TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – With 19 states and Washington DC already legalizing adult-use marijuana and five more states set to vote on it during the mid-term elections in less than two weeks, it’s time to look at the ups and downs of the drug and it’s legalization.

According to a 2022 Gallup poll, more Americans are smoking marijuana than cigarettes with 16% of Americans smoking marijuana and only 11% smoking cigarettes.

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On the positive side, groups that support legalizing marijuana say that it phases out the black market and money for drug cartels, organized crime and street gangs; there are less people in prison; it frees up law enforcement resources; there is tax money added to support public programs; there are added jobs and businesses to local economies; it helps with pain and medical issues; it’s regulated to be safer and it’s less harmful than alcohol and other drugs.

On the negative side, opponents say there is often a bad community impact on the drug’s use and how it affects a person’s quality of life; there has been an increase in youths smoking marijuana; there are more marijuana-related medical emergencies for people and pets; their is an effect on workers causing accidents and having lost productivity; and there are short and long-term effects from using the drug.

Let’s look at a few of these arguments, pro and con…

According to the Michigan Marijuana Regulator Agency’s report “Marijuana in Michigan: What You Need to Know,” marijuana use has been increasing in Michigan’s young adults ages 18-25 and they discuss how marijuana use may impact the developing brain. The report states, “Regular use of marijuana by adolescents may impact the ability to learn and retain information. Youth who use marijuana regularly have been shown to have lower math and reading scores.”

They also point out that marijuana contains many of the same chemicals as tobacco smoke and is not healthy for the lungs. Additionally, they warn that marijuana is only legal for adults 21 and older and marijuana-related charges could cause a student to become ineligible for or lose financial aid for college.

Along the lines of the safety of buying the drug, even from legal dispensaries, there appears to be a problem with illicit product that, Brian Hanna, the new acting director of Michigan’s Cannabis Regulator Agency, is charged with having to deal with. While it’s unknown how much illicit product has made its way into the regulated market, a Michigan Cannabis Manufacturers Association- commissioned study found nearly 70% of all cannabis consumed in our state in 2020 came from non-retail sources, including home cultivation, caregivers and the illicit market.

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Hanna discussed in a roundtable interview recently with the media that a reference lab is “under serious consideration” that would be a benchmark to determine if tests ran by other labs are accurate. He said that it’s a “major concern” whether customers are able to trust the products they buy from licensed dispensaries are safe, especially when illicit products get into the supply chain.

In looking at how marijuana affects the workforce, marijuana, as you would expect, is prohibited both on and off-site of many Michigan employers. Many businesses even have drug tests as a prerequisite to getting hired and might even have drug tests after someone is employed. So although marijuana is legalized to some degree, the mix of the drug and a job is not a good one.

The most positive and vehement argument for legalizing marijuana is its effects on chronic pain and other medical and psychological ills. 28 states and Washington D.C. have legalized marijuana for medical use. The Mayo Clinic says, “studies report that medical cannabis has possible benefit for several conditions” and it’s used for various conditions including Alzheimer’s disease, ALS, HIV/AIDS, Crohn’s disease, Epilepsy and seizures, Glaucoma, MS, severe nausea from cancer treatments as well as severe and chronic pain. Medical marijuana comes in many forms including a pill, liquid, oil, powder and dry leaves.

As marijuana gets legalized across the country, communities will have to take a deeper look into into its effects on health, the workplace, finances, taxes, the law, teenagers, and other issues as its usage becomes more prevalent in Michigan and other states.