Marijuana is a plant whose effects are well understood in the global. Scientifically this plant is known as Cannabis sativa . Cannabis is one of the illicit drugs that are commonly used in the world. However, it is surprising that some countries have prohibited its use while others permit their citizens to use it. Probably, this explains the vast approaches that various countries deploy when dealing with the issue of drug abuse. It also shows how different countries have a different understanding of the term illicit drugs. In this paper, the two nations selected are the United States (U.S) and Amsterdam. These two nations have different policies when it comes to legalizing and illegalizing the use of certain drugs. In this report, the discussions shall focus on the social, cultural, economic and political factors that caused the illegalization and legalization of marijuana in the U.S and Amsterdam respectively.
About the Study Countries
United States
According to History of America (2011), cannabis was introduced to the Jamestown Virginia in the U.S by settlers’ in1600. At this time, the plant was considered as an important industrial crop since from it ropes, clothing and sails could be made. By 1611 immediately after the civil war, cannabis became an important economic crop to both the colonial and the national governments. As such, the plant was highly ranked with other crops such as tobacco in terms of economic importance. Owing to the merits that the plant offered the country, the there was the need to cultivate the crop on large scale. In this regards, the settlers were required to cultivate cannabis on large scale to satisfy the ever-increasing demands of the products that were derived from the crop. The farming of marijuana continued to the extents of the crop being deemed the staple crop of the country during the 20th Century (Cannabis Now, 2011).
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Between 1850 and 1942, the country realized the medicinal value of marijuana. As a result, the country ventured into extensive cultivation of the plant (Cannabis Now, 2011). This led to the sprouting of many industries like the Brothers Smith, Tiden’s and Parke-Davis that were manufacturing marijuana extract. One of the founders of medicine called Sir Williams stated that cannabis extract was the best cure for migraines. During that time, the drugs pharmaceuticals that were generated from cannabis extracts would be purchased freely from pharmacies. Rollins, (2014) also indicated that the drug was used for relieving pain that women used to experience while giving birth. Nevertheless, despite the drug being used for medicinal reasons, the recreational as well as intoxication purpose of the drug was becoming apparent to the society (Cannabis Now, 2011).
The influx of Mexicans in the Unites States in 1990 that is also referred to as the Mexican revolution was responsible for introducing the use of marijuana as a recreational drug to the U.S citizens. As a result, the Congress passed a marijuana tax Act that illegalized the use of drugs that were derived from marijuana in 1937. Between 1951and1956, stringent policies were passed where individuals who were found abusing drugs would be convicted (Cannabis Now, 2011). This is the reason why until now, the cultivation of marijuana in the U.S is indoors. The law prohibits cultivating the crop outdoors. Presently, most of the illicit drugs found in the U.S are supplied from Mexico and other countries like Cambodia and Thailand.
In the U.S marijuana is a prohibited drug under the federal laws. As such, no one is expected to be found in possession, growing, selling or transporting the drug. Nevertheless, the federal government is flexible in the sense that states that intend to pass laws to decriminalize the use of marijuana for medical or recreational reasons can do so provided that they set mechanisms for regulating the use of the drug. The Controlled Substance Act of the United States of 1970 lists marijuana as a Schedule I illicit drug. In the US, a drug that falls in Schedule I is a drug that is likely to be abused and its medical use is still not fully acceptable. Apparently, the classification of cannabis under Schedule I substance is the reason why the drug is prohibited at the federal level.
Additionally, according to the Controlled Substance Act, the use of the crop for industrial purposes is also illegalized if the crop is grown without a permit. This is because the crop is regarded as a drug. Besides, the imported products ought to adhere to the zero tolerance policy. On the other hand, the 2014 Agricultural Act permits tertiary institutions particularly the universities and some state departments that are agriculture oriented to grow the crop for research purposes only. However, the research should have meaningful industrial potential.
Amsterdam (Holland)
Marijuana is not a prohibited drug according to the Dutch drug policies. Notably, the country has special policies that allow the citizens to use soft drugs but under certain regulations (Reinarman Cohen, Kaal, 2004). For instance, an individual will not be subjected to the law if found I possession of drugs like marijuana. However, the law demands that individuals should not have more that 5grams of the drug. If that quantity is exceeded, the police will are allowed to seize the substance and the person will not be prosecuted if he/she gives them willingly. According to the Dutch laws, if an individual is found in possession of the drug that surpasses 5 grams, the individual will stand a chance of being sentenced.
In addition, the laws do not permit persons under the age of 18 to use any form of drugs as such, the tolerance policy is not applicable to them (MacCoun, 2010). Furthermore, citizens are not allowed to grow marijuana in their homes. If found growing the cannabis, an individual will not be prosecuted if he/she surrenders them willingly. The Amsterdam policies strongly prohibit the use of hard drugs such as cocaine and heroin. Besides, importing and exporting drugs is against the Dutch policies. Finally, the country does not allow individuals to smoke marijuana in public places. The only place where the drug can be used is in coffee shops found in the country.
Factors that Contributed to the Illegalization and Legalization of marijuana in the U.S and Amsterdam Respectively
The reasons that led to illegalizing or legalization of cannabis can be divided into social, cultural, economic and political for the two countries in this study. These factors will be discussed as under;
Social Issues
Marijuana was illegalized in the U.S since it had become a social issue. It was discovered that most users of this drugs ended up being addicted to it. On the other hand, the rate at which the adolescents were using the drugs was alarming. The majority of the adolescents who used the drug ended up demonstrating poor brain development (Copeland, Rooke & Swift, 2013). Besides, they would engage in activities that caused social panic. Notably, the continued use of drugs increased the rates of robbery with violence as well as rape cases in the society. Scientifically, the use of marijuana is characterized by poor brain development, reduced cognitive function in addition to poor academic performance. it was also noted that most users of marijuana had reduced judgment and perception abilities that lead to poor performance. As such, it was characterized by difficulties in learning as well as memory issues for the adolescents who were in schools or colleges. Besides, many users of marijuana were rebellious and exhibited a poor relationship with not only friends but also family members.
Just like the United States, Amsterdam understands the social challenges that the use of cannabis poses to its citizens. However, the approach of the country to deal with the issue is different. Its approach was not meant to be a private issue rather than something that ought to be controlled by the law (MacCoun, 2010). Unlike the United States of America, Amsterdam perceives that the issue of drug abuse is not different like other health matters like obesity, smoking, and alcoholism among others. As such, individuals need to be responsible for their health. This is because the country realized that if it uses the law to force its citizens to stop using the drug that would result in more cases of crime in the country.
Cultural Issues
The use of marijuana was associated with the culture of violence. Basically, cannabis has a sedative effect and this caused many users to be violent. Nevertheless, the drug can also cause anxiety that makes the individuals be aggressive. As aforementioned, the use of marijuana for recreational reasons led to an increase in violence in the country. Cases of domestic violence, racisms ad well as fights between drug users was emerging in the country. Notably, studies show that there is a direct association between the use of cannabis and violence (Moore & Stuart, 2005). In fact, the correlation between drug use and aggressiveness is strong among the adolescents (Copeland, Rooke, Swift, 2013).
The increase in violence among the users of cannabis has various explanations. Nevertheless, there are factors such as elevated levels of stress, use of multidrug, a habit of violence and a history of being violent which impact on an individual’s behavior. Cannabis being among the illicit drugs in the market increased instances of violence during social interactions in the states. Furthermore, individuals who were striving to overcome the effects of cannabis often become irritable and that may cause them to become abusive or aggressive especially for those individuals who have a history of violence. Research also indicated that some individuals who have no history of violence ended up becoming aggressive in their attempt to withdraw from drugs. As such, the country feared that the use of cannabis was changing the culture of the society to be aggressive.
In Amsterdam, the case is not very different. The use of cannabis was nurturing the culture of aggressiveness and robbery. However, such instances happened to be on the rise where the government formulated strict laws to curb the developing culture (MacCoun, 2010). This led to the creation of a perception that where enforcement apparatus were used, cultures that support criminal activities in the society thrived well. This was a lesson that most nations learned from the U.S in 1919-1933 where the country prohibited alcohol consumption and this led to an increase in criminal activity in the country.
Economic Issues
The use of cannabis was influencing the economy of the U.S. negatively. In a study to establish the economic benefits of legalizing the use of marijuana in the U.S, Professor Miron showed that the country was spending a lot of resources in fighting the issue of drugs (2003). In the report, the professor indicated that the U.S was spending a lot of money in setting rehabilitation facilities and setting campaigns to educate the public about the negative effects that the drug posed on their health (Miron, 2003). This is an implication that the U.S government was spending a lot of money to address the problem that the drug posed t its citizens. Therefore, the costs incurred in conducting such activities were affecting the economy of the country hence the need to illegalize the drug.
The extensive use of drugs and a decline in economic productivity of a country is also apparent in Amsterdam. This is true since it resulted in the loss of productive labor. On the other hand, the country was spending a lot of money when trying to help individuals who have been affected by the issue of excessive consumption of drugs (MacCoun, 2010). This is the reason why the country sets policies to restrict the quantity of the drugs consumed by individuals in an attempt to maintain its labor force.
Political Issues
Politically, there were concerns that the country was losing potential labor due to the use of cannabis. Notably, many people who would help the country to realize its productive potential were losing their productive potential and majority of them ended up in rehabilitation centers. as a result of this trend, there was the need to ensure that the citizens are protected from the negative effects of the drugs by setting policies that would stop the use of such drugs. Besides, the development of aggressive culture in the society was becoming a national security issue.
Like other nations, Amsterdam experienced the political pressure of maintaining its people healthy and productive. This is what led the country to devise a mechanism that would be citizen and country friendly. The political pressure led to the formulation of tolerant policies that has proved to be effective since they were initiated. Notably, the issue of drug abuse has managed to be curbed following the adoption of educational measures. Under this measure, various monitoring tools are uses in addition to mechanisms to fight the consequences of substance abuse through various health measures that aim at informing the public about the effects of such substances. Currently, about 60 cities in Dutch have such programs and they serve the citizens daily hence, they influence positively the life of citizens throughout the country (MacCoun, 2010). In addition, Amsterdam was experiencing a political pressure requiring the authorities to curb the issue of drug trafficking in the country. This led to the introduction of tolerant policies. Notably, these policies have been very instrumental in fighting the problem of drug abuse in the country.
Theories Regarding the Trend shown by the U.S and Amsterdam when Addressing the Issue of Drug Abuse
The U.S uses the legal framework model to fight the problem of drug abuse. The country believes that through law enforcement, drug-related problems would be curbed. As a result, the law restricts the citizens from using certain substances such as cannabis in an attempt to maintain a healthy nation. The drug policies that apply in Amsterdam are founded on the notion that every citizen has a choice to make when it comes to their health. Besides, the country perceives that setting drug policies to convict individuals who abuse drugs does not solve the situation. In fact, the country believes that using the law to fight such vices will not make them fade rather it would worsen the situation (MacCoun, 2010). Apparently, this is true because such habits will be concealed hence it will become difficult to control them in the future. In so doing, the country avoids criminalizing substance abuse by rendering it as a private matter for every individual and thus there is no need for using enforcement apparatus.
Viability of the Two Models
The model used by Amsterdam is the best when it comes to curbing the problem. When individuals opt to use drugs, they need to understand the repercussions that their actions will come along with (MacCoun, 2010). In that regards, the government will devote its resources to educating the public about the negative effects that the drugs would have on their lives. The use of stringent laws like the case of the U.S is not only expensive but provides a breeding ground for drug abuse. People will also be abusing the drug secretly. In such instances, the country would not be in a position to collect data that would help them in ascertaining the level drug use in the country. Besides, the money spent in paying police and the judges when chasing criminals and conducting cases that are drug related is too expensive.
The idea of legalizing the use of cannabis is economically beneficial to any given country. For instance, Miron, (2003) noted that legalizing cannabis has many economic benefits to offer. The professor suggests that the only way countries such as the U.S can realize economic growth is by legalizing cannabis. Brannon, (2013) supports that idea by suggesting that legalizing cannabis would lead to sprouting of markets and subsequent financial growth supports this idea. The merits that such actions have are beneficial to the smokers as well as the non-smokers. For instance, the economic gains that Amsterdam is gaining following the reduction in a number of drug-related crimes and expenses is felt by all the citizens irrespective of whether they smoke cannabis or not.
It is also apparent that the policies set by the Dutch save time and efforts. This is because the police and judges are not involved in solving cases that are drug related. Additionally, the government would save the amount of resources spent for setting up correctional facilities. In that regards, the model used by Amsterdam is important in two ways. First, the criminal justice system would focus on other issues that would not strain the economy of the country. This ranges from the deployment of police officers to chase drug users and the construction of correctional facilities due to the increased number of convictions. When compared to Amsterdam, the U.S spends large amounts of money when dealing with the drug-related problems.
The resources are spent when arresting, prosecuting, and sentencing as well as incarcerating the users of marijuana, the traffickers or any individuals who were involved in drug trafficking. Secondly, there would be a reduction in the enforcement and processing tasks that are directly associated with drug abuse crimes this would reduce the amount of money being spent by these same agencies. According to Professor Miron (2007), if the U.S opts to legalize the use of marijuana, the country will be able to generate between $35-50 from the state reserves. The professor indicated that Massachusetts State only would be able to reduce the expenditures on the criminal justice by about $120.6 million every year. He indicated that the state would realize many saving from the courts where it would save $68.5 million. From the police and correction facilities, the state would save $40.3 and $13.6 million respectively.
In conclusion, it is important for a country to ensure that its citizens understand the implications that drugs have on their health. This is the best strategy when addressing the problem of drug abuse. Citizens need to understand that substance abuse correlates to other health issues like obesity and alcoholism. Therefore, instead of venturing into expensive ways that would turn out to be ineffective, countries need to understand that excessive application of power may not always yield the best results. It is on that basis that the author of this paper suggests that substance abuse needs to be decriminalized and tolerance policies such as those used in Amsterdam ought to be instituted.
References
Cannabis Now. (2011). History of Marijuana in America. Retrieved from https://cannabisnow.com/history-of-marijuana-in-america/.
Brannon, I. (2013). Legalizing Marijuana: Minds Over Money. Regulation Washington, 36 (3): 16-17.
Copeland, J., Rooke S., & Swift, W. (2013). Changes in cannabis use among young people: impact on mental health. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 26 (4): 325-329.
MacCoun, R. J. (2010). What Can We Learn from the Dutch Cannabis Coffeeshop Experience? RAND Drug Policy Research Center . Retrieved from https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/working_papers/2010/RAND_WR768.pdf.
Miron, J.A. (2003). The Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Legalization in Massachusetts. Report for Changing the Climate . Retrieved from http://www.ukcia.org/research/MassachusettsBudgetaryImplications.pdf.
Moore,T. M., & Stuart, G. L. (2005). A review of the literature on marijuana and interpersonal violence. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 10 , 171-192.
Reinarman, C., Cohen, P. D., & Kaal, H. L. (2004). The limited relevance of drug policy: cannabis in Amsterdam and in San Francisco. American Journal of Public Health , 94 (5), 836-842.
Rollins, J.A. (2014). Pot for Tots: Children and Medical Marijuana. Pediatric Nursing , 40(2), 59-60.
