How Marijuana Legalization Would Benefit the Criminal Justice System
The political and criminal justice systems have been debating the legalization of marijuana for both recreational and medical purposes for a long time. It has been demonstrated that making marijuana legal lessens the crime and trafficking that accompany the illegal drug trade, weakening the influence and resources of drug cartels and gangs. Legalizing marijuana has shown to be a significant way of increasing tax income in addition to lowering drug-related crime.
Cannabis is a revolutionary pharmacological ingredient in treatments and medications for pain management. A sizable population of medical patients uses cannabis to treat pain and enhance motor function. Cannabidiol (CBD), a component of cannabis, has been shown in scientific studies to help prevent complex physical issues, such as brain seizures and tumor growth, and to lessen the severity of mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression (Farley & Orchowsky, 2019). In eleven states, the registry system already regulates the use of legal CBD oil for medical purposes. The euphoric component of cannabis, THC, also has therapeutic advantages. Those with breathing issues, such as asthma, benefit from the substance’s improved breathing (Farley & Orchowsky, 2019). The importance boosts human metabolism and gives those with pain and post-traumatic stress disorder treatment.
Legalizing marijuana is a step in improving the criminal justice system in the United States. Revenue conserved is just as significant as income generated when analyzing the economic effects of legalizing cannabis. Around $3.6 billion is spent yearly by the criminal system on marijuana enforcement (Stohr et al., 2020). Legalizing marijuana will remove it from the list of controlled substances, which means fewer cases will proceed to trial. The government presently considers marijuana one of the most hazardous substances, making it a Schedule 1 narcotic (Stohr et al., 2020). Decreased court proceedings cause a decline in incarceration rates.
Prisoners found guilty of marijuana use and distribution will receive less rehabilitation funding from the criminal court system. The legalization of drugs will address the disproportionate incarceration of people from minority populations for drug-related offenses, which is more significant in the liberal thinker’s eyes (Stohr et al., 2020). The use of marijuana carries a xenophobic stigma that has long resulted in the prejudiced persecution of African American people in the United States.
Legalization will aid in reducing such harmful racial prejudice. Over 663,000 marijuana-related arrests were made in the United States in 2018 (Stohr et al., 2020). Out of those arrests, more than 608,000 were created solely for marijuana possession (Stohr et al., 2020). This means that rather than dealers, law enforcement targets cannabis consumers for arrest. The likelihood that many people arrested will eventually serve time in prison increases the tax money for funding the incarceration of non-violent drug offenders—an inmate’s housing costs between $30,000 and $35,000 (Berman & Kreit, 2020). Arrests come with a significant financial burden as well.
Notwithstanding the difficulty in estimating the cost of an arrest and the broad range of estimates based on the method used, low estimates place the average price of an arrest at around $1,000 and range up to about $5,000 on the high end (Berman & Kreit, 2020). This implies that between $600,000,000 and $3,000,000,000 is spent on marijuana users for recreational purposes (Todd, 2018). These tax funds could be used more effectively in other areas, like paying officers’ wages or upgrading equipment. The arresting officer must spend a significant amount of time—usually a few hours—off the street while conducting an arrest and transporting a criminal to jail (Firth et al., 2019). The time squandered may have been better utilized by officers interacting with the public or making their presence known on the street.
The illicit marijuana market is thought to be worth between $30 and $40 billion (Kavousi et al., 2022). Indeed, it can be assumed that American company owners should be in charge of this industry rather than drug cartels and gangs. Marijuana will always be in demand, and whenever a good or service is rendered unlawful, the black market will always fill the gap. Illegal businesses that provide illicit goods and services do not use the legal system to settle disputes or address problems. Several studies have demonstrated that legalizing marijuana lessens crime and trafficking along with the illegal drug trade, which weakens the influence and resources of drug cartels (Kavousi et al., 2022).
The overarching message of the paragraphs mentioned above is that the prohibition of marijuana undermines the validity and reputation of the criminal justice system for several reasons, including the fact that it is undemocratic, racially-biased, ineffectual, harmful, expensive, and wasteful (Kavousi et al., 2022). Individuals tend to lack confidence in authority figures who are not seen as trustworthy or credible. They are also unlikely to submit to or collaborate with that authority voluntarily.
On the other hand, prior clinical studies to ascertain if marijuana is efficient in treating particular illnesses have been constrained and constrained. Nevertheless, as medical marijuana usage increases globally, experts are researching more. Further investigations are still required, according to expert analyses of recent research (Willits et al., 2022). Controlling the quality and dosage of cannabis with what is legally available to researchers is another major challenge. The consequences of cannabis over the long term are still unknown, according to one analysis of the literature. Without additional dosage and side effect studies, the scientific case for dangers and therapeutic outcomes is still tenuous. To determine if marijuana is effective for treating illnesses, researchers must analyze it according to the same criteria as other drugs.
In conclusion, a major criminal justice system reform is long overdue. Some of the required changes will increase the perception of our legal institutions’ credibility. It is suggested here that legalizing marijuana would be one of the easiest and best methods to do it, given the above-mentioned factors. Doing so would also help lessen the financial strain on the criminal justice system and finance initiatives to reduce crime. In the end, marijuana usage has specific risks, and legalizing it also carries some risks; nevertheless, these risks are negligible compared to those associated with prohibition.
The Marijuana Justice Act is a wise legislation that will ultimately help the criminal justice system. In the US, medical marijuana is becoming more widely accessible. Chronic pain, muscle spasms, nausea, vomiting, and hunger stimulation are all common conditions it treats. Smoking it, however, can hurt the lungs and cause cancer. It can also affect thinking and memory, raise the chance of accidents, and affect mood. Further research is required to comprehend the advantages of medical marijuana fully. Nonetheless, research, accessibility, and legality will continue to be challenging unless the federal government redesignates it as a Schedule 1-banned narcotic.
References
Berman, D. A., & Kreit, A. (2021). Ensuring marijuana reform is effective criminal justice reform. Papers. Web.
Farley, E. J., & Orchowsky, S. (2019). Measuring the criminal justice system impacts of marijuana legalization and decriminalization using state data. Office of Justice Programs. Web.
Firth, C. L., Maher, J. E., Dilley, J. A., Darnell, A., & Lovrich, N. P. (2019). Did marijuana legalization in Washington State reduce racial disparities in adult marijuana arrests? Substance use & misuse, 54(9), 1582–1587. Web.
Kavousi, P., Giamo, T., Arnold, G., Alliende, M., Huynh, E., Lea, J.,… & Taylor, K. (2022). What do we know about opportunities and challenges for localities from Cannabis legalization? Review of Policy Research, 39(2), 143-169. Web.
Stohr, M. K., Willits, D. W., Makin, D. A., Hemmens, C., Lovrich, N. P., Stanton Sr, D. L., & Meize, M. (2020). Effects of marijuana legalization on law enforcement and crime. Final report. National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, US Department of Justice. Web.
Todd, T. (2018). The Benefits of Marijuana Legalization and Regulation. Berkeley Journal of Criminal Law, 23(1), 6. Web.
Willits, D. W., Solensten, B., Meize, M., Stohr, M. K., Makin, D. A., Hemmens, C., Stanton, D. L., & Lovrich, N. P. (2022). Racial disparities in the wake of cannabis legalization: Documenting persistence and change. Race and Justice. Web.