Ops blog | Pros and cons of marijuana legalization

Pro: Improve incarceration disparities

Despite the legalization of marijuana by many states in the U.S., there are still glaring racial disparities in both arrests and convictions.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union, Black people are 3.6 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white people, despite similar usage rates.

In every state, Black people are more likely to be arrested for possession than white people. In Montana and Kentucky, Black people are over nine times more likely to be arrested for possession.

While the arrest rate for white people stayed consistent throughout the decade, the arrest rate for Black people rose considerably. The best way to fix this injustice is to eliminate the cause at its root. There can’t be a difference in rates of possession arrests if there aren’t any arrests in the first place.

Keeping marijuana illegal has done nothing but cause harm and further perpetuate an unjust legal system.

Con: Safety concerns

One of the major disadvantages that people commonly raise with regards to recreational marijuana is that it can negatively impact one’s health.

To compound that, I believe that recreational marijuana use can have adverse effects on one’s safety. Specifically, side effects that come with marijuana use include dizziness, difficulty walking, overexcitability, lowered reaction time, etc. Considering all these effects, it…