Marijuana Should Not Be Legalized - Essay Example

? Introduction Legality of the marijuana is one of the debatable issues since decades because of the overall costs involved in controlling the movement of drugs like Marijuana and how society can actually bear both the financial and social cost. The cost of tracking those who consume and sell the drugs and cost spent on their prosecution is considered as one of the biggest reasons as to why some argue that the drugs like Marijuana shall be legalized. However, there is a need to view this whole process from a very different perspective considering the overall impact of the consumption of the drugs on the society as a whole. This view is based upon the argument of de-criminalization or the harm reduction which can be achieved through the legalization of drugs like Marijuana. It has been reported that the increasing number of children are experimenting with the recreational drugs such as Marijuana. Further, studies on the arrested criminal serving their sentences in different jails suggested that they were involved in using drugs like Marijuana at least once in a week before they were arrested. (DuPont, 2010). These statistics suggest that the society as a whole can actually bear a lot of cost for the unrestricted and unrestrained used of drugs like Marijuana and therefore should not be legalized. This argumentative essay will present a case for not legalizing the Marijuana and will present different reasons along with practical examples as to how the legalization of Marijuana can actually be detrimental to the society and the individuals. Marijuana should not be legalized Probably one of the biggest arguments against the legalization of the marijuana is based upon the principles of morality. The use of the drugs in general is considered as immoral in any given society due to the overall impact of the same on the society. Morality suggests that the use of drugs like Marijuana can lead to the social evils and can result into the acts which can be considered as immoral or socially detrimental. (Dalrymple, 1997). Further, almost all religions of the world condemn the use of drugs including marijuana based on the principle that the intoxication lead to the point where an individual human being lost the touch with his or her true self. The use of drugs can induce strong intoxication into the individuals therefore their ability to think and behave like ordinary human beings is affected. Religion therefore in this sense suggests that the use of drugs generally should not be allowed because it will diminish the humanistic characteristics of the individuals. Historically the use of drugs such as Marijuana remained banned due to the adverse social impacts of their use on the individuals. Since the use of the Marijuana often result into the intoxication therefore can seriously cause the personal injury. It is also important to note that the marijuana is considered as the stepping stone drug which can lead to the use of other drugs such as cocaine and other more severe drugs. This is because of the fact that the Marijuana is often considered as easy to obtain and use and the relative effects of the drug can often lead to the so called experimentation with other hard and soft drugs. Such tendencies therefore can further led to the excessive use of other drugs and therefore the overall cost of rehabilitation of all those engaged into the use of harder drugs can be high. (Messerli, 2010) It is also important that the Marijuana is considered as a socially addictive drug therefore and has really capability to induce abuse. Such capacity of the drug therefore can further led to the domestic as well as the social disturbance giving the fact that the drug is of addictive nature. This is also because of the fact that due to overall nature of Marijuana people who actually use this drug become what is called potheads and Marijuana start to dominate most parts of their lives. Such domination therefore creates further social alienation as well as the marginalization of the drug addicts. The use of Marijuana is therefore not only socially addictive but those addicts who do not have access to the drug often feel restlessness, depression, anxiety as well as the loss of sleep and appetite. Such symptoms therefore suggest that the use of marijuana can be seriously addictive and can be dangerous for the health of the individual. It is also important to note that the use of marijuana by young boys and girls who are already socially alienated can further drift them into the use of other more dangerous and addictive drugs thus leading them to the more troubled life ahead. Many advocate the use of Marijuana either for the medicinal or recreational use citing the reasons that the cost involved in the criminal justice system can be overcome through the taxation of the marijuana and its use. It is further argued that the carefully executed drug control policies and criminal justice system can actually help individuals to be rehabilitated rather than be left alone. Thus if the use of Marijuana is legalized, people will effectively lose a very bright chance of being rehabilitated. Further, under the criminal justice system, they are rehabilitated through the use of the public resources thus putting less pressure on their already troubled financial lives. This is because the purchase of illegal marijuana can be expensive and individuals addicted to it may spend significant part of their income on the purchase of Marijuana thus having lesser resources for their personal rehabilitation. (DuPont, 2010) It is also important to note that the different studies have suggested that the use of Marijuana is one of the significant causes of the drug related emergencies in the hospitals. (Napalitano, 2010). Episodes such as stone driving can therefore significantly put the lives of those addicted to the use of Marijuana if it is legalized. This argument shall also be viewed from the perspective of how the future will be if marijuana is legalized? Whether the society is willing to assume the damage which can be done on the basis of the legalized used of Marijuana such as the stone driving which can result into the serious road accidents as well as other domestic violence. It is also important to note that the legalization of the marijuana can lead to its use by the children if it is commonly used in the family. If it is legalized and being allowed to be used within the confines of one’s home it can seriously find its way to the children and therefore children can be seriously affected by the exposure to the marijuana. What is significantly more critical is the fact that the legal and unrestrained use of marijuana can result into the domestic violence and excessive use. Domestic violence and family troubles due to use of marijuana by ay one of the parents can be seriously detrimental to the whole family and the children can be the worst affected. Some medical studies on the use of marijuana suggest that the use of it is one of the leading causes of the men infertility. The regular use of it can cause serious damage or impairment to the male sperms and egg cells thus reducing the ability of men to reproduce. (IOM, 1999). Such serious health related damage of the use of marijuana can therefore be one of the greatest social cost of its use and the society as a whole may not be able to withstand it. It is also critical to note that the Western societies are already facing the ageing population and therefore with the legalization of marijuana and its unrestrained use, the resulting male infertility can further reduce the ability of the men to reproduce and thus there will be greater age gap between the young and older generations. Due to the health related issues of the use of marijuana especially the memory loss and intoxication, those who use the marijuana often face the uphill task of performing their routine day to day jobs. The legalization of the use of marijuana therefore can often lead to either the unemployment or unemployment. Further the legalized use of Marijuana by those individuals who interact with the machines in their workplace can be exposed to the real threat to their lives because of their inability to coordinate themselves under the intoxicated conditions. Further, the employers often do not hire those individuals who are the regular drug addicts because of their lack of productivity and efficiency. Further the use of the marijuana can result into the memory loss and serious brain damage thus not allowing the individuals to perform their daily tasks in more efficient manner. It is also argued that the legalization of marijuana, like gambling, may induce the government to promote its use due to revenue benefits. Such approach therefore can seriously limit the ability of the government to view the use of marijuana as a problem which need to be tackled because of the harms it can pose to the individual lives and the society as a whole. This is because marijuana can provide revenue to the government and government can have windfall in the taxation. (Klein, 2009). Under the US laws, Marijuana is classified as the Schedule 1 substance which means that it has potentially no medical use. Thus those who are advocating the legalization of Marijuana based on the medicinal value of Marijuana are therefore ignorant of the fact that the mass production of marijuana as a result of its legalization would cost more to the society in terms of its health hazards as compared to its medical benefits. Just as in the case of tobacco, the mass production can result into the significant cost on the health related treatment of the users and therefore increasing the overall cost in excess of the government revenue as well as the medicinal value of the Marijuana. It is therefore feared that the legalization of Marijuana will actually make it more common like tobacco and its uncontrolled use will be more addictive and dangerous to the individuals as well as to the society. Conclusion Marijuana should not be legalized because of different reasons and those advocating the legalization of it due to its medicinal or recreational use shall be aware of the overall harms it can cause to the individuals as well as the society. It is also important to note that the legalization of marijuana will make it more common like tobacco and since marijuana is much stronger drug, its exposure to the children specially can create significant problems. Further the regular and unrestrained use of marijuana can result into memory loss thus leaving its user unable to complete their day to day tasks thus jeopardizing their employment prospects. Bibliography 1. Dalrymple, T. (1997). Don’t Legalize Drugs. Retrieved Jan 10, 2011, from City Journal: http://www.city-journal.org/html/7_2_a1.html 2. DuPont, R. L. (2010, April 20). Why We Should Not Legalize Marijuana. Retrieved January 10th, 2011, from CNBC: http://www.cnbc.com/id/36267223/Why_We_Should_Not_Legalize_Marijuana 3. IOM. (1999). Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base. Retrieved January 10, 2011, from The National Academic Press: http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=6376&page=1 4. Klein, J. (2009, April 02). Why Legalizing Marijuana Makes Sense. Retrieved January 10th, 2011, from Time: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1889021,00.html 5. Messerli, J. (2010, 04 20). Should Marijuana be Legalized under any Circumstances? Retrieved January 10th, 2011, from balancedpolitics.org: http://www.balancedpolitics.org/marijuana_legalization.htm 6. Napalitano, J. (2010, March 30). Why Marijuana Should Not be Legalized. Retrieved January 10, 2011, from Opposingviews.com: http://www.opposingviews.com/i/why-marijuana-should-not-be-legalized Read More