California Proposition 19 will be on ballot on November 2. If the proposition pass, there will be a shift in popular culture in California, as New York Times put it.
Supporters of Proposition 19 argue that it will increase government tax revenue, lower the criminal rate, and so on.
However, I am concerned if Proposition 19 is passed. If it is passed, there will be a difference in drug laws among states. People who indulge in drugs might seize this opportunity to conduct marijuana-related activities in California instead of in their own states. Therefore, drug culture in California will boom. This drug boom is unhealthy for both teenagers and adults. In addition, California does not have policies aiming at misbehavior after using marijuana. Even though, as New York Times suggested, supporters of Proposition 19 claimed that the proposition will decrease drug-related violence, what if the drug-related violence increases instead of decreases? California does not have a policy to handle this possibility yet. So if this happens, the problem will be at large. Finally, there will be a disconnection between our moral understanding and legal understanding on marijuana. For a long time, we are not recommended to use marijuana or other drugs because they damage our brains and cause social instabilities. However, if the law tolerates marijuana and the government regards it as a means to increase revenue, we will have to reconsider marijuana's role in our lives.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
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2 comments:
I find the possibility of California legalizing marijuana in the near future disturbing. The initiative to lift the prohibition on recreational marijuana has very serious implications, as the state contemplates making a mind-altering drug socially acceptable. As a student, I have seen many peers waste their academic and athletic potential by spending too much time indulging in marijuana use. This behavior should not be encouraged or accepted; states should fight to stop drug use by teenagers and adults alike.
The answer to high drug-related crimes is not more leniency. Allowing people to use a detrimental drug cannot be spun in a positive manner. This initiative could be perceived as a departure from drug deterrence and education and the acceptance of an easy-way-out policy. There may be no way to effectively eradicate marijuana use in the United States, but states should not forgo all attempts to minimize its effect on society. Also, if some states chose to legalize it for recreational purposes, it would create an unhealthy disparity that would affect national policy unity. Surely, the national government will try to kill this initiative and keep recreational marijuana an illegal drug.
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