Legalization of Marijuana
The Legalization of Marijuana
The legalization of marijuana has been debated for decades, and is a topic that many are passionate about.Today, marijuana has become a point of widespread controversy, and there have been several recent state and federal jurisdictions to both restrict the drug further and to decriminalize it as well. Though support for legalization has significantly increased in recent years, there are points to be made on both sides of the argument, highlighting the benefits and detriments of legalization. Advocates for legalization argue that prison overpopulation and extremely high numbers of drug related arrests are unfair to common citizens who simply use marijuana for personal reasons. Opposers of this movement view marijuana as a threat to our society, especially the youth, and argue that the negative effects such as addiction and health threats outweigh the risk of overcrowded prisons.
Marijuana has been used in our society dating back as far as Colonial America, when the Hemp plant (cannabis) was used for various textiles such as rope, clothing, and ship sails. Once its medicinal qualities were discovered in the nineteenth century, it became more popular than ever, and was distributed to the public by pharmacies and doctors across the country (“Libguides”). The controversy surrounding the plant was sparked by the Mexican immigrants who began to flood into the country as a result of the 1910 Mexican Revolution, bringing cannabis and modern ideas about smoking it for pleasure, instead of for medicinal purposes. Smoking marijuana quickly gained a bad reputation, as something that was done by the “undesirable lot”, meaning immigrants, people of color, and lower class whites (Waxman). While many still argue that the preface of this argument was solely based on worry for our country’s well being, others see the history behind it as racist and rooted in racial superiority.
Though twenty states and the District of Columbia have decriminalized marijuana in recent years, the remaining thirty states have seen little to no change to laws that have been in place for decades, regardless of the growing support of legalization. One of the first government legislations against marijuana was in 1937, when the Marijuana Tax Act was passed. This act was somewhat contradictory in that it required marijuana sellers and distributors to obtain a license from the federal government. However, no licenses were issued, which made the sale of marijuana illegal (Ford). By the 2000s lawmakers had begun to reconsider the war on drugs. Over this period of around twenty years, several states gradually reduced their limitations on medicinal and even recreational marijuana use. Nine states, including California, New York, and Hawaii, now allow possession of marijuana for personal use, and even provide dispensaries where residents can purchase the plant safely and legally. However, marijuana is still illegal under federal law, which has created confusion and conflict between state and federal regulations. Even though marijuana might be legal in your state, “all market participants—from dispensary owners to cancer patients—are at risk of federal prosecution and jail time” (Trumble). It seems that many of the state and federal marijuana laws contradict one another, and can even be described as hypocritical. In theory, the states have the power to write their own drug policies, but are these laws inferior to federal law?
This negative perception of marijuana use has had lasting effects on society, particularly in terms of criminalization and unequal enforcement of drug laws. Almost 700,000 people in the U.S. were charged with possession of marijuana in 2005 alone, with the majority of these cases being possession of less than one ounce of marijuana (Ford). In a study by Forbes magazine from 2020, they discovered that almost 100,000 more people were arrested on drug charges than for violent crimes. Furthermore, an astounding ninety percent of those arrested for marijuana were arrested only for possession and recreational use, meaning that only ten percent of marijuana arrests were actually people growing, manufacturing, or distributing the plant (Earlenbaugh). Many agree that this increase in non-violent drug offenders being incarcerated has caused overcrowding and strains on the prison system. A crime as simple as drug use should not hold the same weight as assault or battery, for example. Since the majority of drug related arrests are for personal use, these offenders are often just harmless, everyday citizens trying to go about their daily life. Is it justifiable to upturn someone’s life for a crime that almost half of the country has already legalized? As a result of this question, there have been countless calls for reform of drug laws and legalization to reduce the number of people being sent to prison for non-violent drug offenses.
On the other side of the controversy, there are those who suggest that the legalization of marijuana is comparable to the legalization of any other drug, such as cocaine or heroin. While marijuana is arguably one of the less dangerous and hardcore drugs, it is still a drug, and can be listed under not one but three categories: hallucinogenic, stimulant, and depressant, according to the University of Maryland (Cherney). Depressants are known as the least addictive drugs, but they pose another risk: increase of tolerance. Marijuana’s addictiveness can be argued either way, since it affects everyone very differently. However, what is not strongly debated is the fact that once you get used to consuming small amounts of the drug, you will need more and more to feel the same satisfaction. This is why marijuana is viewed as a “gateway” drug, since many users move on to stronger, more dangerous drugs once they feel they cannot attain the same high from just marijuana. Some side effects of hallucinogens and stimulants include altered sense of time, detachment from reality and environment, increased or irregular heart rate, anxiety, and dry mouth, which are all possible side effects of marijuana as well, leading many researchers and scientists to classify it with these drugs. Perhaps the most alarming ramification to taking hallucinogens is the rare, but possible risk of psychosis. It is also important to note that the prolonged use of any drug can lead to long term changes in brain chemistry.
It is also argued that legalizing marijuana would lead to an increase in drug use and addiction, especially in the younger generation. With more accessibility and less risk of legal consequences, underage children and teens might be more inclined to pick up the habit of smoking marijuana. Being under the influence of drugs at a young age can actually increase the likelihood of addiction later in life since the brain is more susceptible to outside substances. It is also linked to several mental disorders, most commonly anxiety and depression, and even decreased memory and cognitive function (Patton). These long term effects provide a strong basis for the argument that the legalization of marijuana poses a larger threat to our youth and families than it does to criminals and those who are in prison for drug related crimes. Protecting the people in our community who are most susceptible to addiction and peer pressure should be one of the most important considerations when making laws concerning marijuana use.
As the debate on marijuana legalization inevitably continues, more extensive and thorough research will come along with it. It is clear that while everyone may feel strongly about their opinions on the legalization of marijuana, there are valid arguments to be made by both sides. When the long term effects of marijuana use are taken into consideration, the topic ultimately becomes a question of whether or not these risks outweigh the dangers of overcrowded prisons and high numbers of marijuana related incarcerations. While the legalization of marijuana would undoubtedly alter our society in many ways, the question of whether it will be beneficial or harmful remains to be answered.
Works Cited
Cherney, Kristeen. “Is Weed a Depressant, Stimulant, or Hallucinogen? Effects, Risks, More.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 6 May 2019, www.healthline.com/health/is-weed-a-depressant.
Earlenbaugh, Emily. “More People Were Arrested for Cannabis Last Year than for All Violent Crimes Put Together, According to FBI Data.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 10 Dec. 2021, www.forbes.com/sites/emilyearlenbaugh/2020/10/06/more-people-were-arrested-for-cannabis-last-year-than-for-all-violent-crimes-put-together-according-to-fbi-data/?sh=45e416d0122f.
Ford, Adam, and Andrew Walter. “Point: Marijuana Should Be Legalized.” Points of View: Legalization of Marijuana (Lakeside Publishing Group, LLC), Jan. 2017, pp. 3–2. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=pwh&AN=23237135&site=pov-live.
“Libguides: Survey of Marijuana Law in the United States: History of Marijuana Regulation in the United States.” History of Marijuana Regulation in the United States - Survey of Marijuana Law in the United States - LibGuides at University of Georgia School of Law, 2020, libguides.law.uga.edu/c.php?g=522835&p=3575350.
Patton, George C, et al. “Cannabis Use and Mental Health in Young People: Cohort Study.” BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.), U.S. National Library of Medicine, 23 Nov. 2002, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC135489/.
Trumble, Sarah, and Nathan Kasai. “America's Marijuana Evolution – Third Way.” – Third Way, 24 Aug. 2017, www.thirdway.org/report/americas-marijuana-evolution.
Waxman, Olivia B. “The Link between U.S. Marijuana Law and Mexican Immigration.” Time, Time, 20 Apr. 2019, time.com/5572691/420-marijuana-mexican-immigration/.
Wright, George, and Heather Newton. “Counterpoint: There Are No Good Reasons to Legalize Marijuana.” Points of View: Legalization of Marijuana (Lakeside Publishing Group, LLC), Jan. 2017, pp. 2–3. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=pwh&AN=23237136&site=pov-live.
"marijuana blunt 2000" by Torben Bjørn Hansen is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
"LEGAL Colorado Marijuana Grow" by Brett Levin Photography is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
After reading your post I showed a good representation on both sides in the support of marijuana and the side that is not in support. I liked how you gave a good sort of history lesson on how it was used in the beginning. Though talk about the number or arrested and Indvidual's who we charged with possession it made that connection with today's age because it still going on every day. I also like how you showed the view of judgement in a away when it comes to drinking and smoking because it is a back-and-forth discussion of people trying to justify which is "better".
ReplyDeleteNice Job, I liked how you used historical backround of weed in your essay, and you also let the readers know the pros and cons of marijuana. You also mentioned the categories that weed falls under, and you show the side effects that weed can have on others.You also did a good idea using differnt articles to give get specific with how many people have been affcted byweed. And the amount of people that do bad things while they are under the influence of weed in your article you shared that 700,000 people were charged with the possesion of marijuana in 2005 and 100,000 were had drug charges in 2020. I would think the crime rate would go up if people are using drugs but I didnt think that it would be to this extent, so seeing this helps with understanding how weed is affecting people negatively.
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