Drug Legislation in the United States

The debate over drug laws in the US has changed through time, from the prohibition era to the crack cocaine crackdown in the 1980s to the situation in the present when certain states have authorized the use of medical marijuana. Although specifics vary by state, as of right now, 22 states, plus the District of Columbia, have some type of medicinal marijuana law (Martin, 2016). Numerous sociological theories can be used to explain drug use in the United States and the regulation that followed. In this case, the functionalism perspective will be used to analyze drug use and drug legislation in the United States today.

The functionalist perspective which was developed by Emile Durkheim is concerned with maintaining stability within the society. The theory evaluates every societal component with a view of determining how it contributes towards stability in the society as a whole. Each of the societal component referred to by Durkheim plays a significant role in the society and as such is necessary. Social institutions in each of the components of the society work to accomplish a variety of goals, each of which is influential in shaping the society. “An institution, according to the functionalist perspective, only exists if it serves a vital role in the functioning of a society. If it is no longer able to serve its defined role, it will cease to exist. Consequently, when new needs evolve within a society, new institutions will be created in order to cater to these needs” (Morgan, 2012).

The functionalist perspective can be used to comprehensively analyze the issues with drug legalization in the United States. When a particular need develops in the society, it is imperative that legislators draft laws that will deal with the problem. According to the perspective, societal components should all work towards establishing stability in the society. The increase in drug use in the United States over the years has seen the problem evolve to one that threatens to undermine the stability of the society as a whole. As such, a system is needed to control this problem before it gets out of hand and can no longer be stopped. This, therefore, calls for a focus on legislation that will help control the use of drugs in the United States. Besides the involvement of the judicial system, the functionalist perspective also envisions more proactive measures from law enforcement across the country. The legalization of medical marijuana in a couple of states has been controversial at best. People have had missed reactions about the matter. However, with its medical worth being proven, it has forced policymakers to come up with legislation that would control its consumption by members of the public. The quotas on the amount of medical marijuana one can purchase and the emphasis on a prescription have worked wonders in this respect. Legislation has enabled societal stability to be maintained in light of a serious challenge of the proliferation of drugs due to policy loopholes in the society.

I agree with the functionalist perspective when it comes to drug legislation. It is important to look at the human society as a whole rather than considering its components alone. Rampant drug use threatens social stability through the proliferation of deviant behavior. “Legislation leads to change because social components must adjust to achieve stability” (Pocchacker, 2017). This, to me, justifies the laws controlling the consumption of medical marijuana in the United States.











References

Martin, S.C. (2016). A Brief History of Marijuana Law in America. Retrieved from http://time.com/4298038/marijuana-history-in-america/

Morgan, D. H. J. (2014). Social Theory and the Family (RLE Social Theory). Routledge.

Pöchhacker, F. (2017). Simultaneous interpreting: A functionalist perspective. HERMES-Journal of Language and Communication in Business, 8(14), 31-53.