The effect of the legalization of marijuana on crime.

The Effect of The Legalization of Marijuana on Crime
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The Effect of the Legalization of Marijuana on Crime
Introduction
Many states and countries around the world have been legalizing marijuana or decriminalizing it. The history of banning production, distribution or marijuana led to many unintended consequences. Most people have been incarcerated for possession of what has been found to be a healthy product with medicinal properties. Though many states still enforce the marijuana banning policies, new studies have found that the rationale for criminalizing marijuana may have been ill-advised. Banning production, distribution and use of marijuana was largely a political issue in the early 20th century CITATION Joh173 \l 1033 (Hari, 2017). Internationally, countries like the Netherlands have always legalized marijuana, and they have very low crime rates especially related to marijuana use. Portugal and other European nations decriminalized marijuana among other drugs and a decade into their program; there is less crime related to drugs. Historically, illegal drugs have largely been associated with cartels and drug trafficking organizations who fight for territory, distribution networks, and control of the income from selling these drugs. Most crimes related to drugs have not been because of the effect of the drug on the individual though most of these drugs can adversely affect brain functioning. There has been strong evidence that legalizing or decriminalizing recreational marijuana use reduces crime. Legalizing marijuana has been found to weaken cartels and drug trafficking organizations, leading to a general drop in crime rates and enable governments to reassign resources and law enforcers tasked with cracking down marijuana to other law enforcement channels thus reducing crime.
Weakened cartels and Drug Trafficking Organizations
Cartels and many criminal gangs depend on income from producing and distributing drugs. It is a very lucrative business, and most leaders of these drug trafficking organizations are multibillionaires controlling empires earning billions in profit. Historically, Pablo Escobar and El Chapo (Joaquin Guzman) who have been Columbian and Mexican cartel leaders have been known for their wealth from drug trafficking. Drug trafficking is a very risky business because it is ‘playing hide and seek’ with the government and also keeping an eye of other cartels who want to control the production and or distribution network. The drug users pay high prices for these products, and thus drug trafficking organizations are very profitable. According to CITATION Jam181 \l 1033 (Doward, 2018), ‘It costs around $75 to produce a pound of marijuana in Mexico, which can then be sold on for $6,000 depending on the quality.’ Legalizing marijuana creates an alternative source of the products often for lower prices because the legal channel of producing and distribution of the drug is not risky and it is regulated by the government. In most cases, the cartels cannot beat the prices of the legally produced and distributed marijuana, and therefore their pricing cannot overcome the laws of demand and supply. Most people opt for legally distributed marijuana because a...