The criminalization of marijuana at a federal level has caused repercussions greater than sole economic limitation. Despite the fact that many states have legalized the recreational sale of the drug, the national illegal market for weed continues to have an unjust impact on people of color, who are arrested at a greater rate for possession or sale of marijuana. As of 2020, there were 40,000 Americans incarcerated for marijuana-related offenses whilst in 2021, the recreational marijuana industry in Maine reached a record of $6.4 million in sales in June alone. While some in the U.S. serve time for use of marijuana, others in this country make an impressive profit. This is an important topic to talk about because the consequences of smoking or selling marijuana are irrational in comparison to the rationality many have for doing so.
There is an ongoing argument that those who have criminal records in relation to the use or sale of marijuana should be able to have their charges cleared. Even though weed is now a legal recreational drug, having a criminal record because of it still prevents someone from getting a job in transportation, customer service, or other low/mid paying fields. Furthermore, many people of color are still in prison for marijuana related charges – their sentences lasting decades, some starting from when they were just teenagers. This is an inexplicable reality while many states, such as Maine, have made it legal to purchase marijuana with a medical card or being of the age of 21. Yet, in other places in the country, some are shackled for years, just for using it.
Whether the discrimination be as large scale as the ignorance of Bill Clinton stating he smoked weed but “did not inhale” or the impunity of white frat boys who take bong rips in replacement of attending class, there is a clear inequality in privilege when it comes to marijuana and skin color. If the President of the United States can make a statement as absurd as Clinton’s in regards to smoking weed, why do people of color face lifelong criminal consequences for their marijuana based indulgences?
There are obvious political, social and economic discrepancies in the national market for marijuana that need to be solved in order to create an efficient and equitable outcome. The legalization of marijuana in Maine has created a booming industry that is only expected to grow. With over 45 active retail stores and 50 municipalities involved, the cannabis market in Maine is lighting up – literally.
Though there are some added costs of this market, such as tracing and taxes, there is a lower social cost of creating a legal market that contributes to the state’s GDP and creates a safe transaction for those who do use marijuana. Having a market of regulated, tracked, and tested marijuana decreases the likelihood of a consumer purchasing illegal weed that is traced with other drugs that can lead to severe addictions. By making this market legal and regulated by the government, consumption of recreational marijuana becomes beneficial to both the consumer and producer and moves the transactions from alleyways to the pharmacy. This should be followed at the federal level in order to create a national market for marijuana that can contribute to GDP and formulate a supply chain that supports the medical, food, essential oils, and paper industry. As the state of Maine has exemplified, legalized marijuana benefits society and the economy.