Interesting battles have been occurring for some time, and it doesn’t look like they’re ending anytime soon. The battles? People who advocate the legalization or decriminalization of drugs and people who want to punish drug use, possession, and distribution.
Perhaps the most famous set of battles relates to people who want to treat marijuana in different ways. Some of these battles surround marijuana used for medicinal and therapeutic reasons, medical marijuana.
As you probably know, more than half of all states in the United States and the District of Columbia allow their adult residents to possess limited amounts of medical marijuana if they have proper authorization to do so. Residents of other states are trying to promote such promarijuana initiatives in their own localities.
Of course, people also use marijuana for nonmedical reasons. Voters in a growing number of U.S. states and District of Columbia recognize this and have legalized the recreational use of the drug and the right to possess small quantities of it. Again, residents of even more states are asking their states to add such proposals to the ballots.
Some opponents say that such measures encourage young people to use marijuana and other drugs. They fear that marijuana could be a gateway drug that could lead to the use of other drugs, drugs that aren’t legal and can be very dangerous, such as methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and ecstasy (MDMA).
Still other people worry that promoting marijuana use will create an increase in criminal activity and accidents that are related to drug use. Former U.S. drug czar Gil Kerlikowske said that drug tests of arrested individuals often reveal that the suspects had drugs in their systems, and the most common drug was marijuana.
Yet, proponents of drug legalization say that making marijuana legal would lower crime rates and criminal activity centered around making, using, and dealing such drugs. Given the strong opinions on every side, it seems as if debates regarding drug use and abuse will continue for some time.
