The debate on legalization and regulation of marijuana continues to elicit mixed reactions as various stakeholders argue for and against legalizing the drug. The contest is unlikely to end with new findings showing that cannabis has more health benefits than the adverse effects associated with its smoking. How can a delicate balance be struck to ensure that the drug can be used for medical purposes and its misuse be reduced? Will regulation lead to a decline in its uses, or will abusers get an opportunity to circumvent such laws to continue misusing such drugs. It is critical to analyze such issues to avoid making unsubstantiated claims concerning the legalization of marijuana. The best course of action is to establish the consequences of legalization on a large population sample and compare countries and states with marijuana legislation with those that do not. It there are significant variations that point to adverse effects of legalizing or regulating the drug, then such a move should not be pursued. However, if the benefits accrued outweigh the harm the marijuana should be legalized. The following section presents an argument of why Marijuana should be legalized and regulated.
Legalizing and regulating marijuana can enhance its research on medical use and benefits. Studies show that the drug can be used by severely ill patients to alleviate pain and that it does not have adverse effects on such users. Some states, including Canada, have passed acts that create a legal framework that governs the use of cannabis for medical purposes while restricting access to youths and criminals. Such laws control the production, distributions, sale, and even possession of marijuana. However, they allow access to medical marijuana. According to Pacula and Smart (2017), 26 states have medical marijuana legislation, while 16 others have cannabidiol only laws. Such regulations protect the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Some states have a combination of the two. For example, Alaska, Oregon, Colorado, and Washington DC have legalized marijuana for recreational use. Initially, they decriminalized the drug but later passed marijuana allowances and legalization policies. The majority of the states have changed from strict prohibition to legalization.
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Several factors have contributed to the policy changes. Sates have realized that it is costly to arrests and incarcerate drug offenders; thus, they had to rethink their stance on legalization. Similarly, there is a growing body of research that shows that marijuana can be used for therapeutic purposes. Similarly, states have started to look for alternative tax revenue sources. The legalization and regulation of cannabis by different states have contributed to an increase in research studies trying to establish the effect of such liberalization. However, there is inadequate literature to show the impact of such changes on the social and health outcome. Some of the researchers argue that past liberalization had little or no effect on society and that the current drive will achieve the same results. They point out that ongoing liberalization will have insignificant consequences. Recent studies show that people are in support of liberalization. However, such outcomes should be treated with care since they can be biased and have not been able to capture relevant information that can substantively support liberalization.
The objective of regulating marijuana is to protect the interest of the citizens by ensuring low-risk consumption. The regulatory system tries to maximize the heath as well as the social welfare of the community. The regulation will control harmful consumption while facilitating its use for medical purposes. It will also reduce black market activities from marijuana. Debaters look at the politics of making such policies yet disregard the effect on public health. Some argue that cannabis can promote prosperity and economic growth. Such an issue usually overshadows the health outcomes, and the debate is skewed towards other benefits as opposed to the health and social welfare of the community. There are different groups in support of or against legislation and regulation of marijuana (Caulkins & Kilborn, 2019). Some include industry lobbyists, consumer groups, and other stakeholders who have particular agenda. There are practical politics on a public interest like smoking in open spaces or streets, children playground, restaurants, and parks. Recreation advocates, for example, opined that parks would be turned to consumption sites. How can harmful use and black-market activities be minimized?
Large scale production of marijuana can be allowed, a step that can ensure tax collection and reduce adverse effects from the black markets. Similarly, it can reduce the use of marijuana for recreational purposes and by young people. However, according to Caulkins and Kilborn (2019), cannabis has adverse health effects like impairing the performance, and potential risks of dependence. Regulating supplier freedom can also encourage black-market activities, which can have adverse health and social issues. It can be challenging to strike a balance between the varied viewpoints. However, a deeper understanding of the subject can address some of the challenges. Similarly, it is critical to examine the effects of a broader black market and how harmful use can be detrimental to health and social welfare. Marijuana should, therefore, be legalized and regulated to prevent its misuse and black-market activities and ensure that patients can benefit from its medical use.
References
Caulkins, J., & Kilborn, M. (2019). Cannabis legalization, regulation, & control: a review of key challenges for local, state, and provincial officials. The American Journal Of Drug And Alcohol Abuse , 45 (6), 689-697. doi: 10.1080/00952990.2019.1611840
Pacula, R., & Smart, R. (2017). Medical Marijuana and Marijuana Legalization. Annual Review Of Clinical Psychology , 13 (1), 397-419. doi: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032816-045128
