On Legislation of Marijuana Merits and Demerits

Marijuana Legalization and Public Health

Issues associated with the Public Health Implications of Marijuana Legalization

The legalization of marijuana use in various states in the U.S. has contributed to a surge in of a public health problem associated with marijuana use. A significant increase in the use over the past two decades points to an estimated quarter of the American population that has used the drug. Marijuana use amongst senior high school students has surpassed cigarette-smoking cases. Consequences of marijuana use emanate from a comprehensive and scientific research by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other health organizations on this subject (Department of Health and Human Services, 1982).

Findings on the health hazards caused by marijuana use include interference of mental functioning by marijuana due to the acute intoxication of the drug. The use has curtailed coordination of tasks, a skilled performance of activities such as driving, and complex tasks that involve critical judgment. Addiction and dependence on the drug lead to chronic effects on the users.

Chronic effects of marijuana use include the following;

Decreased sperm motility and count.

The slowness of learning and short-term memory. Studies have associated continuous marijuana use amongst adolescents with a drop in IQ: about an 8-point drops later in their lives.

Impaired immune response resulting in vulnerabilities to respiratory illnesses

Interference of pre-natal development and ovulation.

The drug also results in the "amotivational syndrome" that depicts adverse behavioral and psychological effects, especially in children and adolescents. Characteristics of the syndrome include harmed parental relationships, diminished school performance, and other behavioral interruptions. Research indicates that about 40% of heavy users of the drug experience some or all the identified side effects of marijuana use. Economically, marijuana use strains the country's health care system posing a significant danger to the health and safety of marijuana users, families, and communities. Marijuana use causes various biological and psychological effects that occur as harmful to human health (CDC, 2013).

The increased availability of marijuana through the legalization avenues in various states attunes a surge in health and safety costs. Legalization of the drug outpaces the use of illegal drugs with the widespread of marijuana similar to tobacco and alcohol. Increased consumption of marijuana emanates from the acceptability of the drug. Higher public health and financial costs emanate from increase marijuana use. Today, alcohol addiction costs the public 15 times more the revenue collected from the taxation of alcohol. With the widespread use of marijuana, the health and financial burden on the public surges (Basharat, Sussman, Beezhold, & Leader, 2011).

Marijuana legalization does not solve public health and safety challenges. Research indicates that policies in place to improve public safety and health would not manage to eliminate the black market. Dramatic lowering of marijuana prices could substantially result in the collection of lower revenues for the states that have legalized the drug. Low revenues from the drug results in an imbalance between the public financial budget on healthcare and the low revenues collected as taxes (Frizell, 2014).