Election day this year meant much more than re-electing a president. Several states voted on issues such as gay marriage and marijuana laws, turning the tides of several controversial social issues.
Colorado and Washington became the first states to legalize recreational marijuana, despite federal law stating that marijuana is still too dangerous to be legal. While several states allow marijuana to be used for medicinal purposes, Nov. 6 was a landmark date for an issue that has been fighting its way into the American political narrative for decades.
Last year, 30 million Americans were arrested or incarcerated for sale and use of cannabis. A total of 853,000 people were charged with marijuana related crimes last year in Colorado and Washington alone. The campaign for legalization in Washington, according to Tonia Winchester, the outreach director behind the Yes on I-502 camp, was “not pro-pot, but pro-policy.” Basically, this means that legalization had little to do with “stoners” and more to do with the ability to start programs to keep marijuana away from children as well as allowing law enforcement to focus on more serious criminal issues.
Since the vote, neither President Barack Obama nor Attorney General Eric Holder has threatened either state based on the inconsistency of federal and state law. Their silence, as well as the success of the Washington and Colorado votes, has other state leaders wondering if legalization is the best choice for the future.
A Scientific American article reported that casual marijuana use does not harm lungs and is not physically addictive. However, there may be side effects caused by the THC in cannabis. Overall, though, it seems that the risks associated with marijuana are probably not any more dangerous than those associated with alcohol and tobacco, which are both legal substances. With that in mind, I think it seems ridiculous that legalization of marijuana is so controversial. Unsurprisingly, money is a big factor.
According to a Baltimore Sun article, “a huge percentage of arrests are related to marijuana. If prohibition were ended, the need for lawyers, judges, police, jailers, etc. would be far less. The politicians/lawyers who write the laws are not going to easily legislate themselves out of jobs regardless of how much tax money could be generated. The drug cartels do not want to end prohibition either as they would lose tons of money and thousands of dealers. The only ones to gain would be the taxpayers, who are mostly considered irrelevant.”
In addition, legalizing medicinal marijuana while attempting to maintain a strict ban on recreational use is causing even more problems. Medicinal marijuana is legal in 18 states and the District of Columbia. There are major problems with regulation and organization including pharmaceutical fraud, price-gouging and scams, according to an article in The New York Times.
I am not advocating use of marijuana in any context. However, I do believe that the benefits of legalization are worth considering. Full legalization would allow laissez faire economics to regulate prices and the ability to tax an in-demand product would raise funds to boost our lackluster economy. Officials in Washington estimated that taxation of marijuana in the state will generate $532 million in new revenue every year. On top of that, the state will save the billions of dollars that were before used to prosecute or investigate suspects in marijuana cases. Now expand those numbers nationwide.
Moral of the story: Despite the stigma associated with marijuana, it is becoming more and more necessary to recognize the economic and judicial benefits that could come from legalization. This is no longer a crazy idea from libertarian druggies. It is a plan for long-term market growth as well as an investment in programs to educate and prevent youth drug use. It is a plan that will help relieve overcrowded prisons and assure that law enforcement officials can focus on more serious crimes. It is a plan for the future.
