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The legalization and decriminalization of cannabis especially marijuana has received a great deal of media attention across various countries in recent times. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Governors Highway Safety Association, & the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, 2017). According to Miron (2008), Decriminalization means that possession is not subject to criminal sanctions but instead punishable only by a civil fine. Trafficking, and selling or distributing to minors, remain subject to standard criminal penalties. Initiation of cannabis use is typically during adolescence with the peak of this use being in young adulthood. (Speranza, 2011). Davide Dragone, Giovanni Prarolo, Paolo Vanin and Giulio Zanella provides evidence in favour of these conjectures exploiting the full legalization of the cannabis market. Letting the drug market emerge from illegality would make illegal activities in this market not pay, thus greatly reducing fertile ground for crime (Dragone, et al., 2017). Miron (2008) suggest that decriminalization has several beneficial consequences, including budgetary savings for state and local governments, improved welfare for marijuana users, and an improved allocation of criminal justice resources. However, Miron (2008) also analyses opponents view which suggest that decriminalization produces a substantial increase in marijuana use along with increased crime and other negative effects. The purpose of this essay is to weigh in on the discussion by analysing ideas from both perspectives about the issue of decriminalizing cannabis. This essay looks at the arguments made in favour of decriminalizing cannabis as well as arguments that are against the decriminalization of cannabis.
[bookmark: _Hlk27057198]Dragone, et al. (2017) stated as being in favour by predicting that legalizing this market would reduce the role of criminals in producing and selling drugs and improve many inner-city neighbourhoods. He further made a comparison that as gangsters were driven out of the alcohol market after the end of prohibition, violent drug gangs would be driven out of a decriminalized drug market. Decriminalizing cannabis would mean that one can easily acquire cannabis like marijuana under a controlled environment. This has some obvious advantage. The fact that one will be able to access marijuana would mean that one will not have to engage in an illegal activity to acquire marijuana. This also offers government a way to control the use, quality and how marijuana is administered amongst users. The Institute of Medicine concluded that “there is little evidence that decriminalization of marijuana use necessarily leads to a substantial increase in marijuana use. (Drug Policy Alliance, 2018).
Speranza (2011) stated that “decriminalization ends the creation of a permanent record and removes barriers to housing and employment. “Where decriminalization has been implemented effectively, it has resulted in substantial reductions in misdemeanour marijuana arrests. In 2011, for example, California reclassified marijuana possession as an infraction (administrative violation) instead of a misdemeanour, leading to “a significant decline in misdemeanour marijuana arrests,” which plunged from 54,849 in 2010 to 7,764 in 2011 – a decrease of more than 85 percent” (Drug Policy Alliance, 2018). She further went on to state that decriminalizing cannabis would free up Police resources to focus on serious crimes. This was further supported by (Dragone, et al., 2017). A lower rate of drug-related crimes opens the possibility for the police to divert resources toward preventing non-cannabis related crimes, as shown by Adda et al. (2014) as quoted by (Dragone, et al., 2017).
[bookmark: _Hlk27055523]However, Opponents have contrary opinions to this. Decriminalization is an endorsement of substance abuse and dangerous criminal activity, and sends the wrong message to young people. (Speranza, 2011). Decriminalization emboldens and enables drug dealers, and poses a threat to public health and safety (Miron, 2008). Speranza (2011) further assert that “marijuana is a gateway drug; thus, with decriminalization, people will be more likely to use marijuana and progress to harder drugs such as class A drugs (heroin, crack and cocaine). Studies by Jérôme Adda, Brendon McConnell and Imran Rasul in Lambeth identified that decriminalization of cannabis led to a significant increase in cannabis related crime. Offence rates for cannabis related crime rose by .3% more in the study sample relative to the rest of London between the pre-policy and policy period. (Adda, et al., 2014).
Opponents also are against the decriminalization of cannabis for health reasons. Marijuana has short term and long-term effect on the brain as well as physical effects. This include altered senses, impaired body movement, delusions, psychosis and IQ loss. (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2019).People who use Cannabis can have problem in breathing, may increase the chance of heart attack, and increases the risk of complication of pregnancy. (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2019). It is hard to justify decriminalizing cannabis with such obvious risks.
Decriminalizing cannabis is a long discussion that has been going on. Some countries have legalized Cannabis whilst it is still illegal in some countries. Legalizing the cannabis market would reduce the role of criminals in producing and selling drugs and help free resources for the police to task in other areas. However Cannabis have some health issues associated with it which cannot be ignored. Decriminalizing cannabis also sends out a message of endorsement of substance abuse and might lead to abuse of other drugs.
References
- Adda, J., McConnell, B. & Rasul, I., 2014. Crime and the Depenalization of Cannabis Possession:Evidence from a Policing Experiment, s.l.: s.n.
- Dragone, D., Prarolo, G., Vanin, P. & Zanella, G., 2017. Crime and the Legalization of Recreational Marijuana, s.l.: IZA DP No. 10522.
- Drug Policy Alliance, 2018. Marijuana Decriminalization and Legalization. s.l., s.n.
- Miron, J. A., 2008. The Effect of Marijuana Decriminalization on the Budgets of Massachusetts Governments. With a Discussion of Decriminalization’s Effect on Marijuana Use.
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Governors Highway Safety Association, & the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, 2017. Impact of the legalization and decriminalization of marijuana on the DWI system, Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration..
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2019. Marijuana. [Online] Available at: www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana#mjetracts[Accessed 12 December 2019].
- Oshi, D. C. et al., 2018. Gender differences in the factors associated with early age of initiation of cannabis use in Jamaica. Journal of Substance Use.
- Speranza, K., 2011. The Effects of Massachusetts’ Decriminalization of Marijuana Law on Use Patterns, s.l.: s.n.
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