Should Marijuana Be Legalized in Louisiana?

There is a growing sentiment in our state and around the country that marijuana is harmless and therefore should be legalized.  After all, if alcohol is legal, why not marijuana?  But is it really harmless?

Opponents of legalization have warned us that legalizing the drug will pose a great threat to youth, because as its availability rises, its use among youth will rise.  As well, those against legalization have warned that just as excessive drinking leads to deadly traffic accidents, so will the increased use of marijuana.  But should we take these warnings seriously?

Now that marijuana has been legalized in several states for some time, actual data is becoming available that can help us to make a wise decision, both in Louisiana, and on the federal level.  For example, here's what the state of Colorado has found since legalizing marijuana, according to Jeff Hunt, the Vice President of Public Policy at Colorado Christian University:

• In the past few years, marijuana-related traffic deaths have increased by 62% in Colorado!
• Colorado youth now rank #1 in the nation for using marijuana, at a rate of 74% higher than the national average.
• Emergency Department visits related to marijuana use have increased by 49% since the legalization of marijuana.  

These numbers aren't small.  They are huge!  There are pros and cons on both sides of the debate.  When something is criminalized, a few questions need to be asked:  (1) Is it possible to enforce the law?  And (2) What are the unintended consequences of prohibition?  On the flip side, before legalizing a banned substance like marijuana, there are other questions to be asked:  (1) What problems will legalization solve?  And (2) What problems will it create?  Legalization might eliminate a few problems, but will it create even bigger ones?  

Here's a thought to chew on:  The prohibition of marijuana is not the cause of our problems; it is the illegal use of a banned substance.  At the same time, the prohibition of marijuana does not hurt law-abiding citizens, nor does it deprive them of some good that will increase human flourishing.  However, the legalization of marijuana will have a negative impact on law-abiding citizens, and it will decrease human flourishing.  In other words, the prohibition of marijuana doesn't hurt me and my family one bit.  And if people don't want to face jail time or fines for using marijuana, then they need to obey the law.  However, legalizing marijuana will negatively impact me and my family, (1) as more of my neighbors will become drug users (which will affect their marriage, their children, their performance at work, etc), (2) the roads will become more dangerous, and (3) the drug will become more available and more socially acceptable, making it more tempting for my children.