Pro or Con Marijuana Legalization

Marijuana Legalization: Pro or Con?
Support for marijuana legalization has increased in recent years, particularly since a number of states have legalized the drug, even though the substance is officially prohibited on the national level. The War on Drugs has had a disproportionate effect upon many communities, and there is strong support for decriminalization at minimum, given the argument that enforcement has disproportionately impacted historically discriminated-against communities in a negative fashion. There is also growing recognition for marijuana’s use in palliative care, which has increased the positive public perception of the drug as a whole. But still, questions remain about safety and long-term legalization’s impact and data remains ambiguous about whether legalization is a net positive or negative for impacted communities.
For example, in Colorado and Washington, “within Washington, the rate of perceived harmfulness of marijuana use decreased and the rate of past month use increased among eighth and 10th graders following,” legalization although the rate of acceptance among Washington 12th graders remained unchanged, and in Colorado as a whole (Cerda 146). A 2018 study by the Colorado Department of Public Safety (CDPS) found the proportion of high school students reporting marijuana use (during their lifetime or within thirty days of responding to the survey) remained statistically unchanged from 2005 to 2017. But in Washington, use after legalization among eighth and 10th graders increased by 2.0% (2010-2012) and 4.1% (2012-2015) while marijuana use among the same demographic in states without legal recreational marijuana decreased by 1.3% and 0.9%, respectively, during the same years (Cerda, et al.).
The reasons for increased marijuana use in Washington has been attributed to a variety of possible factors, including the perception that the drug is less dangerous because of legalization, the fact that students may be able to more easily obtain the drug from adults or older teens with legalization, or the decrease in the price of legalization through the black market. One problem, however, is the lack of comparative data given that legalization has been relatively recent, and only in a few states. The increase could possibly be due to Washington-specific factors that are not directly tied to legalization. But the lack of changed attitudes in 12th graders, versus younger teens does suggest that older adolescents may have already formed impressions of marijuana use even before legalization (Cerda, et al.).
The discrepancy between Washington and Colorado may be due to the fact that Colorado already had a well-circulated medical marijuana dispensatory program, and the fact that obtaining medical marijuana for recreational purposes, even before legalization, was well-established in the state, along with a more liberal attitude to using the drug. This suggests yet another factor which may impact changes in usage patterns after legalization, namely the extent to which the drug was or was not an accepted part of daily life for residents.
But regardless of what changes may occur regarding perceptions of the drug after legalization, particularly among impressionable juveniles, these are not the only concerns about which states must be aware of when they contemplate legalization. One concern, according to McCaffery (et al.) that is often articulated is the fact that if marijuana use becomes more accepted, this will likewise increase the acceptance of other forms of drug use (i.e., marijuana use as a gateway drug). But while heavy marijuana use is correlated with high use of other forms of illegal narcotic substances, as other authors have noted, this may be due to the fact that other factors which are associated with youthful drug use, such as “less parental supervision, bad peer group, ADHD, general antisocial behavior, or other mental health problems” (McCaffery 4). This is also true of poorer school performance. While poorer grades and absenteeism are positively correlated with high levels of marijuana use, these cannot be isolated with other factors associated with heavy consumption of the drug, including poor parental and peer relations, other mental health issues, and environmental and social problems ” (McCaffery, et al.). Thus the existence of a correlation does not imply causation. In fact, heavy levels of cigarette consumption are associated with similarly poor scholastic outcomes, even though cigarette smoking does not produce cognitive impairment like drugs and alcohol (McCaffery, et al.).
Because marijuana use does produce cognitive impairment, the fact that adult legalization may increase youth consumption is of some concern. There are also some studies which suggest that the cognitive effects of marijuana use are not entirely benign. A 2008 study by Hall and Degenhardt found a correlation between schizophrenia and early marijuana use that suggested in vulnerable individuals, disruptions in dopamine regulation by marijuana could trigger the onset of the disorder in genetically vulnerable individuals. There was also a higher rate of relapse for sufferers under treatment who used cannabis, causing the researchers to call for future study, and suggest that the potential benefits of wholesale legalization for society might not justify the unknown risk for individuals vulnerable to this still poorly understood disorder.
Another serious concern which has arisen due to legalization is drivers driving under the influence of marijuana. According to a 2018 study, in both Colorado and Washington, marijuana increased after legalization, and use of marijuana while driving had increased in Washington (Mohn). Fatal crashes related to marijuana use increased in both states post-legalization. While impaired driving is always a concern, even with legal drugs such as prescription opiates and alcohol, the impact for a higher rate of fatal car accidents by individuals driving under the influence must again be considered in the context of the legalization debate, due to its negative impact upon society.
But legalizing drugs does not necessarily have a net positive impact on society because of an automatic reduction in use. One of the primary arguments behind recreational legalization was the fact that the laws were enforced in a discriminatory fashion. According to the ACLU’s study, “The War on Marijuana in Black and White,” “Of the 8.2 million marijuana arrests between 2001 and 2010, 88% were for simply having marijuana,” and despite the fact that African-Americans use marijuana at the same rate as white people, “Blacks are 3.73 times more likely than whites to be arrested for marijuana.” This suggests that enforcement of marijuana use is primarily for petty violations, and results in unjust criminal actions, often against poorer individuals less apt to have the resources to defend themselves.
For states wary about legalizing marijuana use, another possibility is decriminalization, or not criminally prosecuting those in possession of marijuana, but not permitting the outright sale of the drug through dispensaries or out in the open (including the controversial sale of edibles, which arguably makes the drug even more attractive for younger users). Regarding my own opinion, before researching the subject I was strongly in favor of legalization. Now I have more reservations, regarding the potential for spikes in use among teens and individuals with mental health concerns, as well as concerns about the impact upon safe driving. I am still in favor of decriminalization, but some states may have legalized the drug for recreational use too quickly, without ample time to consider more limited alternatives.





Works Cited
Cerda, M., (et al.). “Association of State Recreational Marijuana Laws with Adolescent
Marijuana Use.” JAMA Pediatrics, 171. 2(2017):142-149. Web. May 6, 2019.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2910149/pdf/nihms152149.pdf
“Colorado Division of Criminal Justice Publishes Report on Impacts of Marijuana Legalization
in Colorado.’ October 28, 2018. Web. May 6, 2019.
https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/publicsafety/news/colorado-division-criminal-justice- publishes-report-impacts-marijuana-legalization-colorado
Hall, Wayne, and Louisa Degenhardt. “Cannabis Use and the Risk of Developing a Psychotic
Disorder.” World Psychiatry, 7.2 (2008): 68-71. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2424288/
McCaffrey, Daniel F. (et al). “Marijuana Use and High School Dropout: The Influence of Unobservables.” Health Economics, 19.11 (2010): 1281-99. Web. May 6, 2019. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2424288/
Mohn, Tanya, “Driving Under the Influence: Legalized Marijuana's Impact on Traffic Safety
Tackled In New Guide.” Forbes. October 23, 2018. Web. May 6, 2019. https://www.forbes.com/sites/tanyamohn/2018/10/23/driving-under-the-influence- legalized-marijuanas-impact-on-traffic-safety-tackled-in-new-guide/#4c4d69564fac
“The War on Marijuana in Black and White.” ACLU. Web. May 6, 2019.
https://www.aclu.org/issues/smart-justice/sentencing-reform/war-marijuana-black-and- white