Prisons May Become More Crowded Due To Marijuana Use Increase

The citizens of Grand Rapids, Michigan recently voted to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana, joining a large number of towns and cities that have already taken this measure. In addition, Michigan as a whole has previously legalized marijuana for medicinal use, making it one of approximately 20 nationwide who have done so. Colorado and Washington recently made news headlines throughout the country by legalizing cannabis as the first two states to do so.

One of the most common arguments voiced in favor of decriminalizing and legalizing marijuana is the potential effect such an action could have on cutting down on the vast numbers of people who are currently serving time in jail or prison for misdemeanor or felony offenses. In areas of the country where cannabis has been neither decriminalized nor legalized, recent statistics on the consumption of marijuana nationwide paint a disturbing picture which seems to predict that even more people will soon be serving time in prison.

Marijuana Abuse Statistics

A recent announcement from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that marijuana use among teenagers has steadily increased since the mid-2000s after having been decreasing for several years before. This has gone to the point where 36 percent of 12th graders now admit to using marijuana in the past year. These disturbing numbers reflect a trend among American adults, in which more than 18 percent had used marijuana. NIDA states that overall cannabis consumption nationwide has been increasing every year since 2007.

While not all of these people will be arrested and sentenced for drug crimes, many will. Drug related offenses drive the more than six-fold increase in the U.S. prison population, and the ongoing increase in popularity of marijuana is almost sure to lead to further increases as more people are eventually caught by state and federal law enforcement agencies. Marijuana is, after all, still illegal in most parts of the country, and under federal law it is easy to wind up facing felony charges based on involvement with the drug.

Answers To The Problem

Those in favor of decriminalizing cannabis will nearly always point to this ever expanding prison population as clear and convincing evidence of the societal impact that such laws have on the United States. Opponents, however, raise valid concerns over the likelihood that by removing the legal stigma from marijuana, we will be making a reckless move that sends a message to the youth that the drug is somehow not dangerous. The strength of this argument is clear in light of NIDA statistics which indicate that more and more young people are coming to view marijuana as being less of a threat than in previous years.

Clearly, and according to articles from Mlive on the issue in Grand Rapids on the increase in substance abuse another approach is needed. Rather than continuing to throw tens of billions of dollars of taxpayer money at the problem of punishing drug use out of existence and instead of suddenly legalizing drugs and exposing ourselves to the likelihood that consumption rates would increase dramatically, a more effective solution would involve addressing the problems at the bottom of drug abuse.

More money spent on education can serve as a deterrent by helping young people make better decisions about their health and by improving the chances that they will be successful in life and therefore will not turn to drugs in the first place. It is also necessary to recognize that while drugs like marijuana may lead a person into committing crimes, drug abuse and addiction are not of themselves crimes; they are physical and emotional dependencies which can be treated with non-drug based rehabilitation programs.

The rising rates of marijuana use may predict further expansion of the prison population, but the answer is to handle the reason that people begin using the drug, rather than condemning them to years behind bars.