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Time to make marijuana legal
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Pot Poster
After spending a fair amount of time considering the issue (actually more time than originally planned), and reviewing the comments following my previous three articles on the subject, I have come to the conclusion that the time has come to legalize Marijuana.
To justify this conclusion, I'd like to address the best arguments for and against legalization and explain why I feel the pro legalization forces have the better argument.
In my July 27th post entitled "Legalization of Marijuana could add Billions to California's empty coffers - let the debate begin", I listed what I perceived to be the 10 most popular arguments for and against legalization. To help explain why I have come to conclude that the pro legalization side has the stronger argument, this article will briefly discuss what I believe to be the strongest 3 points proffered by each side.
The three best reasons against legalization:
1. Marijuana use often leads to stronger drugs such as cocaine and heroin (the Gateway Theory).
This seems to be a legitimate argument against legalization. Unfortunately, I haven't seen many valid statistical studies validating this argument. I have known (and currently do know) folks who smoke marijuana and drink alcohol in moderation and have not graduated to harder drugs. I have also known folks who did go on to use harder drugs.
With respect to those who went on to stronger drugs; looking back at their personalities and habits, I'm pretty sure they would have experimented with harder drugs even without marijuana as their gateway drug of choice. One of the best arguments against the "Gateway Theory" came in a comment on one of my past articles from Oscar C who pointed out that when a child or adult purchases marijuana from a drug dealer, the dealer will always have harder substances they are going to push, often giving them small samples, in hopes of roping in new customers for harder drugs. Oscar C raises a very good point. If marijuana is indeed a Gateway drug than perhaps by making marijuana legal, thus taking the drug dealer out of the picture, it will be even less of a Gateway drug than it is today.
2. The easy availability of drugs would create new consumers rather than rescuing current ones.
Again, this is a good argument that has a grain of truth to it. I'm certain that some people who would never try marijuana because of its lack of legal status would do so if it were made legal. I suspect that once the novelty wears off however, they will most likely quit or use marijuana as a recreational drug similar to alcohol. If they are now reluctant to use marijuana because it's illegal, it is highly unlikely that they would graduate to harder illegal drugs just because they tried legal marijuana.
3. Heavy marijuana smoking will cause serious physical as well as psychological damage to its users.
Of all the arguments against legalization this one is probable the best. I do believe that the psychological effects of heavy marijuana use on its users can also cause damage to society as a whole. More folks zoning out will have a negative impact on worker productivity.
The evidence so far strongly shows that while marijuana is not physically addictive, some heavy users become psychologically dependent on marijuana. However, most of those folks are either already illegally smoking marijuana or are currently psychologically dependent on something else.
I'm also concerned with the potential physical damage heavy use may cause. The best response to that argument is that we allow cigarettes, alcohol and junk food etc., so why are we singling out marijuana which is probably less harmful than those other legal vices. Also, marijuana consumed in a vaporized form has much fewer physical side effects.
The Three best arguments in favor of legalization:
1. Legalization can lead to taxation as well as other economic benefits for states in desperate need of additional revenue.
According reports shown here, marijuana legalization could yield California taxpayers over $1.2 billion per year and provide additional spin-off benefits up to $12 - $18 billion annually.
The usual arguments against raising taxes on vice just don't hold water in the case of marijuana. Taxation will hurt the lower and middle class? So what, we don't want them to start in the first place so taxation actually makes it more difficult for the poor to start the habit. Increasing taxes will drive people away from the product and so the overall impact on the treasury will be negative? We have heard this argument in debates regarding the raising of the cigaret tax. In this case, we are currently raising $0 from a tax on marijuana so any marijuana tax revenue will be more revenue than we now collect.
2. Legalizing tobacco and alcohol, while criminalization the use of marijuana, sends a confusing message to young people who view the inconsistencies as hypocritical and leads to a general disrespect for the law.
What can by more hypocritical than this double standard. And don't think for a minute that young people don't see this double standard. Why should they believe the government when it says that cocaine and heroin are deadly when that same government allows cigarettes and alcohol while continuing to the ban on marijuana.
3. For some people marijuana (like alcohol, cigarettes or sex) is one of life's pleasures and limiting the use of the drug intrudes on personal freedom.
One of the arguments against legalization was that it is "morally wrong". On the contrary, I believe it is morally wrong and, in fact, anti-American to push ones own beliefs on others. If we are really a free country, why is the government allowing some bad habits while outlawing others I'm not a libertarian and I'm not advocating the suspension of drug laws generally. I don't believe we should make drugs, such as heroin, legal since its harm to society far outweighs the addicts personal freedom. But in the case of a rather benign habit like pot smoking, that balance strongly shifts towards personal freedom.
One argument in favor of legalization is the many documented positive medical benefits associated with marijuana use. I did not include this argument in my top three list since I don't believe it's necessary to make recreational marijuana legal and accessible to the general public in order for it to be prescribed to ailing patients by licensed physicians.
One final thought! You would think that this issue would follow along party lines but it looks as if both sides of the political spectrum are seeing the wisdom of Marijuana decriminalization. Two weeks ago I asked my fellow Examiner reporters to send me their marijuana articles. As you can see from the below Examiner articles, both the left and the right are beginning to see the light.
Anyway - That's my position and I invite your comments below.
Detroit National Politics Examiner
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