Legalization Of Marijuana Essay

Post-modernist believe that there is a need to question the previous stands on morals and other issues in the society. The society has transformed tremendously. Legalization of marijuana for either medical use or recreational use is among the most controversial in the recent times. California is among the states that have allowed the use of marijuana for medical reasons. Should California extend the access to Marijuana to all adults? Would such mean that one can also access the other hard drugs? Who ought to regulate drug laws?
I believe that criminalized drugs must have had some negative effects on the people that necessitated their criminalization. Legalization of drugs needs to take the due process where the majority’s voice is heard and not ignoring the voice of the minority. The reason behind the legalization of drugs must clearly show that the benefits outweigh the negatives both in an individual capacity and in the community. So far, with California having allowed the use of marijuana for medical reasons, there is no reason to extend the access to all citizens.
The license to use marijuana for medical reason is accessible to any adult. It is easy to obtain it. From this premise; therefore, the need to allow every other person to access marijuana is not necessary. Any person willing to use marijuana can use it through medical license. Although, it is easy to access, the license, it does not mean that there no regulations on the use of marijuana. It remains a crime to use it for nonmedical reasons in California.
Moreover, it is proven that the use of marijuana has some acute adverse effects. For example, changes in the sperm formation, abnormal cell formation, growth disorders, suppression of one’s immune system, and reduced sexual apathy, among others. Allowing the public to access marijuana is tantamount to exposing them to unregulated use to marijuana and hence the side effects. Even when the state legalizes the use of marijuana, the side-effects do not change. When one is high on marijuana, one loses the capacity to judge situations accurately making driving difficult. A driver under the influence of marijuana does not endanger his life alone, but also that of the other road users. The same applies to many other situations requiring accurate judgment.
In addition, the adverse effects put pressure on the available health care resources. Such affects all the people. Therefore, there is no moral ground to allow all adults to access marijuana for nonmedical reasons. Even if adults have the rationality to choose what is good and evil, under the influence of marijuana, one cannot judge appropriately. From this perspective, therefore, the initial freedom of choice is invalid due to the consequences. The use of marijuana paves the way for the use of other hard drugs in the same category. As one gets used to Marijuana, the desire to remain high may make the person to start using cocaine or other hard drugs.
Who ought to regulate the use of marijuana? There are conflicting laws on the use of Marijuana. The federal laws against the use of marijuana conflict with the state laws allowing its use (American Bar Association, 2014). Since states have gained a lot of autonomy in the recent past, the states needs to make laws on the use of marijuana. The Obama government acknowledges the difficulty in application of the federal laws in states that have legalized marijuana. Times have changed, and the federal government should remove marijuana from schedule 1 drugs.
I feel that this debate is an indication of the high levels of political maturity in our states. There is an apparent desire to make changes that benefit the people with the full involvement of the citizen. Although, the issues may have moral implications, it is worth noting that morals are now more local than universal. That is why some states allow the use of marijuana for medical purposes; others allow full access while others decriminalize it altogether. However, the pressure to fully decriminalize it is quite more than the opposing views.

Work cited

American Bar Association. Conflicting state and federal marijuana laws create ethical complications for lawyers. March 24, 2014. Accessed on April 13, 2015 from <http://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news- archives/2014/03/conflicting_statean.html>