Ultimately, mental health professionals are concerned that an increase in marijuana use among young adults due to drug legalization will lead to an increase in what is known as cannabis use disorder. With a growing number of states legalizing marijuana and other drugs, the debate continues over whether the negative effects of drug decriminalization outweigh the positive ones. In addition, they say, more people can receive treatment if income and taxes from the legal sale of marijuana are channeled to prevention and recovery programs, such as in Oregon and Arizona. Research does confirm that marijuana use among young adults has reached all-time highs, particularly marijuana vaping rates.
Supporters also argue that legalizing and regulating drugs would make marijuana and other drugs safer for consumers. Let's take a closer look at the debate on drug legalization, the pros and cons of drug legalization, and what research says about how drug legalization decriminalization of drugs will affect young adults in particular. Some analysts point to several reasons why drugs should not be legalized and the media have played an important role in shaping public discourse and, indirectly, in formulating policies against legalization. Supporters of drug legalization argue that incarceration is not an effective deterrent to drug use, and that decriminalization makes it possible to regulate the marijuana industry, such as tobacco and alcohol.
They also believe that marijuana is an entry drug and, consequently, an increase in marijuana use would lead to an increase in the use of harder drugs. But are these increases due to the decriminalization of drugs? Studies show that drug legalization has increased marijuana use among adults, but not among adolescents, as many feared would be the case. OxyContin is a legally prescribed substance, with appropriate medical uses, that is, it satisfies the conditions that legalizers provide for cocaine and heroin.
