A variety of opinions and attitudes characterize the issue of legalizing marijuana because of its direct and indirect effects on human health and socialization. In this case, a college-educated African-American male from California who works as a civil engineer and joins the Methodist Church movement should determine his positive opinion about marijuana, addressing political and social factors. On the one hand, we would anticipate his positive political opinion on the medical use of marijuana. He lives in California, and this state was one of the first to allow medical cannabis in 1996 and enhance a critical way of liberalization among other states (Spetz et al. 168). Focusing on political socialization, the man represents an African American community suffering racial biases concerning marijuana use and arrests for its possession. Thus, the decriminalization of marijuana will help the man to avoid unnecessary arrests, inspections, and racial profiling and maintain his positive image as a civil engineer with a college-level education.
On the other hand, the case introduces the man as a member of the Methodist Church, and this community is known for its strict opinion about marijuana as a gateway drug. Still, the Church believes cannabis can be approved due to its medical benefits and uses its influence to improve drug policy and explain the right interpretation of the law (Spetz et al. 175). Therefore, it is expected to notice ambivalent opinions about marijuana legalization in political ideology and socialization, but positive attitudes should prevail. The man would rely on his awareness of the issue from legal and religious perspectives to accept the appropriateness of medical marijuana. However, other intentions to use this drug for personal reasons would hardly be observed in this case because marijuana is a dangerous drug either politically, socially, or religiously.
Work Cited
Spetz, Joanne, et al. “Social and Political Factors Associated with State-Level Legalization of Cannabis in the United States.” Contemporary Drug Problems, vol. 46, no. 2, 2019, pp. 165-179.