Influence of Age, Gender and Race In the Legalization of Marijuana - Term Paper Example

? Influence of Age, Gender and Race in the Legalization of Marijuana Introduction Marijuana commonly referred to as a hard drug and a stimulant is the center of recent debates on its legalization. Proponents and opponents to the idea have pointed out different reasons for their stand. While the proponents point out its medicinal use and creativity enhancement, the opponents posit that marijuana has far more disadvantages than advantages. A study by the American academy of Pediatrics in 1995 found out that only 18% of the American population favored the legalization of the drug. Among the respondents, 26% believed that possession of marijuana should be a felony, while 31% of the respondents felt that the drug should be available in hospitals under prescription. At least 24% of these people felt that the drug ought to remain illegal, favored either the reduction or elimination of penalties of its possession. Despite its current illegal status, many people still use it as a stimulant. Statistics point out that at least a third of the American population has ever used marijuana once in their lives. This is a significant number, considering its status as an illicit drug among the people. Increasingly, countries and their citizens are softening their stand on the drug, with Colorado legalizing the use of the drug. However, many people have found themselves torn between the legalization of the drug and its criminalization due to their personality. This proposal study seeks to identify whether age, gender or race influences the support for the legalization of marijuana. Literature Review Different factors contribute to divergence in people’s view on the legalization of marijuana. Even as the debate gains momentum, with some of the countries and American states opting to pass laws legalizing the use of the drug, the reality is that not all people are in support of the idea. On the other hand however, the differences in age, gender and race substantially affects the stand people have on the issue. Danovitch (2013) holds that no industrialized country to date has legalized the use of marijuana. Any projections on the impact of the legalization of marijuana in a jurisdiction are merely speculatively. As such, there is no testing previously done supporting this idea. An analysis of the regulatory changes and decriminalization of marijuana in other countries raises mixed findings, with some suggesting that there is an increase in its use while others think otherwise. To demystify this belief, this paper looks at three factors linked to the support of marijuana legalization (age, gender and race). Age as an Influencing Factor Age influences the support of legalization of marijuana among the people. Mostly, the patterns of use of the drug by different age groups in the society influence their likelihood of supporting the idea. Due to increased use of marijuana among the teenagers than the adult people, there is a high likelihood of these teenagers supporting its legalization. “World Future Review” (2012), observes that there is a widespread belief among the teen population that marijuana use benefits their health. He points out that in Colorado for instance, while there is an increased use of marijuana among the teenage population, there is a subsequent drop in the use of tobacco and alcohol. Although the teenagers are aware of the dangers posed by drugs such as alcohol and tobacco use, they are least aware of the dangers posed by the use of marijuana. Experts attribute ignorance to this sharp rise in the marijuana use among the teenagers. As “World Future Review” (2012, p. 29) points out, “I had to shake my head at the quote from the kids saying it promotes development and helps with focus.” It is obvious that these teenagers rely on the fact that marijuana has a medicinal value, opting to disregard the fact that its adverse effects related to addiction. Lack of education among teenagers on the health hazards associated with marijuana is the main reason for the sharp rise in its use. “World Future Review” (2012,) refutes claims by teenagers that marijuana is a performance-enhancing drug. He argues that outside of very narrow medical parameters, for instance to people suffering from chemotherapy related nausea, marijuana has no further medicinal advantages among people. Such beliefs among the youth increase their support for the legalization of the drug. As the consumption levels of the drug among teenagers increase, so does their support for its legalization. If the recent court battle for the legalization of the drug in Colorado is anything to go by, more youths than adults support the legalization of marijuana as a drug. Race as an Influencing Factor Race, and especially in America influences people’s stand on the legalization of marijuana. Reports focusing on the trends of marijuana usage reveal that some races use the drug more than others do. In fact, some countries record high percentages of the drug’s use than others. This, as Thornhill (2011) points out, is the case with the African Americans in the United States. The increase in arrest cases of these people as well as the victimization rates is descriptive of this analogy. In America, there are more cases of arrest among the African Americans for the possession, peddling or use of marijuana than to the Americas (Thornhill, 2011). Further, Thornhill (2011) argues that there is no specific relationship between urban frustration and the increased support for the legalization of marijuana among the blacks in the United States’ cities. However, he points out that in cities with highest numbers of drug related arrests and victimization cases, the support for the legalization of marijuana is high among the blacks. Drug use among the people has a number of side effects, so e of them being disruption of families, poor health, decreased levels of economic output as well as the rise in crime rates. According to Thornhill, these are the very factors that exacerbate blacks arrest rates in America. Reports from the U.S. Department of Justice reveal that in 2008 alone, black’s arrests for drug-related offences (marijuana included) surpassed the white’s by 2.95. Thornhill (2011, p. 111) points out that, “What makes this statistic all the more impressive is that racially disparate drug arrest rates cannot be attributed to greater levels of drug use or drug dealing among African Americans as there is strong evidence indicating that Whites are just as likely to use and sell drugs.” This means that despite the high rates of arrest of the blacks in the United States for the possession of marijuana and related drugs, this does not translate into increased usage of drugs among the black than the whites. Thus, there is a likelihood of the whites using marijuana at the same rate with the blacks. Factoring in the high arrest rates of the blacks than the whites in the United States for the possession and use of marijuana, the support for the legalization of the drug in the United States is higher among the blacks than among the whites. Gender as an Influencing Factor Drugs have different implications on women than on men. Studies reveal that women face a higher risk from either direct or indirect use of drugs than men do. Since men are likely to abuse drugs more often than women are, it negatively affects married women than men. Excessive use of marijuana by both men and women leads to broken marriages and divorce. The effect of this is increased levels of depression among the women who bear the biggest responsibility of the children. Women who directly use marijuana risk acquiring unwanted pregnancies. This is so especially to the adolescent girls who are yet to get married. Marijuana is harmful to pregnant and breastfeeding women. According to Danovitch (2013), many of the compounds in smoked marijuana readily cross the placenta and into the growing foetus. The foetus absorbs them, while others pass into the breast milk where nursing infants absorb them into their bloodstream. Pregnant mothers who readily use marijuana have a higher likelihood of using other drugs such as alcohol and tobacco among other illicit drugs (Danovitch, 2013). Another risk facing these women is that they are likely to miss out from receiving antenatal care. Studies conducted on the influence of marijuana on pregnant and breastfeeding women reveal that children born by these mothers are likely to suffer from low birth weight, developmental delay and behavioural problems. While some of the effects of marijuana breastfeeding and pregnant women are long-term, others are short term. The long-term effects however, are more likely to affect a child than the short-term effects. Most of the long-term effects persist over the entire life of a child. Moreover, early exposure to marijuana causes behavioural problems as low as the age of ten years. Increased use of marijuana increases behavioural problems in children as late as fourteen years of age. Although there are no adverse effects of marijuana on child development, the importance of good health of a child especially in the early years of a child’s development are significant at influencing the kind of a person that child is likely to become (Danovitch, 2013). Although marijuana has similar health effects on both men and women, the reality is that it affects women more than men in their pregnancy and prenatal stages. As such, women are more likely to avoid the use of marijuana than men are, since they do not go through the pregnancy and weaning period. Subsequently, there is a higher likelihood of men supporting the legalization idea of marijuana more than women do. The fact that women have to undergo through pregnancy, they have to abstain from the use of the drug to avoid the negative effects the drug has on the children. While men are more likely to support the legalization idea, putting these factors into consideration, women’s view is likely to be opposite. As the studies reveal, age, gender and race are underlying factors in the use of marijuana among the people. Most of the studies conducted on the usage of marijuana all lay on these factors. These are the very factors influencing people’s perception on the legalization of marijuana. This study will focus on the influence of these factors on the legalization of marijuana. Hypothesis Research by “World Future Review” (2012) reported that teenagers use marijuana more than the adult people do. A teenager is a person of the age between 13 and 19 years. The main cause of increased consumption levels of marijuana among the youth, as he points out, is lack of education and knowledge on the health effects of marijuana on their bodies. The adults are aware of the dangers posed by marijuana to their health. Thus, the first hypothesis for this study is that teenagers are more likely to support the legalization for the drug than the adult people are. Research by Thornhill (2011) reported that race influences people’s stand on the legalization of marijuana. According to the report, the law enforcing officers arrest more blacks than whites with drug related offences in the United States. In 2008, black’s arrests for drug-related offences surpassed the white’s by 2.95. Although being in possession of drugs does not translate into use, possession in its self is a drug related crime. It creates good ground for the victimization of the blacks. This forms the second hypothesis for this study, which hold that blacks and the African Americans in general have a higher likelihood of supporting marijuana legalization motion than the whites. Danovitch (2013) in his research indicated that there is a higher risk of drug usage associated with pregnant and breastfeeding women. Drugs use by these women negatively affects the children, especially their behaviour and development, which early exposure to marijuana considerably slows down. Thus, the third hypothesis of this study is that there is a higher likelihood of men supporting the legalization of marijuana than women. Conclusion In the recent past, there have been increased debates on the legalization of marijuana in the United States and around the world. Although in its current state, marijuana is illegal, and that no country has yet legalized it amid the speculation that some of its legalization in a number of countries; marijuana remains the most used illicit drug around the world. There are patterns though on the use of the drug, particularly among the various groups in the world. Most people who use the drug argue that marijuana enhances their performance as well as having a medical value. Although this is true, the drug poses more disasters than advantages, if addiction, mental distortion and social ills are anything to go by. It is due to these negative effects of marijuana that many people state their stand on the legalization of the drug. Most, especially the ones aware of its disadvantages oppose the idea of its legalization. On the other hand, people who believe that the drug has some medicinal value or enhances their performance increasingly put their weight on the legalization of marijuana. Three elements, as discussed in this study, influencing the perception of people in the legalization of the drug include age, gender and race. These are the underlying factors, which determines people’s stand on the issue. Although the adult people use marijuana, its consumption is high among teenagers who have a misconception on the health and performance benefits of the drug to human body. While marijuana has a similar effect on both men and when, factoring in pregnancy and breastfeeding among women shifts the effects, as such affecting women more. Therefore, women are likely to oppose the legalization of the drug more than men are. Race, on the other hand does not comprise the use, but also the possession and handling of the drug. The blacks, compared to the whites, face more drug related offences, thereby standing in support of the legalization motion of the drug than the whites do. Reference “World Future Review” (2012). A Future of Legalized Marijuana? World Future Society, 4(4), 28-32. Danovitch, I. (2012). Sorting Through the Science on Marijuana: Facts, Fallacies, and Implications for Legalization. Mcgeorge Law Review, 43(1), 91-108. Thornhill, T. E. (2011). African Americans and the Marijuana Legalization Paradox: Do Race-Specific Murder Victimization Rates and Race-Specific Drug Arrest Rates Explain It? Journal Of Ethnicity In Criminal Justice, 9(2), 110-135. Read More