Marijuana Legalization



Marijuana Legalization

Introduction

The first state in the history of United States to pass medical marijuana laws in 1996 was California. The list has now grown to 17 states along with District of Columbia. Furthermore, fourteen states have taken steps towards decriminalization of marijuana possession, but state laws were not yet enacted in these states. Until most recently, the states of Washington and Colorado legalized marijuana for recreational purposes in the ballot initiatives in the recently concluded primary elections of 2012 (Coffman, 2012). Though these state acts stay in friction with the federal laws of U.S., that categorize marijuana as a schedule I controlled substance, under the 'Controlled Substances Act of 1970'. The list of drugs, under similar classification include: heroin, LSD, mescaline, methaqualone and GHB (www.cancer.gov).

Furthermore, many states that do allow medicinal usage of the drug; has a charter of rules, guidelines and compulsory requirement of doctors' prescriptions before any medicinal consumption is allowed (www.cancer.gov). The roots of this agreement towards medicinal usage can be attributed to the 'Compassionate Use Investigational New Drug' program, from 1978 to 1992. Through this program the government managed and distributed cannabis to patients on a case by case evaluation (www.cancer.gov).

The following paper is an attempt to highlight the arguments, both, in favor and against the legalization of marijuana.

Discussion

Arguments in Favor of Marijuana Legalization

The executive director of National organization for the reform of marijuana laws (NORML), Allen St. Pierre, wrote a piece on the organizations' website titled, “Cannabis prohibition now seventy five years old”. In this article, he claims the hypocrisy of the substance's prohibition policies, keeping it in contrast with, Alcohol Prohibition of the 1920's which lasted ten years. After the later prohibitions were abolished, he points out, to the restoration of alcohol products in the free market. This led to breakdown of the bread and butter of many organized crime syndicates of the times. This resulted in decreased rates of crime and criminals (www.norml.org).

St. Pierre, further discusses on the opportunity costs U.S. farmers are paying due to non-cultivation policies of the country of this 'environment friendly' and 'productive' crop. This 'No' is for all kinds of hemp cultivation, be it industrial, recreational or medicinal purposes. He thrashes these policies as hypocritical, failed, expensive and unconstitutional (St. Pierre, www.norml.org). In his article, St. Pierre introduces various researches and fact-findings which suggests, growing inclination of U.S. population towards softer reforms towards cannabis; permitting medicinal ...