The Pros and Cons of Marijuana Tolerance

Part One: How the Initial Relaxations of the Laws Against Marijuana an Indication of a Growing Tolerance That Should be Fully Adopted

Legalization of marijuana has been a debated topic for a long time. However, the benefits that come with the legalization of marijuana justify why countries should relax the laws against this drug. The first advantage is that it will save the government substantial funds and can even bring revenue. Studies show that the justice system spends heavily on marijuana crackdowns. Change in policies towards the legalization will see the government collect taxes from the drug, raising revenue. Other than helping the government collect money, the justice system will realize many benefits from legalization. Fact that many people are regularly jailed for the possession of marijuana affects the economy indirectly because the same people would have been productive contributing to the economic activities. Notably, these people do not cause harm directly to anyone. The judicial system suffers loss as they are expected to pay for the every arrested person. The jailed people occupy the prisons, which in turn becomes expensive for the government. Therefore, making marijuana legal will have a positive impact on the justice system.

Secondly, marijuana can be used for medicinal purposes. Its positive attributes can help people in their everyday lives. According to Monte, Zane, and Heard (2015), Americans are suffering in hospitals from illnesses that could be cured by marijuana. Some of the conditions this drug could treat include spasticity, pain, and nausea. Furthermore, marijuana is helpful in relieving pain. Not often does the use of this drug put people in a state of danger. Marsiglia et al. (2018) contend that marijuana builds tolerance among patients and make people handle their symptoms better. Evidently, there are numerous positive results of using this drug.

Third, the drug is not dangerous in any way, as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not include the drug because it is not harmful. Besides, the government has never recorded any death as a result of using marijuana hence confirming the drug is not dangerous. No studies have linked this drug to severe conditions such as cancer (Mann, 2018). The fact that marijuana has no connection to death or other serious diseases demonstrates why it should be legalized. People have been using this drug for years without any impact on their health. Children as young as 15 year olds are into these drugs in cities like Chicago and Miami. Contrastingly, the government has serious concerns about alcohol, which is legal. Marijuana should be legalized at least like even though the latter has certain dangerous effects.

Fourth, legalization of marijuana will keep teenagers off the streets from more hard drugs (Campbell, Twenge, & Carter, 2017). The peddlers who sell marijuana are usually the same ones selling hard drugs. As a result, the access to hard drugs is detrimental for the health of a person. For instance, heroin and cocaine have chemicals making people addictive. In addition, it will discourage kids from engaging in the drug selling business, which will reduce the individual motives of selling drugs to their colleagues at schools and neighborhoods. Having a policy for selling the drug in stores would stop the entire drug-selling business and put the kids out of danger. Legalization will enhance the safety of teenagers, which is essential for parents.

Fifth, marijuana should be legalized like other medicines that are legal. This drug is among others that are banned but are not harmful to an individual’s health. Even hard drugs like painkillers are destructive to people’s health but are sold in stores. However, it should not be in this category and instead be placed among substances like alcohol and tobacco. According to Nawaz (2017), alcohol is more harmful to an individual’s health compared to marijuana. Even sugar is more dangerous than marijuana when looked from the health perspective. Therefore, legalization of marijuana is justified since there are much more detrimental medicines and substances that are legalized, unlike marijuana.

The use of marijuana in the United States is at its highest nowadays. States such as Colorado and Washington have been considering the positive impact of the drug (Hall &Weier, 2017). Legalization of marijuana will make the country better for the citizens. The major concern for the government for legalization is the health of its people. State government have to put measure in pace for the distribution and possession of these drugs. This will involve putting legislations to avoid misuse of marijuana by the underage teens. Studies confirm many positive health factors and few health risks that marijuana contributes. The government should consider legalization as currently, the number of users is increasing and school students are more and more engaged in selling the drugs to their friends. With proper regulations, marijuana will result in more benefits to the state. No doubt, the growing tolerance is due to the above benefits.

Part Two: How the Initial Relaxations of the Laws Against Marijuana Compromising the Safety, Security and “Quality of Life” in American Communities

Marijuana should be prohibited due to its harmful effects. First, when used for medical purposes, it usually has dangerous long-term side effects. Some of them include poor decision making in vital issues. Even though there is no recorded evidence of overdose from the drug, there is documented evidence showing its addictive nature (Nawaz, 2017). For instance, a person on a driver’s seat becomes dangerous when driving under the influence of marijuana. Some people have caused accidents because of poor decision making when using the drug.This happens because marijuana slows down the nerves if the driver is confronted with a foreign object (Nawaz, 2017). Thus,this confirms the prohibition of marijuana. The government should prohibit marijuana to enhance the safety of its people. The misuse of the drug will significantly affects the society; the productivity of the people will reduce significantly. In addition, people suffering from depression use this drug because they believe it calms them down. Surprisingly, studies show that marijuana worsens the situation and leads to other side effects such as lung diseases and respiratory illness. According to McGinty et al. (2016), marijuana users have high chances of acquiring cancer. Therefore, from the medical point of view, the legalization does not appear beneficial.

Secondly, legalizing marijuana will have negative effects on American families. According to Hall and Weier (2017), the use of marijuana in the workplace and institutions proved to slow down people concentration. Parents who over-use the drug tend to neglect their children and even show them a bad example. Some parents smoke marijuana in front of their young children. As a result, it affects the well-being of a child during his or her adulthood. Most teens who use the drug demonstrate low concentration while in class learning. If the government prohibits marijuana totally, it will reduce these negative impacts on families. Petti andChatlos (2017) argues that with many barriers to access the drug, the less likely people are going to be addicted. The government should ban marijuana for the society to raise their kids properly.

Thirdly, marijuana is the main cause of substance abuse in the United States. Statistics show that it is worse than alcohol. According to Cam Campbell, Twenge, and Carter, (2017), survey, even 12th graders support legalization of the drug. This demonstrates that majority of the school going children are using marijuana. Legalization of marijuana will no doubt increase the number of users. As a result, a majority of the youths will increase consumption that will ultimately lead to addiction. This will have a direct impact on the society because of destroyed lives. Addiction kills society in terms of economic productivity and other factors. Legalization of marijuana will have more effects other than financial. Like consumption of alcohol, even the youths will easily access the drug. New research points out that marijuana is associated with increasing mental problems. Ignorance among the public has made it difficult to eradicate the problem leading to severe effects among the youths and their families.

Fourth, no evidence confirms that marijuana for medical use is effective. People acknowledge the dangers of tobacco but refuse to look at the negative side of marijuana. No evidence explicitly proves its safety and benefit to people. In fact, in some cities the youths are helpless because of over-indulgence into these drugs.  Chicago has been in the spotlight for the increased use of these drugs, which includes marijuana among others. The prevalence of the drugs can be seen in the ghettos in low-income areas. The impact of drugs in these areas shows that marijuana should be prohibited. This drug puts individuals at risk to conditions such as heart attack and stroke. Scientific evidence shows that it can result in diabetes because it interferes with blood sugars. Even though the users will not experience immediate long-term effects, they usually make poor judgments. Mann (2018) argues that the addictive nature of the drug is harmful to a person. The addicts go through phases of anxiety and mood swings, which affect the well-being of a person. The government should ban marijuana to prevent such scenarios.

Fifth, the legalization of the drug will result in more crime in the United States. With legalization, the increase in the use of the drug means its demand increases and so is the price. Therefore, the youths will use all means available to earn money to buy the drug. The addicts will have to steal to maintain constant flow, which will put even the police in danger in their effort to keep peace and order. The enforcement agencies will have to deploy extra resources to curb this problem, which will translate into high budget. The proposers do not foresee the chaos on the streets these drugs will bring. Hall and Weier (2017) argue that countries expect that they will benefit from the tax legalizing marijuana but forget that it will be an exchange economy. The users will lose money to the government creating no much difference. Besides, the government will have to start new programs that will be handling the addicts, which translates to extra expenditure. Instead of making the economy better, it will increase wastage of government revenue. The government should ensure marijuana is still prohibited.

Part Three: Impact Will Part 1, and Part 2 Have on the Current Prohibitions on Other Controlled Dangerous Substances

Legalization and prohibition of marijuana will have significant effects on controlled dangerous substances. Legalization of marijuana will increase the use of other controlled substances such as cocaine and heroin (Hall &Weier, 2017). The shift from the illegal drug market to a market-based system will encourage many people to use drugs. Thus, the drug cartel will increase their production of marijuana and other related drugs such as cocaine to the market. The augmented use will lead to addiction, which in turn creates dependence on other related drugs. The state will have to do public outreach and shape perspective towards consumption of marijuana. Besides, under aged are primarily have to be prevented from buying and using marijuana, which included developing legislation that forbids teens under the age of 18 from using the drug. As a result, strict regulations are required to mandate its use if any at all.

Relaxation of existing laws is expected to lead to less control over other currently illegal drugs. Campbell et al. claim that legislation of marijuana will make it easy to access other controlled dangerous substances (Campbell, Twenge, & Carter, 2017). The number of smugglers will increase on the borders, making it difficult for the enforcement officers to track illegal drugs. Drug dealers will take advantage of the legality of marijuana to spur the presence of cocaine and other drugs in the market. With the inflow of drugs to the market, the government will have to implement even stricter regulations. For instance, the drivers should always be checked for not being intoxicated. The legalization will force enforcers to conduct public education to prevent the misuse. Even with legalization, the government will have to ensure the safety of the citizens by monitoring roads to ensure the drivers are not intoxicated. Additionally, dangerous workplaces such as industries will have to screen their workers before they check in their duties.

Moreover, it can be the case that the government will conduct mass media campaigns to change the perspective of the public towards the drugs. Even with prohibition, drugs may still be smuggled in the country; hence, the public should be warned about the consequences that come with using drugs, especially by the youth. This includes the use of billboards, radio, and television. Besides, there will be a community organization and a coalition to reduce substance use among the youths (Hall &Weier, 2017). The government will include various community leaders that will encourage indulgence on drug abuse. Even with prohibition, drugs will be on the streets hence tempting the youth. Community groups are grassroots in nature making it easier to reach families and teenagers.

Moreover, government agencies will invite families and youths for counseling and case management purposes. Thus, the government can form an initiative to invite families and counsel them on drugs. This includes monitoring the activities of their teens to ensure they are not involved in some of these issues. Fourth, the prohibition of marijuana will have to be taught in schools to warn children on the dangers. Classrooms are the easiest way to reach out to the youths and inform them about drugs (Nawaz, 2017). With the prohibition of drugs, teachers should warn children why they should not use drugs. Fifth, border patrol should be encouraged to stop dealers from smuggling to the country. This will reduce marijuana presence in the street. Lastly, the justice system should have strict rules and penalties to prevent people from engaging in the drug business. People will shy away from smuggling drugs for fear of being convicted. These strategies will ensure the streets are drug-free.

References

Cam Campbell, W., Twenge, J., & Carter, N. (2017). Support for marijuana (cannabis) legalization: untangling age, period, and cohort effects. Collabra: Psychology, 3(1).

Hall, W., & Weier, M. (2017). Has marijuana legalization increased marijuana use among US youth? JAMA Pediatrics, 171(2), 116-118.

Mann, A. P. (2018). 7.2 Cannabis and Its Legalization. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 57(10), S11.

Marsiglia, F. F., Kulis, S. S., Kiehne, E., Ayers, S. L., Libisch Recalde, C. A., & Sulca, L. B. (2018). Adolescent substance-use prevention and legalization of marijuana in Uruguay: A feasibility trial of the keepin’it REAL prevention program. Journal of Substance use, 23(5), 457-465.

McGinty, E. E., Samples, H., Bandara, S. N., Saloner, B., Bachhuber, M. A., & Barry, C. L. (2016). The emerging public discourse on state legalization of marijuana for recreational use in the US: Analysis of news media coverage, 2010–2014. Preventive Medicine, 90, 114-120.

Monte, A. A., Zane, R. D., & Heard, K. J. (2015). The implications of marijuana legalization in Colorado. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 313(3), 241-242.

Nawaz, H. (2017). The debate between legalizing marijuana and its benefits for medical purposes. A pros and cons analysis. Grin Publishing

Petti, T. A., & Chatlos, J. C. (2017). 2.1 Perspectives on Marijuana Legalization: National and New Jersey Status. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 56(10), S3.

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