Legalization of Marijuana
Legalization of Marijuana
Drug abuse is among the most pertinent issues in the United States. Although the federal government has instituted strict laws against drug abuse, this vice is still predominant across the country. In November2012, Washington and Colorado became the first jurisdictions in the United States to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. This violates the tough stance of the federal government towards the use of marijuana across the country. Despite the passing of these laws, both states face an uphill task in terms of implementation. For instance, the federal government might seek to invoke parts of the constitution that serve as loopholes for state to establish laws on illegal drugs.It is also significant to emphasize that the legalization of marijuana is a sensitive ethical issue. Proponents for legalization are assertive that it is unethical for the government to dictate personal choices through the constitution. They insist that individuals should make independent choices on whether to smoke marijuana or not.
On the contrary, opponents argue that it is fundamentally immoral to legalize marijuana since it exposes the society to a lot of risks. For instance, individuals who are under the influence of marijuana might easily participate in criminal activities.The ethical question of legalizing marijuana affects the government and the entire society. Consequently, it is fundamentally essential to examine the different perspectives pertaining to the legalization of marijuana. From a global outlook, Jamaica is perhaps the most notable example of a country where marijuana is legal. It is not a coincidence that the country ranks among the most crime-ravaged countries in the world. This paper seeks to critically evaluate the issue of legalizing marijuana.
Thesis: The benefits of legalizing marijuana outweigh the shortcomings.
THE RATIONALE BEHIND LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA
Despite the various shortcomings of legalizing marijuana, it is essential to note that it also has extensive benefits. In essence, these benefits would form the platform for reforms in terms of the legal aspects of abusing marijuana. Over the years, proponents of legalizing marijuana have always emphasized the different benefits of cannabis in their campaigns. Whereas some proponents might exaggerate the benefits of cannabis, it is vital to note that most of them are valid (Fox, 29).The first benefit of legalizing marijuana pertains to trafficking. Due to the strict federal laws against drug abuse, marijuana dealers have no alternative rather than smuggling. There are numerous risks for drug trafficking. For instance, the smugglers might even kill innocent people in order to conceal evidence. In most cases, drug traffickers are willing to do anything possible in order to evade potential drug-nets. Consequently, this exposes innocent people to a host of risks especially in terms of insecurity. However, these forms of challenges would not occur if marijuana is legal. Dealers in cannabis would conduct their businesses without threatening innocent people. While smuggling drugs, these individuals also endanger their own lives.Another outstanding perspective that would help in justifying the legalization of marijuana pertains to ethical considerations. In the modern world, it is fundamentally unethical for anyone to dictate the choices and behavior of other people. Freewill is an essential aspect of modernity since it conforms to basic ethical standards (Kubby, 61).
It is thus unethical for the federal government to categorize marijuana as an illegal drug. This is because people have the freewill to decide whether to use marijuana or not. Instead of dictating the behavior of people using strict laws, authorities should explore other ethical alternatives of dealing with the problem of marijuana. For instance, the government might introduce community sensitization programs that enlighten the society about the dangers of cannabis. This is tremendously ethical compared to the use of excessive force in the fight against marijuana abuse. The ethical perspectives of marijuana abuse also touch on the involvement of senior government officials in marijuana business.Over the years, some leading government officers have collaborated with influential drug dealers who sell and supply cannabis across the country. This is strongly unethical considering the strict policies of the government as pertains to the illegality of marijuana. In order to maintain the relevant ethical standards, the government should create a level playing ground for everyone.
The only way of attaining this state is through the legalization of marijuana.Through the legalization of marijuana, the government stands to benefit immensely in terms of taxation. The law on the illegality of marijuana prevents the government from collecting billions of dollars worth of taxes. The United States economy has been ailing for more than a decade due massive deficits in the national budget. On annual basis, the federal government accumulates loans because of its inability to cater for all budgetary needs. In order to change this trend, it is fundamentally essential for the government to explore all potential avenues for revenue generation (Morgan, 19).Through the legalization of marijuana, the government would collect more than $50 billion in terms of revenues. In essence, state and county authorities would also accrue extensive revenues from the legalization of cannabis.
The legalization of marijuana is thus an exemplary platform for enhancing the nation’s economy. The rates of unemployment in the USA have been on the increase in recent years. This is largely because of the government’s inability to raise adequate funds for job creation. Through the legalization of marijuana, the government will have an excellent chance to boost its capacity for creating jobs. From a different perspective, it is pertinent to note that the federal government spends a lot of resources in fighting the abuse of marijuana in the country. This pertains to human resources as well as financial resources. Such perspectives of resource allocation have been massive contributors towards the government’s struggle to raise sufficient funds for the budget. The legalization of marijuana would serve as an excellent platform for dealing with such challenges. The billions spent on fighting the abuse of marijuana would come in handy for other critical sectors such as education and health care.
On an annual basis, the government spends more than $ 8 billion in legal proceedings involving marijuana cases. This serves as evidence of the extensive financial input of the government due to the illegality of marijuana in the country (Caulkins, 64). Through the legalization of marijuana, the government can easily save a lot of resources. For many centuries, authorities have not been successful n the fight against the abuse of marijuana. In essence, this shows that marijuana s almost an inherent component of the American society. Regardless of the extent to which the government invests in illegalizing marijuana, it just appears like an exercise in futility. It is thus unjustified for the federal government to keep spending resources on tracking marijuana users.
Incarceration rates in USA are among the highest in the world. Most of the offenders are charged with petty offences such as being in possession of marijuana. The legalization of marijuana would be helpful in alleviating the high rates of incarceration in the country. It is extremely difficult for authorities to completely eradicate the abuse of cannabis among Americans. This means that the prisons rates if incarceration will always be high if the government fails to legalize marijuana. Being in possession of marijuana is barely comparable to other hardcore drugs such as cocaine or heroin. It is thus unjust to offer similar punishments to individuals who are found in possession of marijuana and the class 1 drugs.Marijuana offers among the simplest ways to relax. For most users, it helps in calming pressure and having fun with friends. The illegality of this drug denies millions of Americans the opportunity to relax peacefully.
In a freewill society, this represents a violation of fundamental rights. In the modern working environments, employees must cope with extensive pressure. Through the legalization of marijuana, employees will have numerous alternatives for recreational activities. Consequently, this will go a long way towards boosting the standards of productivity in the economy.Marijuana has extensive medical uses. Whereas some of these medicinal uses are therapeutic, others are traditional. One of the most outstanding clinical uses of cannabis pertains to the treatment of depression. Different scientific studies show that some compounds in marijuana have the capacity to alleviate depression when administered in the right quantities. Another clinical use of cannabis pertains to the alleviation of pain (Fox, 26). For instance, the right quantities of cannabis can help in alleviating migraines.
Some compounds of marijuana are extremely beneficial during the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. The legalization of marijuana will create the relevant platform for streamlining research activities about the medical benefits of marijuana. Additionally, some cannabis compounds are beneficial in the treatment of glaucoma. Considering that a lot of people suffer from glaucoma, the legalization of marijuana would represent a tremendous breakthrough in medicine.For people who have unhealthy addictions to marijuana, there are numerous alternatives for rehabilitation. Across the United States, there are numerous rehabilitation centers for people who have addiction problems. Through these centers, it would be possible to alleviate the problem of drug abuse as a health issue (Thompson, 2012). These rehabilitations have excellent standards of efficiency. Additionally, the rehabilitation centers are socially acceptable in comparison to other correctional platforms such as jails. The rehabilitation centers are also cost effective and would help in saving public resources.
POTENTIAL SHORTCOMINGS OF LEGALIZING MARIJUANA
Although the legalization of marijuana has numerous benefits, it is essential to note that there are various shortcomings of such a law. Opponents of legalization use these shortcomings to argue against cannabis. The federal government has also used these shortcomings to justify the establishment of strict laws for discouraging the abuse of marijuana (Ruschmann, 2010). Consequently, it is fundamentally essential to examine the different potential shortcomings of legalizing marijuana.The legalization of cannabis would increase the likelihood for children to access the drugs. Drug abuse among children is among the most undesirable situations in any given society. Through early exposure, children are likely to develop into hardcore drug addicts as adults.
Consequently, this would serve as a loss to the entire economy. Early exposure to drugs also undermines the children’s capacity to fulfill their academic potential. The legalization of marijuana would thus significantly undermine the quality of education standards in the country. When children abuse drugs such as marijuana, it curtails the process of cognitive development (Inciardi, 98). This might even cause psychological imbalances. In order to avert these kinds of challenges, it is necessary to thwart any efforts of legalizing cannabis in the country. The future of America is strongly reliant on the ability of the younger generations to fulfill their potential. The legalization of marijuana would significantly undermine the development of children into competent adults who can steer the country to the next level. These perspectives further justify the significance of blocking the legalization of marijuana in United States.
The abuse of marijuana has an inherent capacity to increase the prevalence of criminal activities in the society. Although cannabis is legal in Jamaica, the country is struggling with crime. This serves as evidence that the legalization of marijuana can lead to an escalation in the rates of criminal activities in the society. Under the influence of marijuana, an individual can easily participate in criminal activities (Khatapoush, 759). Additionally, marijuana users are significantly violent compared to other drug users. Consequently, the legalization of marijuana would tremendously increase the chances of insecurity in the community. Most convicts of serious criminal activities are usually cannabis users. This shows that the legalization of marijuana would serve as an indirect perpetration of criminal operations.
Most drug addicts use cannabis as a stepping stone for other substances. This includes hardcore drugs like cocaine. In an attempt to quench the addiction, marijuana users often turn to the hardcore drugs. The legalization of marijuana is thus a significant platform for encouraging people to use other drugs. This has the potential to create numerous social problems. Authorities would have a rough time trying to curb the abuse of marijuana as well as other dangerous drugs. The enactment of this law would also make it is easy for people to use marijuana in unhealthy proportions (Joffe, 636). This might cause social challenges especially in terms of the standards of responsibility. The increase in the use of marijuana would expose nonsmokers to secondhand smoke. This is extremely deleterious to the victims’ health. At a time when the federal government is spending millions of dollars to alleviate chronic illnesses like cancer, the legalization of marijuana would be a massive blow.From an ethics point of view, there are numerous moral implications of legalizing marijuana.
Firstly, this would also raise concerns about the illegality of other drugs. In ethics, it is always essential to maintain the highest standards of uniformity. Consequently, it would be unethical to legalize marijuana and then prohibit other drugs. It is also fundamentally unethical for the government to legalize marijuana in that it would expose the population to numerous risks. The government has a responsibility to ensure the wellbeing of all citizens. The legalization of marijuana would serve as an indirect abuse of such responsibilities (Cerda, 27). From another perspective, it is also unethical to legalize marijuana for the mere sake of economic benefits. The legalization of legalization of marijuana would represent some of negligence by the government towards the society. It is also unethical to legalize marijuana for the sake of fulfilling the recreational needs of users.
Conclusion
The research paper presents a concrete analysis of the issue of legalizing marijuana. The benefits of legalizing marijuana outweigh the shortcomings. The different sections of the paper help in affirming the thesis. Proponents for legalization are assertive that it is unethical for the government to dictate personal choices through the constitution. They insist that individuals should make independent choices on whether to smoke marijuana or not. Due to the strict federal laws against drug abuse, marijuana dealers have no alternative rather than smuggling.There are numerous risks for drug trafficking. For instance, the smugglers might even kill innocent people in order to conceal evidence. In most cases, drug traffickers are willing to do anything possible in order to evade potential drug-nets. The ethical perspectives of marijuana abuse also touch on the involvement of senior government officials in marijuana business.
Over the years, some leading government officers have collaborated with influential drug dealers who sell and supply cannabis across the country. This is strongly unethical considering the strict policies of the government as pertains to the illegality of marijuana.The right quantities of cannabis can help in alleviating migraines. Some compounds of marijuana are extremely beneficial during the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. The legalization of marijuana will create the relevant platform for streamlining research activities about the medical benefits of marijuana. Additionally, some cannabis compounds are beneficial in the treatment of glaucoma. When children abuse drugs such as marijuana, it curtails the process of cognitive development. This might even cause psychological imbalances. In order to avert these kinds of challenges, it is necessary to thwart any efforts of legalizing cannabis in the country.
References
Cerda, Magdalena. & Wall, Melanie. Medical marijuana laws in 50 states. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 12(1-3):22-27 2012
Joffe, Alain. & Yancy, Samuel. Legalization of marijuana: Potential impact on youth. Pediatrics, 113(6): 632-638, 2004
Khatapoush, Shereen. & hallfors, Denise. Sending the wrong message. Journal of Drug Issues, 34(4): 751-770, 2004
Inciardi, A James. The drug legalization debate. Thousand Oaks : Sage Publications, 1999.
Ruschmann, Paul. Legalizing Marijuana. New York: Facts on File, 2010.
Thompson, Jakki. Legalization of Marijuana Brings Economic Benefits. The Collegian, 2012. Web. 13 Nov. 2012
Caulkins, Jonathan. & Hawken, Angela. Marijuana legalization: What everyone needs to know. Oxford, NY: Oxford University Press, 2012
Fox, Steve. & Tvert, Mason. Marijuana is safer. VT: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2009
Kubby, Steve. & Newhart, S. Why marijuana should be legal. NY: Thunder’s Mouth Press, 2003
Morgan, Kayla. Legalizing marijuana. Edina: ABDO Publishing, 2010
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