The Use of Marijuana among People - Essay Example

Marijuana should be legalized or not Introduction The use of drugs among people is not a new phenomenon. It has been part of human life. In fact, the Eskimos are the only people lacking tradition because they have been unfortunate to grow anything and wait for other people to bring them alcohol. The use of marijuana is not justified in that it causes harm to other people. The question of marijuana legalization refers to whether or not people should be allowed to legally sell, buy, and use drugs for their own personal pleasure. Regulation of marijuana poses a challenge for the entire society. It is very hard for authorities to reprimand a person for behavior that injures or harms only himself or herself (Clifford 23-26). According to philosophy, current regulation on drugs is unjustified and that some drugs such as marijuana that have been made illegal are treated like alcohol or tobacco. Marijuana should not be legalized despite the ethical implications associated with its use. Body The use of marijuana will lead to increased organized crime rates, corrupt governments, increased violence, and economic markets distortions. The social, economic, and political effects that substance abuse has had on the entire society are self-evident. For instance, a substantial number of Americans who succumb due to drug-related complications has soared. Direct health care costs have also increased to large extents. Besides, substance abuse cost Americans billions of dollars annually. Further, there is Low productivity in the U.S due to morbidity, which has adversely affected the American economy (Boschert 29). Drug- related crimes are the order of the day in U.S in that crime rate has tremendously heightened. Consequently, crime and law enforcement costs have been on the rise due to increases in use of illegal use of marijuana. This has invoked the American government to tighten up its belt in the fight against illicit drug and substance abuse. Psychoactive drugs have been incorporated in social events such as celebrations, religious ceremonies, and rites of passage. When discussing the issue of recreational drugs, it is sensible to talk about the harm associated with these drugs (Sabet 2009). Marijuana can be taken on regular basis with no ill basis but long-term exposure and intake of drugs is harmful. Majority of people die from drug induced causes such as organ damage, heart attack, and even overdose. In addition, there are some healths risks associated with marijuana drugs such as sexually transmitted diseases that arise from poor precautionary judgment. Apart from the self-inflicted harm, there is harm that is caused to others in society such as increased crime rate from users who cannot control their system since drugs consumed inhibits their legitimate decisions (Kilmer 39-42). Theft and muggings are commonly associated with addiction and women who are under the influence of drugs would engage in prostitution without their own convictions to do so. Children born in families where parents are drug user’s end up homeless while family resources are depleted. The idea of selling and using marijuana has both legal and moral issues. On one hand, if the government legalized the use of marijuana in society, we can deduce whether application of marijuana is immoral or not. If the law allows an individual to engage or do certain things, it does not mean that the person should do it. On the other hand, even if the use of marijuana is not morally acceptable we can question ourselves whether the use of such drugs is illegal or not. The law has many flaws in that it allows us to do many things that are immoral such as saying lies to other people (Boschert 32-34). The whole purpose and motive of marijuana is for the pleasure that they produce to the user. Search for pleasure comes natural to us as human beings. It is human nature that people are pleasure seeking and what makes life enjoyable is in pleasure of larger variety. There are pleasures in food, drugs, or romance. This way brain chemistry is altered in manner that provides unique pleasure to our body and through this; we seek what can bring pleasures in our lives. Human beings seek pleasure in moderation, whereby pursuing pleasure is morally acceptable or permissible and it is something that we should do. Therefore, the pleasure people get in taking drugs is so rewarding in that they refuse any move to prohibit intake of drugs such as alcohol or marijuana (Kilmer 49). Use of marijuana is one of the many pleasures available to human beings and if certain moral acts such as escapism are permitted, then use of drugs should be legalized. The issue of moral duty to avoid injuring oneself was rampant in earlier years but it is less in modern society. As human beings, we are aware that some behaviors or actions are good for us than other people and we are all familiar with the pros and cons of living healthy life. For instance, exercising on daily basis and eating nutritious meals. All these things are good for us, it is difficult to conclude that we are immoral creatures when we ignore these things and engage in harmful behaviors. There is no true moral force behind responsibility to oneself other than personal understanding and conception of self-respect and that is outside moral penalty that other people might inflict on us (Clifford 61-63). Today, peoples’ notion of morality is much more centered on how our actions or behaviors influence other people. Individuals may have moral duty to make healthy living choices but again it is centered on the idea that the family involved should not be burdened. The use of marijuana should be legalized because its use is a matter of individual choice so long as their intake or use does not infringe on other people. In society, individual should be free to make their own personal decisions even when their decisions or choices are self-destructive. Restriction may apply when individual actions are causing harm to other people in society (Sabet 2009). Most of recreational drugs such as Marijuana do not cause serious harm to the society but addictive ones may lead to negative impact on society. In addition, most people derive pleasure in recreational drugs that should be sold to them without problem. Therefore, most of our decisions are based on assessing the balance with possible pains. If the pleasure gotten is immeasurable then we give in to the risks involved (Kubby 41-47). Contrary to the convictions of the people who call for legalization of marijuana, the current restrictive, bipartisan, and balanced drug law of the U.S is functioning well and they have led to decrease in the marijuana use. Marijuana is the most abused illicit drug in the entire globe. Those who advocate for legalization of marijuana, either for general or medicinal use, fail to understand that enormous costs of marijuana use are not associated to its forbiddance instead, the costs results from marijuana utilization itself. Most people have false beliefs that costs of marijuana utilization are those associated to the criminal justice agency. Instead, the use of marijuana affects a person’s health, which in turn leads to complicated diseases thus increasing the cost of medication (Sabet 2009). The costs of making marijuana legal would not only be financial but it will mean that even young people would have access to marijuana. This in turn can ruin the lives of young people who will have developed substance dependence. In addition, the increased use of marijuana leads to serious and severe physical and mental problems, which can adversely affect the youth and their families. It is also significant to note that the increased use of marijuana would lead to increased drug impaired driving. This is because, marijuana is a causal aspect in highway accidents, deaths and injuries (Kilmer 55-58). Governments should legalize both medicinal and recreational drugs, as they are morally permissible. Selling of drugs for recreational purposes is not bad because what is important for the user is to avoid harming other people as they exercise their freedom. People are morally permitted to sell and use drugs but they must protect against the impact these drugs may have on behaviors of the users on other people. Drug merchants argue that it is not fair for people who are responsible to be morally judged for the actions of the irresponsible people. People who are addicts should not be condemned at any point until their behavior is harming others. In the same manner, it is not right to condemn people who buy recreational drugs but until they infringe on other people (MacCoun and Reuter. 79-83). In order to effective control and regulate the markets of recreational drugs such as marijuana to make sure that they are only accessible to adults, drugs should not be prohibited but rather legalized. When drugs are prohibited and criminalized, sellers of these drugs go underground and therefore it is hard to control and contain them from selling drugs to people. When sellers are underground, it is easy for them to sell drugs to minors than adults. Legalization of marijuana will make them available to those who want them at low cost through authorized and licensed merchants (Sabet 2009). Summarily, marijuana should not be legalized because its legalization would cause more harm to the society. For instance, the costs of making marijuana legal would not only be financial but it will mean that even young people would have access to marijuana. This in turn can ruin the lives of young people who will have developed substance dependence. However, it is important to note that the negative effect of legalizing marijuana surpass the positive effects. Therefore, marijuana should not be legalized since legalization of marijuana for general or medicinal purpose would increase its use rather than decrease it and in the end, it would lead to high addiction rates among youths and adults. Works Cited Boschert, Simon. Marijuana self-medication might prompt mood disorders, stress. Clinical Psychiatry News, 38.2 (2010): 45. Print. Clifford, Harries. Applying Moral Theories. New York: Wadsworth Publisher, 2006. Print. Kilmer, Beau. Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012. Print. Kubby, Steve. Why Marijuana Should Be Legal. New York: Running Press, 2003. Print. MacCoun, James & Reuter, Peter. Drug War Heresies: Learning From Other Vices, Times, and Places. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2001. Print. Sabet, Kevin. The Price of Legalizing Pot is too High. New York: Los Angeles Times, 2009. Read More