Marijuana legalization in the US: An extraordinary social experiment

In the past decade, a seemingly ever-increasing number of states have legalized marijuana for medical and recreational use. As of October 2022, despite cannabis use remaining illegal on the federal level, medical and recreational use has been fully legalized in 18 states and DC, with solely medical use allowed in many others. Here in Illinois, which has followed the broader trend, medical marijuana has been permitted since 2014, while recreational marijuana use is, following landmark 2020 legislation, also legal for those over the age of 21.  

Notably, marked positive shifts in public attitudes toward marijuana have accompanied and, to some extent, preceded these legal changes. Gallup polling, for instance, has found that public support for marijuana legalization has continuously increased since the 1990s, hitting an all-time high of 68% in 2021, with younger Americans most supportive of legalization. Furthermore, Gallup polling also indicates that the percentage of Americans who have reported trying marijuana has grown, reaching nearly 50% of adults in 2021. 

It would thus, overall, perhaps not be remiss to say that we, as a country, have entered a new era of considerable pro-marijuana legislation and public sentiment, one which, barring unforeseen developments, will probably continue to sweep across the country in the coming years. At this point, the outcome of the debate on legalization may almost seem like a foregone conclusion—for younger Americans, in particular, who, as a group, tend to support it at higher-than-average rates. 

This blog post will not be about contending for or against legalization (though stay tuned, I may give my opinion later on). Doing so would be a bit pointless, in my opinion, as things seem to be pointing squarely toward more legalization and acceptance of marijuana. Instead, I want to seriously evaluate the current and potential effects of broad social acceptance and legalization of marijuana, which in some sense, I think we can regard as massive-scale social experimentation. How, I will ask, does this novel trend stand to affect and transform American society? While legalizing marijuana can have undeniably positive effects, it also effectively amounts to an extraordinary social experiment, which may unleash a host of unforeseen consequences. 

Firstly, I think it crucial to note and review why public attitudes toward marijuana have shifted and, correspondingly, it has increasingly become legalized across the United States. The point I essentially want to make is one that most readers will probably already be familiar with—Namely, that all of this has not happened in a vacuum.  

One principal reason for this tremendous shift in sentiment and law concerns the medical applicability of marijuana, with an expansive body of medical literature now detailing its considerable benefits. For instance, research has proven that marijuana can help ease symptoms of various conditions, including Parkinson's disease, nerve pain, and multiple sclerosis. These proven medical benefits represent a significant factor, along with a growing perception that marijuana is less harmful to users than other drugs, causing public opinion to be favorable toward it, according to studies that examine increased support for marijuana legalization. 

Another underlying component behind the trend regards the economic benefit, in the form of increased tax revenue and an overall boost to the local economy, that people tend to perceive legalization as bringing to communities. This benefit is tangible—producing notable economic advantages in states where marijuana legalization has occurred—and based on public opinion studies, awareness of it also seems to be a key driver of more favorable attitudes toward marijuana. 

Finally, a restitutive element, correcting the harms of the War on Drugs, also, to some extent, characterizes the rise in support for marijuana legalization. With origins tracing back to the 1970s when President Nixon proclaimed drugs public enemy number one, the War on Drugs entailed a crackdown on the production, distribution, and consumption of psychoactive drugs such as marijuana and, generally speaking, is seen as a colossal failure of the US government. For many members of the public, and some elected officials, legalizing marijuana holds tremendous potential for criminal justice reform, especially for marginalized communities disproportionately harmed by the War on Drugs. 

I bring up all of these—let us face it—regularly trotted out reasons for legalizing marijuana because, ultimately, they have been and continue to be, rightfully, I would argue, enormously successful. However, their general prevailing, I contend, does not automatically negate counterarguments. As I mentioned earlier, the massive-scale legalization of marijuana effectively represents an extraordinary social experiment that could produce social harm just as much as it could yield social benefits. 

This social experiment regarding increased marijuana legalization is so consequential that I would argue, essentially, it mirrors in significant ways the nationwide Prohibition of alcohol lasting from 1920 to 1933. While Prohibition concerned restricting the use of a substance instead of permitting its use, as is the case with marijuana today, I refer to it because, overall, I believe it provides crucial lessons on how the present social experiment with marijuana could play out. 

In the American cultural psyche, Prohibition often gets seen as an utter and complete failure. And there is some truth to that idea. We commonly think of Prohibition as leading to increased crime and violence—á la Al Capone—and some research indicates it did. Prohibition also proved unpopular with much of the public while it was in effect, losing supporters every year and diminishing government tax revenues at a crucial time just before the Great Depression. Indeed, that companies such as Budweiser have, in recent years, put out ads depicting celebrations following the end of Prohibition speaks not only to their selfish interests, I think, but also to something more universal about our collective historical memory. 

The truth, however, is a bit messier than this standard view of Prohibition allows. As a matter of fact, in some sense, Prohibition accomplished the goals it set out to achieve. Crucially, while it was in effect, the rate of alcohol consumption in the United States markedly decreased, and health issues related to alcohol abuse, such as liver cirrhosis and alcoholic psychosis, also declined in prevalence. And in the years following its repeal, alcohol consumption increased, and today is slightly more than before Prohibition, with alcohol currently representing the third-leading cause of preventable death nationally. It is this untidy truth of Prohibition, contrary to how we often view it, that I think holds relevance to understanding the current state of affairs regarding marijuana in this country. 

Despite the Prohibition of alcohol being unpopular both in the past and present, it almost certainly saved lives. One could, in my opinion, reasonably argue that it was a success in many ways. As an individual, I do not believe that we should go back to it—I think that if responsible adults want to enjoy a drink, they should be allowed to do so. Nevertheless, I also think the lessons of Prohibition shed light on what is happening with the wide-scale legalization of marijuana. The positive side of Prohibition may inversely mirror a harmful side of marijuana legalization: Specifically, an increase in marijuana use and a corresponding rise in health issues, and related social ills, arising from that use. 

As discussed, legalizing marijuana carries with it various benefits for society. However, notwithstanding what local stoners may have told you, marijuana is not, exactly, outside of a controlled medical environment, super healthy for the body. It can hinder brain development among younger users and increase the risk of a heart attack. Likewise, among other issues, it can induce temporary paranoia or worsen symptoms of those suffering from paranoia and other mental health conditions. Research indicates that, as mentioned earlier, legalizing marijuana results in higher use, which in light of the harms associated with it, makes this social experiment of legalization somewhat concerning.

One might counter, of course, that marijuana is far from the most dangerous substance out there. It is nearly impossible to overdose on marijuana, and the stereotype of the mellow stoner is far from a menace to society. Additionally, one might argue that the comparison to alcohol is false, as alcohol can be, in many ways, a far more dangerous drug. Though tens of thousands of people die from alcohol-related causes in the United States each year, marijuana alone does not kill. Why, one might rightfully ask, should marijuana be illegal when alcohol remains legal? 

I do not dispute those who question the relative fairness of the differing legalities of marijuana and alcohol. However, I also consider that rationale shaky for a couple of reasons. Despite marijuana being probably no worse, if not better, for users than alcohol, that does not make it healthy for them. The damage potentially caused by introducing another harmful substance of choice to society, as the current massive-scale social experiment with marijuana legalization seems to be doing, is concerning. Moreover, another issue regards the problems related to mixing alcohol and marijuana, which heightens the detrimental effects of both drugs. As I see things, it is probably more dangerous for us as a society to have two principal substances of choice instead of just one. 

Crucially, if the case of Prohibition teaches us anything, I think it thus: legalizing a drug essentially normalizes it and is likely to be associated with a rise in use. And as I have continuously mentioned throughout this blog post, that seems to be the case with marijuana. Public sentiment toward it has softened tremendously, especially among young people, who currently use it at record-high rates. Notwithstanding the reasons generally cited for legalizing marijuana, which I sympathize with immensely, there is much to be concerned about regarding the massive-scale social experiment of legalizing marijuana. The fundamental question to ask—though, as mentioned at the beginning of this post, there is probably no stopping the trend—is what makes this all worth it?

And, of course, that is a rhetorical question. My personal opinion is that maybe, probably, marijuana ought to be legalized or, at the very least, decriminalized and authorized for medical use. At the same time, however, I have misgivings about doing so. While the wave of legalization is likely unstoppable at this point, its effects could be harmful, not just beneficial. It is, ultimately, an extraordinary social experiment of enormous proportions. We will see how it plays out.

“Medical Marijuana Dispensary” by Goodnight London is licensed under CC BY 2.0