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The debate on legalizing drugs of abuse, such as Marijuana and Cocaine, has persisted for many years. Informed by a steadily increasing number of deaths and crimes related to drugs, people from both the government and private sector have been advocating for the legalization of these substance of abuse. In fact, some states, such as Alaska, although noted formally endorsed by the federal government, have already legalized recreational marijuana. While this is the case, there is insufficient data regarding the Americans’ views on legalizing drug abuse. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to discuss the principal arguments for and against legalizing drugs of abuse.
Among the principal arguments for legalization is the belief that drug use is a personal moral decision. The proponents argue that the government has no right to prohibit what consenting adults do as long they are not harming others. In fact, epidemiological studies have demonstrated that most of the drug adults “mature out without clinical intervention in their late twenties and early thirties” (Lemoine et al., 2020, p. 230). This decision is informed by the need to take up responsibilities of adulthood such as employment and parenthood. The same views were echoed in Hogarth and Field’s (2020) experimental study, where the findings showed that many addicts within the laboratory setting, when offered a choice between money and drugs, will choose the former. The proponents maintain that it is immoral to dictate to people how they should enjoy themselves.
Secondly, legalizing drugs of abuse would save the country a lot of money channeled towards drug law enforcement. As explicated in Obradovic’s (2021) study, the government spends about $ 100 billion annually on law enforcement and other related criminal justice programs in an effort to address the drug problem. A total of $ 35 billion is spent on law enforcement alone (Obradovic, 2021). Therefore, the proponents maintain that the country will save about $ 50 billion a year if drugs of abuse are legalized. They further argue that the figure could even go up if other factors such the money channeled to ineffective drug suppression programs are considered.
Lastly, legalizing substance abuse is considered the most effective treatment option of addiction. The proponents claim that it would be easier to identify and treat people with addiction if these drugs were legalized. The same views were echoed in Fisher et al.’s (2021) study who observed the need to consider drug addiction as a medical problem as opposed to an issue of criminal justice. The reason why there are many addicts is because most of them hide underground since the possession of drugs is considered illegal.
The arguments against legalizing drugs include claims that many addicts would continue to commit crimes because they are not able to hold jobs and that drug users will experience high risks of debilitating dependences. On the former, the opponents argue that legalization means more drugs would be available and attractive, thus creating new users – there will be no criminal sanctions against the distribution of illegal drugs. An increase in use, according to Barry et al. (2019), would “lead to a greater number of dysfunctional addicts who could not support themselves” (p. 18). Regarding the latter, many people will depend more on cocaine and marijuana, which would result in many health problems, such as psychiatric issues.
Overall, the debate on legalizing drugs of abuse such as cocaine and Marijuana will continue to elicit mixed reactions. The proponents maintain that legalization would save the country billions of dollars spent on drug law enforcement and is an effective treatment option of addiction. Although legalization results in drug law enforcement savings, the society will experience a surge in debilitating dependences on cocaine and Marijuana. Therefore, better treatment options and research are needed in an effort to curb drug dependency and associated health effects.
References
Barry, C. L., Sherman, S. G., Stone, E., Kennedy-Hendricks, A., Niederdeppe, J., Linden, S., & McGinty, E. E. (2019). Arguments supporting and opposing legalization of safe consumption sites in the US. International Journal of Drug Policy, 63, 18-22. Web.
Fisher, A., Mills, K., Teesson, M., &Marel, C. (2021). Shared decision‐making among people with problematic alcohol/other drug use and co‐occurring mental health conditions: A systematic review. Drug and Alcohol Review, 40(2), 307-324. Web.
Hogarth, L., & Field, M. (2020). Relative expected value of drugs versus competing rewards underpins vulnerability to and recovery from addiction. Behavioural brain research,17(3),394– 815. Web.
Lemoine, M., Gmel, G., Foster, S., Marmet, S., & Studer, J. (2020). Multiple trajectories of alcohol use and the development of alcohol use disorder: Do Swiss men mature-out of problematic alcohol use during emerging adulthood?.PloS one, 15(1), 220-232. Web.
Obradovic, I. (2021). From prohibition to regulation: A comparative analysis of the emergence and related outcomes of new legal cannabis policy models (Colorado, Washington State and Uruguay). International Journal of Drug Policy, 91(7), 102-590. Web.
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