The Impact of Marijuana Legalization on the State
Introduction
Marijuana legalization is a contentious issue that has raised debates on its potential impact on individuals and society. Proponents of marijuana legalization argue that it has various benefits, such as generating revenue for the state, reducing law enforcement costs, and offering medicinal benefits. Opponents of marijuana legalization argue that it has several negative effects, such as increasing drug addiction, causing impairment, and leading to social problems. This essay analyzes how the legalization of marijuana will positively and negatively impact the state and how the state will prosecute or identify people who drive under the influence of marijuana.
Section 1
Marijuana legalization has the potential to generate significant revenue for the state. The state can collect taxes on marijuana sales, similar to taxes on tobacco and alcohol sales, and provide jobs to its citizens. According to Hanson, Venturelli, and Fleckenstein (2022), legalizing marijuana opens up a new tax income stream for the government. This revenue can fund various public services, such as education, healthcare, and law enforcement.
Further, it can also offer medicinal benefits to individuals in several ways. Marijuana has been shown to alleviate symptoms associated with certain medical conditions, such as chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, and epilepsy. In addition to chronic pain and muscular spasms, marijuana has been used to treat the symptoms of several conditions, such as chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting (Hanson et al., 2022). Legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes can offer patients access to alternative treatment options.
Contrarily, one of the negative effects of marijuana legalization is increased drug addiction and dependence. Marijuana is a psychoactive drug that can lead to addiction, especially in vulnerable populations, such as adolescents and young adults. According to Hanson et al. (2022), marijuana is an addictive substance, with roughly 9% of users developing an addiction. Legalizing marijuana can make it more accessible and increase the likelihood of addiction and dependence.
Consequently, it can also cause impairment and lead to social problems. Driving under the influence of marijuana can impair cognitive and motor skills, similar to driving under the influence of alcohol. Hanson et al. (2022) emphasize that driving skills, such as response time, hand-eye coordination, and tracking ability, are all affected by marijuana use. Legalizing marijuana can increase the incidence of impaired driving and related accidents, leading to social problems, such as increased healthcare costs and loss of life.
Section 2
Intoxicated driving is a serious concern that comes with the legalization of marijuana. The state must have appropriate measures to identify and prosecute individuals who drive under the influence of marijuana. The state can use various methods to identify individuals who drive under the influence of marijuana, such as field sobriety tests, blood tests, and saliva tests. According to Hanson et al. (2022), unlike alcohol, there is no direct link between blood levels of marijuana’s psychoactive component THC, and impairment. Therefore, the state must rely on various methods to identify impairment, including subjective and objective measures.
The state can also use drug recognition experts (DREs) to identify individuals who drive under the influence of marijuana. DREs are law enforcement officers trained to recognize signs of drug impairment, including marijuana. DREs employ a 12-step method to assess a person’s physical and mental health and determine if the subject is affected by drugs (Hanson et al., 2022). DREs can objectively assess impairment, which can be used in prosecution.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the legalization of marijuana has the potential to positively and negatively impact the state. Legalization can generate revenue, reduce law enforcement costs, and offer medicinal benefits, but it can also increase addiction, impairment, and social problems. The state must have appropriate measures to identify and prosecute individuals who drive under the influence of marijuana. These measures can include field sobriety tests, blood tests, saliva tests, and drug recognition experts. By implementing appropriate measures, the state can mitigate the negative impacts of marijuana legalization and ensure public safety.
Reference
Hanson, G. R., Venturelli, P. J., & Fleckenstein, A. E. (2020). Drugs & Society. Jones & Bartlett Learning.