There are a at least two reasons why it would be good to legalize marijuana all across the country. The number one reason is that legalization would take away the profit margin that makes the illegal drug trade attractive. The second is that no law is enforceable if not even a plurality of the population is offended by the behavior a law is designed to prohibit. The cost of efforts at enforcement is enormous and people disobey the law anyway.
Does cannabis have medical uses? Probably it does. That is an additional reason.
What is gained by having a completely ineffective law on the books as it can serve as a social statement for people who want to be seen on the right side of the issue. Laws which serve only as social statements are extremely expensive to maintain just for that one advantage.
All of that being said, that still does not mean that outright sudden legalization is a good idea. Why? It depends upon the terms of the legalization. There are cannabis users who just want it legal right now no matter what the cost. Deferred gratification is a foreign concept that is not even understood by today’s youth and most elders as well. When passing or repealing a law, it is best to ask the question, “and then?” before making the change.
The important question in legalizing marijuana is, what kind of bureaucracy is going to be born and maintained for the next several centuries? Is it legalized so as to serve as a source of tax revenue? Are laws going to be passed so that profits on the industry only go to the top of the food chain? The way legalization is occurring state by state is not a good deal and may end up restricting freedom more than any misguided statutes.
There are approaches other than outright legalization which would prevent the growth of a huge bureaucracy. Texas is not a friendly cannabis state. Suppose people across the state petitioned their city and county governments to pass resolutions directing local law enforcement agencies to prioritize enforcement efforts. Enforcing cannabis laws could be put so low on the list that the law still served as social statement for folks who just want to be seen as opposing usage. But, law enforcement could focus on more serious violations of other laws.
The solution that would serve recreational users the most would be to make possession punishable with a $49.99 fine and still leave cannabis as illegal. Most cannabis charges are added on to other crimes like shoplifting or disturbing the peace. With only a small fine as punishment, the expense of prosecution would be limited and government could still benefit from the revenue generated. It is rare that anyone is charged for possessing marijuana only.
Anytime a law is passed or repealed, it is not done for the benefit of the overall population. Laws are more likely to be passed to create feeding frenzies by those who will benefit by the regulations or the income opportunities created. Governments are interested in sources of tax revenue. The way cannabis is being legalized now a high price to be paid for all products is guaranteed. This is not by accident. Where profit is concerned, all who have political power are accommodated first. Make regulation stiff enough and new opportunities for organized crime are created.
Government is defined in people’s minds as a benevolent entity working tirelessly to make everyone’s life better. In reality it is a place to go to exploit problems and make profits by getting self serving laws passed. Any time laws are passed, changed or repealed, there is a change in the bureaucratic structure. Just because people get what they want in the immediate time frame does not guarantee they will be better off over time.
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I just found your blog by chance and enjoyed this article. As an initial step in changing marijuana laws how would you feel about allowing people to grow it for their own use?
“Does cannabis have medical uses? Probably it does.” From my own personal experience it definitely has medical uses. While undergoing radiation treatment through the stomach area I suffered from nausea to the point that the smell of the corridor in the cancer center made me queasy. The doctor said he could prescribe a drug to reduce the nausea but a side effect was fatigue. Instead I tried marijuana one evening. The nausea immediately disappeared and my appetite returned. The only side effect I noticed was laughter.
My question since that time has been who is this “government” that decides you cannot use marijuana but addictive opioids are just fine.
There are names for all kinds of phobias. There seems to be a general fear in society that some aspect of life will not be regulated. I don’t know that there is a name for that phobia but it is pretty prevalent. My personal opinion is that we would be better off on balance if cannabis was not illegal at all. If cannabis had the same risk to society as alcohol, I expect it would be obvious by now. The laws prohibiting usage don’t keep it out of the hands of anyone. My big concern is having it over regulated once it becomes legal. As far as people growing at home is concerned, why would I care?
One time I did several studies on the topic of who actually gets charged for what crimes. I discovered that almost all cannabis charges occur because folks have it on them when they are arrested for something else. In studying about three months of crime statistics, the only cases I found where someone was charged for having it at home were in domestic violence occurrences and such. I did not find a single case of anyone being charged for growing plants at home for their own use. I don’t see where people who grow it for their own cancer treatment or other medical issues are taking much risk at all.
I haven’t studied this issue as much as I need to. Right now I am treating it like any other issue where government action is being requested. Laws get changed or repealed to benefit folks who have the political power to have changes made. The costs to everyone else are never obvious in the present moment.