Why is it Illegal in the First Place?

Over the last 70 years, there have been many arguments as to why Marijuana should or shouldn’t be legalized. To understand why this is such a controversial topic we should look at the history of the plant. It is important to also analyze the political climate during 1937. Cannabis was legal in the United States until the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937. Prior to this Tax act being passed, it was completely legal to possess, grow or sell. In that time, Mexican immigrants had brought a plant from Mexico called "Marihuana", which was widely unheard of. The sentiment of the US was an isolationist nation, and a world super-power. Barely skating off the Great Depression, now the United States was split with Nazi sympathizers, those who wanted to join the war, and most people who just wanted to stay out. The United States was sending foreign aid to Britain to help with their war efforts. After 1937 Cannabis became illegal. What happened to make it illegal? Media painted cannabis in a bad light after it was popularized by Mexican immigrants and such in the United States. Going back to the isolationist attitude many Americans had it was not beyond that to want to also shut its borders from refugees and immigrants during that time. There is much difficulty in finding the moral complications of the legality of marijuana. A common sentiment during this time is that it made African American males overly aggressive thus making marijuana a safety concern for the American people (Doesn’t that sound ridiculous out loud?).

The Media isn't Always Right:

Correlation does not mean causality. Some common myths attributed to Marijuana are; memory loss, susceptibility to cold and flu, lowered sex drive, and dry mouth. However, many of these myths have been debunked in recent studies. Negative sentiment has been molded towards marijuana through media and propaganda during the 1940s-1970s and has created a social stigma due to its illegality. Most of the people who remember it being legal are now deceased and it is increasingly difficult to accurately gauge the public sentiment towards marijuana prior to the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. Reefer Madness, a film released in 1936 can be interpreted to be a propaganda film to gain political traction for the Tax Act. The film is considered a cult classic, and is widely regarded as, “an over-exaggerated story,” in which a group of teens get lured into trying Marijuana and this ultimately leads them to commit a crime. After having watched this film, it became rather obvious that it was propaganda. As far as negative effects go, marijuana has had mixed opinions and results. It is difficult to find information on the long-term effects, beyond speculation.

The Results of Current Legalization So Far:

To buy and use marijuana legally where it is legal, (in general) you must be 21 or older- so the watchful eye of the law frowns upon underage usage. The long-term effects of Marijuana have been noted to be, “less harmful than tobacco and alcohol.” As of recent there has been a resurgence of people who support the recreational aspect of legalization. Ethically speaking, there is little to no reason why the logic applied to tobacco or alcohol cannot be applied to marijuana. In 2016, Massachusetts, California, Maine, and Nevada legalized recreational usage following the trend right behind Colorado Alaska, Oregon, and Washington. Since legalization is new, it should be stressed that the long term economic effects are yet to be seen, but preliminary reports have stated that these states have seen an economic boom as the growing and selling of marijuana has a relatively low barrier to entry, thus making the American Dream much easier for many people. There has also been a reduction in crime rates, however Marijuana is stuck in a legal purgatory. To emphasize the legal issue, the war on drugs started in the 80's has not stopped marijuana usage in places where it is still not legal. The failure of this is reminiscent of the prohibition of alcohol during the 20's. Legalization would take billions of dollars from Mexican cartels and put some that money into taxes and revenue for American business.

Medical Trials are Yielding Good Results:

According to CNN there are 10 diseases that could potentially be treated with medical marijuana, from Asthma to Cancer. There is a lot of potential that isn't being tapped because of the legality. Veterans could use medical marijuana to aid with PTSD and depression. The results of clinical trials and medical Marijuana have been mostly positive. However, the situation of legality has become a barrier for more conclusive studies to be performed and has hindered the progress of the medical marijuana initiative. The social stigmas are still strong in many places where it is not legal, and the issue is the red tape or lack of knowledge in the subject. Until it is either completely illegal or completely legal, marijuana use will be stuck in a legal grey area. Law enforcement have had issues enforcing laws and operating within the boundaries set in place by legal precedent as this is a relatively new issue. The list of states that are allowing for medical marijuana use has been growing every year since about 2010. It can be predicted that by 2020 the US could have completely legalized marijuana with regulation and law in place to control and regulate its usage and tax it similarly to the way alcohol and tobacco are taxed- in accordance with state governance.

Jobs Are on the Line:

Jobs have been a talking point recently. Some farmers have begun hiring their own private security firms to protect their crops. Hiring Veterans has become something that the Marijuana industry can do. There are many jobs that result from the legalization of Marijuana. Some examples include quality control agent, edibles chef, concentrates processors, couriers and delivery people, just to name a few. The industry is going to really be moving places by 2020. I speculate that this is when the industry will reach its peak because of the sheer volume of states that are adding recreational and medical legalization on their ballots and in their bills. With the momentum it's creating, it is naturally a controversial subject. So it's easy to forget that this is a real and legitimate industry: The marijuana industry created more than 18,000 new jobs in Colorado in 2015 alone. (Washington Post) with results like that beginning to emerge, I really hope that the traction doesn’t get lost with the next administration.

Are Ethics Still a Factor?

I do not believe that it is an ethical argument anymore. It is one of logic and law. The issue here isn’t marijuana being evil or killing people, it truly does not. Alcohol poisoning and tobacco related cancers, and fires have killed more people than marijuana has in its existence, and marijuana just isn’t as harmful as harder drugs. D.A.R.E. even removed Marijuana from its list of gateway drugs. Colorado, Alaska, Washington, and Oregon, and Washington D.C., have seen good results and drops in crime since legalization. In states where it is legal, you must be 21 to partake in the recreational side of marijuana, the laws vary from state to state, so make sure that you partake responsibly, and check the laws where you are. There may some drawbacks to legalization, perhaps even ones that no one can foresee, but with the current facts it is a safe bet that the pros outweigh the cons. The economic help that marijuana can produce is irreplaceable, and it would be a cost-effective way to collect taxes from residents of legal states.