Proposition 19

Bianca Roseboro
22 October 2010 5:00 p.m.

California’s November 2nd ballot will now include an initiative that is receiving mixed reactions. Voters will be deciding on the fate of Proposition 19, which would make it legal for anyone who is 21 or older to buy marijuana in small amounts. The proposition is formally being called the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010, and according to a survey done by Public Policy Polling, California voters are in favor of the proposition by 47 percent to 38 percent.

The argument for the legalization of marijuana encompasses a variety of aspects. Those in support of Proposition 19 insist that marijuana is not as dangerous as legalized products, such as alcohol and tobacco. They often refer to the benefits of medicinal marijuana to alleviate pain and suffering for cancer patients. Also, with a drug war raging in Mexico, they say the most effective way to combat the Mexican drug cartels that bring their supply of illicit drugs into the United States is to legalize the substance, which would affect cartel profits, and in essence, put the drug cartels out of business.

Those opposed to Proposition 19 argue that if marijuana is legalized, it will remove the stigma of it being criminal, and therefore we will see a rise in the behavior and activities surrounding it. Mexican President Felipe Calderon is strongly opposed to the proposition as a neighboring country where drug trafficking and other drug-related activities run rampant. Calderon has said that the legalization of marijuana in the United States will reflect lax attitudes toward drug consumption and the American public accepting this behavior is “absurd”. Furthermore, Calderon believes that the passing of Proposition 19 will undercut efforts by the United States and Mexico to fight drug cartels.

As we learned in Chapter 5, crime is a behavior that rears its ugly head at the sight of opportunity. Drug cartels rely on the demand of illicit drugs across the world, and without opportunity, I believe that drug trade in the marijuana arena will fizzle, but not completely die out. President Calderon brings up a good point that attitudes about drug use will become lax, which could lead to the use of other illicit drugs, as marijuana is often considered a “gateway” drug, also mentioned in Chapter 5. The legalization of marijuana can be seen as a global problem because it could open up a whole Pandora box of other criminal issues. Those who use marijuana can potentially cause harm to others in society, as does alcohol, which is legalized. I pose the question, what good would we be doing our nation by legalizing marijuana if it could essentially hurt the innocent?

http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/10/14/navarrette.pot.prop/index.html?iref=allsearch