Should Marijuana Be Legalized in California or Not - Research Paper Example

Should Marijuana be legalized in California or not? Introduction: Ever since the California voters supported the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes in 1996, there have been heated discussions on whether marijuana for recreational or personal use should be legalized in California or not. One should also bear in mind that almost 14 states followed the example set forth by California even though marijuana use is still illegal under Federal law. The debate on the legalization of marijuana has assumed new dimensions with the Proposition 19 (the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010) that sought to allow people above 21 years old or older to possess, cultivate, or transport marijuana for personal and recreational use. Even though the proposition 19 met with failure, the 2010 ballot election results clearly point out that almost 46.5% of the California voters stood for marijuana legalization in the state. One needs to take into a number of factors in deciding whether marijuana should be legalized or not. Factors such as the advantages and disadvantages of marijuana use, the harmful effects of the long-term use of marijuana, public opinion, use and misuse of marijuana, and how easy access to marijuana can affect individuals socially, psychologically, physically and biologically need to be considered. While the legalization of marijuana for medical and therapeutic purposes sounds to be discretionary, it will be quite suicidal to legalize marijuana use for recreational purposes as it can lead to a large variety of social, psychological and health related issues. One should be able to make a clear cut distinction between the medical and the recreational use of marijuana. While the therapeutic or medicinal use of marijuana under strict regulations and legislations is permissible, legalization of marijuana for recreational and personal use will be suicidal. The initiative to legalize marijuana for recreational use “would allow those 21 years and older to possess up to one ounce of marijuana, enough to roll dozens of marijuana cigarettes”; similarly, it would also allow the residents to “grow their own crop of the plant in gardens measuring up to 25 square feet” (Sacramento). As such, the implications of this initiative can pose great threat to the social, psychological, biological and healthcare domains of individuals and therefore it is mandatory that the pros and cons of such an initiative is taken into account. Proponents of legalization of marijuana for recreational use do so because of the drug’s effectiveness in therapeutic and medical treatment and because the marijuana industry has the potential to bring about economic stability and progress to the state. Gottfried, in this respect, observes that there are many who support the legalization of marijuana in the state varying from local officials, city councils to mayors due to its medical use; for him, the beneficiaries of the medical and therapeutic use of marijuana include people from various economic levels, ethnicity and age such as “AIDS sufferers, cancer and chemotherapy patients, people with muscular sclerosis, those with glaucoma, and those who use it to “combat depression” (Gottfried 72-73). Similarly, in March 1999 the Institute of Medical Study also offered testimony to the power and usefulness of marijuana in “relieving pain, nausea, and the service weight loss associated with AIDS” (Gottfried 73). In the same way, the supporters of legalization of marijuana also hold that marijuana is neither a narcotics nor it leads to addiction like alcohol or tobacco. There are many who hold that legalization of marijuana in California can contribute towards economic stability for the state; as California is in debt, it is quite desirable that by taxing legal marijuana the government can amass huge amount of money that is required for health care activities and developmental projects. Rosenthal, Kubby & Newhart, in this respect, observe that marijuana resources in the state have the potential to be a multi-billion industry once marijuana use is legalized. The authors observe: “Marijuana prohibition is costing taxpayers billions each year in enforcement costs. It is also costing us billions of dollars in missed opportunities: in taxes, profits, and wages” (Rosenthal, Kubby & Newhart 25). Millions of people who are employed in the commercial marijuana industry and others who plant marijuana for personal uses can make up for the economic instability of the state once legalization of marijuana use is implemented. Goddard, on the other hand, offers a number of reasons why marijuana should not be legalized in the state. He warns people of the psychological dependency on marijuana through continuous use and for the author the adolescents are most vulnerable to be victims of marijuana abuse. Goddard purports that “although the use of marijuana is a private act, it has the potential to cause harm to society” and that once marijuana has been made easily available it will be “widely used by adolescents who have not learned to cope up with the problems of daily life, and it is not difficult to reach the conclusion that cannabism would become a societal problem” (Goddard 34). There have been many studies on the psychological effects of marijuana among users. Studies have shown that marijuana consumption “can affect mood, sensitivity to external stimuli, and perception of time and space” whereas “high doses can lead to panic reactions, anxiety, and paranoia” (Goldberg 252). Similarly, long-term use of marijuana adversely affects the respiratory system; marijuana smoke that contains carcinogenic chemicals have the potential to damage lung tissue and impair lung functions of the user. Whitcomb, reporting for Reuters, depicts the myriads of public opinion in favour and against the legalization of marijuana use. Stephen Gutwillig, California director of the Drug Policy Alliance, who spearheaded the ballot initiative considers marijuana banning as a disaster that has fuelled “a massive, increasingly brutal underground economy, wasting billions in scarce law enforcement resources and making criminals out of countless law-abiding citizens" while Silas Miers California Mothers Against Drunk Driving spokesman purports that recreational use of marijuana will result in more of ‘impaired driving, fatalities, injuries and crashes’ (Whitcomb). Since there are arguments in favour of and against the legalization of marijuana, it is essential to deal elaborately with the major problems, issues and implications associated with marijuana use for recreational purposes. Marijuana use for recreational purposes is most likely to result in abuse and over use of the drug and studies have clearly demonstrated the adverse biological, psychological ands social effects of the continuous use of the drug. People consume marijuana either in the form of eating or burning and the latter causes more of damage than the former. Marijuana stimulates the cannabinoid receptors in the body and slowly these canabinoid receptors prevent other impulses and stimulate the brain with pleasurable feelings. Addiction seems to be a psychological affection to the effects like euphoria and other higher excitement. Constant users of marijuana suffer from withdrawal syndromes in the form of anxiety, nausea, sweating, etc. Similarly, the effects of marijuana last much longer than that of alcohol and continuous use of the drug damages one’s physical health, individual development and behavioural patterns. As already pointed out tobacco smokers are easily vulnerable towards lung diseases. While many claim marijuana as an effective appetiser it is a fact that constant use of marijuana leads to overeating and obesity. Moreover, marijuana consumption can lead to heart failure, cerebral haemorrhage and increased rate of cancer. All these marijuana related health problems can affect the physical and biological health of individuals and it is a fact that legalization of marijuana use will help create a future generation that is more vulnerable to ill-health and diseases. The psycho-socio problems associated with marijuana use are many and varied as marijuana users suffer considerably from various sorts of psychological and social imbalances. Marijuana causes psychological addiction in the user and constant users are likely to find much difficulty in the thinking process and many tend to have difficulty in their capacity of problem solving too. The users feel common shrinking to oneself and may show the traits of crime and behaviour disorders. This is rightly being suggested by Myers when the author pointed out that marijuana users feel that their ‘life is meaningless and directionless’ (Myers 126). This feeling of insecurity can result in related psychological problems such as depression, sexual abuse, and stress. Thus addicts become psychological patients with distorted perception of one’s life, which can further lead to schizophrenia. Even the withdrawal symptoms one shows is a part of his or her psychological imbalance. The feeling of meaninglessness to life may tend persons to pessimistic and suicidal tendencies. Socially, marijuana users tend to suffer from social alienation, isolation and inferiority complex. They tend to withdraw from the main stream of society and shrink to themselves. The children born out of the parents using marijuana develop these withdrawal traits even from the early childhood. Marijuana use can also culminate in developmental and behavioural disorders. As a result the addicts can become social nuisances; they may not be welcomed in social settings which plunge them isolation and loneliness. The habit of using marijuana among school children makes them steal money and get the drug by all means. This will lead them to social evils such as robbery, kidnapping and murder. The addicts especially the adolescents may resort to socially disrupted behaviour to get the substance. One can also notice that the psychological and social effects of marijuana use are interrelated and the adolescent and young population need to be protected from the adverse effects of marijuana use. Conclusions: Thus, evidences and insights gained from studies and researches on the various adverse effects of marijuana make one to conclude that marijuana use should not be legalised in California. As already mentioned, any attempt to legalize the recreational and personal use or cultivation of marijuana will be disastrous. Studies have also shown that even the medical use of marijuana and marijuana prescription by doctors should be undertaken with utmost care. Regulations and legislations with regard to marijuana use should ensure that the drug never becomes easily available to the common public for recreational use. While marijuana use has its own benefits and advantages, attempts to legalize marijuana use have more of adverse effects than positives. It is also imperative that people are properly educated and made aware of the adverse and dangerous effects of the continuous use of the drug. Thus, it can be concluded that while legalization of marijuana for medical use sounds sensible, its use for recreational purposes is quite suicidal an initiative. Works Cited Goddard, Dr. James L. “Should it be Legalized? ‘Soon we will Know’”. LIFE 31 Oct 1969: 67.18. Print. Goldberg, Raymond. Drugs Across the Spectrum. 6th ed: Cengage Learning, 2009. Print. Gottfried, Ted. Should Drugs Be Legalized? Illustrated Edition: Twenty-First Century Books, 2000. Print. Myers, David G. Psychology, Ninth Edition, In Modules (Loose Leaf). 9th ed: Worth Publishers, 2009. Print. Rosenthal, Ed., Kubby, Steve & Newhart, S. Why marijuana should be legal. 2nd Illustrated Ed: Running Press, 2003. Print. Sacramento. California Could Legalize Pot in November. CBS News: CBS Interactive Inc, March 25, 2010. Web. 5 December 2010. Whitcomb, Dan. Marijuana legalization will be on California ballot. Reuters: Los Angeles, Mar 25, 2010. Web. 5 December 2010. < http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62O08U20100325> Read More