So a lot went down in this past election, only one of which was President Barack Obama being reelected the 44th president of the United States. Ballot initiatives across the county were incredibly important across the country as well – gay marriage was legalized in Washington, Maryland, and Maine, and marijuana was legalized in Colorado and Washington. While legalizing marriage is not a new trend, legalizing recreational marijuana use certainly is in the United States. There are definitely people both for and against this legalization, as well as different pros and cons associated. Health affects, the drug war, the economy, and the federal government are all involved in the debate.
The ballots approved in Colorado and Washington, which will be signed into law by their respective governors in the next month or so, allow individuals to carry up to one ounce on them at any time. In mid-January, the governments will begin issuing licenses to retailers so that they will be able to sell it. These measures have fallen under the collective title of Amendment 64 in the media, and were sponsored by the Marijuana Policy Project, the biggest name in marijuana legalization at the moment.
I sat down with Steve Turetsky, a junior at Pitt who just returned from the National Marijuana Business Conference in Colorado, to see what he learned through the experience. He emphasized throughout our interview that this conference was made up of businessmen, lawyers, and scientists who are interested in making this field legitimate, not college potheads or hippies.
So obviously, everyone’s biggest concern about weed is the health effects of the drug. Steve was very willing to discuss the cons of the law with me in addition to the pros, and he did admit that there are health affects. However research has found that there aren’t many. When smoked heavily, marijuana can have negative effects on the lungs and decrease sperm count in men.(1) Some also believe that it can become addictive, but rarely.(1) Also, side effects such as short-term memory loss, loss of coordination, increased heart rate and blood pressure, and rapid breathing are common, but these side effects seem to be no worse than those of drinking alcohol.(1) In addition, while we hear about deaths due to alcohol poisoning every once in awhile, there has never been a proven death due to the effects of marijuana.(2) Deaths have occurred due to people doing stupid things while high, but never directly from the chemicals involved. You would have to consume absolutely enormous amounts of the drug all at one time in order to overdose.(2) Even overdosing rarely, if ever, leads to death.
So then why is the drug illegal, when its effects are the same, if not less dangerous than, those of alcohol? According to Steve, the drug got a bad reputation in the 1930s because it was associated with negative aspects of culture, such as drugs from Mexico, and lobbyists were able to maintain this association and keep it illegal. In the past twenty years, grassroots organizations have been able to bring the issue back into the public spotlight, and the passage of this law is a turning point in the movement.
What about the benefits of this legalization? Now, like alcohol, marijuana will be able to be taxed by the government, bringing in huge amounts of revenue. In addition, the state will no longer have to incarcerate individuals who are found possessing weed, which can cost thousands of dollars per inmate. Approximately one billion dollars would be saved in incarceration costs if marijuana were to be legalized nationally.(3) In addition, hundreds of jobs would be created if marijuana were grown and sold legally.(3) Colorado has decided that the first 40 million dollars raised by this revenue each year will be put into building public schools and bettering the education system in their state. An additional benefit is its positive impact on the drug war, which Steve says will decrease significantly now that people can buy the drug legally in the United States. Marijuana also has significant health benefits, and has been used to treat diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
The future of the Marijuana Policy Project is still up in the air. Even though recreational marijuana is legal in Washington and Colorado, it is still illegal under the rules of the federal government. It is unclear at this time whether or not the federal government will challenge the measures, but federal law enforcers in the states can still arrest individuals for possession. As for right now, it seems that the governors of the states will have to work closely with the federal government to implement their individual laws.(3)
Sources:
(1) http://www.webmd.com/mental-he…
(2) http://www.allaboutcounseling….
(3) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…
Picture Credit: http://kunc.org/post/amendment…