A Discussion on the Ethics of Marijuana Legalization

The Ethics of the Legalization of Marijuana

Marijuana, a word that can make some people cringe with thoughts of hateful circumstances or put them at ease with blissful memories of the 70’s, is an ethical concept left for debate in terms of legalization. Collectively, it can be used for medical and recreational purposes. Medical marijuana is used for a variety of different things, from decreasing the amount of seizures someone has to relieving some of the stress caused at work. According to Negash Bezaleel, an accredited journalist, there are twenty states (including the District of Columbia and three pending for approval) that allow the use of medical marijuana.

Recreational marijuana with state legality is a different beast in its own. “Two states, Washington and Colorado, voted in November to legalize and regulate the sale to adults 21 and older” (Gwynne, 2013). There are financial benefits, health benefits, and systematic benefits to the legalization of marijuana, as well as several negatives.

To begin we will look at the facts.

There are two main chemicals that are the most beneficial to people. One of the chemicals is tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. The second main chemical is cannabidiol, also known as CBD. “THC is the psychoactive component that makes people feel high; CBD doesn’t,” says Bezaleel. Not only did the researchers find light where it was thought to be so dark, but so did doctors, 76% of the doctors that were asked in a 2013 survey favored the idea of medical marijuana use. In addition, 58% of Americans approve the idea of medical cannabis (Bezaleel).

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“Pew Research, an American think tank organization based in Washington D.C, performed a nationwide survey on people’s views on marijuana in March 2013. The results were released and 52% of Americans support legalization of marijuana while 45% oppose it,” says Don Stacey M.D, Joshua Nguyen, and Walter E. Block PhD of the Journal Jurisprudence. “Legal marijuana in America is now estimated to be a $1.43 billion industry and it’s expected to grow $2.34 billion in 2014. If those numbers hold, which is a steeper trend than global smartphone sales, it would make pot one of the world’s fastest-growing business sectors” (Barcott, 2014). Marijuana is not just a drug but also a turn of profit. “Washington legalized medical marijuana in 1998… With little oversight, the industry flourished; there are reportedly more marijuana pot shops in Seattle than Starbucks outlets,” (Altman, 2014). This is an undeniable fact. Marijuana, legalized for medical use alone, has already accumulated a large sum of profits. People with medical licenses can freely obtain their cannabis based products and go their merry way. However, what happens if a prescribed user does not have the proper paperwork with him at all times of every single day? More punishment than someone who’s committed sexual battery or even murder. According to Barcott, to have even the slightest possession of marijuana on hand in some states without your medical license (some states not even issuing licenses), can land you a minimum of 13 years in jail. Meanwhile, serial killers are being let run free for good behavior.

In contrast, we see that businesses are not keen on the idea of legal marijuana. Although the marijuana industry would be a great source of income, employers fear that workers will be lazy or simply not do their jobs, which stems from the biggest fear of usage in the workplace. Meanwhile, some say that it is a gateway drug, in which it leads users to move on and find more powerful outlets for recreation, such as substance abuse. Another issue is that it has been found to sometimes be poisonous to animals. “Veterinarians are likely to see more and more cases of accidental marijuana poisoning, particularly in states where the use of cannabis for human medicinal or recreational purposes has become legal,” R. Scott Nolen of the American Veterinary Medical Association claims.

Furthermore, as Colorado’s Constitution presented the 64th Amendment it began to reach some roadblocks. Blake and Finlow of Harvard Law and Policy state: “There were many reasons to oppose Amendment 64. For starters, decriminalization raised federal preemption concerns. State and local governments and their employees helping to license marijuana establishments could technically be aiding and abetting criminal acts and therefore be subject to federal prosecution. Similarly, any property and assets related to marijuana establishments, including any state and local taxes raised thereon, could be subject to federal asset seizure laws. In addition to conflicting with the U.S. Department of Justice, passage of Amendment 64 could potentially run afoul of laws in neighboring states, where marijuana remains illegal.”

The arguments couldn’t be ignored. As stated previously, businesses tend to more so be against the legalization of marijuana. With a policy already in place of “no drugs in the workplace” through drug tests, they would be going against their own ethical beliefs by allowing marijuana to be legal. The entire premise of solid and legitimate business could plummet. Both sides on whether it’s ok to legalize Marijuana have excellent points and concerns. Now that you have seen both corners of the ring, you can decide for yourself whether it’d be ethical to legalize it or not.