Conflicting Points Of View: The Legalization Of Marijuana

Conflicting Points of View

There are two opposing sides to how marijuana is perceived. When evaluating a problem, effective investigation requires that both sides of an argument be objectively examined. In this way, the benefits and the costs of using marijuana can be evaluated. One side believes that the government must not control the use of marijuana (Roleff, 2005). This side claims that no one has ever died from a marijuana overdose, that marijuana is no different than alcohol or cigarettes, that marijuana could be a safer prescription than other medicines, that marijuana is not addictive, and that laws that ban marijuana have created a black market, which has led to street and gang violence. In addition, marijuana is associated

Thus, there are no benefits whatsoever in using marijuana. If this drug were introduced into the market today, a healthy society would not welcome it (Spurling & Leonard, 1993). Moreover, not strictly enforcing marijuana laws can be harmful to society. For instance, if law enforcement agencies do not enforce marijuana laws in the cities, those neighborhoods would be overrun with drug dealers and drug users. Basically, the law-abiding residents who live in these areas and who are unable to escape would effectively be abandoned. Indeed, it is law enforcement’s responsibility to protect all people, even the

This could lead to unwanted pregnancies or to the contraction of sexually transmitted diseases. Thus, smoking marijuana may lead to a lifetime of other concerns.

The media are divided. This is essential because the media have a major impact on the public’s and government’s perception involving the use of marijuana. The more formal media tend to support the government’s point of view, while the informal media tend to oppose the government’s point of view.

On the one hand, the news media have stigmatized marijuana and have linked it to predatory and violent crimes (Yaroschuk, 2000). In this case, the media advertise that marijuana is harmful via posters, brochures, radio announcements, and television commercials. With the 1986 drug overdose death of the Boston Celtics’ number one draft choice, Len Bias, the media took advantage of this opportunity as a means to generate support for the Partnership for a Drug Free America (Spurling & Leonard,