Implications of Legalizing Marijuana in the United States
Bill Keller from the New York Times attempts to explain the implications of legalizing marijuana in the United States. In his article, How to Legalize Pot, he argues that the current debate is no longer based on whether marijuana should be legalized or not but rather how this process is going to take place. Also, he tries to explain how this debate has elicited different feelings from both the public and the government institutions.
The Views of a Drug Policy Expert
Keller starts his article by referring to a meeting with a drug policy expert, Mark Kleiman. He adopts most of the perceptions held by this expert throughout his article. This strengthens his argument's reliability and validity. Throughout the paper, he tries to use most of the information collected from this meeting to present his case. For instance, he sticks to the argument that, "the government should remove penalties for possession use and cultivation of small amounts" (Keller, 2013, para 1). Keller argues that today, Kleiman is leading a team of experts in Washington which is the first state to legalize the production, consumption and sale of pot. Second, he argues that the laws have changed and so should the government regulations. Furthermore, people's views have also shifted with most of them proposing the legalization of marijuana. This argument is based on Kleiman's argument when he stated that, "At some point, you have to say, a law that people don't obey is a bad law" (Keller, 2013, para 3).
Benefits, Challenges, and Disadvantages of Legalizing Marijuana
The article gives clear insights regarding the benefits, challenges and disadvantages of legalizing marijuana. This diversity in perception shows that the author was not biased nor sticking to one concept. First, Keller explains some of the benefits of legalizing pot by referring to States such as Washington (Keller, 2013). He also refers to other countries such as the Netherlands where marijuana has been legalized for both consumption and medical use. He states that the legalization of pot would help these states formulate other laws that strengthen the market as well as help it solve some of the shortcomings associated with the sale of marijuana. Moreover, Keller explains that the department of justice is still facing certain challenges that limit the legalization of this item. It also considers anyone who trades in cannabis as a threat to the country's security (Keller, 2013). Keller argues that this occurs despite the absence of any evidence that shows legalization of cannabis would increase the product's usage among teenagers.
The Complex Process of Legalization
Legalization of marijuana is a complex process compared to other similar products such as tobacco and wine. Even though all these products have originated from local communities, it is important to note that bhang raises several questions of regulation, safety and consumer-friendliness. As Keller states, Kleiman's proposals raises several questions of complexity in the application (Keller, 2013). Legalization of marijuana implies that the government will be required to put in place stringent rules concerning the product's inspection, processing and public education. Therefore, legalization of pot is a complex process that would require the involvement of different stakeholders rather than a small team of experts.
A Reliable and Well-Researched Article
In general, this article is very straightforward from the beginning to the end. The use of references and statistical estimates shows that the article is reliable and well researched. It is also well written for both legal policy experts and the general public. The use of examples and facts also helps the reader to understand the concept much easily.
Reference
Keller, B. (2013). Opinion | How to Legalize Pot. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/20/opinion/keller-how-to-legalize-pot.html
