Should Marijuana Be Legalized?
Debate still rages on, especially in the United States, about whether marijuana should be legalized or not. Legalization, in this respect, means allowing people to use marijuana even for recreational purposes. Currently, the United States Drug Enforcement Agency classifies marijuana as a Schedule 1 substance, which implies that there is a high probability of the drug being abused and that it has no accepted medical use (Mendez 1). However, according to Schinke et al. (1), approximately half of the U.S states have passed or are contemplating on passing of legislations to legalize the use of marijuana. Recently, Canada has already decriminalized the possession and use of marijuana by adults, implying that Canadian citizens can use it for recreation purposes. In the case of the United States, critics argue that the drug may present a social problem such as adolescent addiction or abuse of the drug. This essay argues for the legalization of marijuana with an illumination on three main points; medical use, collateral consequences of illegalization, and personal freedom.
Medical Uses of Marijuana
According to Zeese and Ruzzamenti (1), several doctors already recommend that patients break the law and use marijuana. On the same note, Zeese and Ruzzamenti (1) point out that a Harvard survey of oncologists established that almost half of all doctors would prescribe marijuana if it were legal. The revelation is based on the existence of compelling evidence that marijuana can be used for medical purposes. Specifically, it is suitable in increasing appetite and controlling nausea for AIDS and cancer patients, curbing muscle spasms for people with neurological problems, as well as controlling the eye pressure, which causes damage in glaucoma. Mendez (2) accuses the US Drug Enforcement Agency for classifying marijuana as a harmful substance without doing enough research. The author also notes that someone in the United States dies over an overdose of narcotics every 19 minutes but there is yet to be reports of deaths related with an overdose of marijuana. From a medical perspective, it is also essential to look at the social perspective.
Collateral Consequences of Illegalization
The collateral consequences of illegalization of marijuana have been mass arrests and incarceration of users. Berman (4) notes that some people have been arrested and put to prison just by being in possession of the drug. The arrests have led to a strain on the available prison facilities. The government is using a lot of funds to hold up people for using a drug that doctors say has medical benefits. Perhaps the greatest collateral consequence of illegalization of marijuana is racial discrimination. Berman (6) posits that more black and Latino people have been arrested for using and being in possession of marijuana than whites, despite the fact that there is no significant disparity in the use of the drug by people of all racial backgrounds. That means that the law enforcement agencies may be using marijuana as a pretext to harass the blacks and Latinos. Perhaps legalizing marijuana would end such discrimination and foster freedom to everyone.
Personal Freedom and Choice
Some drugs and substances such as tobacco and alcohol have been left to personal choice but marijuana continues to be prohibited. Tobacco smoke has been attributed to serious health risks such as lung cancer. On the other hand, alcohol is said to cause liver cirrhosis, among other health risks. On the contrary, little has been done to link use of marijuana to any serious health risks. Surprisingly, drugs and substances that cause serious health problems are legal while marijuana is illegal (Mendez 2). People use tobacco and alcohol for recreation purposes and have a choice of when, how, and where to use them. In light of that personal choice, people should also be given the freedom to choose whether to use marijuana or not. Adults are mature enough to understand the consequences of using marijuana. If any harmful effects exist, then they ought to be made aware the same way warnings are indicated on cigarette packets.
Addressing Youth Abuse
The most prominent argument against legalization of marijuana is that youths, especially adolescents, may abuse the drug. Coupled with the high rates of unemployment and tough economic times, young people may seek solace in the drug. In view of these aspects, the drug may result to an immense social problem, which may be difficult to solve (Schinke et al. 2). However, if proper legal structures are laid down, there may be no such problems. For instance, currently smoking and drinking of alcohol is only restricted to people above the age of eighteen. The same ought to be done to marijuana. As a consequence, there will be no adolescents abusing the drug. Additionally, the society, particularly, parents and teachers need to talk to children on the consequences of using drugs and substances. It has always been the case with alcohol and tobacco and people have always made personal choices in regard to their use. It ought not to be an exception with marijuana.
Conclusively, there seems to be a negative perception against the use of marijuana that has been perpetuated without empirical evidence. Most members of the public fear any legalization effort even without knowing the merits and demerits of marijuana. However, it emerges that marijuana can help in the treatment of cancer patients. Secondly, a lot of people die from an overdose of narcotics but there is no evidence of deaths caused by marijuana overdose. The greatest fear has been addiction among young people but with proper legal structures, such a social problem may not exist. Just the same way people have been given a choice to use alcohol and tobacco, marijuana use needs not to be an exception.
Works cited
Berman, Douglas A. "Leveraging Marijuana Reform to Enhance Expungement Practices." (2018).
Mendez, Marlon. "E-Journal of Academic Freshman English Studies."
Schinke, Steven, et al. "Is the Legalization of Marijuana Associated With Its Use by Adolescents?" Substance use & misuse 52.2 (2017): 256-258.
Zeese, K., and W. Ruzzamenti. "Should marijuana be legalized for medical uses?" Health 7.7 (1993): 23-23.
