Legalizing marijuana involves both lower stakes and less uncertainty than legalizing any of the other major illicit drugs. Not that the consequences of marijuana legalization would be small or easy to project; legalization would be a big change with unpredictable results. Many have supported the marijuana legalization they actively encourage the non-medical use of drugs. Even worse, they will discover that most of the public who listen to views that are sympathetic to drug legalization and or decriminalization perceive these views to be pro-drug, no matter how often the speakers disavow this interpretation of their views. A principal argument for legalization of drugs generally is the anticipated reduction in crime, violence, corruption and other problems associated with black markets associated with cocaine/crack, heroin, and meth not marijuana, so legalizing marijuana would not do much to solve those problems. Support for the legalization of currently illegal drugs strengthens those forces in the society that want to see the use of illicit drugs go up, including those who benefits from the lucrative but deadly illicit marijuana traffic. Aside from impairment and harm, marijuana prohibitions believe in the gateway theory in which users of a substance are introduced to more harmful drugs through underground trade. Marijuana consumption leads to situations in which users are presented harder drugs. As the theory goes, an individual slowly experiments with more drugs as he or she is surrounded by a variety of drugs and over time addiction ensues due to the potency of harder drugs. Drug traffickers know that the supply of drugs such as marijuana, cocaine and heroin will never become legal in any major nation of the world, so they need not fear competition from big companies that now sell tobacco and alcohol. They are smart enough to know that support for the drug legalization lobby blunts the will of the modern world to curb both the supply and the use of currently illegal drugs. They know that support for legalization builds their criminal business of drug trafficking. Not only does marijuana cause experimentation with other drugs because of availability, but once users experience the high of marijuana, they want to find an even greater escape from reality. The legalization of marijuana may not end the pursuit of a better high, but current research indicates that marijuana does not inherently cause such a pursuit. It is often said that although democracy is a messy, expensive and flawed system of government, it is better than the alternatives. The prohibition of marijuana is also a messy, expensive and flawed system but, like democracy it is better than the alternatives. This not to say that either democracy or drug prohibition cannot be improved, but abundant evidence from many societies and over many years has shown that, in general, prohibition of drugs such as marijuana, cocaine and heroin is reasonable and generally effective way to deal with a difficult human problem. The good news as a result of marijuana legalization would be that crime costs such as prisons, courts and police, might fall, tax revenues would raise, and the illegal market for these drugs would be reduced. And the bad news would be that health and productivity costs would increase dramatically so that the net costs to society would rise substantially. Worse, the human costs from drug use would rise over time as more people used these drugs and become addicted. If any community in the world would be paid in those groups that are most vulnerable to addiction, youth and the disadvantaged. If any community in the world would be so foolish as to try outright legalization for drugs including marijuana, cocaine, heroin and LSD we might have less discussion of this thoroughly unworkable and dangerous idea. The legalization of marijuana may reduce the systematic violence endemic under prohibition and of course would eliminate the harm associated with arrest and incarceration for drug use and drug dealing. The likely effects of legalization on patterns of use however are largely unknown. In my opinion for such decision, when it comes to marijuana legalization some community or nation will try it, I would say, “ Go right ahead and put marijuana, heroin, cocaine LSD and all the rest of the modern menu of addicting drugs for sale in your local food markets. “ The result of the experiment would not be long in coming, but the effect will surely is not hard to predict.
Reference:
Caulkins, Jonathan P. Kleiman, Mark A. R. Hawken, Angela & Kilmer, Beau. Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know. Oxford University Press, Oxford, O.X. 2012. p. 137

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[ 1 ]. Caulkins, Jonathan P. Kleiman, Mark A. R. Hawken, Angela & Kilmer, Beau. Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know. Oxford University Press. Oxford, O.X. 2012. p. 137