the health sector, but its effects on health are detrimental if not taken care of appropriately (Bello 14). With regulations, it becomes possible to regulate who consumes it, where, how, and why hence preventing consumption related consequences. Laws can influence the prices of marijuana, safety, and information offered to consumers. More so, regulations can avoid leakage of drugs to minors beyond respective state borders (Todd 99). Every regulation exercise has costs as well as exposing policymakers to various challenges. Still, they remain a powerful tool in enhancing product quality, safety, and increasing product information sharing among sellers to consumers.

Regulation, especially on marijuana, will impose costs to the seller through placing information on labels, encouraging child resultants packaging, and testing of potency, which will increase marijuana prices. Higher prices will mean that users have limited access or necessary access, such as medicinal recommendations only. The regulation also limits exposure of marijuana to minors and monitors production and sale of marijuana, hence, ensuring that licensed products are only sold for consumption purposes (Caulkins, Michael, and Anna 12). For example, regulations provide that strict licensing policies will undoubtedly prevent the sale of such drugs to minors. Nevertheless, realizing the growing acceptance of marijuana among people across all walks of life, there is a need to understand how legalization will impact on the harms and benefits of cannabis. So far, several readers will argue based on personal view on the matter, but there is more to that than just saying legalize marijuana or do not legalize it.

Concluding Thought

The goal of the paper was to offer an assessment of options surrounding the legalization of marijuana. There are several debates on marijuana, with some citing that its benefits outweigh the negatives. Other have argued that licensed products such as alcohol and cigarettes having more effects compared to marijuana. However, my call of action is that legalization of marijuana should be arrived at with total consideration on the cost of suppressing marijuana usage, the dangers it poses, benefits of cannabis to users, economic benefits, and health benefits, among others. One policy will not solve the current marijuana issues simply because there are several trade-offs among users. While others consider it as a medicinal drug, others consume it for fun. As such, there is no recipe for establishing a purely legal marijuana market. Any potential option will have to be reconstructed with the light of changing federal policies, knowledge, among others.

I realize that there are no reliable data to prove that indeed marijuana has benefits that outweigh its dangers. I, therefore, recommend that the state research and give a formal impairment threshold on marijuana users. Secondly, there is a need for advanced testing on marijuana effects to clear doubt on the widely speculated benefits and dangers of the drug. Legalization of marijuana will solely be determined by the trueness of the data surrounding the drugs impact on people physical and mental health. Finally, extensive research on its long term and short terms effects, as well as the reasons behind its acceptance, will allow the state have baseline information on which to determine on whether to legalize or not to legalize marijuana.

Working Bibliography

Bello, Joan. The benefits of marijuana: Physical, psychological and spiritual. Lifeservices Press, (2007): 12-25.

Caulkins, Jonathan P., et al. “Design considerations for legalizing cannabis: lessons inspired by the analysis of California’s Proposition 19.” Addiction 107.5 (2012): 865-871.

Caulkins, Jonathan P., Michael AC Lee, and Anna M. Kasunic. “Marijuana legalization: Lessons from the 2012 state proposals.” World Medical & Health Policy 4.3-4 (2012): 4-34.

Davis, Jonathan M., et al. “Public health effects of medical marijuana legalization in Colorado.” American journal of preventive medicine 50.3 (2016): 373-379.

Joffe, Alain, and W. Samuel Yancy. “Legalization of marijuana: potential impact on youth.” Pediatrics 113.6 (2004): e632-e638.

Roditis, Maria L., and Bonnie Halpern-Felsher. “Adolescents’ perceptions of risks and benefits of conventional cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and marijuana: a qualitative analysis.” Journal of Adolescent Health 57.2 (2015): 179-185.

Todd, Tamar. “The Benefits of Marijuana Legalization and Regulation.” Berkeley J. Crim. L. 23, (2018): 99.