The question of whether or not marijuana should be legalized is one that is so heavily debated that it has become a guaranteed occurrence in the conversations of civilians and policy makers all over the world. Many believe that marijuana should be legalized and they bring countless arguments to validate their opinions, including the supposed health benefits and economic benefits that legalization would allow to occur. However, given the negative effects, both health wise and economically, along with all of the failures that countries which have legalized marijuana have experienced, it can be surmised that the legalization of marijuana will not lead to economic or social development, but rather to underdevelopment in Caribbean society.
Marijuana …show more content…
According to a study entitled “Evaluating Alternate Cannabis Regimes” done by Robert MacCoun, professor of law and psychology at Stanford University and Peter Reuter, Professor in the School of Public Policy and in the Department of Criminology at the University of Maryland, and posted in The British Journal of Psychiatry, in the Netherlands, where marijuana was commercialized and sold openly at “coffee shops,” marijuana use among young adults increased almost 300%. Additionally, there are signs that tolerance for marijuana in the Netherlands is receding. They have recently closed hundreds of coffee shops. MacCoun also posts in a separate report from RAND Drug Policy Research Centre, that Dutch citizens have a higher likelihood of being admitted to marijuana treatment than citizens of nearly all other countries in Europe. Given this information, we must ask again, how persons can look at the constant failures of these countries that are infamous for legalizing marijuana and say that other nations should follow in their misguided footsteps. What evidence can they give to ensure us that these evident failures will not …show more content…
Actually, the US is starting to notice this. A study lead by Magdalena Cerda, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at Columbia University found that Residents of states with medical marijuana laws have abuse and dependence rates nearly twice as high as states with no such laws. Furthermore, NSDUH’s, Summary of National Findings in 2012 found that the marijuana use rate among Colorado teens was 50% above the national average. Marijuana has been widely available in stores since 2009 (to Coloradans 18+ with a medical card). Another report by Rocky Mountain HIDTA in 2013 stated that since 2009, drug-related referrals for high school students testing positive for marijuana has increased and that Medical marijuana is easily diverted to youth. This is a cocktail of evidence to prove that marijuana has had horribly irreversible effects on young adults and therefore should not be
Marijuana …show more content…
According to a study entitled “Evaluating Alternate Cannabis Regimes” done by Robert MacCoun, professor of law and psychology at Stanford University and Peter Reuter, Professor in the School of Public Policy and in the Department of Criminology at the University of Maryland, and posted in The British Journal of Psychiatry, in the Netherlands, where marijuana was commercialized and sold openly at “coffee shops,” marijuana use among young adults increased almost 300%. Additionally, there are signs that tolerance for marijuana in the Netherlands is receding. They have recently closed hundreds of coffee shops. MacCoun also posts in a separate report from RAND Drug Policy Research Centre, that Dutch citizens have a higher likelihood of being admitted to marijuana treatment than citizens of nearly all other countries in Europe. Given this information, we must ask again, how persons can look at the constant failures of these countries that are infamous for legalizing marijuana and say that other nations should follow in their misguided footsteps. What evidence can they give to ensure us that these evident failures will not …show more content…
Actually, the US is starting to notice this. A study lead by Magdalena Cerda, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at Columbia University found that Residents of states with medical marijuana laws have abuse and dependence rates nearly twice as high as states with no such laws. Furthermore, NSDUH’s, Summary of National Findings in 2012 found that the marijuana use rate among Colorado teens was 50% above the national average. Marijuana has been widely available in stores since 2009 (to Coloradans 18+ with a medical card). Another report by Rocky Mountain HIDTA in 2013 stated that since 2009, drug-related referrals for high school students testing positive for marijuana has increased and that Medical marijuana is easily diverted to youth. This is a cocktail of evidence to prove that marijuana has had horribly irreversible effects on young adults and therefore should not be