Introduction
The fringes of culture and perception offer the best platform through which one can bring an otherwise looked down on phenomenon to the realm of normalcy. Proponents of legalization and use of marijuana have for a long time been marginalized by society in almost every part of the world.
Cannabis has been part of human culture for ages but puritan influences have always ensured its exclusion from the mainstream human culture. Truth be told, changing one’s state of mind with marijuana is no different from the effects people get from other legal and widely accepted substances such as caffeine and alcohol.
Criminalization of the use of marijuana and negative reviews as well as negative exposure from the media has driven marijuana use to the black markets with often negative consequences to the economy and society. It is interesting however to note that the marijuana use culture has stood the test of time and has taken root to appoint that it is widely accepted even in academia and social circles.
These voices have been in the lead in calling for legalization and open use of marijuana in society. It is important to acknowledge that there are quite a number of disadvantages that will result from such a move. However, many proponents are convinced that legalization and use of marijuana will be beneficial to the economy and society.
This discussion will briefly focus on the debate surrounding legalization and use of marijuana and its benefits while the rest of the discussion will focus on the pros of making such a move. The following Toulmin diagram helps in reinforcing the above thesis.
Legalizing Marijuana
The controversial debate about legalizing and use of marijuana has been going on for decades. Despite a widespread ban on the substance, some countries like Israel, Netherlands and Canada have partially legalized the use of marijuana and the results have been promising.
In these countries the culture of marijuana use has taken root and there is sufficient evidence suggesting that legalization and use of marijuana is beneficial to society.
Pros of marijuana use culture
It is important to reiterate that the argument presented in this discussion is purely from a socio-economic point of view. The usefulness of legalization the use of marijuana falls in two categories; economic and social benefits.
It is important to stress that all the arguments presented in this discussion are rooting for a formal establishment of marijuana use culture. Already, the culture exists and legalization will only entrench in the society acceptance that will easily magnify its usefulness.
Legalization will create a new industry within which marijuana will be legally traded and taxed like any other commodity in the market (Marincolo 123). The framework will be carried out within a highly controlled context where heavy taxation and penalties will mark its circulation in the economy.
Many economists argue that perhaps the biggest usefulness out such a move will be the creation of desperately needed jobs and generation of income by both the government and private dealers. In fact, some suggest that its legalization is likely to contribute though in minute quantities growth of GDP.
The United Nations estimates that drugs account for roughly one percent of unofficial GDP in the world economy. This translates to trillions of dollars every year that can easily be injected to the mainstream economy with a positive ripple effect of long-term results.
The economists further argue that legalization and its use within a controlled system of taxation and regulation will easily generate close to $14 billion annually. Most notable is renowned economist Milton Friedman who has openly advocated for such a move. Its prohibition according to Bello causes the authorities to lose slightly higher than $7 billion in prohibition enforcement in both federal and state levels (90).
Additionally, authorities lose over $6 billion annually in taxes, money that can be diverted to better economic use. The reasoning behind economists such as Friedman is that despite the elaborate anti-marijuana mechanisms put in place, both minors and adults still have easy access to marijuana leading to a call for careful analysis of the resources used in fighting it.
Besides generation of revenue, economists also argue that legal availability of marijuana will significantly reduce the price of the commodity in the market due to reduced risk and increased supply (Bello 37).
In return, consumers will have extra disposable income to save and invest which will have a direct positive effect on the economy. Additionally, this will contribute to the higher revenue collection by government since a sales tax will apply on the sale.
Economists contend that another usefulness that will result out of increased disposable income among marijuana consumers will be a drastic reduction of the rate of poverty. This is based on the premise that most marijuana consumers belong to the lower tier of the socio-economic order.
Legalization and acceptance of the culture therefore will give this group a lifeline as many of them will experience increased savings and will also have a chance to put to use their entrepreneurial skills by operating marijuana dealerships.
There is consensus among both government and private economists that authorities, both state and federal spend big amounts of money fighting and supervising marijuana related crimes and prisoners respectively (Earleywine 78). In the year 2008 for instance, the state of Texas spent slightly over $46 million in the above-mentioned operations. The state of California posted an even larger figure-$146 million in the same year.
The cumulative total of all states is likely to amount into billions of dollars as the Friedman report indicated. Besides high expenditure, incarceration of marijuana offenders contributes significantly to overcrowding of poisons across the US and other countries where the culture is illegal. Legalization therefore will help save on the above costs besides helping in decongesting prisons.
According to Jacquette, cannabis, the substance found in marijuana has several industrial uses with a possibility of making thousands of products including insecticides and textiles (166). Its illegal status in most territories however has greatly derailed research on its industrial use. It is likely therefore that legality and continued use of marijuana will in the long-run be beneficial to both industry and society.
Besides economic benefits, legalization of marijuana and its use will be a boon for the medical industry. Many medical research results have proven that marijuana has low toxic levels and is not likely to cause cancer like tobacco and alcohol.
In states such California where medical use of marijuana is legal, patients suffering from chronic disorders such as cancer, insomnia and chronic pain use marijuana for pain relieve and other therapies.
Medics concede that the relaxing effects of marijuana are comparable to few substances and will be a major stress and tension reliever to agitating and sore muscles. Additionally, marijuana is useful in chemotherapy treatment of cancer patients.
Besides direct medical reasons, it will be easier for agencies such as FDA to verify the quality of drugs available in the market effectively preventing many deaths that result from consumption of poorly prepared products. Because of the illegal status, government agencies find it difficult to regulate the quality of such products despite high consumption among the population.
Sociologists argue that criminalization of the marijuana culture is tantamount to infringement of individual rights. Backed by medical evidence, sociologists contend that consumption and use of marijuana is not any harmful than consumption of alcohol and tobacco. According to Turnlund, marijuana is little pleasure of life just like caffeine or alcohol is (38).
He adds that there is bound to be considerable stress among the population if such pleasures are withheld eternally. Like any drug or regulated substance, only excessive use of marijuana will be prove negative in case it was legalized. In essence therefore, legalization will be a social victory for consumers since they will have enough space to recreationally consume marijuana just the same way caffeine or alcohol is used.
One of the usefulness that the society will realize from legalization of marijuana will be reduced crime rates (Turnlund 41). Due to low supply of marijuana and the risk involved, the commodity is available in the market at high prices. Users especially addicts therefore have to dig deeper to afford it.
In most cases, marijuana consumers are people of the low economic order who can rarely afford the substance. Most engage in criminal activities to obtain funds for marijuana. Legalization will eliminate the risks effectively reducing its market price. Cheap access to the substance will result to low crime rates such as theft.
Bello says that there is a lot of street justice involved in the narcotics community (65). Disputes arise all the time and in most cases violence is the common solution.
Matthews asserts that violence more often than not leads to a cycle of more violence as is the case in Mexico, which may claim innocent lives (160). Legalization of its usage therefore will lead to establishment of proper dispute resolution mechanisms are established to ensure consumers and dealers are protected in the course of trading and recreation.
Earlier, this discussion focused on an economic point of view where police spend a considerable amount of time and resources in marijuana enforcement. According to Earleywine, there are more serious crimes than marijuana peddling (112).
Legalization will therefore make economic sense because it will free resources in police departments, FBI, DEA, judiciary and the media. Resources and manpower used in marijuana enforcement resources will therefore be used in combating more serious crimes such as terrorism, hard drugs, rape and murder.
Sociologists argue that the current anti-narcotics framework often traps young people and turns them to hardened criminals (Marincolo 76). For instance, marijuana peddlers are mostly young men in low income areas who engage in the trade to meet basic expenses.
Because marijuana is illegal, most of these young men and sometimes women are branded drug dealers and handed heavy prison sentences. Most of these youngsters’ lives get destroyed from this point. Allowing marijuana use will not only give these young people a lifeline but will also help in differentiating them from the hardcore criminals who deal in damaging narcotics such as cocaine.
Conclusion
It is important to note that the focus was mainly on social and economic benefits of marijuana. However, there were brief highlight on the medical benefits as well. Certainly, the marijuana culture is not going to slow down. There is going to be relentless activism calling for its legalization. As noted earlier, there are negative benefits that will result from such a move but the benefits are way too many.
Currently, there is an alcohol and tobacco related cultures mainly operating within the established legal frameworks. Yet, thousands of people die from tobacco and alcohol related illnesses including cancer.
Thousands more die from other controlled substances whose benefits are far less than what marijuana has to offer. It is important to note that the economical, social and medical benefits that marijuana has to offer far exceed what most controlled substances have to offer.
Whether or not the marijuana taking culture is one that the society needs to nurture among its generations is debatable. There however needs to be rationality when it comes to the pros and cons debate. Objectively, there are a lot of benefits that such a culture can accord humanity.
Works Cited
Bello, Joan. The Benefits of Marijuana: Physical, Psychological and Spiritual, New York: Routledge, 2007. Print.
Earleywine, Mitchell. Understanding Marijuana: A New Look at the Scientific Evidence, London: Sage Publications, 2002. Print.
Jacquette, Dale at al. Cannabis: Philosophy for Everyone: what Were We Just Talking About?, Chicago: Springer, 2010. Print.
Marincolo, Sebastin. High: Insights on Marijuana, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Print.
Matthews, Patrick. Cannabis Culture, Melbourne: Thomson Learning, 2003. Print.
Turnlund, Erica. Benefits of Legalizing Marijuana, New York: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.