The Legalization of Marijuana in California - Case Study Example

Legalization of marijuana in California al Affiliation Introduction Though most s in America have legalized the use of this drug for therapeutic use, there is still a general feeling that this is not enough. This is because, according to some people, marijuana is not more harmful as compared to alcohol. Yet others suppose that the harms caused by marijuana cannot be compared to those of alcohol consumption, and do not see a reason why alcohol should be legal while marijuana is not. Discussion The drug was criminalized in California in 1907 by the Poison Act and amendments that were made to the statute in 1913 and 1915 which forbade the sale or possession of "flowering tops and leaves, extracts, tinctures and other narcotic preparations of hemp or loco weed (Cannabis sativa), Indian hemp" except with the prescription of a doctor. This bill and the amendments thereof were drafted by the California State Board of Pharmacy. The dug however remains decriminalized since year 2000, though it has not been legalized. There is a progressive and deliberate effort to make the general use of marijuana legal, even for recreation, in California. This is an important step in the history of the state as it is moving closer to realizing the important aspect that individual human choices should be respected and promoted. This works clearly to promote this fundamental freedom. The first reason why marijuana should be legalized in California is because keeping it illegal is expensive. All the three levels of government in the United States, the national, federal and county governments spend billions of dollars in the “War on Drugs”. People who are otherwise harmless and are having a good time are arrested and sent to the prisons and what is more, the taxpayer foots the bills. This unnecessary burden is placed on other people who otherwise should not be bothered at all. These billions of dollars wasted annually can be saved and used to develop the economy rather than chase after people having a good time. The freedom of expression is thereby limited as the government is deciding for them what they should do rather than letting them decide for themselves. Making the drug legal would generate money into the economy rather than sucking the insufficient one that is already there. Secondly, prohibiting the use of marijuana does not help control its use. There are better avenues to be followed to ensure that its use is controlled. Such can include civic education especially among the youths, sensitization on the effect of the over-use of the drugs, and also treatment of those already affected by it. These are more cost-friendly and do not put the burden on the taxpayer as this work can be left to institutions of learning, because they are can interact with the victims at a more personal level. This can also prove to be more efficient. This argument can be supported by the fact that the consumption of drugs like alcohol and tobacco has been controlled yet these drugs are legal. It only means that making a drug legal does not make its use uncontrollable. It is proven that this also does not make people over-use the drug. If proper control mechanisms are exploited, then making marijuana to be a legal drug won’t serve as the underlying problem. Instead of spending billions of dollars from the public coffers such less expensive avenues should be exploited. Legalizing marijuana would be a source of revenue to the state. Legal drugs already bring billions of dollars in terms of taxes to the state. Those that would come from marijuana would be more because in comparison, marijuana is far more expensive than alcohol and tobacco. This would be good money to help develop some other sectors of the economy like infrastructure and also cater for the social welfare of the citizens. This money can also help deal with the problems that arise as a result of marijuana use. Health sectors can be improved and those affected by marijuana treated. The state can also put up institutions like rehabilitation centers to help those who would wish to opt out of the use of marijuana. Such measures go a long way in dealing with such problems that may arise. It is a fact that marijuana is expensive, therefore those who use it will in very few circumstances use large amounts of it. Scientists have done multiple researches and established that excessive consumption of alcohol is more harmful than smoking of marijuana. It is thought that if marijuana can replace alcohol, then it would work well for the well-being of the American adult. It is thus clear that in the general effect, alcohol is more harmful to especially the adults than is marijuana. After weighing the effects of the two, it should be decided to legalize marijuana to help reduce the effect of alcohol on the adult population. The question remains in the minds of many that if both alcohol and marijuana are harmful to people’s heath (and it appears from above that alcohol, because of its affordability, is more harmful than marijuana), then why is alcohol legal while legalizing marijuana seems to be a big issue? Both are supposed to be judged as harmful, hence if one is legal, why not the other? The freedom of choice is a fundamental principle of the Bill of Rights which guarantees the freedom of expression. Choosing what to consume and what not to consume should not be the concern of the government. This is a matter of pure personal choice. Failure to legalize the use of marijuana is a violation of this fundamental freedom of the person. The government should only be concerned with those actions committed by individuals that cause harm to another person or the public in general, not someone happily smoking marijuana. The Abolitionist Movement was one of the strongest movements of the nineteenth century whose participants worked so hard to do away with racism. The prohibition of marijuana is viewed by many as a step backwards in the fight against racism. This prohibition is seen to target the Mexican immigrants and the African-Americans who are the ones always associated with the use of the drug, especially in the 1930s. Therefore, the legalization of marijuana is, to some extent, related to the fight against racism which is a major concern not only to the residents of California alone but also Americans at large. Though this has since changed in the recent past years in that the whites and blacks use the drug at fairly the same rate, studies conducted show that the blacks have a 3.7 times higher risk of getting arrested than their white counterparts. The advancement of this vice, which the United States had shunned with the strongest of voices, has been hidden behind the pretense of refusal to legalize the use of marijuana. But it is however true that black people in the United States o America are more likely to be suspected as users of marijuana as compared to the white Americans. The move toward the legalization of marijuana has been slow because there are other people who have strongly opposed this move. One of the arguments put against this move is the obvious “It has adverse health effects”. While this is somehow true, it is not true for the whole population. This is only true for the youth, who tend to get more affected with marijuana more than other drugs like alcohol. Research shows that adults tend to get affected more with alcohol more than marijuana. This argument is however not satisfactory as it supposes that the legal drugs like tobacco are harmless and do not have “adverse health effects”. Tobacco is known to have substances which cause cancer of the lungs and throat. Consumption of alcohol can also lead to one developing liver cirrhosis. These effects are only whispered, but those of marijuana are greatly amplified. The arguments also tend to say that legalizing this drug would lead to its exposure to the youth at an early age, after which they start abusing it. This leads to the youth being unable to plan for their future. It is also said that it can reduce the IQ of a youth by 8 units, which is a very high figure. Impaired judgment that results from using this drug may lead to irresponsible acts like driving under the influence of the drug, which can cause accidents and loss of lives. It is true that the exposure of the youth to this drug can affect them in a negative way. The proposal that it might make them incapable to plan for their future is yet to be proven, especially in the State of California. This is just a belief of many people, which has never been confirmed, yet taken by many as the absolute truth. On the reduction of IQ (which is true), is not the same as in alcohol and tobacco use? If so, why not legalize it and move on. These are the questions that linger in people’s when the topic of marijuana legalization comes up. However, it is important to note that it has been proven that marijuana lowers the IQ of its users. This has thus formed the basis of argument of people against the legalization of marijuana. The opponents of this move talk of the safeguard of the public safety. It is argued that those who abuse this drug become violent hence can cause disorder and even harm to a place or the people around them. This can be refuted as it is a proven fact that the use of marijuana causes more of a calming effect than making someone violent. On the argument that such people can cause accidents when they drive under the influence of marijuana, a number of assertions have been made. Despite the many assertions, one is most evident. People who drive under the influence of marijuana are likely to cause accidents. Nonetheless, one ought to note that this argument is not objective. It does not consider the fact that even the use of alcohol leaves one unfit to drive. This, on the contrary, does not make alcohol illegal. The same measures the state has taken to deal with drunken drivers to ensure road safety should be applied to marijuana consumers. These measures would certainly work for marijuana users as the effects of the two drugs are almost similar. For this reason, it has been argued that marijuana can equally be legalized and control measures put in place to regulate its use amongst people. There is also the misinformed argument that legalizing of the drug would lead to usage of so many resources to deal with the effects thereof. Dealing with problems like addiction and treatment is costly. A lot of effort, cash and time are required for this job and the institutions that offer such kind of services. The truth is that as much as this is so costly, failure to legalize the drug is far more expensive. The government each year spends so much money to arrest and detain people found in the possession of marijuana without a medical authorization card. This is a burden placed on the taxpayer without considering how they are impacted.  The prisons end up getting full of people who are not at all harmful, and also tainting people’s criminal record. Conclusion The State of California should hasten its steps in finally making this drug legal. Opposition will always be met but this should be overcome so that they become stepping stones towards the realization of a better and freer society. Change is an inevitable constant in the society, and people must be able to accept and embrace it and move on. The fight has been long, but there is a ray of hope finally as the use of this drug has been decriminalized, and will soon be legalized in California. This will form precedence to other states which are expected to follow suit. However, it is important to note that the legalization of marijuana cannot go without proper controls in order to prevent misuse and subsequent endangering of users. Read More