Prohibition of Marijuana

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Prohibition of Marijuana
Introduction
Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug not only in the U.S but also in the world at large. Supporters of marijuana use base their arguments on its medical use. However, considering the costs associated with its use, it would be more economical to prohibit it. Currently, the anti-drug policies in the US are working well in reducing the use of this drug in most of the States. For instance, in 1971, the rate of abuse of the drug by individuals aged 12 and older was at 13.2%. This rate was comparatively lower in 2008, with a 54% reduction to 6.1% (Beckett & Herbert 8). However, the drug continues to pose a serious threat to the lives of young people in the US and around the world. The use of this drug is illegal in the United States. However, several states are trying to differentiate between the various uses of the drug, with views of the uses that should be legalized and those that should not. In California, for instance, there is a move to legalize recreational marijuana use by 2016 (Nadelmann 2). Nonetheless, the legalization must take into perspective the need for education of the young people in the states. As the discussion in this paper will argue, marijuana in California should remain illegal for recreational use to college students and people under the age of 21 because it can affect their education, learning, and health, negatively.
Marijuana is among the leading cause of substance addiction in the US. For example, in 2008, 4.2 million out of the 7 million people above the age of 12 were using and had developed dependence on the drug. This means that approximately a third of the people in the US suffering from substance disorder are also victims of marijuana abuse. If marijuana use in the US was legalized, its use would significantly increase (Nadelmann 1). Research has revealed that the statistical data of drug use in the US accounts for: 15 million marijuana users, 129 million alcohol users, and 70.9 tobacco users (Marijuana Myths and Facts 1). While the number of marijuana users is lower than that of alcohol and tobacco users, legalizing of marijuana in the U.S would increase its use, surpassing other drugs. Therefore, prohibiting marijuana in California will therefore curb the addition rates in the state.
California has always been a source of marijuana policy reforms in the U.S and these developments should be reflected by prohibiting marijuana use among college students and people under the age of 21. For instance, the State was among the first States to prohibit marijuana use in 1913. Similarly, California was the first State to cut the minimum sentence of possession of marijuana in 1975. California was also the first state to permit the growth and consumption of marijuana for medical uses (Sacco & Finklea 6). The issue of legalization of marijuana in California continues to fascinate serious discussion among policy makers since1913. According to the former Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, marijuana ratification would increase state revenues. The former Governor observes that decriminalizing marijuana and introducing a tax of $50 per ounce would lead to a total annual revenue collection of up to $1.4 billion (Sacco & Finklea 6). However, this disregards the negative effects of marijuana to the society of California, particularly among the young generation. Prohibiting the use of marijuana among college students and individuals below the age of 21 in California will revamp the State’s policies of marijuana prohibition which were passed in 1913.
Unlike in other states such as Washington and Colorado, Marijuana markets in California lack tight regulations, approved laboratory testing, as well as laws prohibiting the sale of marijuana to persons under the age of 21 (Ingram 1). After the failure of the earlier attempt to legalize recreational marijuana use in California in 2010, the state is drafting yet another bill on the same, especially following the legalization of recreational use of the drug in Colorado and Washington. In the US, about 21 states and the District of Columbia have permitted the use of marijuana in some way. Marijuana for recreational use has already been permitted in Colorado and Washington, while other states only allow its use for medical purposes. In Maryland, a medical marijuana law came into effect recently. The law allows accredited medical institutions and research centers to use marijuana for medical purposes. However, patient use of the drug has been suspended until 2015. In Illinois, the law is also expected to become effective by January 2014 (Ingram 1). The amount of marijuana an adult can be in possession of is also greatly regulated. Ranging from the producer, to the retailer, and the customer, a tax of 25% is levied by the state of Colorado (Ingram 1). The taxation policy in Washington, however, ensures that the pricing cost of legal marijuana is not much different from the illegal marijuana in order to prevent people from going back to purchasing it in the illegal markets. Based on these laws, the state of Califor...