The Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis act has gotten enough voter signatures to be on California’s November ballot. To see a full explanation of the voter initiative and justifications for marijuana legalization, see The California Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act: Part 1. Polls show that of voters that have decided, 59% support the act. However, opponents say the bill will not be worth the tax pay day it will provide. These opponents fall into two major camps – those who believe the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis will cause medical or crime problems, and those who believe it will hurt the quality of marijuana.
Medical arguments against legal marijuana
The medical uses of marijuana are hotly debated, though quite a few doctors have been quoted as stating the drug does have medical uses. However, the legalization of recreational use could lead to various negative health effects.
Lung tissue can be seriously hurt by long-term smoking of any substance, and marijuana is mostly smoked. Reaction time and short term memory have also been shown to be damaged by long-term pot smoking. Opponents use the medical argument to claim that legalization would increase use, which would hurt overall public health.
Criminal arguments against legal marijuana
The California Peace Officers Association, among quite a few others, has spoken out against the initiative intended to legalize marijuana. The Association lobbyist has been quoted in several news outlets as saying “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?”
No matter what California voters do, opponents point out that marijuana is nevertheless regarded as a Schedule I illegal drug by the federal government. While enforcement on medical marijuana has been lax, marijuana use, sale, and possession remain serious federal crimes. If marijuana were to be legalized in California, it could entice organized crime and drug cartels 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 in opposition to the voter initiative, saying that legal pot could be economically damaging. Growers fear that if marijuana were legal, it would decrease 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. In addition to price fears, growers worry that large corporations would begin growing marijuana. If they had to compete against agribusiness, several growers fear they would be put out of business.
California’s Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis act has strong arguments both for and against passage. The debate about legalization has been raging for over a hundred years, and when California voters go to the polls in November, the result can be closely watched and hotly discussed for a long time to come.
