The debate on the legalization of marijuana is an ongoing topic in different parts of the world. Some governments have agreed on its legalization, while others have opposed any possibilities to legalize it. Legalizing marijuana is a sensitive topic that is attributed to the personal motives of debaters. Marijuana use has been criminalized for a long time since it is attributed as a major hazard to society, especially because it causes mental illnesses. However, a major reason why some countries have started advocating for the legalization of marijuana is that marijuana has medicinal values dating back a number of years back. Legalization of marijuana is a welcome move because of the many benefits that would arise from it such as being used for the treatment of various medical conditions, creating employment for farmers, increasing government revenue through taxation and most importantly, it would reduce illegal use of the drug which is associated with crime.
The Canadian Medical Association, in its journal, has reported many positive testimonies regarding the effects of medical marijuana. One case is of Jean Charles, a thirty-year-old who suffers from AIDS. Despite being on standard regimens of HIV, his health deteriorated every day. At eighty-two pounds and bedridden, Charles sought to find another way to live. He began using marijuana, and his health improved tremendously. In a report by Doctor Kelly, Charles managed to walk again with little support after he started using marijuana (Gray 1998). Since this incident, marijuana has been attributed to cause repression of the HIV virus. Besides the repression of AIDS, cannabis has numerous health benefits due to a compound named cannabinol. The drug is used to relieve chronic pain, regulate seizures, treat glaucoma, alleviate anxiety, and slow the development of Alzheimer's disease. It also benefits people who have multiple sclerosis as it provides relief. It is also used to promote sleep and reduce the pain and tremors caused by Parkinson’s disease ( Brand & Zhao 2017) . Marijuana was used extensively in the past due to its health benefits. The Chinese, for example, have used marijuana for a long time as a form of treatment of some medical conditions. Documents belonging to emperor Shennung, who lived around 2800 BCE, are proof of the drug's importance. The documents entail vast explanations of different herbs and plants and their use. Cannabis is explored in great detail, including the preparation of the herb to be used for various medicinal purposes. For example the documents show that parts of marijuana were important since they were used to heal open wounds while the seeds were used for aconite poisoning, constipation, vomiting, among other uses. However, the document warns on the smoking of the drug or its use in excessive quantities due to side effects such as hallucinations.
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Research has uncovered that the use of marijuana is less dangerous as compared to some other drugs which are actually legal. According to the World Health Organization, marijuana is the most widely used, cultivated, and trafficked drugs. Through research, the World Health Organization has determined that 2.5% of the human population consumes marijuana annually in comparison to 0.2% consumers of cocaine (Todd, 2018). A major concern for WHO is the extensive abuse of the drug, mostly in developed countries of North America, Australia, and Western Europe. However, the effects of marijuana are less dangerous compared to some of the legalized drugs. For example, a journal by Lachenmeier (2019) explores the risk of marijuana in relation to tobacco and alcohol. In his approach, he explains that marijuana has a low risk profile as compared to other legal drugs such as tobacco. The Center for Disease Central research shows that cigarette smoking causes 480,000 deaths every year in the United States while marijuana does not directly lead to individuals' death; the complications that occur due to its effects are the main cause of death. This shows that marijuana is less harmful compared to the use of tobacco (Welsh 2014). Moreover, if marijuana were legal, it would be legally sold, and the youths would not engage with drug dealers who introduce them to the use of other hard drugs such as cocaine, heroin and other dangerous drugs. These findings show that marijuana has been illegalized discriminately without taking into consideration such hard facts.
Analyzing legalization of marijuana through an economic lens shows that it would have massive economic benefits. In 2009, Canadian police arrested 29 562 people in relation to illegal use of marijuana. In America the same year, the number of arrests was 1,663, 582. This proves that the United States Department of justice uses a huge amount of money to deal with cases associated with the illegal use of marijuana. In the University of Boston, Jeffrey A. Miron, in his paper, explores that if marijuana in Massachusetts were legalized, it would help save close to 120.6 million dollars from expenditure on criminal enforcement. It would also yield a state revenue of 16.9 million dollars every year from tax (Miron, 2003). This shows that legalizing the drug could create a drastic change in improving the country's economic state.
In an interview with a police officer in the City College springs area, he explained that many laws have been created and changed regarding marijuana. He reckons that it is a great challenge to deal with marijuana cases especially after marijuana was made legal in some states since 2013. The criminal justice system is thus obligated to adjust its mode of operation in order to deal with these many issues. For example, people above twenty-one can illegally possess the drug, but they cannot use it in public places. However, most people still smoke marijuana in public places like parks which increases friction with law enforcement agencies. Juveniles, however, have no right to purchase or possess marijuana. The police officer also informed that it is illegal to grow marijuana in people’s homes in the state of Colorado, although it is allowed in international forests. As he explained, adults are only allowed to carry one ounce of marijuana. From the interview, it was clear that there is a misunderstanding of the laws since members of the society do not understand that there are restrictions put in place even after the legalizing of marijuana. The policeman also explained that it is difficult to apply marijuana rules and regulation since it is difficult to estimate the amount of marijuana that one has taken.
The interview with the police officer shows that the criminal justice system still has a long way to go before fully implementing the laws concerning legalizing marijuana. The police officers ought to help in enlightening people that even though some states allow use of marijuana, there are limits related to the same. They also have a difficult task dealing with the many issues arising as a result of legalizing of marijuana. The criminal justice society, however, has tried to ensure that the laws regarding legalization of marijuana are adhered to. Nevertheless, there is need for federal laws to be created regarding marijuana so that people understand to what extent marijuana is legal or illegal.
In conclusion, Marijuana is a drug that is available in most societies, whether legally or illegally. The fact that a government policy makes it illegal does not mean that teenagers and adults have no access to it. Instead, people find ways to buy through illegal dealers who avoid any contact with the law in all methods. This means that making marijuana illegal does not change the fact that the public still uses it. A great recommendation is that the government should legalize marijuana not only because it has major health benefits but also because it would help improve the country's economy through tax. In addition, marijuana has been associated with medicinal benefits for a very long time. It is not logical that the drug is considered illegal, yet its effects are less harmful compared to some of the legal drugs whose effects are fatal. Therefore, legalizing marijuana can greatly benefit economies globally and would also help many patients. The advantages of marijuana are enough to influence populations to advocate for its legalization. However, there should be strategic policies to control the levels of cannabinol and tetrahydrocannabinol components in marijuana to ensure that they are within acceptable limits. In addition, rules and regulations will be needed to ensure that people don’t misuse the drug when it is made legal.
References
Brand, E. J., & Zhao, Z. (2017). Cannabis in Chinese medicine: are some traditional indications referenced in ancient literature related to cannabinoids?. Frontiers in pharmacology , 8 , 108.
Gray, C. (1998). Legalize use of marijuana for medical purposes, MDs and patients plead. Cmaj , 158 (3), 373-375.
Lachenmeier, D. W., Habel, S., Fischer, B., Herbi, F., Zerbe, Y., Bock, V., ... & Sproll, C. (2019). Are side effects of cannabidiol (CBD) products caused by tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) contamination?. F1000Research , 8 .
Miron, J. A. (2003). The Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Legalization in Massachusetts. Report to Change the Climate .
Todd, T. (2018). The benefits of marijuana legalization and regulation. Berkeley J. Crim. L. , 23 , 99.
Welsh, J., & Loria, K. (2014). 23 Health Benefits Of Marijuana. Business Insider , 20 .
