Marijuana Legalization: Should We Take the Leap? - Essay Sample

Introduction

The US has enacted drug policies to address drug-related issues. These policies illegalize some drugs such as marijuana due to its abuse by some users. Whether these policies have been effective in mitigating marijuana abuse remains subject to intense debate, where some people champion its legalization why others oppose it. As such, the question in people's mind that forms the basis of this essay is; should marijuana be legalized? This essay takes the position that marijuana should be legalized for four main reasons. These reasons are that: the effectiveness of current drug policies in fighting marijuana abuse is questionable, marijuana use has reduced in jurisdictions that have legalized it, governments will generate taxes from marijuana sales, and the justice system will benefit since the police will focus on solving other crimes.

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Summary and Analysis of the First Text

The first text is by Liberty Vittert, which discusses the effect of legal marijuana in line with statistics. Vittert states that 10 states in the US have legalized marijuana, while an additional 21 states permit its medical use (par 2). He makes three claims on the legalization of marijuana and introduces statistical data to advance these claims. The first claim, which supports the legalization, is that states will generate revenue through taxes with Colorado and California, for example, generating $270 million and $345 million respectively in taxes from marijuana sales in 2018 (Vittert par 6).

The second claim, which objects legalization, is that legalizing marijuana will increase its use among the youth. However, statistics from researches contradict this claim. For instance, marijuana use among teenagers has decreased in Colorado over the last three years since the drug was legalized for recreational use (Vittert par 17). The third claim also opposes marijuana legalization. This claim is that legalizing marijuana will increase the prevalence of heinous crimes. Statistics in Colorado, for example, indicate a rise in crime rates since marijuana legalization in 2014 (Vittert par 20). Nonetheless, legalized marijuana seems to improve the justice system since policemen do not have to spend time in arresting marijuana criminals and, thus, can concentrate on apprehending other criminals.

Summary and Analysis of the Second Text

The second text, posted on the Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC), explores why marijuana should not be legalized. This text maintains that the current drug laws in the US have been efficient in reducing marijuana use contrary to what the supporters of its legalization believe. It faults the conception by advocates of legalization that the principle costs of marijuana use are associated with the justice system. However, research findings indicate that only 0.1 to 0.2% of jailed persons were convicted for marijuana use ("Why we should not legalize marijuana" par 4). In essence, the criminal justice system aids the treatment and rehabilitation of drug-related criminals with over 37% of treatment admission collected from state-funded plans being referred through the justice system ("Why we should not legalize marijuana" par 6).

Following the failure of the legalization of gambling to tame illegal gamblers, legalizing marijuana will also highly likely be ineffective in curbing its illegal trade. The legalization would also increase the rate of marijuana use in the US, which would eventually increase its addiction. Regardless of the amount of taxes collected through marijuana sales if legalized, the physical and mental health issues resulting from its use will overshadow the taxes significantly ("Why we should not legalize marijuana" par 12). All in all, the failure of current drug policies to reduce marijuana use calls for more effective and smarter policies in future to curtail the demand for marijuana.

Synthesis

As stated earlier, the question of whether marijuana should be legalized has attracted much debate in recent years. This essay supports the claim that marijuana should be legalized. The main reason behind this claim is that the ineffectiveness of current drug policies in curbing illegal marijuana use suggests that legalization is a possible alternative to address the current policy failures. The second text argues that the US drug policies have contributed significantly to reducing marijuana use across the country ("Why we should not legalize marijuana" par 1). However, the opposers of legalization cannot affirm confidently the effectiveness of these policies owing to its setbacks in abating marijuana production and use. Conversely, states such as Colorado have reported a reduction in marijuana use since legalizing it for recreational purposes (Vitter par 17). Vittert also cites the generation of taxes as another reason to legalize marijuana, with some states such as Colorado and California having exceeded their tax projections after legalizing this drug (par 12). Lastly, legalizing marijuana will allow police officers to focus on solving other crimes rather than drug-related crimes, which benefits the justice system.

Conclusion

The first text by Vittert acknowledges both sides of the legalization debate by giving reasons for and against legalization based on statistics. Nonetheless, it fails to back some claims with statistical data such as the decreased marijuana use in Colorado following its legalization. The second text counters the pro-legalization claim by revealing its gaps. However, it does not substantiate the argument that the current drug policies have been effective in curbing marijuana abuse. All in all, the analysis and synthesis of both texts builds a strong case for the legalization of marijuana. This analysis leads to the inference that legalizing marijuana is worth the risk since it will enable governments to generate taxes from marijuana sales, the effectiveness of current drug policies in fighting marijuana abuse is uncertain, the jurisdictions that have legalized marijuana have reported a reduction in its use, and it will enable the police to focus on solving other crimes.

Works Cited

Vittert, Liberty. "Here's what the Numbers Show about the Impact of Legal Marijuana". Marketwatch, 2019, www.marketwatch.com/story/heres-what-the-numbers-show-about-the-impact-of-legalizing-marijuana-2019-04-09.

"Why We Should Not Legalize Marijuana". CNBC, 2010, www.cnbc.com/id/36267223.