Introduction
Drug legalization, which can as well be termed as drug liberalization, defines the process of excluding or reducing certain laws that prohibit the use of particular drugs (Miron 2004). Among the various reasons that have been given in favor of the drug, legalization includes constant failure by the current drug policies to curb or even reduce the production, use, and distribution of unlawful drug substances. The possibility of raising a high revenue by taxing drugs, the need to promote adults’ right to live freely without any interference from the authority as well as the potential reduction of crime have perpetuated the current debate, which advocates for the legalization of drugs (Kucukuysal, 2011). Various campaigns have been carried out to create a drug-free nation while on the other hand helping addicts of drug abuse to recover from their situations. Campaigns advocating for the legalization of drugs have however challenged these efforts as drug users scapegoat on favorable drug policies to justify their misconducts. Contrasting debates that advocate or object legalization of drugs have been put in place as the opposing sides seek to satisfy certain political, social, health, and economic needs. As a result, drug legalization has in some way proven to be the most reliable mediating factor between the proponents and opponents of drug policies, while on the other hand being criticized as being the worst tool that can be used to address various problems linked to drug abuse (Cachanosky, 2013).
Background Information
Complexities associated with drug abuse dates back to the coming of civilization when the production, use, and sale of psychoactive substances were introduced in the United States. The dawn of the twentieth century saw the US government introducing the concept of “War on Drugs,” which was a newly rejuvenated surge against drug use. Among the various reasons given by supporters of the policies perpetuating the war on drugs ranging from religious beliefs, claims of aggression by minority communities, and health-related concerns. (Husak, 2003). The emergence of various vocal groups that existed within the liberal democracies allowed for the expansion of anti-drug laws that were employed in and outside the United States. This paved way for current drug policy that came into play in 1972 when Richard Nixon, the then president of the United States declared the commencement of the “War on Drugs” after perceiving drug abuse as the greatest enemy to the public. The New York State then introduced mandatory minimum incarceration of drug-related crimes in 1973, and similar laws were employed across the United States (Kucukuysal, 2011). The UN Convention against Illicit Drugs then made it mandatory for different countries to adopt various measures that would be necessary to establish their domestic laws on various drug-related criminal offenses. This attributed to constant tightening of drug-related laws, which sought to reduce the use, production and distribution of drug-related substances. The overall ineffectiveness of drug-related laws however led to the rise of various movements seeking for the removal or reduction of these laws (Clark, 2003). This was mainly attributed by the argument that drug de-legalization was a major cause for the various social and personal problems that have generally been perceived as being caused by the use of illicit drugs. Research on public perception particularly indicated that members of the public domain saw drug prohibition as having made drugs so valuable while on the other hand giving cartels the monopoly of their supply (Cussen & Block, 2000). With these cartels being driven by the huge profits that were perpetuated by this monopoly, they were always able to undertake their unregulated trade, particularly because they could always bribe or avoid attracting the attention of law enforcers, which made their undertakings to be beyond control. This explains the dire need to take a public perspective in addressing the various complexities related to drugs (Cachanosky, 2013).
Problem Statement
History has indicated that the current policy prohibiting drug abuse neither eliminates nor reduces the production, use, and distribution of drug substances as the demand and supply of drugs do not change with the implementation of drug laws. This is particularly because law enforcement agencies are usually involved in corrupt deals that allow drug cartels to easily access and distribute drug-related substances. According to Husak (2003), drug-related arrests create huge openings and endless emergence of drug entrepreneurs that seek to tap enormous profits perpetuated by this prohibition. Conversely, drug de-legalization inputs huge costs amounting to billions of dollars on taxpayers as drugs continue getting cheaper and their wide use intensifies on a day-to-day basis. Drug prohibition, particularly poses severe harm to young people, particularly those belonging of African American descent (Clark, 2003).
Proponents for drug legalization argue that drug decriminalization would help to eradicate the black markets that are closely linked to violent criminal activities. This is particularly because black markets are perceived to be the main platform where criminal activities are organized, as the huge profits generated from these markets are bound to motivate drug cartels to take any undesirable actions to achieve them (Gerber, 2004). These proponents also perceive drug legalization as creating an opportunity to reduce massive cases of crime. They argue that unregulated markets usually perpetuate drug-related crime as the power to regulate the demand and supply of illegal substances is left in the hand of cartels. They thus argue that legalizing drugs would lift the power to control the supply and demand for drugs from the hands of cartels as government authorities would regulate prices while instilling tax rates that can significantly reduce profits generated by the cartels (Sacco & Finklea, 2013). Significant movements advocating for drug legalization have thus exhibited the need to take a public policy perspective when implementing changes on the current drug policy to perpetuate drug legalization. This study thus intends to investigate the various perceptions that people have in relation to drug legalization in order to establish the various changes that ought to be made on the current drug policy to perpetuate productive efforts intended to curb various issues connected to drug abuse (Gerber, 2004). The specific study topic that this inquiry will be seeking to respond to, include:
- What are the effects of the current drug policy in modern society?
This inquiry will however be guided by specific research questions that include:
- How does abuse of substances affect individuals in society?
- Do you think the current drug policy is ineffective in addressing these effects?
- What changes to the current drug policy can you recommend in order to effectively address issues related to drug abuse?
In order to effectively respond to the above questions, the researcher will conduct an extensive review of relevant literature so as to determine what other scholars have documented relating to this topic. The researcher will then conduct a descriptive study that will use qualitative methods of data collection to collect data from youths in the United States. The study population will mainly include high school and college students as these will provide a sufficient representation of possible drug users. Possible outcomes from the study will indicate that the current drug policy is ineffective in addressing issues relating to drug abuse; hence, the need to make significant changes should be made to enhance drug legalization.
Literature Review
Introduction
Drugs have continued to become a huge controversy, as most people around the world perceive them as something unacceptable within the global society. All around the world, nations continue to wage war against illicit drugs as well as the cartels (Cussen & Block, 2000). While these nations continue to lose in these battles, they seek alternative ways to fight implications associated with the production, distribution, and use of drugs. Among the various approaches that are perceived to provide a stable state relating to the issue of drugs is through adopting a policy perspective to create room for a mediating authority, as this can be able to regulate the activities of drug cartels (Svrakic, 2012). The main objective of this section is to undertake an intensive review of relevant literature relating to the legalization of drugs in order to establish the various views that different scholars have established in relation to this topic. The paper will also take a review of various theories relating to the topic to determine what theoretical views state as pertains to drug legalization (Cachanosky, 2013).
History of the current drug policy
The Nixon Administration formulated the current policy on issues of drugs in 1970 under the provision of the Controlled Substance Act, which made important provisions relating to the production, possession, and distribution of crucial substances that were highlighted in the Act (Mabry, 2001). While this included only a part of drug prohibition, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was introduced in 1973, and this made a global declaration of war against the drug menace. The war on drugs has thus been going on since then, and it has mainly been perpetuated through campaigns, smuggling exposure, and intensification of drug-related imprisonment to suppress the issue of substance abuse (Martin, 2003).
Factors Contributing to various arguments for change in the current drug policy Various arguments have been aired relating to whether the drug policy should be changed in order to support the legalization of various substances that are currently perceived as being illegal. Among the various factors that have promoted the current debate in support for drug legalization include:
Increased Crime in the Society
Increased crime in society is one of the main factors that have perpetuated arguments in support of significant change in the current drug policy to perpetuate drug legalization (Mabry, 2001). A study carried out by Falconi (2012) showed that prohibition of drugs has perpetuated the development of “black markets” for drugs, thereby allowing them to be illegally traded without the imposition of any regulatory measures that include taxation. Falconi further established the fact that black markets provide a benchmark upon which violent crimes develop as large proportions of these markets comprise inner-city gangs that are always prepared to commit any type of crime that may be necessary to enhance the creation of high drug profits.
Drug-Related Harm Reduction
The need to perpetuate drug-related harm reduction is another important factor contributing to arguments for change in the current drug policy to enhance the legalization of drugs. Research conducted by Cussen & Block (2000) showed that most anti-prohibition articles made claims that psychotropic drugs, which include the various drugs that are on the debate related to drug legalization, do not contribute to any significant harm to people’s health. Cussen& Block found out that these articles identified two drugs that include alcohol and tobacco as contributing to the greatest harm to human health, and these have already been termed as legal. He thus concluded that ending drug prohibition while following the trend of harm reduction, as is the case with tobacco and alcohol, would prevent deaths while on the other hand improving public health.
Prejudiced Police Actions
Much of the current debate relating to drug legalization is founded on disproportions portrayed by law enforcement personnel in its effort to address issues related to drug abuse. A study carried out by Miron (2004) showed that law enforcement agencies are highly biased when addressing the issue of drug use in different communities in the United States. This is because the African Americans, as well as the Hispanic communities, constitute the highest population entering prison as well as convicted on drug-related crimes even if they do not constitute the leading populations of drug users. Legalizing drugs would thus promote sound racial profiling as police officers would no longer be biased when conducting a routine search for drug users. This is because a reviewed new policy would eliminate the issue of selective targeting that often discriminates against the minority groups when the police officers are conducting community searches.
Theoretical Review
Various theories can be used to explain the implications associated with the current drug policy in order to help understand why most individuals are supportive of the need to legalize drugs. The symbolic interactionism theory states that everything taking place in society starts at the individual level (Clark, 2003). Implementation of a particular type of transformation can thus contribute to a type of snowball or something that is ultimately sniffed out depending on whether the concerned individuals share similar desires and ideas. This theory can thus be used to explain the possibility of changing the drug policy to perpetuate the legalization of illicit substances (Cachanosky, 2013). Just as this theory has explained, most people at the grassroots have formed groups that are intended to amend the legal system by legitimizing marijuana among other illicit drugs. The theory can thus help us to understand the fact that the federal government may be required to honor the demands of the wider society if most people are in favor of drug legalization (Miron, 2004).
Summary and Conclusion
While drugs have continued to become a controversial issue among members of the global society, different arguments relating to whether illegal drugs should be legitimized have developed. A review of relevant literature related to the legalization of drugs has indicated that increasing crime rates, the need to reduce drug-related harm, and prejudiced police actions are among the various factors that have contributed to arguments supporting the need to change the current policy to enhance the legalization of illicit drugs. A keen analysis of various theories that can be used to explain the possibility of state government supporting the legalization of drugs through changing the current policy has also been conducted. The available literature however has not looked into the various effects that might result from the legalization of drugs through changing the current drug policy. It can thus be recommended that a study relating to the effects of drug legalization through changing the current drug policy be carried out to fill the identified gap. In order to fill this gap, the researcher will formulate methods that can be used to collect relevant data so as to determine whether the current drug policy should be changed to perpetuate the legalization of illicit substances.
Methods
The issue of drug legalization has continually gained significance as the current drug policy continues to cause adverse implications in modern-day society. This is particularly because it has proven ineffective in addressing issues related to the production, use, and distribution of drugs. This section intends to outline the research methods that are going to be used to investigate the various effects associated with drug abuse to determine whether the current drug policy is ineffective in addressing these effects. The specific questions that this investigation will be seeking to answer include:
- How does abuse of substances affect individuals in society?
- Do you think the current drug policy is ineffective in addressing these effects?
- What changes to the current drug policy can you recommend in order to effectively address issues related to drug abuse?
The study will mainly adopt a quantitative method of research to help test the hypothesis guiding this inquiry. Adopting quantitative methods of research will be important in this study as it will the researcher to use a statistical approach to generalize the findings of the research. This will help him to determine the possible relationship that is bound to prevail between variables, which would in return ensure that the predetermined hypotheses can effectively be tested. The major hypothesis that this study will be seeking to test includes:
- The current drug policy attributes to major social, economic, and demographic implications in modern-day society.
The researcher will mainly use the experimental method to collect data that is based on respondents’ conduct within a given setting to determine the implications associated with the current drug policy. Using experimental design is important in this study as it can help the researcher to employ a controlled environment where he can manipulate one variable to be able to draw reliable evidence on causal relationships. This would ensure that the researcher is able to understand the possible outcomes that are bound to prevail when a new drug policy is adopted. While this method demands for controlled and non-controlled independent variables to make significant distinctions relating to the cause-effect relationship, the researcher will engage one group of respondents into a controlled study environment while the other group will be exposed to a natural environment. The study population will mainly include students that use drugs, and these will be divided into two groups where one group will be subjected to a locally formulated drug policy that allows for the legalization of drugs while the other group will be subjected to the current drug policy that prohibits legalization of drugs. Among the various survey samples that the researcher will subject to the respondents include:
- Do you use any illicit drugs?
- Do you think abuse of drugs has been attributed to any social, economic, or demographic implications?
- Should any changes be made to the current drug policy to help address these effects?
The findings from the two groups will then be compared to determine the social, economic, and demographic implications of the current drug policy. This method of data collection is important in this study, as it will allow the researcher to test the hypothesis on how the current drug policy works. The participants will be observed for a period of two years to determine how the issues related to drug abuse change as the impact of policy change continues taking the course. The method is important as it can only be used to confirm predetermined results, thereby approving or disapproving a particular hypothesis.
Data
The main source of data in this project will include high school and college students in the United States. A cross-sectional approach to data collection will be employed where the researcher will randomly pick a group of 500 students using drugs within the state of California. The sample will then be divided into two groups that will be engaged in the study. One group will be subjected to a controlled environment where a locally formulated drug policy advocating for the legalization of drugs will be implemented. The second group will be engaged in a non-controlled environment where the current drug policy will be left to control the conduct of the drug users. Using the cross-sectional method of data collection is important in this study as it is easy and economical as there are no follow-up studies required. It equally constitutes the best approach that can be used to establish the type of association that prevails between variables. The method is however disadvantageous as it does not provide the basis for testing causality.
Internal validity threats
Although the researcher intends to draw a causal conclusion of the research from the assumption that the current drug policy is the sole contributor to the effects of drug abuse, this validity may be threatened by the fact that other variables that might include anti-drug campaigns may as well influence the extent to which the causal relationship is warranted. In order to address this threat, the researcher will hold all other possible variables constant.
External validity threats
While external validity of the study will be solely dependent on the level of accuracy exhibited by the researcher in the attempt to generalize the findings of the study, this validity may be threatened by the researcher’s subjective biases that might limit the level of accuracy for this study. In order to address this threat, the researcher will try as much as possible to remain objective when generalizing the findings of the study to ensure that his conclusions relating to these findings can be tested empirically.
Conclusion and Policy Implications
Adopting the experimental method of inquiry is important in this study as it can allow for the testing of predetermined hypotheses to test for a causal-effect relationship. Engaging students in a controlled policy environment will raise policy-related implications, as this will perpetuate situations that are not allowed in the current drug policy. This experiment may as well perpetuate potential movements that would advocate for a review of the current policy to enhance drug legalization. This is because those engaged in the study may be able to witness positive results from the controlled environment, thereby indicating the potential positive change that would be witnessed when the current policy is adjusted. This study will be able to answer questions related to the various social, economic and demographic effects of drug abuse. It will equally be able to determine whether the current drug policy is ineffective in addressing these effects. The study will not however be able to determine the various psychological or health effects that may have been attributed by the use of illicit drugs. Further study should thus be carried out so as to address this gap.
References
Cachanosky, I. et al. (2013). Drug Legalization: Rescuing Central America from the Claws of Crime, The Journal of Jurisprudence, 1(1), 9-25.
Clark, A.E. (2003). The Economics of Drug Legalization, retrieved on 13th April, 2014 from http://www.hempembassy.net/archives/hempe/resources/ecleg.pdf
Cussen, M. & Block, W. (2000). Legalize Drugs Now: An Analysis of the Benefits of Legalized Drugs, American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 59(3), 525-536.
Husak, D. (2003). Drug Legalization: Four Points about Drug Decriminalization, Criminal Justice Ethics, 1(1), 21-29.
Falconi, J. (2012). The Great Legalization Debate and the Repercussions of Past Policies: A Review of the Current Literature, Retrieved on 13th April 2014 from http://people.umass.edu/curtis/academics/researchtoolbox/pdfs/James_Falconi_LiteratureReview.pdf
Kucukuysal, B. (2011). Drug Legalization Debate, Journal of Social Sciences, 24(1): 215-224.
Mabry, C. et al. (2001). Physicians and the War on Drugs: The Case against Legalization, Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons, 86(10), 17-22.
Miron, J. (2004). Liberal versus Libertarian Views on Drug Legalization, Retrieved on 13th April, 2014 from http://www.stopthewarondrugs.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Miron-Jeffrey-A.-2004-Liberal-versus-Libertarian-Views-on-Drug-Legalisation.pdf
Sacco, L. & Finklea, K. (2013). State Marijuana Legalization Initiatives: Implications for federal Law Enforcement, CRS Report for Congress, 7(5700), 1-22.
Svrakic, D. et al. (2012). Legalization, Decriminalization & Medical Use of Cannabis: A Scientific and Public Health Perspective, Feature Review, 109(2), 90-98.