Many Americans bring up the question, should marijuana be legal on a federal level? Currently in the United States, marijuana is illegal on a federal level; fortunately, the government passed policies that leave states’ the power to decide the intensity of consequences on legal infractions dealing with marijuana. One perspective on this issue is marijuana should be federally illegal. Those who push for the illegalization of marijuana say the drug poses risks of other substance uses like alcohol or cocaine. This is well grounded and reasonable; however, another perspective on this issue is that marijuana should be legalized on a federal level with regulations and restrictions. Some people point to a plethora of reasons for pushing for federal legalization and reform. 88% of Americans support legalizing marijuana. Of those, 59% say it should be legal for medical and recreational use.
The Use of Marijuana: Leading Concerns and Risks
Individuals who feel strongly against the legalization of marijuana on a federal level argue that the use of marijuana comes with too many health concerns and risks. Data from an abundance of research studies show, Partaking in marijuana can lead to risk of a heart attack nearly up to 5 times more than the average non-smoker. Many individuals believe something that can be this harmful to a person should not be decriminalized or legalized. Decriminalization – The action or process of ceasing to treat something as illegal or as a criminal offense. They believe, with the legalization of marijuana, a far greater percentage of Americans will be susceptible to heart disease and/or heart failure.
In addition to heart problems and concerns, marijuana also poses many other concerns dealing with lung health, brain health, and a persons’ mental health as well. It’s definitely easy to sympathize with the ideals of those who oppose decriminalizing marijuana, nevertheless, it is important to intake those ideals and morals of those who want the legalization of marijuana to come about and look through their perspective. The use of recreational and medicinal marijuana shouldn’t be illegalized, if it’s legalized on a federal level it would lower the chances of smugglers, the selling of laced drugs, and other elements that can lead to the user’s death. Those who are pro-legalization believe if regulations and policies are set into place this could lower overall mortality rates and make marijuana overall a safer drug in American society.
Those who push for the legalization of weed argue that marijuana comes with many benefits. It’s also important to consider the benefits of regulated access for medical patients. Similar to those who push for illegalization due to health concerns; many advocate for legalization with regulation. Individuals who indulge in marijuana always smoke with the risk of smoking laced marijuana. “Laced” marijuana is is cannabis that has been intentionally contaminated in order to cut costs, sell lower quality for higher prices, make the high more intense, and more. Without government regulation, students are at risk of buying or selling laced marijuana, which can cause hospitalization or even death. With government regulation, this risk will decrease and prevent incidents like this from occurring. A simple government regulation like, medicinal cannabis should be regulated like normal medicine and put into the medicinal market, would make the Americans who use marijuana much safer than they are currently. Regulating marijuana will address public safety concerns while also, ensuring that both health and personal freedom are protected.
Additionally, it has been proven that smoking some strains of marijuana that contain THC can increase an individual’s chance of a heart attack up to 5 times within the first hour of smoking. Currently, most states who have passed legislation for the legalization of weed mostly regulate THC overrun with marijuana. This is because states who legalized marijuana want to regulate it by lowering the potency, which is what THC does. THC is the psychoactive compound in marijuana that interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system, affecting mood, perception, coordination, and memory. It has medical benefits, such as pain relief, nausea reduction, and appetite stimulation. With the legalization of marijuana federally, there would be more support systematically for safe access to real marijuana. Policies and regulations can ensure that there is only safe marijuana being sold.
Either strongly pursuing the complete illegalization of marijuana, or choosing to make it federally legal whilst also decriminalizing the herb isn’t the best way to approach the issue. Rather than picking between these two antiquated options, a combination of both judicionaries would prove to be far more effective than picking and choosing one side. A compromise; similar to that of anti-federalist and federalist that contributed to the formation of the constitution today. A bill or law that completely legalizes marijuana but with a strict set of policies and regulations. With these policies and regulations in place, mortality rates, such as that of college students, will start to plummet. In recent years, the use of marijuana in college students has drastically increased, “Among college students, 44% reported using marijuana in the past year in 2020, compared to 38% in 2015, representing a significant increase” (Marijuana use at historic high among college-aged adults in 2020). With legislation of the drug, college students could lose risks of getting laced marijuana or other unsafe substances. If marijuana was now considered legal, we could push for reform and make a change to the distribution of marijuana in America’s medicinal system. Making it easier for Americans to access safe and reliable marijuana while cutting major health and judiciary risks/concerns.
Legalizing marijuana with strict regulations and policies may seem a little restricted when it comes to recreational uses; however, this is for a good cause. Legalizing the drug would allow those even with a bad history of the drug to purchase marijuana. Policies and regulations should not allow those with a criminal track record to be involved in the buy, sell, or trade of marijuana recreationally or medicinally. Testing for other drugs should be required as well. To comfort concerns with marijuana being a gate-way drug , we should require a 2-3 month check up for illegal drugs such as cocaine, heroine, and others that are shown to be linked to use of marijuana. In doing this, it could become super easy to find those who can’t contain the temptations of other illicit drugs calling their name. For those who did end up intaking other
Balanced Path Forward: Legalizing and Regulating Marijuana
An accommodation for two vigorous and different sides of the same coin. A compromise that entails both the morals of the legalization and illegalization of marijuana. Legislating a bill that will legalize marijuana on a federal level while also strictly regulating the buy, sell, or trade of marijuana. Other regulations such as amount of marijuana, prices, accessibility, and more should all be entailed in the bill. With the legalization we can start research on how to combat the cons of the drug, we could also learn to grow with the drug and find even more benefits that derive from the drug. Americans can start selling marijuana at a safe and widely accessible rate, getting rid of laced marijuana can also help with mortality rate. You can start the build of a simple compromise by just emailing your state senator or governor.
