Arguments against Marijuana Legalization in California - Part One

The Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis act has gotten enough voter signatures to be on California’s November ballot. California Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act: Part 1 summarizes the arguments for passing this voter initiative. Naysayers of the bill say how the tax pay day will not be worth the problems of the bill, even though polls show that 59% of decided voters are in favor of the act. Detractors of the bill have one of two major arguments – either the Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis act will cause more crime, or the act will take away from the quality of grown marijuana.

Arguments against legal marijuana – Medical

The medical functions of marijuana are hotly debated, though lots of doctors have been quoted as stating the drug does have medical uses. Public health could possibly be harmed if marijuana is made legal for recreational use.

For probably the most part, marijuana is smoked – and smoking anything long term can seriously damage lung tissue. Studies have also found that heavy pot smoking can permanently damage short term memory and reaction time. Medical opponents of legal recreational marijuana argue that legalization would increase use, and therefore harm public health.

Criminal arguments against legal marijuana

The California Peace Officers Association has spoken out against the Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis Act. The official association lobbyist, John Lovell, was quoted by CNN as asking “We have enough problems with alcohol and abuse of pharmaceutical products. Do we really need to add yet another mind-altering substance to the array?”

Opponents also highlight that no matter what California voters decide, federal law deems marijuana as a Schedule I drug. When enforcement on medical marijuana has been lax, marijuana use, sale, and possession stay serious federal crimes. The potentially legal status of marijuana could draw cartels and organized crime to the state.

The quality argument against legalizing pot

An emerging coalition between marijuana growers and those who want to keep it illegal is emerging. Some marijuana growers are speaking out against the voter initiative, saying that legal pot might be economically damaging. Economically, growers fear that legalized marijuana would significantly reduce the sales price of their cash crop. If the price of pot were to drop, the growers fear they would have to attend credit counseling because their livelihood would be damaged. As in many other markets, growers fear that legal marijuana would mean corporations would begin producing competition to their crops. Like other farmers in America, pot growers would be forced to compete with agribusinesses, which would increase expense and reduce profit.

There are quite a few arguments both for and against the passage of California’s Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis act. The results in California’s election can be carefully viewed, and the result on the legal marijuana movement could be profound.