Pros & Cons of Federal Marijuana Legalization: Impacts on Society & Industry

Growing Industry Potential: Federal Legalization’s Impact

Introduction Marijuana legalization is becoming a large and important conversation in various states across our country. While 32 states have already legalized this mind-altering substance for medical relief, few have condoned it’s recreational use (Lopez). However, there is a push for extending legalization throughout the entire country. With this possibility of federal legalization on our country’s horizon, we must ask ourselves whether we believe the pros or cons to be greater.

By examining this through a futuristic lens, we can investigate what the effects of federally legalizing recreational marijuana will have on our country and the marijuana industry down the road. Why Federal Legalization? The push for federally legalizing marijuana, as opposed to per-state legalization, simply boils down to money. A large motive behind legalizing marijuana is the additional tax dollars available, obtained through taxing the sale of marijuana, similar to tobacco and alcohol. States in which marijuana is already legal have seen substantial revenue increase. The state of Oregon, which passed its bill for recreational legalization in 2014, brought in 1 million dollars of tax revenue within the first month of legalization (Philips).

In a recent study conducted by Divya Raghavan, a Harvard graduate, it is predicted that the United States could generate $3,098,866,907 in tax revenue throughout a single year post-federal legalization (Raghavan). Furthermore, federal legalization is becoming vital to the industry. This is due to the fact that state-sanctioned marijuana production can still face prosecution under federal law. While there are bills that instruct federal prosecutors to deprioritize cases against marijuana consumption and production that are in compliance with state law, there still are effects on the industry (Garvey and Yeh).

This can be seen in the refusal of legally generated marijuana money by banks. The deputy director of the National Cannabis Industry Association, Taylor West, refers to this as “…the biggest problem we have” (Stinson). This cash-based industry can become very prone to criminal action with the lack of bank security. What Opportunities Would Legalization Present? As it becomes legal in more and more places, the marijuana industry is rapidly growing. When we face federal legalization in the United States, we could expand upon the already present industry found in legal states.

Industry Jobs and Societal Perceptions

This industry is home to an array of job opportunities. In an article published by Forbes, a very revered business magazine, Debra Borchardt highlighted some of the best jobs available in the industry. The bud trimmer, described as an “entry-level” job, is usually among the lowest-paying jobs in the industry (Borchart). However tedious the deed of separating the marijuana bud from the stem with tiny scissors becomes, “…it is an opportunity to get in on the ground floor of the business and work your way up” (Borchart). One of the most highly skilled positions in this industry is the extraction technician, with those hired often having a PhD.

These skilled individuals have perfected the art of reducing marijuana to the extract form. Their salaries can range from $75,000 to $125,000 yearly, and with 40% of sales amounting to extract sales at certain stores, this is a very in-demand job in the industry (Bochart). Forbes compares the grow master position to a head chef, as they are responsible for generating different marijuana strains. Similar to the extraction technician, this position requires a specific skill set, is in high demand, and has a pay grade near $100,000 and a percentage of the profit (Borchart). Currently, it is estimated that there are between 125,000 and 160,000 full-time employees in the marijuana industry (Fenton).

It is predicted that by 2022, 340,000 individuals will be employed in this industry, with a 21% growth rate per year based on current projectors (Fenton). Currently, in America, the unemployment rate has reached 3.7%, a low not seen since 1969 (Frazee). With the large array of job opportunities present in the marijuana industry, ranging from manual labor to those with PhDs performing extractions, this industry might just be what our country needs. How Would Marijuana Affect Society?

Many people’s opposition to marijuana legalization is centered around a preconceived stigma surrounding the drug. To be fair, this is understandable. According to the DEA the federal drug enforcement administration, marijuana is still listed as a Schedule I drug (“Drug Scheduling”). To put that in perspective, marijuana is compared to heroin and ranked above cocaine (“Drug Scheduling”). While many do not believe it deserves this high a ranking, the impression of marijuana being a hard drug still resides in many minds across the country. Due to this stigma, many people fear the impact marijuana will have on our society. They perceive it as a drastic and dangerous change, but this is not the case.

Safety Concerns and Testing Challenges

One major misconception is the idea that marijuana usage levels will spike. They believe when marijuana is legally available, everyone will begin to use it, but this may not be true. A study published by the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, a peer-reviewed scientific journal, showed only a marginal 1.2% increase in marijuana use across Washington State after its recreational legalization (Kerr, William C., et al.). This is evidence of the common belief that black-market marijuana is already so widespread that legalization may only show a tiny increase in use.

Furthermore, many worry about the chances of those intoxicated from marijuana getting behind the wheel of a car. In actuality, this is the most prevalent concern we, as a country, have to face. Driving while intoxicated is already an epidemic across our country, with alcohol being the main culprit. While individuals driving after consuming marijuana is an issue that, if legalized, must be dealt with, the larger issue we face is being able to determine whether or not someone is high while handling a motor vehicle. In many legal states, this is done by a blood test that examines the potency of delta-9-THC in one’s blood, the chemical which triggers the feeling of being high (Bichell). However, this blood test is not entirely accurate.

While alcohol is soluble in water, and humans are a large percent water, ethanol can spread and then leave the body very quickly. Delta-9-THC, on the other hand, is soluble in fat (Bichell). This creates the issue of differing rates at which THC can exit your body depending on one’s amount of body fat or gender. In a podcast streamed by NPR, a slightly liberal-biased non-profit national broadcast organization, they discussed a study conducted covering THC levels in the blood. They performed the study on 30 frequent marijuana users, who were subject to an entire month stay at a research facility where they would not have access to marijuana.

After several days passed, it was unsettling to find that some individual’s blood could measure above five nanograms, the legal limit in many states (Bichell). Additionally, another study showed that those who do not use marijuana regularly could smoke a joint, and it would leave no imprint in their blood (Michelle). Conclusion While legalizing marijuana for recreational use could be of great benefit to our country, the drawbacks are undeniable.

The additional tax revenue is already being used for great things. Many states allocate funds to public schools and criminal rehabilitation programs (Philips). The job opportunities will undoubtedly assist in alleviating the current unemployment crisis our country is in. However, it is a matter of people’s lives when we discuss the DUI risk. Before moving forward with legalization, our country must fund research programs dedicated to finding reliable tests to determine whether or not someone is high. Once this is done, our country will have taken steps in the right direction; approaching legalization.

References:

1. Lopez, German. “Marijuana Legalization by State: A Comprehensive List.” Vox, 2021.
2. Philips, Kristina. “Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know.” Oxford University Press, 2016.
3. Raghavan, Divya. “Estimating the Revenue Potential of Cannabis Legalization in the United States.” Unpublished master’s thesis, Harvard University, 2020.
4. Garvey, Todd, and Yeh, Brian T. “Enforcing Federal Drug Laws in States Where Medical Marijuana Is Lawful.” Congressional Research Service, 2015.
5. Stinson, Jeff. “Legal Marijuana Businesses Face Constant Rejection from Banks.” The Daily Beast, 2014.
6. Borchardt, Debra. “The Top 10 Jobs In The Marijuana Industry.” Forbes, 2014. https://www.forbes.com/sites/debraborchardt/2014/10/23/the-top-10-jobs-in-the-marijuana-industry/?sh=47bf803d1652
7. Fenton, Josh. “Legal Marijuana Is The Fastest-Growing Industry In The United States: Report.” The Huffington Post, 2015. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/marijuana-industry-fastest-growing_n_7718540
8. Frazee, Gretchen. “U.S. Unemployment Rate Hits 3.7 Percent, Lowest Since 1969.” PBS NewsHour, 2018.
9. “Drug Scheduling.” Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), 2021. https://www.dea.gov/drug-scheduling
10. Kerr, William C., et al. “Changes in marijuana use across the 2012 Washington State recreational legalization: Is retrospective assessment of use before legalization more accurate?” Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, vol. 80, no. 3, 2019, pp. 309-315.