Should Marijuana Be Legalized Nationally Under California Prop. 64?

Introduction: Cannabis, Proposition 64, and the Case Against Legalization

People have been using Cannabis sativa, also known as marijuana, for centuries. The plant grows in several locations around the world, and its flowering top is the source of marijuana because it contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a chemical that induces altered states in users. Studies show that marijuana use carries both short-term and long-term health effects. Short-term effects include distorted senses — including the sense of time — and a reduced ability to concentrate. Long-term effects can be more damaging and include a drop in testosterone and sperm levels in men, respiratory problems similar to those experienced by tobacco smokers, fatigue, lower libido, reduced fertility, and changes in body composition in which muscle mass declines as fat mass increases. Women may also see their premenstrual and ovulation cycles affected (Caulkins, Kilmer & Kleiman, 2016). This paper argues that marijuana should not be legalized for recreational use.

Proposition 64 made it legal to use marijuana recreationally in the state of California. The law sets a minimum age requirement, stipulating that only people 21 and older may possess or use marijuana recreationally. To ensure that marijuana use provides economic benefit to the state, California introduced two new taxes levied on the retail price and on the cultivation of the plant (Bender, 2017).

Health and Social Harms of Marijuana Use

Smoking any substance has been shown to negatively affect — and potentially pose a life-threatening risk to — an individual's respiratory health. Beyond respiratory damage, marijuana use is associated with reduced problem-solving skills, impaired judgment, lower IQ, and memory loss. Studies have also linked marijuana use to an increased likelihood of developing mental illness, though the evidence is not yet conclusive. For instance, a number of marijuana users have been diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychosis (Caulkins et al., 2016). It is also worth noting that the cannabis strains currently circulating in the market are significantly more potent than those available in previous decades.

Like alcohol, marijuana can impair the user. A driver under the influence of marijuana, for example, is more prone to accidents that may harm both themselves and other road users. Marijuana use is also associated with reduced productivity, meaning that a person's workplace performance can suffer substantially. Such drops in performance are especially detrimental in careers requiring high cognitive aptitude, such as those of a pilot or a physician (Caulkins et al., 2015). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the agency responsible for approving prescription medications in the United States, has stated that smoking marijuana is harmful based on the available evidence. Moreover, adequate medical services for people experiencing marijuana-related health problems remain insufficient.

Research further indicates that marijuana use leads to reduced motivation: users become less driven and their determination to achieve their goals diminishes. This observation is supported by studies linking marijuana use to criminality, lower incomes, unemployment, low life satisfaction, and higher dependence on welfare (Caulkins et al., 2015; Caulkins et al., 2016).

Lessons from Colorado and Washington

Reducing marijuana use in the United States is critical to improving national healthcare, education, and productivity. Developing more strategic and well-considered policies can reverse the failures of existing approaches that have not adequately protected citizens from the many negative effects of marijuana use (Caulkins et al., 2016). Because legalization for recreational use would likely produce an exponentially larger user base — and therefore more addictions — it is not a sound public health decision, even if some may view it as a politically convenient one for state and federal administrators.

Data from Colorado and Washington, where recreational marijuana was legalized in 2012, and where new laws were subsequently proposed to limit public marijuana use, illustrate the ongoing controversy surrounding this issue. Legalization brought new modes of consumption, including marijuana-laced cookies, sodas, waxes, and candies, which gave rise to new industries backed by well-funded lobbying groups. These lobbies have increasingly pushed for reduced state and federal regulation of marijuana (Monte, Zane & Heard, 2015). Colorado and Washington now rank among the states with the highest rates of youth marijuana use, while the promised tax revenue benefits have largely failed to materialize. Tax revenues from marijuana, relative to revenues from other sectors, amount to less than 1% of total state tax revenue in Colorado (Monte et al., 2015).

Since legalization, the number of children between the ages of 12 and 17 who regularly use marijuana in these states has risen dramatically and surpassed the national average. Colorado leads the nation in marijuana use among those aged 12 to 17, as well as in the percentage of the population trying marijuana for the first time. Colorado's Attorney General, Cynthia Coffman, also noted that illegal sales on the black market have not decreased (Monte et al., 2015). In fact, the number of organized crime case filings increased from 1 in 2007 to 40 in 2012 (Monte et al., 2015; Blake & Finlaw, 2014), a rise that coincided directly with the state's commercialization of medical marijuana in 2012.

Conclusion

Marijuana use negatively affects the health of the user. It also leads to intoxication, which endangers not only the user but also those around them. Research has further demonstrated that marijuana use is linked to reduced motivation and drive. Given these factors, instituting policies and laws that limit marijuana use is in the best interest of the general public.