Should marijuana be a focus of law enforcement?

Is marijuana a “gateway” drug? Why or why not? What do we mean by gateway drug?

In 2012, the National Survey of Drug Use and Health determined that nearly 125,000,000 of those 12 years of age or older used illegal drugs and that nearly 10 percent of those had used drugs in the previous month (Belenko & Spohn, 2014). As the most commonly used drug, a little over 40 percent of these users reported using marijuana in their lifetime (Belenko & Spohn, 2014). According to research, there has been a lengthy discussion on whether or not marijuana, also referred to as hemp, is a gateway drug, given that there is not enough information to back that hypothesis. A gateway drug refers to a drug that when used can lead users to experiment with other drugs (Belenko & Spohn, 2014). Additionally, marijuana is said to be used first before users move on to try other illegal drugs. However, not all marijuana users continue to use other illegal drugs (Belenko & Spohn, 2014). Therefore, it cannot be said that marijuana is a gateway drug. Despite the statistic previously mentioned, factors like mental health disorders and availability could help explain why marijuana is used first (Belenko & Spohn, 2014). It is yet to be determined why users begin marijuana use and then proceed to use other illicit drugs. However, just because it is not a gateway drug doesn’t mean it is not dangerous.

Is marijuana dangerous?

The Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act classified marijuana as a Schedule I drug, therefore making it a dangerous drug (Belenko & Spohn, 2014). This means that it is illegal for a person to prescribe, sell, or be in the custody of Schedule I drugs without a proper prescription (Belenko & Spohn, 2014). The act also paved the way for the creation of the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse so that more could be learned about the drug and be reported back to then-President Nixon. The idea was that the report would help determine the best strategies to deal with drug use and abuse (Belenko & Spohn, 2014). Ultimately, the report found that personal use of marijuana, no matter the amount, should not be criminalized, but at the same time, its use should not be encouraged. Instead, they recommended a focus on preventing its use and treating those that are heavy users (Belenko & Spohn, 2014). Over ten states decriminalized marijuana when this report came to light, but because President Nixon disagreed with its recommendations, they were not passed at the federal level (Belenko & Spohn, 2014).

Many believe that marijuana is not dangerous, given its history. Clothes, rope, and other things have been made out of marijuana over the years. Marijuana has also been used for its medicinal benefits and is prescribed by physicians (Belenko & Spohn, 2014). However, people disapproved of its use because it is a drug that was introduced in America by Mexican farmworkers who were looked down upon as members of the lower class (Belenko & Spohn, 2014). Still, when looking at its chemical makeup, the delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol potency is a lot higher today than it was thirty years ago (Belenko & Spohn, 2014). Although marijuana has a low toxicity level and there are no established connections between smoking marijuana and lung cancer, there are over 300 chemicals found in marijuana, many of which are noxious (Belenko & Spohn, 2014). Belenko & Spohn (2014) found that over 30 percent of people admitted into the emergency department in 2011 had been under the influence of marijuana. Thus, marijuana is dangerous. It is a schedule drug that should only be used for its medicinal benefits by people who receive prescriptions because they need it.

Should marijuana be a focus of law enforcement?

Belenko & Spohn (2014) discussed how law enforcement receives funding to control drugs and supplies and that funding is also available for treatment and prevention. When discussing marijuana, it is clear that it has been decriminalized over time in some states and has even been legalized in others. Therefore, marijuana should not be a huge focus of law enforcement in those states, given that their states chose to decriminalize or legalize it. Current laws state that charges and penalties are given according to the weight of an illegal drug (Belenko & Spohn, 2014). Marijuana should only be a focus of law enforcement if people have large amounts of marijuana rather than small amounts because that would not justify personal use but rather possession with the intent to sell. The funding that law enforcement receives should not go to minute cases of marijuana but rather to the treatment and prevention of drug abuse.

Reference

Belenko, S. R., & Spohn, C. (2014). Drugs, crime, and justice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.