Term Paper on "Legalization Debate"

Term Paper 4 pages (1589 words) Sources: 1+

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Legalization Debate on Marijuana

There is currently a great deal of debate concerning a relaxation of the laws surrounding drug use, and in particular the use of marijuana. Many individuals, some of them in positions of great power, have spoken out in favor of legalizing dangerous drugs such as marijuana. Examples of this push towards legalization include activist groups such as NORML and many prominent public figures such as President Readan's former Secretary of State, George Shultz, who is quotes as saying, "that 'Legalization would destroy dealer profits and remove their incentive to get young people addicted.' [or] former Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders' [who made a] call for a study to legalize drugs." (Maginnis) Protagonists of legalization claim that legalization or the relaxation of laws will save societal resources, eliminate prison overcrowding, help stop organize crime and reduce drug-crime, and aid in the production of safer "products" for medical and personal use that are less addictive or deadly. In fact, legalization is seen as something of a "cure-all" for modern drug-related woes by its supporters. This position is not dominant in society, currently, but it has gained enough support that many states have decided to forego jail terms for first-time or low-level offenders charged with possession or marijuana, and instead required them to complete rehab. Chicago is currently considering a similar statute that would charge fines for possession but allow the individual to go free, so as to avoid unnecessary court and jail time. However, any such compromise is deeply destructive to the very nature of society. In truth, all addictive or mind-altering substances, such as marijuana, is bad for society and should result in severe punishment. Marijuana, like alcohol or cigarettes, serves as a gateway drug to more severe behavior, and at the same time lowers worker productivity and cuts into corporate profits. Marijuana has also been linked to many hazards, both in terms of health and in terms of "negative externalities" such as increased likelihood of committing crimes, being an abuser or victim of abuse, and being in car accidents. Marijuana, and like all other mind-altering substances not prescribed by doctors, should not only remain illegal but should continue to carry severe penalties for the individuals who use or sell them.

Marijuana is the poster plant of the legalization movement, because it is commonly believed to actually be a less dangerous drug than alcohol or tobacco. Pro-pot activists claim that "smoked tobacco, with a 90% addiction rate, is the most addictive of all drugs while marijuana is less addictive than caffeine... marijuana is much SAFER than tobacco... [additionally] upwards of 5000 people die from alcohol overdoses every year and no one EVER dies of marijuana overdoses." (Hager) Even those who argue against illegal drugs often gloss over the fact that Marijuana is less dangerous than other illegal drugs. Maginnis, who argues against legalization, admits that despite the fact that "[Alcohol and Tobacco] have a major impact on morbidity and mortality in the United States. Alcohol is a cause or contributing factor in most traffic deaths and nearly half of all... violent crimes. Similarly, tobacco kills over 400,000 people each year in the United States, and... tobacco is the cause of death for 20% of the people in the developed world," (Maginnis) marijuana is just as bad, if not worse because, "when cocaine is combined with marijuana, it can be deadly... marijuana smoke is often contaminated by [a] fungus [to which some are allergic." (Maginnis). Obviously, arguments based on combining drugs or on allergies are rather weak, just as one could argue that Tylenol was bad for heightening the effect of alcohol on the liver, or that peanuts were bad because they were allergens. However, the argument against Marijuana has little to do, and should have little to do, with whether or not it is better or worse than alcohol or tobacco. It stands to reason that any argument that justifies banning marijuana can be used to say that tobacco and alcohol would ideally be illegal! Yet one should not think that three wrongs makes anything right. It would be more appropriate to outlaw tobacco and alcohol than to allow marijuana. For these two, like marijuana, are gateway drugs.

A gateway drug is a simple, less harmful drug which encourages the user to begin abusing more severe drugs. For example, smoking cigarettes may be a gateway to drinking alcohol or smoking marijuana. Smoking marijuana, however, makes the drug-abuser break into the realm of illegal drugs. Once that gap has been breached, they are more likely to use harder drugs such as LSD, ecstasy, or cocaine. Any of those drugs could be quickly deadly and addictive. According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy's literature on the subject, those who use marijuana are more likely to also abuse other serious drugs, such as alcohol and cocaine. Even if marijuana was perfectly innocent and non-harmful, it should be outlawed purely because its use encourages the use of other substances. Just as many places have banned drug paraphernalia because it encourages drug use, so they should continue to ban gateway drugs which encourage future illegal drug use. Marijuana is not just dangerous because it is almost as bad as cigarettes and alcohol or because it leads to future drug use. Marijuana is also bad because it can cause major health hazards such as cancer and lowered sperm count. It is very important that the youth of today remain fertile and strong, and marijuana is threatening that potential. "Kasi Sridhar,... reports finding large numbers of marijuana smokers among younger cancer patients. While only 17% of the patients in his study were marijuana smokers, two-thirds of the patients younger than 45 smoked cannabis. Since the 1970s there have been more than 10,500 scientific studies which demonstrate the adverse consequences of marijuana use." (Maginnis)

Marijuana does not only pose health hazards to those who use it, however. Most marijuana legalizers, and most of those who support only giving tickets for possession, say that it is not the place of the government to be regulating what people can and cannot do with their bodies. However, Maginnis of the Family Research Council, would disagree and say that it is precisely the place of the government to regulate the private lives of citizens when (and only when) they have a negative effect on society. The Family Research Council is famous for its support of antigay marriage and anti-sodomy laws, in addition to being strongly pro-life. These are positions which appear, from recent political events, to be in line with the views of the majority of Americans. Moral control over private life is, in the end, more important than issues of economy or civil liberties, and it is in line with this proven majority view that marijuana and all other non-doctor-prescribed substances be regulated. Marijuana is harmful to the moral fiber of the nation, "Legalization [of marijuana] would result in more crime such as...child abuse, including child pornography; random violent crime; and a prosperous black market...Drug abuse is a key factor in most child abuse cases. In Philadelphia, cocaine is implicated in half of the cases in which parents beat their children to death." (Maginnis) Because it is physically and morally unhealthy, and because the government has a mandate from the people to uphold the moral fiber of this "one country under God," marijuana must not only remain illegal but also continue to carry high penalties.

Some protesters of the drug laws may continue to suggest that personal health and national moral norms may not be enough to support nationwide punitive measures for marijuana use. However, even if the government is not to take an interest in health and morals, one must argue that the government should take an interest in the economy and welfare of the system… READ MORE

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