Public Reception of the Drug in the United States
In the United States, the widespread usage of marijuana as a recreational drug first started in the 1920s. The drug was brought by Mexican immigrants, who used it both for medicinal and recreational purposes. In the decade that followed, the drug could be commonly found anywhere from schools to neighborhood bridge parties. Despite this widespread use, marijuana stoked public anxiety due to its link with Mexican immigrants (King County Bar Association Board of Trustees, 2005). Hence, marijuana was initially received negatively by the mainstream population due to its link to Mexican immigrants.
Impact of Drug Control Legislation on Legal Availability
However, with changes in legislation, the legal availability of marijuana changed. Up until 1937, cannabis use and cultivation were legal under federal law. The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 unofficially forbade the federal government from using marijuana (Sacco, 2014). For every sale of marijuana, the MTA implemented a stringent regulation requiring a high-cost transfer tax stamp, which, however, was rarely ever issued. Soon after the MTA was passed, marijuana possession became prohibited in every state (Sacco, 2014). Thus, while initially it was legal to purchase and smoke marijuana, it became completely illegal in all states after the Marihuana Tax Act.
Schedule I Classification of Marijuana and Heroin: Should It Be Changed?
The change in legislation regarding marijuana usage and sale should be made based on low risks to public health. According to national surveys, marijuana was the drug with the lowest risk to public health of all the drugs that the respondents were asked about (SAMHSA Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, 2020). Weekly marijuana use is seen as being significantly less dangerous than daily alcohol use (SAMHSA Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, 2020).
However, there are hazards linked with marijuana usage, such as marijuana use disorder or injury from operating a vehicle while impaired. Hence, the purchase and usage of marijuana should be allowed for adults over the age of 21, the same as the minimum age for drinking. This is because the survey shows an increase in awareness of the drug’s effects and dangers among adults, compared to adolescents. Thus, marijuana should be legal, but only for people over the age of 21.
References
SAMHSA Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (2020). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: results from the 2020 national survey on drug use and health. SAMHSA. Web.
Sacco, L. N. (2014). Drug enforcement in the United States: history, policy, and trends. Federation of American Scientists. Web.
King County Bar Association Board of Trustees. (2005). Drugs and the drug laws: historical and cultural contexts. King County Bar. Web.