Decriminalization of drugs is a very disputable issue. It is hard to answer definitely whether the benefits of the change like this will overweigh its adverse effects. Despite the controversy of the issue, several U.S. states have laws legalizing cannabis, mostly for medical purposes. In four of these states, such as Alaska, Oregon, Colorado, and Washington, marijuana is legal for recreational purposes as well. Utah is not in the list; but perhaps the state authorities should reconsider their stand concerning the issue and develop regulations that will introduce improvements both in the health care and the criminal justice systems.
The strongest argument of those who support marijuana legalization is that this substance can ease the agony of many terminally ill patients. The laws which prohibit the free use of cannabis even for medical purposes greatly complicate the life of ill people and their relatives. The conditions under which the prescriptions for the substance can be given are strictly regulated and not everyone who really needs the medicine can get access to it. Moreover, even if patients are allowed to be given marijuana for medical purpose, they often do not get enough and still have to endure terrible agonies in between the injections. Free access to the drug can solve this problem and let those people relieve the pain.
While the situation with the use of drugs for medical purposes seems to be clear enough and there are only few who will strongly oppose it, the use of drugs for recreational purposes is a more difficult question. Even such a relatively light drug as marijuana is an addictive substance. Besides, it changes human psychic for a certain period of time which might lead to uncontrolled actions. Therefore, marijuana addicts can hurt both themselves and others. The state, thus, must protect the public from these adverse effects of marijuana use or, which is even more preferable, prevent them. Unfortunately, such efforts result in overpopulation of prisons and enormous amounts of money spent on imprisonment of drug users. So, there is a question who is actually guilty and must take responsibility for the fault. It seems these are tax-payers who pay the cost. Wouldn’t it be wiser to follow an example of Portugal which decriminalized drug use in the country at the very peak of the public health crisis? In 2001 Portugal removed all criminal penalties for drug use (Chivers). The results eventually turned out to be beneficial – after a small increase in drug use at first, the cannabis use dropped and remained at the comparatively low level. In such a way, the country managed to eliminate the spending on imprisonment and improve the health tendencies among the population in general.
In addition to the above mentioned issues, it must be noted that drug addicts are vulnerable to HIV infections and, in case drug use is not legal, they do not receive proper treatment, which is very dangerous to other people interacting with them. Again in Portugal, when drug use was decriminalized, addicts were offered free medical care – both psychological help and HIV treatment. As a result, “the rate of HIV infection had dropped by almost 95 per cent in barely a decade” (Chivers). Drug addicts afflicted with HIV were no longer afraid of criminal liability; so, they willingly accepted medical help offered to them.
So, it is obvious that legalization of drugs has both pros and cons. However, considering a difficult situation with overpopulation of prisons and a great number of crimes connected with drug use, it seems reasonable to try and achieve the potential benefits which decriminalization of drugs promises – medical treatment of seriously ill patients, free treatment of HIV infection, reduction in amounts of money spent on legal procedures and imprisonment of those arrested for drug use, etc. All this, however, must have a profound legal basis protecting the society from drug dealers and crimes associated with drug use.
Works Cited
Chivers, Tom. “What Happens If You Decriminalize Drugs?” The Telegraph 31 Oct. 2014. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.
