In this post I will be discussing how the use of marijuana changes from a
valence issue to a non-valance issue.
Do Marijuana
Use Lead to Social Problems?
Marijuana is a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substance Act
(1970), one that the federal law recognizes as having high potential for abuse
with no medical use, and is not safe to use with supervision by medical
practitioner. Before this classification, marijuana has long been subjected to
strict restriction in its cultivation and distribution from the early 1900s.
The image of marijuana use was most drastically criticized since the 1930s,
when Harry Anslinger headed the then Federal Bureau of Narcotics. He sought to
get rid of all drugs and spread claims in his anti-narcotics propaganda on the
harmful effects of drug abuse on society, ranging from violent crimes and
sexual offences. Such an image had been ingrained in society that the use and
abuse of marijuana is bad, and the government is responsible in resolving this
valence issue.
Whilst the public generally accepts the fact that marijuana abuse is
wrong, it is not the same with marijuana usage. Baumgartner & Jones had
discussed on the inadequacy of statistics and reliable data. There has not been
reliable data indicating that marijuana usage would lead to abuse, that all
users are abusers. Nor are there data that directly link controlled marijuana
usage to social problems. Most data on crime rates are at best proxies to
relate to drug abuse, but not drug use. The lack of explicit and conclusive
evidence that marijuana use contributes to social problems makes it harder to
define it as a social problem itself.
Separately, research on the medicinal value of marijuana had demonstrated
its potential to help various groups of patients such as epileptic children.
The need to protect the young and vulnerable had stirred a public response that
warms up towards more medical research on marijuana. Marijuana is no longer
seen as a social problem, but a medical solution. However, the federal law
prohibits medicinal applications of marijuana as well, leading to greater
tension, none so far as the legalization of medicinal marijuana use in 20
states, with more states looking to relax rules pertaining to some medicinal
use of marijuana as well. This showed that the public no longer see marijuana
use as a valence issue that requires governmental intervention.
Federal Dilemma
in Relaxing Rule on Marijuana Use
Legalizing medical and recreational marijuana usage by the states,
despite knowing that federal law is against it, is a way for electorates to
send a message to the Obama administration to relax the laws on marijuana. Yet,
President Obama and his administration did nothing to change the federal law.
Perhaps, it is a legacy issue from past presidents and the DEA that proves to
be too difficult to overturn for political reasons. It could also be that the
absence of reliable data that marijuana use would not lead to abuse forces
Congress to be cautious in any relaxation, to keep to the known-knowns.
The bottom line is: there is no real incentive for the federal
government to open the Pandora’s Box to legalize marijuana, only to have the
law reinstated in the future, or being forced to legalize other drugs. Such
actions could show incompetence of the current administration which would be
politically bad to the administration. Thus, it is not surprising that
President Obama chose inaction, and even granted selective medical research.
This proves that the federal government has recognized that marijuana use is no
longer a social issue, but a political one.
(596 words)
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