In my view, the most prolific topic facing criminal justice in the next 10 years is the legalization/decriminalization of marijuana. Potential decriminalization of marijuana laws is likely to result in a potential increase in the rates of crimes. Though the correlation between crime and the use of marijuana has remained to be a contested topic, reform opponents argue that decriminalization of marijuana fuels the commission of crimes. If studies prove that there is a positive correlation between crime increase and decriminalization of marijuana, the criminal justice system is likely to experience a surge in the number of criminal cases. Also, research findings have shown that the use of marijuana adversely affects adolescents. Some studies have proved that young people who at some point in their lives have used marijuana are highly likely to commit crimes in their adulthood (Harris & Martin, 2019). Again, these revelations may burden the criminal justice system due to potentially increased criminal cases resulting from the contextual factors related to the use and decriminalization of marijuana.
The clash of federal versus state laws with regards to the legalization of marijuana in some states is a potential issue that the criminal justice system is likely to face over the next 10 years. Already, some states have legalized the use of marijuana, literary setting up a possible clash between the two levels of governance ( Thomson Reuters, 2020). The legalization of marijuana is some states means that such states are not allowed to use sources that are managed by the federal government. In the event a state violates these rules, the criminal justice system will be ultimately required to step in a provide a lasting solution to this legal conundrum.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
In conclusion, the federal government should implement the conservative policy of decriminalizing the use of marijuana to solve the problem of potential increased backlog of court cases resulting from the arrest of offenders for the use/possession of this drug. Decriminalization will also ensure that the clash between the federal government and the state government is avoided and thus reducing the strain on the criminal justice system.
References
Harris, K. N., & Martin, W. (2019). The Case for Marijuana Decriminalization. Baker Institute
Report , 4 .
Thomson Reuters. (2020). Marijuana Legalization and Decriminalization Overview. Retrieved
from FindLaw: https://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-charges/marijuana-legalization-and-decriminalization-overview.html
