MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION

Why marijuana should not be legalized

Why marijuana should not be legalized

The debate over the legalization of marijuana has been raging on for several decades. Even though countless arguments have been presented and considered over the passage of time the debate is still present in the irresolute form. In this regard, this discussion will attempt highlight the reasons because of which Marijuana should not be legalized. In the process, the paper will present a nut-shell view of the disadvantages of marijuana that make it unfeasible to legalize marijuana.

Perhaps the most substantial and relevant proof of the disadvantages of the legalization of marijuana comes across in the experiment conducted in the 1970s. The experiment was conducted to observe the implications of the legalization of marijuana (Roleff, 2004). It was observed that the marijuana consumption rates began to spike and the experiment was eventually abandoned in 1990 when an analysis showed that the marijuana consumption rate amongst youths in the Alaskan region significantly surpassed the marijuana consumption rates in almost 50 other states (Payne & Gainey, 2005). It is imperative to note that this trend is not an exception in any manner because a similar incidence was observed when the legalization of Marijuana in the Netherlands was followed by a three-fold increase in the consumption of heroin.

The legalization of marijuana can also create complications on account of the fact that marijuana is considered to be a flagship drug amongst drug abusers and if the usage of marijuana is legalized then consumers may consider this to be a loosening of the policies that restrict the usage of other relatively intense drugs (Fish, 2006). This is supplemented with the fact that the illegal usage of marijuana creates a clash between law enforcement agencies and users of marijuana. A common example can be found across young ...