Legalize It: The UN Says No..

                       In recent U.S. news, recreational marijuana use has been legalized in 2 states, Washington and Colorado. The legislation which was voted on in early November, passed into effect this week signaling the transition toward a more progressive stance on marijuana laws for the U.S. This legislation allows for people to smoke marijuana recreationally for personal use, overriding the previous law that required citizens to have a prescription for medical marijuana use. Days after the decision was reached that Washington and Colorado would in fact have legalized recreational marijuana use; the UN announced that the states are violating the international treaties on drug control.

                      What’s the big fuss about? Raymond Yans, the President of the International Narcotics Control Board (also known as INCB) stated his opinion on the matter in a recent press release (Nimmo). Yans expressed his apparent concern on the matter going so far to say that Washington and Colorado “are in violation of the international drug control treaties, and pose a great threat to public health and the well-being of society far beyond those states” (Nimmo). His viewpoint was justified through several reasons he gave later in the press release; calling for sanctions that penalized Washington and Colorado for potentially harming the current welfare of children. Pointing out that through recreational marijuana use, society sends the wrong signals to the youth- giving them reasons to find drug use (and abuse) acceptable in our society. To sum up his apparent dismay with the new marijuana legislation, he advocated that the U.S. resolve the problems that are being complicated in DC. Such as the new issue revolving around states’ rights versus the federal government, Yans called for the U.S. to drop the new legislation and ensure full compliance with the International Drug Control treaties along with ensuring the well-being of its citizens. 

                          The repercussions of the newly passed laws that now recreationalize marijuana use haven’t fully been gauged. Many proponents of marijuana legalization propose that in doing so; it will help weaken the grip that cartels have within the drug trade in Central America. Because the U.S. has kept marijuana illegal (under federal law), we’ve opened up an illicit market for criminal drug trafficking. This in turn has allowed large gangs such as the cartels to gain monopolies on the drug trade- a monopoly they achieve through force and violence. This underground industry is estimated to bring in revenues up to $36 billion a year (Johnson). And recently, officials are finding out that cartels are finding themselves more into the business side of criminal activity involving marijuana. Of all the illegal drugs that cartels are pushing into the United States, marijuana is the biggest proponent of the mix (Grillo).Sure enough, with criminal activity and illegal drugs comes violence, and cartels find themselves using instruments of violence in order to get what they want.  The violence has now spread into the U.S., border towns are now some of the most unsafe areas in the country and fears that the cartels could be moving operations closer and into the U.S. are startling. Through new legislation, as seen with Washington and Colorado, legalizing marijuana would eliminate the illicit market that we’ve created. It would also eliminate the violence that is taking place alongside drug deals, as well as reduce the number of criminals who would go to prison under marijuana-related offenses.

                          The problem has two sides that polarize legalization of marijuana. U.S. administration has to heed the warnings of the UN; in keeping a good rapport with the INCB and abide by international drug standards. Yet, it should also be aware of the potential benefits that would come with marijuana legalization; if a law was passed to legalize marijuana throughout the rest of the contiguous states, not only would it help end the drug war and eliminate a market for the cartels, it would also clean up a healthy U.S.-Mexico alliance that could focus on the drug war. On the economical side of things, the U.S. would create a whole new industry that would bring in high revenues- creating a new market for marijuana related items. The economy would flourish, in a time where the economy and budget are in the minds of all U.S. citizens.  So in overview of what policy the U.S. should take, a game of international relations occurs. Does the U.S. find a way to appease the UN’s International Narcotics Control Board, and reverse the legislation keeping marijuana illegal in the states, or does it try to eliminate a huge drug war that has ravished the border states? In reality, the UN giving a statement in disapproval of our current marijuana laws doesn’t have much weight. But it does set the standards for where our country moves forward socially, and does change the way the kids in the next few years will see marijuana use. Reasonably the U.S. should pursue a policy that is more progressive on marijuana use and legalization; it can help pave new paths toward a (drug) war-torn Mexico and control the extent of how much control cartels will have in the future.

Works Cited:

Johnson, Gary. "Legalize Marijuana to Stop the Drug Cartels." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 26 Aug. 2010. Web. 08 Dec. 2012.

Nimmo, Kurt. "United Nations Moves to Impose International Treaties On States Legalizing Marijuana // Current TV." United Nations Moves to Impose International Treaties On States Legalizing Marijuana // Current TV. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2012.

Press, Associated. "Marijuana Legalization in Colo., Wash. Complicates Drug-free Work Policies." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 07 Dec. 2012. Web. 08 Dec. 2012.

Grillo, Ioan. "A New Way to Fight Mexico's Vicious Cartels: Legalizing Marijuana Read More: Http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2084224,00.html#ixzz2EVVbOC00. Time, 27 July 2011. Web. 08 Dec. 2012.

"Obama Administration considering Ways to Overturn Marijuana Legalization in Washington and Colorado — RT." Obama Administration considering Ways to Overturn Marijuana Legalization in Washington and Colorado €” RT. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2012.