To Legalize or Not Legalize Marijuana in the US - Research Paper Example

Legalization of Marijuana For the last one hundred years or so, the use of marijuana has been regulated by legal provisions in many countries aroundthe world. There are country specific jurisdictions that act differently with regard to the nature and extent of punishment for selling, buying or possessing marijuana. The United States of America has taken a relatively tolerant stance in matters of marijuana. Albeit illegal under the federal Controlled Substances Act which was passed in 1970, more than a dozen states in the country do not penalize use of marijuana (Legality of cannabis 2009). However, the 1972 Marijuana Commission set up by President Nixon provided inconclusive proofs regarding the harmfulness of pots. Albeit its recommendations were met with stringently by the government and law enforcing officials, it was still far from clear the extent of damage marijuana can inflict upon its consumers in the long run. Those who vehemently protested against the decriminalization argued that “American culture and its criminal justice policy could not rest on” an uncertain philosophy not fully supported by scientific validations (Gerber 25). However, following the exponential increase of marijuana users in the country, more recent developments in this regard are involved with the country’s declaration of war against marijuana and other types of addictive drugs. Of late, the debate for and against the use of marijuana has been so stirring that it has drawn attention from all ranks of the society – be it from the administrative powerhouses to authors, singers, journalists and more. Everyone seems to have something to say in this context. This empirical research report investigates into the likely impact of legitimating marijuana on the general people in the US. In the course of discussion, the paper will look into arguments both for and against the motion. Those who maintain that using marijuana should not be banned or penalized put forward a series of questions and logical points. It might be noted that majority of their arguments are grounded on strictly subjective notions of drug addiction and its impact on the society. It is argued vociferously that it is unfair to proscribe marijuana in a country like the United States of America which boasts of securing personal freedom to each of its citizens. Such legal impositions take away the basic human rights to willingly indulge in activities that are otherwise far less disturbing than some of the extreme forms of substance addiction (Goddard 34). The defenders also argue that smoking cigarettes and drinking alcoholic beverages are not illegal in the country. Then why marijuana should be banned? They rationalize that cigarettes and alcohols are potentially more harmful than marijuana and yet, the authorities do not take any notice of how many of the regular cigarette smokers die every year. Moreover, drunken driving takes many lives on the streets of the US. These have far more negative connotations on the overall wellbeing of the society, if compared with how pot affects its users (Moon 2006). Research undertaken by the British Medical Association reveals that nicotine, which is the essence of tobacco smoking, is potentially far malign than marijuana. The supporters of marijuana also contend that prohibiting marijuana would lead to a precarious legal as well as moral dilemma since substances that are medically proved to be more destructive than marijuana would still be in use in open market, while trading marijuana would be weighed illicit (Editors of Idea and Trapp 156). The Herald Bulletin, which is a well-circulated news daily in the country, accommodated for its readers’ opinion in its editorial section. A letter claimed that ascribing medicinal status to marijuana is the first step toward legalizing it in the US market. Historically, this drug is recommended by doctors for therapeutic treatment for patients with stress, anxiety, biliousness and many more ailments (Reske 2009). Scientific investigations into the compositions of this soft drug have brought out that marijuana contains certain natural pain relieving materials that are useful for patients suffering from multiple sclerosis. Moreover, an exploratory study made by the Complutense University in Madrid has hinted that marijuana can kill certain types of malignant cells (Editors of Idea and Trapp 156). People who do not advocate marijuana emphasize the sedative and unreal experiences that marijuana cause. Far from just legitimizing marijuana for the sake of its medicinal values, the concerned authorities should also pay attention to the darker aspects of this drug. Qualitative research findings have underpinned the comparative analysis between alcohol and marijuana consumption, and the odds are heavily stacked against marijuana. For example, a single alcoholic drink is metabolized out of the physiological system within a day. On the other hand, a single pot joint takes several weeks to be out of the human anatomical system. Moreover, it is scientifically proved that marijuana contains harmful chemicals as its constituting elements. These chemicals have a detrimental effect on human brain and leave the addicted person under the mercy of the society. Countless adverse effects of pot smoking make life miserable not just for the smoker, but also for his/her friends, relatives and acquaintances. Excessive pot smoking also leads to financial crisis for many families, which ultimately increments criminal activities. This social side of marijuana consumption has implicit effect on mass psyche. Going by the cardinal rule that forbiddance increases curiosity, one might consider not banning marijuana legally. It is worth referring to the letter dispatched to Kofi Annan in 1998, following the kickoff of the special session on drugs at the UN’s General Assembly meeting. This letter, signed by Willie Brown, Kurt Schmoke, George Schultz, Joycelyn Elders and a few other eminent personalities, stressed on the probable negative impact of decriminalizing marijuana in the US society (Kick 200). The public would be more tempted to use the prohibited substance. Hence, it is quite clear that legalizing marijuana in the US calls for intense debate and counter arguments. Following the medicinal legalization, the current US President Barrack Obama has received mixed reactions from different quarters. The federal law has made provisions for the usage of marijuana as a medical substance in 24 states. This announcement, however, stands in contrast with what President Obama said earlier in 2009, expressing his concerns over the righteousness of legalizing marijuana in the country, especially in these trying times of economic downturn (Marquart 2009). Facts show that the number of arrests for owning and using marijuana has multiplied by 800 times from 1990. In the last 19 years more than 5.9 million US citizens were charged with marijuana cases. Nearly 88% of the arrested individuals either used or carried marijuana, whereas 12% sold or manufactured this substance (Factoidz 2009). As for public opinions on this sensitive issue, Americans aged between 18 and 29 years are distinctly split into two camps, with 47% casting their poll in favor of prohibiting marijuana and 50% thinking it should not be declared a criminal offense to buy, sell or smoke marijuana. There is also an interesting pattern in the survey results. Elder citizens aged over 30 years have shown a propensity to abiding by the traditional values and have objected to using pots (Gallup and Newport 407). This is very important from research perspectives simply because if we consider the standpoint of just the youth, we are bound to be misled into generalizing the overall scenario in the country. But these surveys and opinion polls do not necessarily reflect the economic partakes either. On one hand, the United States of America being the most notorious country in the world in terms of acts of criminality spends a huge amount of money on correcting criminals most of which are related to drug-induced crimes. But then again, marijuana is one of the most rewarding cash crops in California (Klein 2009). These are some of the dilemmas that pop up when this legalization issue is addressed. But literature studies still favor retaining pot for all its good measures, both economic and social. Bibliography Editors of Idea, and Robert Trapp. The debatabase book: a must-have guide for successful debate. New York: IDEA, 2009. Factoidz. 2009. “To legalize or to not legalize marijuana in the US, that is the question.” 26 October 2009 . Gallup, Alec, and Frank Newport. The Gallup Poll: Public Opinion 2005. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield, 2006. Gerber, Rudolph J. Legalizing marijuana: drug policy reform and prohibition politics. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2004. Goddard, Dr James L. “Should it be legalized? ‘Soon we will know’.” LIFE 67 (1969): 34. Kick, Russell. Everything you know is wrong: the Disinformation guide to secrets and lies. New York: The Disinformation Company, 2002. Klein, Joe. “Why Legalizing Marijuana Makes Sense.” 2 April 2009. Time Inc. 27 October 2009 . “Legality of cannabis.” 24 October 2009. Wikipedia. 26 October 2009 . Marquart, Scott. “Puff, puff, pass the legislation.” 25 October 2009. Vanderbilt University Student Media. 26 October 2009 . Moon, Johnny. “Legalize Marijuana in the United States.” 6 October 2006. Associated Content. 26 October 2009 . Reske, Helen H. “Letter: Medical marijuana first step to legalization.” Herald Bulletin [Central Indiana] 23 October 2009, Editorial. Read More