The issue of marijuana legalization has been a contentious issue in the United States for a while now, with the population and the states divided on whether to legalize the drug or not. Legalizing marijuana means that it will be as readily available as alcohol and tobacco. The availability is something to consider when deciding whether or not to legalize marijuana. Legalizing marijuana can provide some positive benefits, such as tax revenue generated through the cultivators and consumers of marijuana. Another advantage is that marijuana can be used for therapeutic purposes and provide some medical benefits, such as alleviating symptoms. Although those are very positive reasons for legalizing, there are some more negative reasons for opposing the legalization of marijuana, such as decreased attention span, loss of time sense, and short-term memory loss. Also, marijuana impairs judgment in driving and carrying out other tasks that require concentration. This literature review will research whether marijuana should be legalized in the United States, backing the essay with thorough research and appropriate recommendations.
The topic covered by the essay is whether marijuana should be legalized in the United States or not. The topic is a popular contentious theme in the country, and so far, several states have already legalized the drug for medical or recreational use and some for both. The literature review will research the advantages and disadvantages of the drug and back them with research. The research will guide the recommendations on the topic and then finally conclude whether marijuana should or should not be legalized in the United States.
Thematic Research on the Topic
Legalizing marijuana across the US could benefit the particular states that approve this legislation and result in significant benefits for the overall US economy. There are currently 20 states that have legalized medical marijuana, with 15 states legalizing its recreational use, including Washington DC (Esquire.com, 2020). Many elements of the country could benefit financially from legalizing marijuana. Some factors that could help boost the US economy include; a rise in employment rates across the country due to increased marijuana distributors and employed staff, state and federal government revenue from marijuana taxation laws, and financial savings affiliated with law enforcement and incarceration costs marijuana going down.
The state of Colorado has been a proven example of how legalizing marijuana can be positive for the local economy. After passing legislation to legalize marijuana, the state of Colorado has seen tax revenues soar. When a consumer purchases recreational marijuana in Colorado, they will be charged the average state sales tax of 2.9% and any local taxes and an additional 10% marijuana sales tax. When consumers purchase medical marijuana, they are obligated to pay the average state sales tax of 2.9% and any local taxes. Colorado has licensing requirements affiliated with the sale of marijuana, and these requirements include; additional fees imposed on the retailer and earnings for the state. Retail licenses are $16 for a two-year permit, along with a $50 deposit. There is also a 15% excise tax imposed on the first transfer of marijuana from a marijuana cultivation facility to a local marijuana store. In Colorado, the first $40 million in excise tax revenue will go towards Colorado public school construction. In 2014 during January alone, Colorado state earned over $2 million in state tax revenue due to marijuana sales, both recreational and medical combined. When also factoring in the fees affiliated with withholding marijuana licenses, the state revenue for January equated to over $3 million (Colorado Department of Revenue, 2014).
While the legalization of the product remains controversial in the country for an extended period, approximately three-quarters of the population supports the legalization of marijuana due to its use in the execution of medical procedures (Nicholas & Maclean, 2016). Although the numbers of the effects of marijuana are small to justify the outlined benefits, a single test would be enough to confirm its legalization based on its impact on the treated individuals. Thus, marijuana should be legalized in the country because of the significant benefits of treating various health issues.
Research by (Nicholas & Maclean, 2016) shows that legalizing marijuana would significantly boost the population’s health. Consequently, their excellent health will be iterated to increase the labor supply in the country’s economic sector. (Nicholas & Maclean, 2016) claim that 35% of the adult population in the United States suffer from back pains, while 49.6% of the demographic over 65 years suffer from arthritis (Grinspoon, 2018). While the conditions could be treated with medical marijuana, the adults have not been exposed to its treatment, implying that the affected individuals are still suffering from the ailments.
Consequently, the National Academic of Sciences emphasizes the test and use of medical marijuana in the intervention of adult health issues to improve their health. Marijuana legalization is also bound to increase consumer protection. According to (Barry & Glantz, 2018), only a few people will report health issues relating to product use. The iteration reduces the burden of taking care of problems related to marijuana abuse in the healthcare system. The product is still highly abused despite its regulation as illegal. Legalizing medical marijuana will enhance the use of the product’s certified brands that cannot harm but benefit users, including but not limited to the individuals using it for recreational purposes. Thus, marijuana should be legalized, considering its significant health benefits.
According to (Maier et al., 2017), violence and property crime rates are high in the states where marijuana is still illegal. On the contrary, the states with decriminalized and medically legalized laws concerning marijuana report low crime rates. Although the variation is not statistically significant, the mere value shows a positive marijuana legalization impact regarding reducing criminal activities (Maier et al., 2017). Also, the legalizing states do not record any crime events related to the sale of marijuana since it is not against their laws, implying low crime rates. Having marijuana as an illegal product yields adverse events such as hidden drug dealings that might lead to violence, distracting the community’s peace (Maier et al., 2017). Thus, legalizing the product will eradicate such events, leading to public safety as people who need to use the commodity can acquire it freely. Marijuana legalization is essential in reducing crime rates and ultimately securing and improving the economy, and it should be implemented in the country.
Evidence from states that have legalized marijuana shows that the product increases revenue generation. Legalizing the product will yield a new way of acquiring government revenue through taxation (Ducatti, 2012). The product will be used for multiple purposes like medical and recreation in large amounts upon legalization. Consequently, the amount of revenue gained through taxation will also increase. Also, the legalization of the product will create new employment opportunities for entrepreneurs, reducing the country’s unemployment rate (Ducatti, 2012). Vast populations will get the chance to engage in farming, distributing, and processing the commodity for the required uses. According to (Ducatti, 2012), the prohibition of marijuana’s resources will be directed to other significant commercial services leading to an ultimately improved economy. The economic benefits of marijuana should fuel its legalization in all states in the country.
Reports state that in the treatment of glaucoma, the use of marijuana also appears to offer patients with temporary relief (Julien & Hathaway, 1999). A controlled study also showed that patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis given an oral spray derived from Cannabis showed significant improvement in muscle stiffness and involuntary muscle spasms. Other potential therapeutic uses for marijuana include using patients with Alzheimer’s disease, helping cure anxiety disorders and inflammatory bowel disease. Part of the reason is that marijuana is an effective treatment method because it works to relieve pain and, in some cases, reduces stress, can be used as a sedative and improves a person’s mood. The major challenge that the medical community is faced with is agreeing on how the drug is dispensed. Much debate whether the drug is more effective, smoked, or taken as a capsule (Danovitch, 2012). Research proving the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of medical marijuana is sparse at best, which is why the ACP urges that the federal government “reconsider its classification of marijuana as a Schedule 1 controlled substance so that researchers could more easily conduct clinical trials” (Danovitch, 2012).
Marijuana is a drug that has not been thoroughly researched, and all of the information that is being used comes from people that use marijuana recreationally (Harvard Health Publication, 2010). In a 1999 review, the Institute of Medicine concluded that marijuana could be effective if used as a nerve pain reliever and appetite stimulation (Harvard Health Publication, 2010). Marijuana is said to work as a pain reliever and for nausea because anxiety is reduced, moods are improved, and it acts as a sedative. Only a few studies have been conducted to evaluate whether marijuana can be used to treat psychiatric disorders (Harvard Health Publication, 2010). Whether marijuana is used medically or recreationally, there are risks and many benefits to psychiatric disorders. Marijuana addiction is common when someone used the drug for a long period. Aside from addiction, there are anxiety and mood disorders, psychosis, and other drug effects (Grisels, 2018).
Recommendations
Marijuana should be legalized in the United States: as a non-fatal drug, it has a high potential to act as an alternative to existing drugs with even better effects. With concerning surges in opioid overdose and amphetamine abuse, marijuana is the better option because it offers no window for overdose (Brooks et al., 2017). Next to legal drugs, marijuana offers a much lower dependency rate than alcohol and nicotine and is not associated with any means of preventable death. But before being legalized, the drug’s individual and population effects should be investigated thoroughly to ensure that all the pros and cons are measured carefully.
In conclusion, there are great tax revenue and medical benefits from legalizing marijuana, but there are also good arguments against it, with the negative impact on health and the mind. Marijuana should be legalized in the United States, considering its significant benefits to the health, criminal justice systems, and the country’s economy. The legalization will yield health benefits, especially to the older population, by alleviating issues such as chronic pains, nausea, and sleep disorders. The regulation of the product will also enhance consumer protection, reducing the healthcare burden. Marijuana legalization will eradicate underground drug dealing, resulting in minimized crime rates. Lastly, the regulation will benefit the economy through taxation, and the use of the resources channeled to the prohibition of marijuana. Thus, legislators should legalize marijuana, considering its benefits to the United States.
References
Barry, R. A., & Glantz, S. A. (2018). Marijuana regulatory frameworks in four US states. An analysis against a public health standard. American Journal of Public Health, 108(7), 914-923.
Brooks, E., Gundersen, D. C., Flynn, E., Brooks-Russell, A., & Bull, S. (2017). The clinical implications of legalizing marijuana: Are physician and non-physician providers prepared?. Addictive Behaviors, 72, 1-7.
Colorado Department of Revenue. (2014). Marijuana state tax revenue. Retrieved from http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/Revenue/REVX/1251649127637
Ducatti Flister, L. (2012). The Economic Case for Marijuana Legalization in Canada. Journal of Alternative Perspectives in the Social Sciences, 5(1).
Esquire.com. (, 2020). All the states that have legalized weed in the US Retrieved from https://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/a21719186/all-states-that-legalized-weed-in-us/
Grinspoon, Peter. (2018) “Medical Marijuana.” Harvard Health Blog, www.health.harvard.edu/blog/medical-marijuana-2018011513085.
Grisels, Judith. (25 May 2018)“POTHOLES Legalizing Marijuana Is Fine. But Don’t Ignore the Science on Its Dangers.” The Washington Post, WP Company, www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2018/05/25/feature/legalizing-marijuana-is-fine-but-dont-ignore-the-science-on-its-dangers/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.5a655902c535.
Maier, S. L., Mannes, S., & Koppenhofer, E. L. (2017). The implications of marijuana decriminalization and legalization on crime in the United States. Contemporary Drug Problems, 44(2), 125-146.
Medical marijuana and the mind. More is known about the psychiatric risks than the benefits. (2010). The Harvard Mental Health Letter / From Harvard Medical School, 26(10), 1-3.
Nicholas, L. H., & Maclean, J. C. (2016). The effect of medical marijuana laws on the health and labor supply of older adults: Evidence from the health and retirement study.
