Sociology of Crime: Legalization of Marijuana in Australia

This essay examines the debate surrounding the legalization of marijuana for recreational use in Australia, considering the sociological implications. It explores both the potential benefits, such as increased tax revenue, reduced burden on the justice system, and the dismantling of the black market, and the potential drawbacks, like increased use among teens and potential health risks. The essay analyzes the arguments for and against legalization, referencing relevant research and studies. The author employs a functionalist perspective to argue that societal norms should evolve to address the increasing use of marijuana, weighing the advantages and disadvantages of legalization and proposing that a government agency could effectively regulate and monitor the industry. The paper concludes that legalization offers significant advantages for the economy and society, while advocating for education and responsible consumption rather than criminalization.

Sociology of Crime

Legalization of Marijuana
Legalization of Marijuana has been a popular topic for debate and discussion during the past
few years with several countries including many American states legalising the use of marijuana
for non-medical and recreational use (Galston and Dionne Jr, 2013). One of the main reason why
use of marijuana has been illegal for the past many years is the addictiveness and the likelihood
of the person who consumes it being hooked to using it. Marijuana is considered to be one of the
highly abusive drugs. However, the last few years have witnessed a magnificent increase in the
number of people in support and favour of legalising the marijuana for recreational uses. In this
essay, an attempt is being made to arrive at a conclusion whether use of marijuana for
recreational purposes should be legalised in Australia on the basis of analysing the existing
strength and weakness of the marijuana legalization.
Legalization of marijuana in Australia can be evaluated from two different perspectives with
respect to its benefits and demerits. Having a look at the negative effects of legalising the
marijuana, the following important points need to be considered which are that legalising
marijuana will increase its use and consumption primarily among teens which is bound to have
an impact on their health as well as other areas which include career deviation, school
performances etcetera (Estoup and et. al, 2016). People against legalising marijuana in the
country have argued that it will increase the risk of health problems such as schizophrenia and
other psychotic symptoms due to a regular use without any restriction. Opinions such as
increasing risk of mental disorders and car accidents as a result of driving after consuming
cannabis have also formed the shape of arguments against the motion of legalization of
marijuana (McGinty and et. al, 2017). However, it can certainly be observed that the threats or
risks associated with legalization of marijuana are outweighed by its potential advantages and
benefits. Physical benefits attributable to the consumption of marijuana have remarkable
importance in reducing the mental stress and anxiety for a person. When used in appropriate
quantity, marijuana leads to relaxing and energising the mind and improves the individual
thinking and creative capacity. It also helps in psychological satisfaction. Other than that,
marijuana has immense healing potential and power which is yet to be realised by the existing
western medication (Johannigman and Eschiti, 2013). Many researches have found that usage of
marijuana reduces the likelihood and chances of cancer development in a person to a great
extent. Medication of cancer is also being developed with marijuana as the most important base.

Along with that, marijuana consumption also has spiritual benefits. The current drug
administration policy related to marijuana in Australia is based on the approach of minimising
the harms associated with it by measures such as reducing and mitigating the supply, preventing
the demand and primarily reduction of other harms. Over the years, despite of having such
strategy there hasn’t been a tangible reduction in the usage and consumption of marijuana in
Australia (Roffman, 2013). Also, it is very important to realise that most of the harms which are
associated with drugs are precisely because of criminalisation of drug usage. For example,
criminal records which can affect the future and career of a person because of possession of
drugs for recreational use. Legalization of marijuana will certainly reduce a lot of harms which
are associated with its excess usage. It provides a platform for tracking its usage in the country
and restrictions can be laid in terms of permissible quantities of consumption for non-medical
and recreational use (Ryan and Ammerman, 2017). It can be argued that legalization of
marijuana in Australia and formation of a government agency which can monitor, regulate,
supervise, license the production and sale and constantly review the regulations has many
advantages and benefits. Government agency can give out licenses to various retail chains would
assume the position of the sole wholesaler in the industry which gives it an opportunity to
completely track the supply and demand of marijuana in the country. As a result of the strict drug
administration strategy of Australia, a very significant amount and part of the work done by the
judiciary system of the country along with police departments is being spent on the apparently
criminal offences which are related to usage of drugs like marijuana. In addition to that, a large
portion of the amount which is allocated for budget is also being incurred for the purpose of
mitigating and cribbing the drug consumption in the country. Despite of all such hard work and
costs being incurred, laws which are being enforced for drug administration have had a very low
or negligible impact and influence on the existing drug market within Australia. Legalization of
marijuana can certainly help a great deal in reducing the current burden and pressure which is
being laid on the judiciary system along with police department to crib the usage of drug in the
country (Mönckeberg, 2014). Resources and human power of the justice system can be used
much effectively for controlling more serious crimes and offences in the country which can
definitely lead to a reduction in the crime rate in the country. According to a study, more than
$29 Billion dollars are being spent by the government of the country for the sole purpose of
restricting the usage and consumption of marijuana and this amount can be saved by legalizing

the marijuana. Another potential benefit of legalization of marijuana is the additional source of
income and revenue for the government as tax. It can be argued that even though marijuana
usage and consumption for recreational purposes is currently illegal in Australia, a noteworthy
percentage of the population including many adults are still committed to regular usage and
consumption of marijuana. With the help of legalization of marijuana and tax implications, the
amount of revenue and income which can be generated from this source as taxes is massive.
Legalization of marijuana would open up avenues for government agencies to track and monitor
the production and supply of marijuana in the country and taxes can be levied accordingly
(Caulkins, Kilmer and Kleiman, 2016). Amount expected as taxes will undoubtedly exceed the
amount which is now being collected in the form of fines and charges by a huge margin.
According to the Parliamentary Budget Office of the country, estimated revenue from taxes
levied as a result of marijuana legalization is around A$259 million which is a very huge amount
that can be further invested back into the economy for development of the society and
infrastructure development as well. Potential of legalization of marijuana to increase the revenue
for the government is one of the biggest benefits and can’t be overlooked by any means. Another
argument in favour of responsible and limited usage of marijuana is that many people have an
opinion which considers the restriction on marijuana usage as a contravention on their civil rights
as the harms associated with its usage are limited such as very low risk of overdosing and
causing any harm to other people. It can be observed that many activities which are legal still
have a high risk of potential damage to the society such as for instance consumption of alcohol,
adventure sports, driving vehicles etcetera. Similarly, guidelines should be issues and education
needs to be imparted regarding the potential benefits of limited and responsible consumption of
marijuana to make it safer and mitigate its harmful effects rather than just criminalising it and
completely banning its usage. According to a study, legalization of marijuana in the country will
result into dismantling of the existing black market which is desirable by the government of the
country (Jacobi and Sovinsky, 2016). It will also be a major step towards reducing and
mitigating the violence which often arises out of drug-related gang issues. Legalization of
marijuana in the country will provide the opportunity to a person who faces any kind of injustice
to report to the police and seek help. It is a very important step for ensuring the safety of the
population who often become the victims of violence which are related to drug related gang
wars. Legalization of marijuana would also open up investment opportunities in the industry like

any other industry such as cigarette, tobacco etcetera. It will help in improving the quality and
ensuring the safety of the substances and reduce the pressure on the country’s medical system.
Improving the quality also helps in reducing the health risks which arise as a result of presence
of other polluting and unknown substances in the marijuana which is being sold on the streets.
Also, legalization of marijuana would require establishing of dispensaries and marijuana
nurseries which will help in creation of more employment opportunities in the society and
provide more jobs to the people.
There are different theory or theoretical perspectives which can be used for explaining a
particular perspective on any social issue or problem. Functionalism perspective views the
society as a composition of interconnected parts or components which function together in a way
which can help in meeting the needs and requirements of the people or the individuals which are
living in the society. This theory puts forward the argument that in a similar fashion to how
human body consists of multiple organs which are vital for the complete functioning of the
human body, a society is also dependent on its many parts and components for its effective
functioning. Functionalism perspective argues that members of the society function together in
agreement to act in a way which derives the maximum benefit for the society as a whole
(Patterson, 2012). This perspective best defines the position of the argument made in this essay.
According to the structural functionalism perspective, increasing drug usage and consumption in
the society is a result of primary increase in the stress levels in the society over the past few
years with lives of people becoming more complex and complicated. According to this
theoretical perspective, the society should evolve and make changes in its norms and beliefs with
time to maintain the balance between different components and parts of the society which forms
the basis of the argument made in the essay in favour of legalizing the consumption of marijuana
for recreational purpose in Australia. The reason why this perspective best explains the position
of the argument made in the essay is because the functionalism argues that in response to the
increasing usage of marijuana in the country, there is a need to make structural changes and
amendments which can help in mitigating the negative effect of this trend and increase the
positives associated with it which is in complete alignment and harmony with the argument
which is being made throughout the essay. Functionalism perspective of legalizing marijuana is
concerned with an examination of the benefits and advantages of legalizing marijuana with
respect to the economy of the country and the benefits for the society (Knyazeva, Kravec and

Poperechna, 2014). It involves finding solutions for creating the balance between this issue to
redefine the norms of the society and get the most out of the positive aspects associated with it.
Hence, it can be said that the argument which is being made in the essay or the position of the
essay in favour of legalizing marijuana can be best explained with the functionalism or
structural-functional theoretical perspective.
On the basis of above discussion it can be argued that the legalization of marijuana in
Australia has many potential advantages which should be considered by the government and the
positive impact on the society and the economy is tangible as a result of legalization of
marijuana. It can also be concluded that while many people in the country are still using
marijuana for recreational purposes despite it being illegal, legalizing marijuana in the country
will open spaces for better education and control of the drug market and will also help in
generation of huge amounts of additional revenues as tax for the country which can be used for
developmental projects. However, it is very important to realise that while the negative aspects
associated with usage of marijuana are limited, there is still a need of responsible and limited
usage which can improve the positive aspects it has to offer. At last, it can be concluded that
without having a proper restriction and tracking, the consumption of marijuana in Australia is
harmful and legalizing marijuana in the country would certainly help in enticing its proper
limited and responsible usage.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Caulkins, J.P., Kilmer, B. and Kleiman, M.A., 2016. Marijuana legalization: What everyone
needs to know®. Oxford University Press.
Estoup, A.C., Moise-Campbell, C., Varma, M. and Stewart, D.G., 2016. The impact of marijuana
legalization on adolescent use, consequences, and perceived risk. Substance use &
misuse. 51(14). pp.1881-1887.
Galston, W.A. and Dionne Jr, E.J., 2013. The new politics of marijuana legalization: Why
opinion is changing. Governance Studies at Brookings, pp.1-17.
Jacobi, L. and Sovinsky, M., 2016. Marijuana on main street? Estimating demand in markets
with limited access. American Economic Review. 106(8). pp.2009-45.
Johannigman, S. and Eschiti, V., 2013. Medical use of marijuana in palliative care. Clinical
journal of oncology nursing, 17(4).
Knyazeva, A., Kravec, M.A. and Poperechna, N.V., 2014. Reflections on Legalizing Marijuana.
McGinty, E.E., Niederdeppe, J., Heley, K. and Barry, C.L., 2017. Public perceptions of
arguments supporting and opposing recreational marijuana legalization. Preventive
medicine. 99. pp.80-86.
Mönckeberg, F.B., 2014. Pros and cons of legalizing marijuana. Revista chilena de
pediatria .85(2). pp.229-237.
Patterson, M.L., 2012. Nonverbal behavior: A functional perspective. Springer Science &
Business Media.
Roffman, R.A., 2013. Legalization of marijuana: unraveling quandaries for the addiction
professional. Frontiers in psychiatry. 4. p.50.
Ryan, S.A. and Ammerman, S.D., 2017. Counseling parents and teens about marijuana use in the
era of legalization of marijuana. Pediatrics. 139(3). p.e20164069.
1