The Impact of Marijuana Decriminalization: An Update tells us that there are two goals of marijuana policy: to minimize health and safety hazards and to minimize social costs and adverse individual consequences that stem from attempts to control use. These two goals often contradict themselves as criminal examples serve as proof. For example, criminal enforcement against possession might reduce levels of use but it also raises the social costs and individual consequences. On the contrary, minimizing criminal enforcement could reduce the costs but it would also likely increase consumption. This increased use would most likely lead to health and safety risks. It’s often extremely difficult to find a balance between the two as there are stark differences.

The social costs that are associated with marijuana legalization are as follows: financial costs of law enforcement, infringement on individual rights and freedoms that could lead to a facilitated drug enforcement, a closer look at the criminal records of convicted offenders, and the impact of these consequences which could mean fines and imprisonment. Many non-users of the drug have worries and reservations such as potential health risks and fear of punishment and/or imprisonment. While logical, it is also very difficult to get caught. There are fewer than 1 in 100 frequent users that were ever identified.

Before the legalization of “decriminalization” laws, current trends have been unaffected by existing laws against possession. For instance, the risk of arrests are extremely low as marijuana is easily accessible. It is predicted that the federal legalization of it would have little to no impact on rates of use and that there would be substantially reduced social costs. The benefits of national legalization are the reductions in the number and nature of marijuana cases in all of the “decriminalization” states that are processed through the law enforcement system. However, not all social costs associated with marijuana policy have been eliminated. For example, it remains against the law to possess the drug, police power of search and seizure still exist and is allowed to be used as long as possession remains a crime, and individual consequences will always remain. Reduced costs have been a success as the associated health and safety hazards have remained the same.

Some basic facts about the drug are that it is the most commonly used illicit drug in the U.S.; approximately 12% of people 12 or older have partaken in it at some point. Adverse Health Effects of Marijuana Use lays out the basic facts about the drug. The most common route is inhalation as it is often smoked in cigarettes, cigars, pipes, water pipes, or blunts. 9% of people who have tried the drug become addicted to it and 2.7 million people 12 and older have a dependence. 1 in 6 teenagers use the drug regularly. Withdrawal symptoms include irritability, sleeping difficulties, dysphoria, craving, and anxiety. When adolescents choose to use the drug, there is an increased sense of vulnerability, an increased risk of addiction due to early usage, other addictions to illicit drugs, and brain development difficulties. The most shocking fact perhaps is that those who begin use in adolescent are two to four times as likely to develop a dependence within two years of the first use.

These adolescent uses could lead to addictive behaviors as an adult. Marijuana can be classified as a gateway drug as it serves as a primer for the brain to develop a heightened response to other drugs. Those that rely on drugs often turn to marijuana as it is so easily accessible. Furthermore, social interactions with other drug abusers increase their use of other dangerous, hard drugs. Possibly the scariest effect of marijuana is its effects on school performance. Those that have dropped out of school may have a link to high rates of marijuana use as it is proven to have impaired critical cognitive functions. There has been an associated found between regular marijuana use and poor grades. The heavier use of the drug, the lower income, greater need for socioeconomic help, unemployment, criminal behavior, unhappiness, and higher risk for mental illness development.

The Huffington Post points out interesting facts regarding recreational use of the drug. No U.S. state or modern country has removed probation and distribution of marijuana for non-medical purposes. People will not be arrested or incarcerated for recreational use. Currently, prosecutors in Washington and Colorado are dropping cases against those that have been charged with possession. In Washington specifically, state licensed growers will be able to process and sell marijuana in retail stores with the state liquor board levying a social sales tax. Colorado has taken a huge step and allowed every resident in the state to grow his or her own marijuana and to be able to give away as up as up to an ounce of cannabis. The U.S. is slowly coming to a national decision to legalize marijuana.