Marijuana Legalization: The Public Controversies & National Effects - Research Paper

Introduction

Marijuana legalization is one of the current matters of public concern, which has led to great debate and controversy in the United States. The controversy results from the possible effects which the drug is likely to have on the people as well as the economy of the country. The paper, therefore, delves into the national effects of marijuana legalization and its associated controversies.

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The Public Controversies of Marijuana

Although the use of marijuana is rapidly gaining popularity in most of the states in America, it is illegal under federal law to possess or use the drug for any purpose. Marijuana is prohibited from medical use due to its highly addictive nature. However, there are several regulations relating to the use of the drug for recreational and medical purposes, which significantly differ with federal regulations. For medical purposes, the use of marijuana has been legalized in about 33 states (Anderson, Mark, and Daniel 229). This, however, heavily depends on the recommendation of a qualified medical officer. On this ground, the federal is, therefore, not allowed to prosecute any person obeying the state regulations which relate to marijuana use as outlined in the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment. Marijuana use for recreational purposes has also been legalized in about 11 states (Anderson et al., 230). Besides, the distribution of the drug for commercial reasons is also acceptable in all the states where the use of the drug has been legalized. Based on this ground, the Cole Memorandum until January 2018 ensured some protection against federal laws in those states which have legalized the drug. This law was, however, repealed by Jeff Sessions.

As much as federal law still criminalizes the use of marijuana, the Food and Drug Administration has recommended some of its derivative compounds to be used for prescription purposes. Examples of such derivative compounds include Epidiolex, Cesamet, and Syndros. At the federal level, the use of compounds extracted from industrial hemp for non-prescription reasons is allowed. The legality, however, differs significantly from one state to another. As such, the discussion on the effects of national legalization of marijuana will be viewed from different dimensions that have an overall effects on the nation or those that may impact a nation from various dimension. The first dimension gets based on the social perspective (Cerda 23).

Social Effects of Marijuana legalization

The social impacts of marijuana can be realized after careful analysis of the long-term trend when using the drug. The social impacts of marijuana legalization in most of the states in the U.S are often similar in a number of ways. For instance, most of the social investments in the states where marijuana use is legalized are funded by the finances collected from the marijuana initiatives (Cerda 27). Such projects comprise the health care, public safety, the treatment, and education of the youths, and drug abuse control, among others. The factors have a direct relation to the social impacts of the drugs in many ways, as discussed below.

Crime and Social Justice

There has been a significant drop in the number of criminal cases that are closely connected to marijuana use and possession. The situation has mostly been experienced in those states where cultivation, possession, as well as the use of the drug, has been legalized. For instance, after legalizing marijuana use in Colorado, it was realized that the number of arrests resulting from possession and use of the drug dropped by half in the period between 2012 and 2017 (Choo et al., 161). Similar cases have also been experienced in other states such as Washington, D.C, Oregon, and Alaska. In addition, in an attempt to assist in the fight towards crime and theft, marijuana retailers give an annual contribution of more than $30,000 in the form of social benefits to communities (Choo 162).

Public Safety

The legalization of marijuana greatly impacts on a number of public safety-related matters. It has been realized that marijuana legalization impacts positively on road safety. For instance, after the legalization of the drug in the states of Colorado and Washington, it was realized that there was a significant drop in the arrests related to driving under marijuana influence (Choo 165). Furthermore, the constant rate of crash-related deaths in the two states after the legalization of the drug indicates that there exists no correlation between the two variables.

Law Enforcement

As discussed above, the legalization of Marijuana has significantly reduced the number of substance abuse and crime-related arrests. This positively impacts the law enforcement institutions because funds that would have otherwise been spent on such cases can be saved and directed to other productive and meaningful social investments like education and health. Proper public and civic education must, however, be undertaken. This is because alterations in regulations relating to marijuana come with uncertainty not only for the police officers but also for the general public (Gaede, Diane, and Jerry 270).

Public Health

Legalization of marijuana for both medical and recreational purposes has been connected with the reduction in the number of victims who die or suffer from the consequences of excessive abuse of Marijuana. For instance, there has been a rising trend annually in the number of deaths resulting from Marijuana related overdose in Colorado State. However, since the introduction of adult-use marijuana in 2014, the deaths have significantly reduced by 0.7% monthly (Gaede 272).

Education and Youth Development

The legalization of Marijuana has great impacts on the youths and their education. For instance, in a number of states where Marijuana use is legalized and properly regulated, a significant decline concerning the use of the drug has been observed. This is made possible when the state channels adequate funds and resources towards youth education and awareness concerning drug use and its effects (Galston, William, and Dionne 13). Most teens and youths are, therefore, able to focus their energy and effort in educational matters as well as assisting in the betterment of society.

Economic Impacts of Marijuana Legalization

Marijuana legalization has greatly impacted the economic performance of the United States of America in several ways, as outlined below.

Increased Government Revenue

The legalization of marijuana has significantly increased the amount of revenue which the government collects in form taxes. For instance, in the state of California, marijuana markets single-handedly generate revenue amounting to $8.5 billion. The amount is far much higher than any contributions generated from other productive sectors such as agricultural and dairy industries. The total amount of revenue collected from states in which marijuana is legalized can be channeled into viable economic development activities and projects (Galston et al., 17). Furthermore, legalization of the drug has greatly reduced the amount of revenue which previously the government lost through black market transactions involving the marijuana trade.

Development and Growth of Industries

Legalization of Marijuana has also contributed to the development and growth of marijuana-related industries in various states. Some of these industries include marijuana testing labs, research facilities, as well as processing companies (Hickenlooper 243(. The industries remit corporate taxes to the government, which is directed to other important economic development matters.

Improved Living Standards

Through Marijuana legalization, job opportunities have been created for the people. They can, therefore, work in these viable business activities to earn meaningful and reasonable incomes that can enable them to support themselves and their families economically. This is evident from the recent increase in the per capita income of individuals who work and reside in the states where Marijuana has been legalized (Hickenlooper 243).

Increased Investment Opportunities

The growth and development of marijuana industries both at the local and national level present viable investment opportunities to potential investors. The investors can invest their capital in the industries which are already well established and listed in the Stock exchange market (Jennings 96). However, the controversy behind Marijuana legalization at the federal and state level is a great barrier for various marijuana companies to be listed in the national stock exchange.

Increased Government Savings

Marijuana legalization enables the government to save significantly. Before the use of marijuana was legalized in some states, there were a lot of criminal arrests and court cases related to marijuana possession and use. The states would, therefore, allocate more funds to allow law enforcement units to enable them to perform their operations effectively and efficiently (Jennings 98). However, after the legalization of marijuana, the number of criminal arrests and court cases related greatly declined. The decline allows the states to save a huge amount of funds, which can be used for other viable development activities and projects.

Political Impacts of Marijuana Legalization

The political and public controversy behind the effects of Marijuana is one of the reasons for reluctance by federal law to legalize its use in the entire country. About 49 percent of the Democrats support the legalization, while 28 percent oppose it. On the other hand, about 32 percent of the Republicans support the move, while 50 percent oppose it (Jennings 100).

Influence Political Participation and Affiliation

Marijuana legalization would have a great impact on the states, especially on their voting patterns during elections. States which are in support of the idea to legalize marijuana will vote for leaders who can express their interests and fight for marijuana legalization by the federal government. For instance, recent research in one of the states shows that about 23 percent of young Americans agree with the idea of participating in more elections should legalization of marijuana be accepted (Kilmer et al., n.p). On the other hand, those states which are against marijuana legalization are most likely to side with the interests of political leaders who are against the idea of legalizing the drug. Political affiliation in the country is, therefore, likely to be divided into two distinct blocks based on those who support and the ones who are against Marijuana legalization.

Influence on Local and International Relations

The legalization of marijuana question has divided the nation into two spheres. There are several local states such as Washington, D.C, Oregon, and Alaska among others, which have already legalized the use of marijuana for medical, commercial, and recreational purposes. These states are of the idea that the federal law should also follow suit by legalizing the use of the drug. In contrast, there are several states, including Kansas, Texas, and Indiana among others, which still oppose the idea of legalizing marijuana (Kilmer et al., n.p). This separates the country into two political spheres based on the ideology on whether to legalize Marijuana nationally or not.

Moreover, legalizing marijuana by the federal government is likely to put the country's political relations with other nations around the world at risk. There are several countries globally that have maintained cordial political relations with the United States of America; however, they have questioned the legality of the drug. In case the federal government takes a move to legalize the drug nationally, these relations are likely to be ruined. However, the U.S. political relations with other countries where marijuana is legalized will most likely be enhanced (Kilmer e...