The Benefits of Marijuana Legalization and Regulation

Abstract

There is increasing support for marijuana law reform than ever before, and the legalization of marijuana has many serious public policy implications. This paper highlights the problems with criminalizing marijuana use and its disparate impact on people of color. The criminalization of marijuana has also failed to meet its goals and has negative impact on individual and public health. Finally, criminalization impacts the workplace, environment, and public resources. In the end, data suggests that the legalization of marijuana reduces the harms of criminalization and is good for public policy.