Legalization of marijuana in the United States
Introduction
Legalization of marijuana is a social, medical and recreational application act of allowing the use of marijuana legally globally by considering a number of reasons. The rate at which the number of users of marijuana has skyrocketed in the past decade is alarming, hence, prompting the need for its legalization.
Nadelmann (2004) notes that more than 70% of adults both in the political, social and clergy class support the legal acceptance of marijuana in the US with regulations that prohibit children’s use.
Evans (2013) extends the acceptance that factors such as economic, meditational use and social costs should be applied in the justification of legalizing marijuana in the US. Winterbourne (2012) in his discussion tries to bring out that the United States policy on drug enforcement depicts negative achievement in eradicating illegal use of marijuana.
Despite marijuana being illegal in the United States several citizens still use it with research indicating that about 700, 000 people get arrested by police for offenses related to marijuana annually (Nadelmann, 2004). The researcher further observes that the enforcement of marijuana laws will bring about a direct cost implication of about 10-15billion dollars.
Marijuana has been touted as the most illegally used drug in the world and whose availability is more in the United States than other countries prohibiting its use (Evans, 2013). The call for legalization of marijuana in the US has been on the rise and states like Washington and Colorado have legalized marijuana for recreational and medical use (Evans, 2013). In a broader perspective social economic factors highlighted therein will justify the legalization of marijuana though health safety implications do not favor its legalization. The call for legalization of marijuana for its positive effects has globally increased and its legal advocacy should be justified.
The call for legalizing marijuana in the United States resurfaced after its unwelcome ban in the federal laws that saw the introduction of tough regulations leading to high costs of selling marijuana. The law has been at loggerhead on how it treats marijuana users on medical grounds and breaking of the law on non use of marijuana. The law allows use of marijuana for medical applicability but in an isolated form. And as noted by Sacco & Finklea (2014), US federal law enforcers investigate and prosecute planters of marijuana who allow for its use on non medical grounds. Recreational use of marijuana is also a justifiable approach in the war for marijuana legalization but in specified quantities by adults in the age of 21 years and over; this however comes with restrictions
. This discussion therefore intends to showcase the cost benefit analysis (socially and economically) of legalizing marijuana and non legalization of marijuana in the United States.
Conclusion
The advocacy of marijuana legalization has mixed acceptance ranging from limited allowance to its use and with cautions. Marijuana has severe effects such as inability to make sound judgments and cause mental illness. Scientifically we agree to some extent that marijuana has medical properties but it should not be applied in form of smoke to derive medical benefits; just like opium is not smoked to derive the benefits of morphine. With monitored reforms marijuana should be legalized in the United States within the tenets of medical and recreational benefits only.
Reference
Sacco,L,Finklea,K(2014) Congressional Research Services: Implications for Federal Law Enforcement.1-27. Evans,D.G(2014) The journal of global drug policy and practice: The economic impacts of marijuana legalization 1-39. Nadelmann.E(2004). An end To Marijuana Prohibition1-7. Winterbourne (Social Sciences) United States drug policy: The scientific, economic, and social issues surrounding marijuana1-6
