Legalization: Highs and Lows

The legal landscape of the United States' policies on marijuana is beginning to show signs of a historic shift. It started when a handful of states passed legislation that allows for sufferers of chronic illness to buy prescribed marijuana, the dried flowers of the cannabis plant, at a special store called a dispensary. From that point, more states permitted medicinal dispensaries every year until the 2012 presidential election. On that day, ballot measures in Colorado and Washington were passed that allows the plant to be purchased by anyone 21 or older, no prescription needed.

The ongoing momentum of the legalization movement presents new insights, but also raises new concerns about issues we never expected to confront. We soon may very well need to worry about tobacco corporations marketing new marijuana products, and the impact it may have on teenagers and young people. While cannabis is a drug of very low addiction potential and damage to health, compared to alcohol and tobacco, the implications of marketing it like cigarettes are very poorly understood.

Marijuana itself consists of plant matter drenched in a class of chemicals called cannabinoids, which are responsible for the physiological and mental effects desired from the drug. The two most dominant molecules are called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabinol (CBN), each with different effects. The problem with marijuana today is that it is more potent than any time in history. With strains being crossed for maximum THC yield, marijuana now has a higher chance of inducing mental disorders like psychosis or even schizophrenia.

Proponents of legalization point out that marijuana must be regulated and taxed, which means that the potency and sales must be strictly controlled. This would help establish standards for the safe and legal sale of cannabis, but detractors will say that the manner of marketing and advertising must also be regulated. In addition, many believe that legalization would make the drug much more readily available and thus a greater influence on high school and college students.

Without the proper oversight, a national legalization could be unsustainable. Then again, the effort with hundreds of billions spent to keep the drug illegal has been unsustainable for years. At this time, careful planning and greater research is needed to move forward with a new attitude on marijuana.