The Moral Controversy Associated with Legalization of Marijuana - Essay Example

The Moral Controversy associated with Legalization of Marijuana The Moral Controversy associated with Legalization of MarijuanaAmericans consume more marijuana than any other recreational drug apart from tobacco and alcohol. It is estimated that 80 million American citizens have, at one time or another in their lives, consumed Marijuana. Approximately 11 million Americans continue to consume the drug in various forms, in spite of existing laws against this in the majority of states. President Richard Nixon was the first American president to initiate a campaign against drug abuse. His main objective was to ensure public safety by promoting zero tolerance for drug abuse. Marijuana was, at that time, categorized as a ‘schedule 1 drug’. This essentially means that it has no recognized benefits to the human body. Since then, research has proven that marijuana has definite medical benefits. Today, many American citizens contend that the federal government’s favorable or non-favorable view of marijuana is irrelevant; and that individual states have the right to determine whether or not to criminalize the use of marijuana based on what their citizens consider to be morally acceptable.. The Legalization Debate Marijuana has been legalized in some states like Colorado and Washington. This means that the citizens in this state can freely eat, or smoke Marijuana for medicinal as well as recreational reasons without fearing that they will be prosecuted for this action. This action has not been duplicated in other states or even nations, though. Most nations have had laws that forbid the use of drugs for recreational purposes for years. This type of legislation, though, is often counterproductive. Legalizing marijuana could actually bring significant benefits to the state in question, as well as the nation. According to Patton (2010), the Colorado legislature permits every household in the state to cultivate six marijuana plants for recreational purposes. Voters approved of the acceptance of marijuana as a recreational drug in 2012, though it was not until 2014 that the first sales were made. Recent research has shown that the legalization of marijuana has not resulted in any drastic changes in terms of criminal activity or graduation to hard drugs among marijuana users in Colorado (Caulkins & Hawken, 2012). This shows that voters in Colorado were right to push for the legalization of the drug for medicinal and recreational purposes. According to Danielsen (2011), even though Marijuana has been proven to be a drug with hardly any serious effects on the human body, the trade involving it in the black market is detrimental to society. Law enforcement officers do not have adequate resources to deal with the war on drugs. The fact is that criminalizing the use of marijuana would not would not affect its profit incentive in the drug market. It would merely add a dangerous element to an already unregulated market where traders and retailers frequently use tactics such as intimidation and violence to handle any conflicts. The Reasons why Marijuana should be Legalized There are different ways in which the legalization of marijuana can bring benefits to the state. In the first place, the state would benefit from additional revenue from the money that would be generated from taxes on marijuana sales. The state would also be able to save on state funds that are used to enforce the ban on the drug. According to Danielsen (2011), penalties enacted for the distribution and possession of marijuana outweigh its actual effects on public safety as well as the physical health of the user. According to Caulkins & Hawken (2012), the ACLU website reveals that in 2011 alone, 700, 000 Americans were arrested and detained for being in possession of marijuana. Tax payers have to put up $5.5 billion to facilitate this process of arrest and detention. The lives of these arrested individuals are permanently affected simply because of partaking in a recreational drug that the majority of the nation’s population feels should be legalized. The Medicinal properties of Marijuana One of the reasons why marijuana should be legalized is because it has medicinal properties that could benefit those in need of them. Throughout the history of its existence, marijuana has been used for curing or alleviating definite medical problems. According to Bello (2010) writings from ancient India have shown that it was often used as an anti-emetic, and even a pain reliever in childbirth. Today, the medical fraternity recognizes that marijuana helps in relieving chronic pain, muscle spasms, and interlobular pressure within the eyeball (Caulkins & Hawken, 2012). Marijuana can also help in suppressing the feeling of nausea, and in achieving weight loss. The drug has also been known to reduce the incidence of epileptic seizures, and curb the rapid development of cancerous cells. Marijuana also has a chemical compound, known as THC, which plays a significant role in delaying the progress of Alzheimer’s disease (Caulkins & Hawken, 2012). Utilitarianism and the Legalization of Drugs The utilitarian theory functions as the best framework in which to determine if the legalization of marijuana is morally right or wrong. There is a considerable percentage of citizens that fears that legalizing marijuana could result in an increase of misdemeanors and general lawlessness. This, though, remains unsubstantiated in states like Washington and Colorado, which have legalized marijuana. It could also be claimed that this is a hypocritical assumption because the reality is that there are already many American citizens who occasionally consume marijuana (Caulkins & Hawken, 2012). The fact that their use of it has not been linked to uncommon spikes in crime rate stands to show that marijuana does not contribute to increased lawlessness. It is also a known fact that other mind-altering substances that have been accepted as part of the social experience, such as alcohol, cause more problems like accidents than marijuana does. The utilitarian theory contends that if there are a number of available choices, the option that should be picked is that which benefits the greatest number of people. While not all people require marijuana for medicinal purposes, it is likely that most people are acquainted with individuals who need safe kinds of pain relievers. Marijuana, in this case would be a good choice. From the perspective of the utilitarian theory, there are other ways in which the legalization of marijuana would benefit the greatest numbers of people. For example, in Colorado, this action has brought into state coffers more than $60 million from taxes alone (Caulkins & Hawken, 2012). This is money that could be used to generate new jobs and improve public state infrastructure. This would naturally add to the happiness of the state’s citizens due to improved amenities, and the stimulation of the state and national economies. When weighed against the unhappiness that the legalization of marijuana may cause, it is evident that more people will be positively affected by the drug’s legalization than will be displeased by this action (Danielsen, 2011). Utilitarianism supports picking the option that will result in happiness for the greatest number of people. In addition, even among those who may be unhappy with the drug’s legalization, they are likely to experience a change in opinion if the improvements that they see in public infrastructure are directly tied to the legalization of marijuana. It is vital that citizens view the subject of marijuana legalization from a logical perspective, and not from instinctive reaction that causes them to suppose the worse will happen if a drug is legalized. Comprehending what the effects of marijuana legalization may be by using the utilitarian theory is one method that can help individuals to understand what they truly feel about this issue. Conclusion Citizens should not associate the legalization of marijuana with the disregarding of legitimate concerns about social ills caused by drugs for which there are still no viable answers. Legalizing marijuana does not constitute intentionally seeking to manufacture additional social problems. Refusing to legalize marijuana, though, is counterproductive because it disregards the herb’s medical properties while enabling criminal gangs that are sustained by engaging in the black market sale of the drug. The legalization of marijuana will benefit not just the users, but also the government at large. References Bello, J. (2010). The benefits of marijuana: Physical, psychological and spiritual. New York: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. Caulkins, J., & Hawken, A. (2012). Marijuana legalization: What everyone needs to know. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Danielsen, R. (2011). Puff The Magic Dragon. (Cover Story). Clinician Reviews, 21(3), 1-7. Patton, M. (2010). The Legalization Of Marijuana: A Dead-End Or The High Road To Fiscal Solvency? Berkeley Journal of Criminal Law, 15, 163. Read More