Drugs in Society, Essay Example

Marijuana is a hallucinogen; its active property is THC (Single, 2009). Marijuana is the most widely used illegal drug in the U.S., and is often the first illegal drug used by teenagers. Some states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes only. From a rational point of view, individuals deserve the right to make choices for themselves. The government only has a right to limit those choices if the individual’s actions endanger someone else. This does not apply to marijuana, since the individual who chooses to use marijuana does so according to his or her own free will. The government also may have a right to limit individual actions if the actions show a significant threat to the individual. This argument does not logically apply to marijuana because marijuana is far less dangerous than some drugs which are legal, such as alcohol and tobacco. Legalizing of marijuana would change many things in world today, such as, keeping marijuana illegal is expensive, medical use, hemp, and religious use as well. We could save billions of dollars every year as a nation if we stop wasting money locking people up for having marijuana.

In addition, if marijuana were legal, the government would be able to collect taxes on it, and would have a lot more money to pay for effective drug education programs and other important causes. Marijuana can be used as medicine because it helps to stimulate appetite and relieve nausea in cancer and AIDS patients.  Marijuana use is less harmful and risky than the use of alcohol, tobacco, and many nonprescription drugs. It is the safest (currently) illegal drug. Marijuana is much less addictive than tobacco or alcohol. Legalization of marijuana would cut down on crime. Because marijuana is illegal, it is difficult to manufacture, and is expensive, so addicts often have to turn to crime to maintain their habit. Legalization would drive the price down and lessen this problem. If Marijuana Were To Be Legal Drugs are a major influential force in our country today. The problem has gotten so out of hand that many options are being considered to control it or even solve it. Ending the drug war seems to be a bit impossible. The war on drugs seems to be accomplishing a lot but this is not true. Different options need to be considered. Legalization is an option that hasn’t gotten a chance but should be given one.

Although many people feel that legalizing marijuana would increase the amount of use, marijuana should be legalized because it will reduce the great amounts of money spent on enforcement and it will increase our country’s revenue. There are also many benefits that can be uncovered to help people if legalization of marijuana is given a chance. Legalizing marijuana would increase our economy’s revenue. During Prohibition alcohol use was still sold and used, but people were doing it illegally. The 21st amendment repealed prohibition and alcohol taxes were increased. The same thing should happen with drugs. Marijuana should be taxed heavily to increase our revenue. Marijuana and other drugs would be made by the same people who make aspirin so the quality would be assured, containing no poisons or adulterants. Sterile hypodermic needles will be readily available at corner drug stores. These could be taxed heavily because the users will be assured of “clean drugs.” Making drugs legal will reduce the great amounts of money spent on enforcement every year.

Drug dealers and users are one step ahead on the enforcement process. If one drug lord is caught, another one will show up somewhere else. We cannot win. “In 1987, 10 billion dollars were spent alone just on enforcing drug laws. Drugs accounted for about 40 percent of all felony indictments in the New York City courts in 1989. This figure is quadruple what it was in 1985. . (Cussen & Block, 2004)  Legalizing Marijuana Abraham Lincoln once stated that, “Prohibition goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man’s appetite by legislation and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes (Warner, 2006). A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded.” In today’s society, this statement still applies in reference to the illegal use of marijuana. Marijuana prohibition causes far more harm than marijuana itself. Keeping marijuana illegal is expensive and causes crime. Out of four possible connections between drugs and crime, at least three would not exist if drug prohibition laws were repealed. First, crimes which occur billions of times a year are producing, selling, buying, and consuming strictly controlled and banned substances. If drug prohibition laws were repealed, these activities would obviously cease to be crimes.

Next, many users commit crimes, such as robbery, dealing, prostitution, and running numbers to earn money to support their habits. If marijuana was less expensive and easier to obtain, which would be the case if it were legalized, the crimes committed under these circumstances would dramatically decline. The third drug-crime link I drug trafficking. Without prohibition laws, those people trying to make a living by selling and distribution would not be thrown in jail. Opposition was greatest among the elderly, those who attend church weekly, and Republicans.” Pro marijuana legalization groups such as the Physician’s Association for AIDS Care, National Lymphoma Foundation argue that marijuana should be legalized in order to treat terminally ill patients. Among them are AIDS victims who find that marijuana stimulates their appetites so they can fight off dangerous emaciation; glaucoma sufferers who have used marijuana said it has prevented them from going blind, and cancer patients for whom it alleviates the severe nausea that is often accompanies chemotherapy and sometimes makes lifesaving treatment impossible.
Due to all these lobbying groups which show substantial evidence that marijuana can be used as a prescribed drug. Also many advocates who are pro marijuana complain that morphine and cocaine are legal and are very dangerous drugs, that brings up the question why not legalize marijuana as medical drug which is proven to be less dangerous than cocaine and morphine. Lobbying groups in a San Diego, California, council committee unanimously voted to urge president Bill Clinton and congress to end federal restrictions against the use of marijuana for ” legitimate medical use” (Lyman & Potter, 2006).

Marijuana can be a drug of necessity in the treatment of AIDS, glaucoma, cancer and multiple sclerosis. ” There is no doubt that the drug problem in our country has reached outrageous proportions. Ending the drug war may not seem to be the best answer at first, but the “war on drugs” in reality has accomplished very little.   Different options need to be considered.   Let’s be honest, the war on drugs has shown poor results, if any at all.   As opposed to trying to combat drugs, like weed, we should consider another option that hasn’t gotten much of a chance, legalization. Marijuana should be legalized.   Many feel that the legalization of marijuana would result in an increase in the amount of crime and drug abuse, I believe that in fact the opposite is true.   Yes, there might be an initial increase in use.   However, I feel that over time it would eventually slow down, and that the crime rate would be reduced immediately.

References

Cussen, M., & Block, W. Legalize Drugs Now!: An Analysis of the Benefits of Legalized Drugs. American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Vol. 59, No. 3, 2004, pp. 525-536.

Lyman, M.D., & Potter, G.W. (2006). Drugs In Society. New York: Anderson Publishing Company.

Single, E.W. The Impact of Marijuana Decriminalization: An Update. Journal of Public Health Policy, Vol. 10, No. 4, 2009, pp. 456-466.

Warner, K.E. Legalizing Drugs: Lessons from (and about) Economics. The Milbank Quarterly, Vol. 69, No. 4, 2006, pp. 641-661.