Why should marijuana be legalized everywhere?

Why should marijuana be legalized everywhere?

Abstract

The legalization of marijuana has been a center of debates in many parts of the world. Since Uruguay legalized weed, countries like the Netherlands and Canada have followed the path. The ripple effects can be felt in the nearby United States. Thirty-three states in the US have so far passed the laws to legalize cannabis after heated debates and several restrictions. The proponents of marijuana legalization argue from the economic, legal, health, and social perspectives presenting different views as to why marijuana should be legalized everywhere. Following the various drug policies in various parts of the world, there is the call to treat marijuana like the other drugs, which have been authorized. Drugs such as alcohol, and tobacco have been permitted in almost every country, but their health effects are worse than cannabis. The rankings on the opium consumption by the Foundation for Drug-Free World show how the various drug policies do not help to reduce the smoking of weed. Multiple countries have vital statistics, and Singapore has the least cannabis prevalence of 0.004. The rest of the percentages call for the legalization in states, which are yet to legalize cannabis.

Reason for legalizing marijuana everywhere

Marijuana originates from the cannabis plant, and its origin can be dated back to 2700 BC. By the late 1960s, several countries put stringent measures against the use of marijuana. What followed were harsh retributions regarding the sale and possession of marijuana. The legalization of marijuana has elicited heated debates in many countries globally in the past two decades. To date, no proper deliberation on whether marijuana should be legalized, thus informing another form of a debate in this article. The discussions range from the political to economic angles, with several lawmakers hinting on the possible reasons why marijuana should be legalized.

The former president of the united states Thomas Jefferson once said in a declaration that, “Hemp is necessary for the wealth and the protection of the country as a whole.” Since the assertion, the United States from all the succeeding presidents has been on the light of the discussions regarding the legalization of marijuana. Canada, a neighboring country to the US became the second country to legalize weed after Uruguay in 2013 (MacCoun & Mello, 2015). A teenager, Tom Clarke, who illegally sold marijuana in Canada for 30 years said, “I am living my dream. I love what I am doing with my life right now.” As of November 2018, more than 33 states in the US approved marijuana use for medical purposes. The estimated sale of marijuana in the US from 2017 to 2020 is approximated to be between 4.9 and 6.1 billion dollars (Todd, 2018). From these statistics, it is evident that the purchase and the expenditures in cannabis are on the rise to their peak. Marijuana should be legalized everywhere due to its increased use globally, and its associated health benefits as postulated by the proponents.

Global consumption of marijuana

In Amsterdam Netherlands, people legally have been smoking cannabis in the cafes since the 1970s. Following the legalization of cannabis in Uruguay, close to 120 legal pot shops were on the verge of sprouting, and the actualization of this assertion was witnessed in 2001 in the Dutch country (MacCoun & Mello, 2015). Following the enormous sales and the associated health benefits, the citizens of Uruguay and Netherlands enjoyed, the Canadian government also began rethinking of following the suit by pardoning the holders of cannabis. The legal systems in Canada were engaged by the federal government to pardon the convicted (Hall & Lynskey, 2016). However, the pardon for the convictions had limits; only those who were convicted for possessing up to 30 grams of cannabis would benefit from the new legal threshold.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cannabis is the wide, cultivated, trafficked, and abused illicit drug (Todd, 2018). More than half of the total world seizures are cannabis seizures. The spread of the seizures is also global covering most parts of the continents from Europe and Asia to South America, North America to Australia across Africa (Crépault, 2018). About 2.7 million of the total world’s population consumes cannabis on an annual prevalence. Marijuana has been closely linked to youth age and culture. A piece of recent information released by the United Nations revealed that out of the 158.8 million people who use cannabis, about 100 million are youths (MacCoun & Mello, 2015). In the United States alone, the consumption of domestic marijuana increased tenfold in the past two decades from 1,000 metric tons in 1981 to 11,000 metric tons in 2006. Fifty-eight percent of youths aged between 12 and 17 stated that the pots were more accessible to obtain, leading to an increase in marijuana consumption among the youths (Crépault, 2018). The statistics are not different either in other parts of the globe. Canadian youths also are on the gauge as well as the youths in Uruguay and Netherlands.

The information released by the Foundation for Drug-Free World ranked countries on an annual prevalence of cannabis use as a parentage of the population aged between 15 and 64 years. According to the rankings, Canada led with an annual prevalence percentage of 32.6 percent. Singapore had the least prevalence percentage of 0.004 percent (Todd, 2018). The rankings produced some vital statistics of the countries, which were not well-known for cannabis but appearing in some top positions. A country such as Israel had a prevalence of 22.5 percent consumption within the named cohort as of 2017.

Despite the significant changes in some of the regions, the global consumption of marijuana has remained stable for some period. As of December 2015, more than 4.0 percent of the total world’s population had used cannabis for one reason or the other. This proportion has remained unshaken since the late 1990s (Todd, 2018). As the global population increases, the consumption of cannabis also increases simultaneously. America remains the epitome of cannabis consumption followed by Africa. About 7 percent of the total cannabis seizures globally take place in America and about 14.7 percent of seizures in Africa in 2014. Nevertheless, middle east North America, have for long remained the principal markets for the drug-resin (MacCoun & Mello, 2015). According to the information produced by the Member States on the sources of seizure, the majority of the resins continue to be produced in Morocco, and Afghan. In the same period of 2014-2017, Western and Central Europe accounted for 39 percent of the total resins seized. Some counties such as the United States, have out some measures such as the criminal justice system, and the burden on health among others, as the factors to consider for monitoring the use of cannabis. Recent data from the WHO states the legalization of marijuana in the US for recreational use has shown a tremendous hike in its use.

The criminal justice system has recorded a high number of criminal cases related to substance abuse. The increase in the consumption of cannabis from different parts of the world has informed the proponents’ argument that cannabis should be legalized everywhere. Some argue from the perspective of the health benefits, while others argue from the legal perspectives. The use of opium is likely to increase, especially among the youths, who perhaps think the consumption of the drug is related to fun, and being hyper (MacCoun & Mello, 2015). Some lawmakers argue that marijuana should be legalized everywhere so that the increased attempts among the consumers to break the law will be limited. Some individuals would like to smoke weed just to be convicted. The assertion is right in the US where in some states where the opium is illegal, many youths still attempt to smoke it publicly (Geiger, 2018). Jordan Anderson, a youth from the Alabama state, who was convicted of posseting rolls of cannabis in 2018 said, “We should increase numbers of such conditions so that we send an alarm to the federal government for the quest marijuana legalization.” Some individuals may smoke marijuana because it is illegal for testing the wrath of the laws (Geiger, 2018). There is the need to legalize marijuana but with restrictions provided within the federal laws.

Why marijuana should be legalized everywhere

Marijuana should be legalized everywhere due to the therapeutic uses of the cannabinoids. One of the most argued out facts about the legalization of marijuana regards its health benefits. Indeed, most of the countries with the laws still stuck within the judicial systems on whether to legalize the drug mention the health-related benefits (MacCoun & Mello, 2015). Research has shown the therapeutic effects of cannabinoids for nausea and vomiting, advanced stages of illness such as cancer, and AIDS. Cannabinoid drugs such as Dronabinol have been extensively used in the prescription for many diseases in many parts of the world. Dronabinol is a curative drug, which treats nausea and vomiting caused by cancer chemotherapy.

The cancer patients who have used marijuana while undergoing treatment have been established to have had better results than when using the brand name medications. The use of cannabis among cancer patients not only help with the effects of treatment but also stop further progress of the disease (MacCoun & Mello, 2015). More control studies are underway to demonstrate the other therapeutic uses of cannabinoids such as treatment of depression, appetite stimulant, treatment of asthma, and glaucoma. Cannabis has also helped in preventing the reoccurrence of the epileptic seizure in other patients (Geiger, 2018). Epilepsy patients who use cannabis also reduced the dosage of the other medications.

Cannabis is used to treat opioid addiction. We find ourselves in the quagmire of a worsening opioid addiction in society. This addiction has already caused deaths among thousands of people, and there has been an established interlink between opioid, and cannabis at the pharmacological, and cynical levels for many years (Geiger, 2018). Two major constituents in cannabis 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and cannabidiol (CBD) have dramatic effects on the brain, and in particular, the brain circuits linked to opioid addiction. Nevertheless, some of these effects are still subject to many clinical trials since there are no solidly identified links between the two. Marijuana can also be used in the manufacture of drugs such as Epidiolex (Geiger, 2018). The drug can be used in the treatment of two rare forms of epilepsy.

Marijuana is safer than already leagued drugs. Most countries all over the world have legalized alcohol, tobacco, and by extension, methamphetamine for various reasons. An example of such a country is the United States, which still struggles to legalize marijuana. Alcohol is ranked as the drug with the most detrimental effects on the human body and social life. If you are okay with alcohol and cigarette, then there is no good reason to reject marijuana. In a study conducted in 2010 in the US by a team of experts, it was found that the harm caused to people by smoking weed is much less than the harm from alcohol and cigarette. The only problem is the negative stigma, which made it seem like it is the worst drug on the planet.

Marijuana has a low risk of abuse compared to other drugs such as tobacco, and alcohol. This does not mean the assertion is comparative nature but based on the reports from the medical professionals (Geiger, 2018). As opposed to the popular belief, opium is not that addictive as we may think. As mentioned before, some people only use cannabis because it is illegal in their countries. CNN’s Chief Medical Superintendent, Dr. Sanjay said he changed his mind about weed because of the rampant, and was systematic mislead on Marijuana (MacCoun & Mello, 2015). He asserts that marijuana leads to dependence among adult users compared to other drugs such as cocaine, and at worst, tobacco. In most countries in the world, alcohol and tobacco consumption are regulated by the laws. For example, some countries have smoking zones and pubs where these substances are to be strictly consumed (Geiger, 2018). The same should happen to marijuana upon its legalization. As much as we recognize the need to regulate the use of marijuana, most states should legalize it then apply the various set policies.

Medical marijuana is not new to the medical community. Nevertheless, its classification as Class I substance under federal law makes the drug illegal in most states in the US (Todd, 2018). In the United States, drugs under this category are presumably having high potential abuse, and not recommended for medical use due to lack of acceptable safety. This notion has continued to brand marijuana a negative name despite the several trials to explain its health benefits. It’s clear that despite the federal law provisions, several states went ahead to legalize the use of cannabis. This step alone communicates the underpinned benefits of marijuana (Geiger, 2018). Lawmakers now argue that there should be the legalization of medical marijuana.

There are economic benefits of legalizing cannabis (MacCoun & Mello, 2015). A deeper understanding is needed in this part regarding the economic importance of marijuana. It is not in any way, a method of trading human life for dangerous drugs, but an understanding that marijuana is good for human health is needed in this argument. We understand that making marijuana illegal has not stopped people from smoking it. Instead, the states and countries of the world need to benefit from the plant (MacCoun & Mello, 2015). Marijuana would raise a substantial amount of revenue to the respective governments or states. The legalization of marijuana could put a lot of money into the pockets of individuals, and consequently, the federal government. Individual businesses are on the standby to wait for the legalization of cannabis. There would be increased money circulation in the market. Every year we see seizures of tons of marijuana worth billions getting confiscated from across the globe. From the economic perspective, instead of destroying such a whopping amount of money, let cannabis is legalized so that the money from its sales circulates in the economy.

The legalization of cannabis would create a lot of jobs. In the US for example, the unemployment rate stands at 2.8 percent as of 2018. The situation may be worse in third world countries, which have declared war against the use of marijuana (Crépault, 2018). Economic experts estimate that the legalization of marijuana would create about 1.1 million jobs by 2025 (MacCoun & Mello, 2015). From the agricultural sectors, there would be large plantations developed for the growth of cannabis. Farmers, processors, and distributors will be needed, and any business, which is directly involved in the cannabis supply chain would benefit.

The long-term growth of the legal pot industry could benefit many investors. The investors in various countries such as the United States would be put to retire comfortably following the legalization of marijuana (MacCoun & Mello, 2015). Marijuana is not the only industry, which is fast growing currently. Therefore, like the other industries in the other sectors, the pot industry will also experience its problems just like any other industry. But as long as cannabis is still illegal, the investors at the federal level will have the lower capacity to take advantage of its fast growth, unless there is the will to cross the fingers and buy the stocks over the counter exchange. Let’s consider a situation if cannabis was legal (Crépault, 2018). The marijuana stocks would be free to list on the US exchange. The investors could have the advantage of the double-digit growth rates. Additionally, the states, which focus on fighting the war on marijuana spend a lot of cash in the law-enforcement. The billions spent on the law-enforcement, while people still smoke weed would otherwise be channeled elsewhere for development (MacCoun & Mello, 2015). Removing cannabis from the controlled-substance list would significantly reduce the court cases, and hence fewer incarcerations.

From the legal perspective, criminalization of those who use marijuana undermines the legitimacy of the law. Let’s bear in mind that the use of marijuana started a long time ago. For thousands of years now, people still use marijuana whether illegally or legally (MacCoun & Mello, 2015). One question we may ask, is that where is the legitimacy of the laws? In America for example, one out every seven persons has used marijuana in the past year. 51.3 percent of American adults confess to having used marijuana at one point of their lifetime (Geiger, 2018). According to the provisions of the federal law, all these people have committed a federal drug crime.

The existing laws make millions of drug users in the US illicit drug users by definition. Consider a child in Alabama who uses cannabis to control epilepsy. Such a child is committing a federal crime. A veteran with post-traumatic stress, and decides to use marijuana to manage the stress symptoms also commits the same crime (MacCoun & Mello, 2015). The same case applies to cancer patients. The adult who decides to consume weed at his home with friends in a secret place also breach the federal laws by committing a federal drug crime. Legalizing the substance would preserve the legitimacy of the federal laws by providing equal grounds for all people who use cannabis. The fact that cannabis is illegal in most countries compromises the laws that govern such countries.

Marijuana should be legalized to avoid the criminalization of people who use it. Criminalization is so detrimental to the person more than the marijuana itself (Geiger, 2018). The nations affected by such procedures should develop much focus on the criminalization rather than just the incarceration. The damages of criminalization go beyond the walls jail into affecting even the families and relatives (Geiger, 2018). Some of the collateral damages include the loss of professional license, loss of educational aid, the suspension of driving license, and even deportation. The legalization of marijuana would prevent the complexities, which arise in the criminal justice system once a person is convicted.

The existing data from the countries, which have legalized marijuana do not show any detrimental damages as earlier anticipated. Sometimes the societies, which prohibits the use of marijuana needs to borrow a leaf from countries such as Canada, and Uruguay including the 33 states in the US (Crépault, 2018). It has been established within the US that the legalization of marijuana is indeed a good policy. Evidence shows that legalization is working. In the states within the US, which had legalized marijuana, it has been identified that the legalization is protecting the public via the legal regulations (Geiger, 2018). Most interestingly, the arrests, cultivation, and distribution of marijuana have significantly dropped following the legalization. Consequently, the criminalization of thousands of convicts has been evaded.

The history of the criminalization of marijuana is much pegged to xenophobia and nothing much to do with the health effects (Todd, 2018). The criminalization was born from racial animus, and the enforcement of the laws has had a disproportionate impact on the black man, and the brown people. Xenophobia is so central to the cannabis plant, and that is why it was called “marijuana” while other people call it cannabis. So within the provisions relevant to the US as a nation, marijuana should be legalized. We may wonder where the whole issue twisted when cannabis had long been used for medicinal purposes since the early 1800s. Nevertheless, in the early 1900s, there many Mexico immigrants into the US after the Mexican Revolution (Geiger, 2018). The media began inflicting fears on the public about the new immigrants and making false claims about their marijuana use. Sometimes history serves the best propose of clinging to specific claims in society. In the real sense, the society in the US today may fail to understand why marijuana is illegal while alcohol and tobacco are legalized despite their detrimental effects on human health.

In countries where marijuana is illegal, researches have sought the view of the public and what they think about the legalization of marijuana (Crépault, 2018). In the US for example, the Pew Research Centre researched the federal laws, which outlaw the use, and the cultivation of marijuana. In the data collected across the states from 1969 to 2018, six in every ten Americans say the use of marijuana should be legalized (MacCoun & Mello, 2015). The percentage is about 62 percent, which is a very high percentage for a winning poll. According to the same research, the percentage of the US population, which supports the legalization of marijuana currently stands at 54 percent. Currently, vast generational and partisan differences concerning the views of the marijuana legalization is evident, which is composed of the 74% Millennials, 63 percent Gen Xers, and 54 percent baby boomers. The members of the silent generation in the US in the recent past have come to defend their quest for the legalization of marijuana (Todd, 2018). The growth in the public demands for the legalization of marijuana in the US comes after many states in the US have legalized the drug for recreational purposes.

Counterargument

As the states in the US and across the world deliberate on the possible means of legalizing marijuana, the other side of the story is of great essence. The opponents of marijuana legalization present several cases as to why the legalization is also detrimental to society and the judicial system. Just as the legal system is battling the cases excessive alcohol consumption, and diseases related to legal substance abuse, the fear is that the cases for marijuana will not be anything different (Geiger, 2018). Marijuana has acute health effects. Some of the effects mentioned by the governments. Cannabis impairs cognitive development, which incapacitates the learning process in people. Cannabis also impairs the psychomotor performance of many tasks. Additionally, the states, which ruled cannabis illegal mentioned rogue behaviors in youths, and those who abuse the drugs. Even though these states recognize the importance of marijuana, they are yet to legalize fully. The partial legalization only allows provisions for the use of marijuana as “medical or recreational” marijuana.

The medicinal uses of marijuana according to the opponents have no “accepted medicinal use.” This statement has also elicited debates and pieces of research. But according to what health care professional has established, the use of marijuana has some health benefits. Thus the use of marijuana has remained at the center of national controversies in several countries. Some people also argue that opium has been linked with narcotics such as heroin (Geiger, 2018). The early anti-drug laws were drafted in the US to regulate the use of narcotics among the drug abusers. Moreover, marijuana was associated with oppressed ethnic societies, which led to the anti-marijuana movement in the US in the early 1930s (Schwartz, 2013). The counterarguments proposed by the opponents of marijuana legalization are not satisfactory. For example, the anti-marijuana movement in the 1930s directly targeted the Mexican-American immigrants, and no health implications.

In conclusion, marijuana should be legalized due to its vast health benefits, and its increased use in global society. If the various statistics are to go by, then marijuana should be legalized. The benefits of marijuana range from health to economic benefits. Currently, the WHO reveals that close to 56 percent of the countries in the world is contemplating fixing laws to accommodate the use of marijuana for the citizens. The therapeutic uses of cannabinoids are so crucial for the existence of human. It is a wakeup call to the authorities, which have not legalized marijuana to legalize the use of marijuana in their various countries. However, legal parameters have to be in place even the legalizations have to take root. The consumption of opium must be regulated by the laws enshrined in the constitutions of these countries. Cannabis can also be used to treat opioid addictions. From the perspective of economists, legalizing weed will create more job opportunities. More people will get employment in the farms, and in all the sectors, which benefits from that supply chain. The criminalization will be significantly reduced, thus reducing the incarcerations. A lot of funds which would be used in those legal processes can be channeled for use in other sectors of the respective governments.

Additional research works need to be done to establish the underlying facts about medical marijuana. Countries such as Australia are contemplating legalizing medical marijuana due to its health benefits. However, the government fears the plant may be used for other purposes other than the intended reason. The countries, which have legalized marijuana have stringent regulatory rules governing its use (Hajizadeh, 2016). The existing regulations in Canada stipulate that cannabis should be kept out of the hands of youths. The profits should be kept off the pockets of criminals, and there must be the protection of public health, and safety by giving room for adults to get legal cannabis. According to the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) in the US, the Marijuana Justice Act was introduced by Senator Cory Booker to the federal marijuana prohibition in 2019 (Room, 2014). The initiative sought to support racial justice and to support the vulnerable communities to the war on drugs. Currently, the US is working on legalizing tax, and regulates marijuana like alcohol for adults.

References

Crépault, J. F. (2018). Cannabis legalization in Canada: Reflections on public health and the         governance of legal psychoactive substances. Frontiers in public health, 6, 220.

Geiger, A. (2018). About six-in-ten Americans support marijuana legalization. Pew Research        Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/

Hajizadeh, M. (2016). Legalizing and regulating marijuana in Canada: review of potential             economic, social, and health impacts. International journal of health policy and           management, 5(8), 453.

Hall, W., & Lynskey, M. (2016). Evaluating the public health impacts of legalizing recreational     cannabis use in the United States. Addiction, 111(10), 1764-1773.

MacCoun, R. J., & Mello, M. M. (2015). Half-baked—the retail promotion of marijuana    edibles. New England Journal of Medicine, 372(11), 989-991.

Room, R. (2014). Legalizing a market for cannabis for pleasure: C olorado, W ashington, U ruguay          and beyond. Addiction, 109(3), 345-351.

Schwartz, D. S. (2013). High federalism: Marijuana legalization and the limits of federal power to            regulate states. Cardozo L. Rev., 35, 567.

Todd, T. (2018). The Benefits of Marijuana Legalization and Regulation. Berkeley J. Crim. L., 23,           99. https://scholarship.law.berkeley.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1124&context=bjcl