Essay 3 - The legalization of drugs/decriminalization of drugs, the pros and cons PDF

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The legalization of drugs/decriminalization of drugs, the pros and cons...

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Essay 3 The legalization of drugs/decriminalization of drugs has been a hot topic for the past several years. Especially with the legalization of marijuana in a few states, Colorado and Washington State being the first, the debate against and for the legalization of drugs is more present than ever. I will present arguments for drug decriminalization/drug legalization and arguments in opposition to drug decriminalization/drug legalization and share my own personal opinion. First off, let’s define a few things; decriminalization is the act of no longer continuing to criminally penalize people for certain acts concerning drugs, whether that is dealing them or using them recreationally. Decriminalization typically alters the current terms of criminalization and puts fines in place for these acts rather than jail time. Legalization is what decriminalization, only there’s more to it. Legalization removes criminal penalties as well as making these now legalized drugs taxable and controllable by local, state and the federal governments. The strongest arguments for the decriminalization, and even more so for the legalization of drugs, are all based on the economical benefits of legalization. Legalization could help our government by taxation revenue, decrease in the amount of crowding in federal prisons and local jails, and possibly allow an opportunity for redemption for those people that ‘got caught at the wrong place at the wrong time’. Drug legalization would produce tax revenues of an estimated “46.7 billion annually, assuming legal drugs were taxed at rates comparable to those on alcohol and tobacco” (Ghosh). By legalizing drugs our government could slowly put some of the money from taxation towards things to better our country, rather than fighting this war on drugs that will continue on until we change something. Another benefit would be the decrease in the number of inmates our government

is spending thousands of dollars each year on by housing them. The average costs to house and feed one inmate in federal prison is $58,000 each year, and approximately $30,000 for each inmate in a state prison (Defeis). Legalization would allow the government to fine users (if they break the conditions assuming drugs were legalized, whether that be exceeding the amount one can carry, or using it in public when it is was only legalized for private use) instead of incarcerating men and women. With the way the law is now, a $200 drug deal bust can end up costing society $100,000 or more for a three-year sentence, but that seems to counterproductive (Will). To get more of an idea of how our society could progress after legalization, let’s look at how Colorado has benefitted from legalizing marijuana about two years ago. In two years, [the National Incident Based Reporting System] data reveals a 41 percent decrease in all drug arrests in the state” and in just a little less than three months Colorado benefitted from more than $40 million in marijuana taxes (Way). As this information shows us, Colorado has benefitted in terms of taxation but also in the decrease in number of arrests. The economical benefits aren’t alone enough to convince everyone. There are risks in the legalization of drugs, the possibility of injuries even death in some cases, an increase in the number of people using, chaos, and the repercussions from people who were not supportive of the legalization in the first place. One could argue, why would we legalize something so dangerous but on the other side of that argument is that we, humans, have the freedom to choose how to live our lives and can choose what drugs to use or to not use. Legalization would cause chaos one way or another, besides, “we have more than enough on our hands with the problems caused by tobacco and alcohol [as it is]” (Hauge). He poses a good case, there are already problems such as alcohol abuse and drunk driving that cause

much destruction and pain for those affected by alcoholism and driving under the influence. And, these problems are caused by alcohol, a drug that is available, relatively and socially acceptable in most cases, so one can imagine the consequences of legalizing other hard drugs. There are strong arguments on for both sides, the legalization of drugs and not for it. I think both arguments are valid and should not be overlooked. There is not a simple answer, a solution to this problem. Either way, legalization or not, there will be consequences. Legalization would most likely lead to a fall in the price of drugs. Legalization would give our economy a substantial boost, one that could help our government continue to pay off our debt. It would mean less spending on housing drug offenders, and that adds up to be a hefty chunk of money when it costs about $58,000 to house one person in federal prison, and $30,000 in state (Defeis). Legalization would also mean our government would have more control on what substances are coming into our country from all other places, our government could tax that but also be more informed on how to control substances. Legalizing would give people an extended freedom in terms of their choices. I think that people, to a certain extent, are going to do what they want to do no matter if it is illegal or not. Yes, I believe the law keeps some people from doing things that they would otherwise do, but the law doesn’t keep everyone from doing ‘wrong’. Drugs are not bad because they are illegal, drugs are bad because they are bad. I think at a certain point, our government has to let people be self-destructive if that’s what they choose, instead of paying to house them in jail just to get released years later and hit the streets again dealing or consuming drugs, which seems to be what happens about half of the time. Although, I think the benefits of legalization outweigh the consequences, the consequences predicted are scary. Legalization would mean more users, and a shift in the moral view of using these drugs, which could

contribute to more people using in a casual manner in the long-term view. There is no right or wrong answer, the problems revolving around drugs and criminal behavior will not go away with legalization, or sticking to the way things are now. There are benefits that would do our country some good in terms of legalization, ones that would benefit taxpayers and use our tax dollars better more effectively, but there are scary consequences that I have covered. I believe that legalization is a better option than continuing on trying to contain the drug problem that the U.S. already has.

References Defeis, S. (1995). The case for legalization of drugs. Journal of Community Health, 20(2), 101109. Ghosh, P. (2010, October 19). The pros and cons of drug legalization in the U.S. International Business Times. Retrieved from http://www.ibtimes.com/pros-cons-drug-legalization-us246712 Hauge, R. (2003). Legalization of illicit drugs: Two sides to the coin. Addiction, 98(6), 717-178. Way, A. (2014, December 30). Colorado and Marijuana Legalization One Year Later: What Has Changed? Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/artway/colorado-and-marijuana-le_b_6397664.html Will, G. F. (2012, April 11). Should the U.S. legalize hard drugs? The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/should-the-us-legalize-harddrugs/2012/04/11/gIQAX95QBT_story.html...