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Essay On Marijuana Decriminalization

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According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (2014), 1,561,231 persons were arrested in the United States in 2014 for drug abuse violations such as selling, manufacturing, or possession. Drug abuse violations in 2014 made up the highest number of arrests in the United States (Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI], n.d.). The legalization of marijuana differs from marijuana decriminalization. Marijuana decriminalization means that a state has repealed or amended its laws to make certain acts criminal, but no longer subject to prosecution. The legalization of marijuana means that individuals cannot be arrested, ticketed, or convicted for using marijuana, assuming that you follow state laws. However, individuals can still be arrested for selling …show more content…
It would also worsen existing problems such as: (1) addiction, (2) crimes against persons, and (3) healthcare. First, legalizing marijuana could potentially include an increase in overall drug abuse, further exacerbating the war on drugs. If we were to legalize marijuana, individuals would personally grow their own marijuana at the potency level that they wanted or they would go elsewhere, resulting in an illicit drug market for marijuana (Moran, 2011, p.580). Thus, the demand for illegal drugs helps fuel the drug trade and creates many social injustices. Secondly, legalizing marijuana would increase crimes against persons and intensify social injustices. Instead of legalizing marijuana, we should shift our focus to reducing the demand for drugs and reducing the harm caused by drugs. Therefore, countries who focus on reducing the impact of marijuana, should experiences a decrease in crimes against persons. Thirdly, legalizing marijuana will have a negative impact on the issue of social justice by worsening problems such as healthcare. By legalizing marijuana, the increase in drug abuse would first be seen in minority communities where people are already struggling with addiction, poverty, homelessness, and violence. The effects of marijuana are so severe that legalizing the drug could lead to an increase in hospitalizations, an increase in vehicular homicides, and further contribute to social

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