Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine found that “rates of marijuana use by youth are declining as more U.S. states legalize or decriminalize marijuana use and the number of adults using the drug has increased.” [38] Marijuana use among Grade 8 students in Washington state increased from 9.8% to 7.3% in 2014-2016 after legalization in 2012, according to a December 2018 RAND report. [254] A Centers for Disease Control (CDC) study found that marijuana use among U.S. children ages 12 to 17 decreased 17 percent last year, from 15.8 percent in 2002 to 13.1 percent in 2014. [37] [41] Teens ages 12 to 17 in Colorado reported a nearly 12 percent drop in marijuana use just two years after adulthood legalization, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. [39] [40] Many people have tried to legalize marijuana over the years. For the above reasons, marijuana should not be legalized in Canada. Marijuana has both short- and long-term physical and psychological consequences for users. The number of marijuana-related deaths increased by 62% after marijuana was legalized in Colorado. [78] Jim Leal, former police chief of Newark, California, said of marijuana legalization: “You`re marketing a product that just puts more impaired drivers on the road and exacerbates a problem we already have. What officials see with very high THC levels is that they see that impairment is much worse than ever.
[158] In 1996, California became the first state to legalize medical marijuana. Since then, 28 other states and the District of Columbia have followed suit. Several other states are considering similar legislation, including New Jersey, where Gov. Phil Murphy has made legalization a top priority. There are both benefits and risks to medical marijuana. If you`re considering using medical marijuana, don`t be afraid to talk to your doctor. They can help you determine if marijuana may be the right treatment for you. This is one of the main drawbacks of marijuana legalization to seriously consider. More than 94 million people in the United States admit to having used marijuana at least once in their lives. Many of them then switched to cocaine or superior drugs.
If marijuana is legalized, companies with drug-free work policies will be forced to fire employees who test positive for THC. This could result in job losses for many people who use marijuana outside the workplace. Legalizing marijuana would attract new businesses to the state, creating jobs and tax revenue, boosting economic activity. These benefits have been observed in states where medical cannabis is already legal. Some examples are Colorado, California, Arizona, etc. You can easily find CBD oil or edibles patented by companies made from marijuana for medicinal purposes. A boo in business is one of the best possible benefits of marijuana legalization for small and medium-sized pharmaceutical companies. The high cost of enforcing marijuana laws costs taxpayers about $10 billion a year. According to state and federal estimates, legalizing marijuana would reduce these costs by about $7.7 billion.
The number of inmates convicted of drug offences would decrease significantly if marijuana were legalized. People who buy marijuana on the street have no way of knowing if what they are ingesting is covered in mold, fungi, pesticides or other harmful substances. [8] [9] Once marijuana is legalized, the government is able to apply laboratory tests and regulations to ensure that marijuana is free of toxins. [10] For example, Washington`s law requires health warnings, quality assurance, labeling of THC concentration, and other regulations important to consumers. [11] According to NerdWallet`s latest analysis, if all 50 states legalized marijuana today, the country could generate more than $3 billion in tax revenue. This very important potential gain can be extremely useful throughout our country. It can be used to improve education, improve health care, develop the justice system, help the poor repay the country`s debt, and strengthen unfunded government programs. And keep in mind that in addition to sales tax, several other revenues can be generated if marijuana is legalized. Once this is legal, states and cities may impose other fees on consumers and retailers, such as licenses and annual fees. A 2018 Gallup poll found record 66 percent support for marijuana legalization, up from 12 percent in 1969, the first year the polling firm asked about marijuana.
[249] The survey exceeded 50% approval for the first time in 2011. According to Gallup, “the change in public attitudes toward marijuana over the past half-century has mirrored the liberalization of public attitudes toward gay rights and the same-sex marriage movement.” [67] While Democrats (72%) and independents (67%) are more likely to support legalization, a majority of Republicans (51%) now agree. [67] CBS News and AP polls found that 61% of Americans favor legalizing marijuana. [68] [170] The legalization of marijuana has some potential drawbacks. This could lead to increased crime rates as people try to get their hands on drugs illegally. Also harms public health as people use it more often and addiction rates increase. Melgar noted how “selective” the bill to legalize medical marijuana only is. (READ: When drugs fail, marijuana is mothers` last hope) Mark A.R. Kleiman, a drug policy expert, said, “If you`re in the [for-profit] cannabis business, casual users don`t do you much good, while heavy users are your best customers and make up the bulk of your sales. Commercial interest requires maximizing the use of problems.
[147] Rosalie Liccardo Pacula, Senior Economist at the RAND Corporation, stated that heavy users of marijuana make up the “vast majority of the total amount sold and/or consumed.” [148] Public health associations opposing the legalization of recreational marijuana include the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. [151] [94] [152] [153] [154] Americans overwhelmingly support the legalization of marijuana. According to the Pew Research Center, 91% of Americans support marijuana legalization. Of these, 60% should be legal for medical and recreational purposes and 31% should only be legal for medical reasons. There are many benefits to legalizing marijuana. Some people argue that it should be legal because it is not addictive and does not cause violence, like alcohol. Others say marijuana should be legal because it can treat certain conditions such as chronic pain, anxiety, and insomnia. Still others argue that marijuana should be legalized because it can help stimulate the economy by creating new jobs and generating tax revenue and royalties. Researchers have found that marijuana use, even once a week, can affect parts of the brain associated with motivation, sometimes irreversibly. [165] Long-term marijuana users produce less dopamine, a neurochemical considered crucial for invoking motivation. [166] People who had smoked marijuana in the past year reported less engagement in their work than non-marijuana users, according to a study published in the journal Addiction.
[127] Simbulan argued that legalizing marijuana for medical purposes will provide more options for patients who need them. It will also allow for further research and development on the “best use” of marijuana. In Colorado, $40 million in marijuana tax revenue was spent on building public schools, while $105 million in 2016-17 was spent on housing programs, mental health programs in prisons, and health programs in middle schools. [51] [52] The marijuana industry (adult and medical) in the United States could generate sales of more than $24 billion by 2025. [7] For every $1.00 spent in the marijuana industry, between $2.13 and $2.40 of economic activity is generated. [1] [2] Tourism, banking, food, real estate, construction and transportation are some of the industries that benefit from legal marijuana. [3] The arguments for and against legalizing marijuana are hot topics. This article explains the pros and cons of medical marijuana and the scientific evidence. The judges praised law students` interest in discussing the pros and cons of legalizing medical marijuana in the Philippines. (READ: Solon: Let`s start talking about medical marijuana) Although illegal, thousands or more people are arrested every day for possession and use of marijuana. And this leads not only to a waste of resources, but also to a waste of time and life.
Our law enforcement officers spend thousands of hours apprehending, booking and detaining cannabis users. And since there are millions of marijuana users in the United States, our prisons and prisons are easily filled, resulting in more money needed to build new, larger prisons. Not to mention the amount of money we spend prosecuting, feeding and defending these criminals. And the sad thing is that the arrest doesn`t stop users from smoking weed. The legalization of marijuana has both advantages and disadvantages. While legalization has many benefits, such as increased government revenue and lower crime rates, there are also concerns about increased teen use and car accidents. It is important to carefully weigh the pros and cons before deciding whether or not to legalize marijuana. Studies show that drivers under the influence of marijuana tend to be more careful and take fewer risks than drunk drivers, such as: Fewer lane changes and reduced speed. [29] [74] A fact sheet on the effects of marijuana on drivers, published on the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration website, states that “some drivers are able to improve their performance for short periods of time by overcompensating for self-perceived impairment.” [66] There are no comments yet.
