The critical and ethical reasoning of the legalization of Marijuana.

The critical and ethical reasoning of the legalization of Marijuana.

The legalization of marijuana in several states across the US over the last five years has created moral and ethical dilemmas among thinkers and stakeholders, especially those who are against the move. Proponents have advanced several credible reasons why legalization of the hitherto illegal drug is actually beneficial to users and society in general. These explanations often revolve around the economic, legal and medical benefits of allowing usage and trade in the substance. This essay will delve into the ethical justifications behind legalization of the controversial drug in numerous states

At the heart of the decision to legalize marijuana is a utilitarian mindset that appreciates the usefulness of free use and trade in the drug as opposed to the difficulty and costs that accompany enforcing a ban. Firstly, the lowest hanging fruit in the legalization is millions of dollars in cost savings previously dedicated to marijuana law enforcement at the state and federal level.

“These saving could reach tens of millions of dollars annually. The county jail savings would be offset to the extent that jail beds no longer needed for marijuana offenders would be used for other criminals who are now being released early because of lack of jail space ”, (Tate, Taylor & Sawyer, 2013) .

Authorities can now divert these precious tax dollars to pressing social programs that desperately need financial support. Law enforcement officials who would previously spend precious man-hours chasing pot users and traders can now spend their resources in other areas of law enforcement, relieving an already stretched legal system that can hardly keep up with drug related misdemeanors.

Secondly, marijuana legalization has created a new tax base worth billions that were previously untapped and operational only in the black market (Clements & Zhao, 320). In addition to this, there is job creation in industries that were previously either offshore or underground. These new employees are tax-paying citizens who will add to government coffers when they remit their dues.

Thirdly, legalization of cannabis immediately wipes out the illegal drug trafficking within the US and between grower countries that previously exported their produce illegally.

With the legalization of marijuana, advocates also predict fewer arrests and fewer marijuana oational research councilclogging courts. In Colorado, this transformation is stark. According to a 2015 report from the Drug Policy Alliance, Colorado has seen a 90 per cent drop in marijuana possession charges since 2010, as well as a 96 percent drop in cultivation charges and a 99 percent drop in distribution charges (Goldstein, 67).

There is no conclusive evidence indicating that marijuana trade or usage leads to violent crime, which raises the question of why a victimless crime should lead offenders to jail. With the cost of housing inmates beyond $30,000 per annum (Kenney 2016) and the number of offenders incarcerated for marijuana offences since 1965 surpassing 20 million individuals, there is a strong case against spending so much money fighting an essentially harmless drug with no obvious adverse social effects (Kick 2009). Economically distressed countries that produce marijuana will also reap from the economic opportunity by exporting their produce to the US, creating a win-win situation.

Fourthly, research indicates that marijuana legalization hardly has any adverse health or social effects (Gieringer, Rosenthal & Carter, 5). Cannabis is not as addictive and damaging as tobacco, alcohol, cocaine and other hard drugs currently ravaging America. Marijuana is actually less harmful than some painkillers sold over the counter in pharmacies across the US. Health workers agree  that medical marijuana is helps relieve symptoms of various medical conditions and relieves pain in many instances, better than sedatives like morphine and narcotic other painkillers . So far, 29 states have already permitted usage and prescription of medical marijuana with full legalization in nine states to deter offenders who misuse the liberties that the new rules have provided (Robinson 2018).

Fifthly, while statistics exist of drug induced crimes and deaths across the country, with tobacco, alcohol, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines being the leading offenders in these areas, there is no single documented case of a marijuana induced death or crime in the US throughout the history of record keeping (Gerber 143). Classifying marijuana in the same category as these, other drugs, some of which are fully legal (alcohol and tobacco) is having warped legal priorities and wasting money on criminalizing something that does not harm society.

It is therefore obvious that the economic, social and health impact that legalization of marijuana would create is mostly positive if not neutral. Marijuana is a resource that governments everywhere should consider legalizing.

Works Cited

Tate, Katherine, Taylor, James, Sawyer, Mark. Something’s in the Air: Race, Crime, and the Legalization of Marijuana. Routledge 2013.

Clements, Kenneth, Zhao, Xueyan. Economics and Marijuana: Consumption, Pricing and Legalization. Cambridge University Press, 2009.

Goldstein, Margaret. Legalizing Marijuana: Promises and Pitfalls. Twenty-First Century Books, 2016.

Kenney, Kathleen, “Annual Determination of Average Cost of Incarceration”. The Federal Register 19 July 2016. Academic Search Complete. Mon. 26 Feb 2018.

Kick, Russ. You Are STILL Being Lied To: The NEW Disinformation Guide to Media Distortion, Historical Whitewashes and Cultural Myths. Red Wheel Weiser, 2009.

Gieringer, Dale, Rosenthal, Ed, Carter, Gregory. Marijuana Medical Handbook: Practical Guide to Therapeutic Uses of Marijuana. Ed Rosenthal, 2008

Robinson, Melia. “This map shows every state that has legalized marijuana”. Pulse Live 23 January 2018. Academic Search Complete. Mon. 26 Feb 2018.

Gerber, Rudolph. Legalizing Marijuana: Drug Policy Reform and Prohibition Politics. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2004