Research conducted by Pew Research shed light on the fact that around 91% of American adults want to get the legalization of weed. Although most US states have legalized the use of marijuana for medical or recreational use, it is still illegal at the federal level. However, the recently proposed Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act or (MORE) Act aims to remove cannabis from the list of Controlled Substances Act. This legalization would allow adult citizens to create, possess or distribute marijuana. As of now, 37 US states have legalized the use of weed for medicinal purposes, and 18 states allow the use of weed for both medical and recreational purposes. Political parties have polarized opinions on the legalization of marijuana. About 47% of Republicans favor the use of marijuana for medical purpose, and 40% supports legalization for medical and recreational purpose. Democrats, on the hand, are playing a more supportive role than Republicans. No less than 72% of Democrats say that marijuana should be legal for medical as well as recreational purposes. Only 23% adhere to the legalization of cannabis for medical use only. Subsequent discussion would shed light on the key debates like the benefits of legalizing weed and the economic benefits of the legalization of weed. Furthermore, the questions as to why marijuana shouldn’t be legalized, and the pros and cons of legalizing marijuana are discussed in detail.
The benefits of legalizing weed are wide ranged. The proponents support the legalization of marijuana based on many reasons. Firstly, the economic turnout of legalizing weed is huge. Legalization can add billions of dollars to the US economy. The economic gains are related to the tax collection from the consumers and the suppliers. Regulation of the weed process would allow certain institutions to set up and make profits. Moreover, the creation of jobs by setting up this new industrial sector would help a lot of people to earn wages and reduce unemployment. Furthermore, another benefit of legalizing weed is the freeing up police from the routine arrests and procedures, which burdens the departmental resources. It would, in turn, put an end to the racial discrimination prevalent in the enforcement of cannabis. Another turning benefit is the expected reduction in street crime due to the end of drug mafias and cartels. The quality assurance standards can be maintained by regular testing, labeling, or packaging. American adults are of the view that if weed is less harmful than alcohol, then we must have a right to use weed just like alcohol.
The economic benefits of the legalization of weed are the most significant outcomes the policymakers bear in mind. The legalization of marijuana in several states has initiated an industrial sector that includes legal cannabis companies, which are carrying out incredible research and development for the medical and recreational use of marijuana. Massive tax revenues have been generated by the marijuana industry since its legalization in Colorado and Washington. The data revealed by US official departments revealed impressive tax revenues. Colorado in 2019 collected tax revenue of more than $302 million. Overall sales in the U.S in 2019 were around $12.2 billion, and they expect to collect $31.1 billion by 2024, revealed in a report shared by ArcView Market Research and BDS Analytics. Furthermore, the growth of marijuana-related infrastructures like nurseries and dispensaries is further expected to give rise to income and jobs. These systems would allow the stakeholders to earn a profit regularly like any other business setup. States like California and Nevada have earned heavily from these arrangements. A study carried out by RCG Economics, and Marijuana Policy Group says that legalizing weed would help to create 41,000 jobs by 2024 and could generate potential revenue of $1.7 billion only in labor income. The industry may include several processes like farming, processing, distributing, and selling marijuana-related products. Other benefits include investment opportunities at the local or national level. Finally, legalizing marijuana would help the government to save more money that was consumed by enforcement agencies. Therefore, the legalization of weed holds immense economic turnouts.
On the contrary, there are several reasons to answer questions like why shouldn’t marijuana be legalized? The unchecked availability of marijuana for recreational purposes would increase its use by teenage citizens. The unabated availability of weed could increase traffic accidents, medical emergencies, and related deaths. The negative aspect of the use of weed can worsen the situation. The revenue collected from the legalization falls short when the costs of side effects are calculated. The increased visits to hospitals due to health hazards and addiction treatment are costly. The risk of environmental damage is due to the plantation of weed along with the smoke when puffed. Furthermore, the increased rate of crimes by drug addicts and the unnecessary damage to workplace ethics by the ‘high on weed’ employees are serious concerns. The reduced productivity of the consumer and antisocial behavior are other harms inflicted by the legalization of weed. There are ample shreds of evidence that prove that the high use of marijuana harms the mental and physical abilities of the users.
A detailed discussion of the pros and cons of legalizing marijuana is given below.
Several pros are observed in the legalization of weed use. Firstly, the boosted impact on the economy is a factor that nobody dares to undermine. The revenues generated from the marijuana industry are expected to exceed $24 billion by the year 2025. Many other industries like tourism, food, real estate, and transportation are expected to get indirect benefits from legalized pot business. The study shows that for a single dollar spent in the business, around $2.13 to $2.40 in economic activity is caused. The tax revenues even surpass the tax revenues collected from the alcohol business more than three times. Moreover, Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine shared results of their study that marijuana penetration is declining since more states are legalizing its use. The data shared by retail stores in Colorado depicts the reduced use of marijuana in 2015-2016 compared to the use in 2014-2015 after the legalization. Furthermore, legalization ensures the regulated use and availability of weed. The weed sold by drug carters induces health risks as marijuana can be contaminated by fungus, mold, or any other hazardous substance.
The legalization of marijuana would ensure quality measures through the process of laboratory testing and regulations. For instance, Washington law enables quality assurance, the concentration of THC, and health warnings for consumers. The other pros may include age restrictions and package-size regulations. Therefore, legalized use of marijuana gives many advantages. Moreover, the legalization of marijuana is helping to put an end to drug trafficking and black markets. In this way, the state can deprive drug cartels and street gangs of resources they were able to generate by illegal black market and sale of weed. The controversy of racial discrimination in the enforcement of marijuana can be swept out by regularizing the use of cannabis. Furthermore, the police would be free from the costly enforcement of drug laws. People argue that alcohol and tobacco are more hazardous to health than weed. Therefore, if they are legal to use, weed should be legalized due to its widespread use and less harmful impacts on health.
The cons related to the legalization of cannabis are numerous. The opponents to the legalization of cannabis argue that the societal cost incurred by the free use of cannabis is far more than the revenue generated by its legalization. It includes the expenses of increased hospitalization and medical costs. Drug addiction treatment and the increased rate of drug addicts make more complications. The report reveals that annual societal expenses due to alcohol-related circumstances are $223.5 billion, and tobacco incurred $193 billion more than their tax revenues of $24 billion. Moreover, the legalized use of marijuana would increase its use among teenage people and would expose them to harmful consequences. In addition, traffic accidents and fatalities are expected to rise. In Colorado, the legalization gave a rose to a 64% increase in weed-related traffic accidents. The addictive drug poses another threat as its legalization would enhance drug addicts and addiction following the legalization. Contrary to the belief, legalization enhanced drug trafficking and black-market business. The Colorado police stated that the drug cartels from Mexico and around found it easier to thrive since the legalization. The use of weed harms brain health, and legalization would add fire to this issue. The big Marijuana industry is expected to flourish after its legalization, and they would target susceptible audiences like children or addicts to accumulate their profits. Legalization is opposed by the reputable public and private health organizations, and the United States has signed up international treaties to help drug control. Legalizing marijuana would undermine the global position of the US in drug control efforts.
By and large, the question of whether weed should be legal or illegal in the United States has a polarized opinion among the citizens and institutions. Although the trend is setting up in the legalization of marijuana around the US, many people still oppose it due to the contradictory outcomes of its use.
