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Drugs have always been one of the most debated topics worldwide. This is because every drug has a great impact on the health of human beings due to which it is necessary to examine the drugs before using them. Specifically, discussing marijuana which is also a recreational drug, Australians are divided on whether the drug should be legalized or not.

According to Australian law, possession of marijuana is considered illegal and the federal penalty applies if an individual is caught having marijuana. On the other hand, in South Australia, the possession of a small amount of marijuana is permitted. However, in Western Australia, the possession of even a small amount of marijuana is prohibited and an individual caught with less than 10g of marijuana will have to receive a cannabis intervention requirement notice to join the face to face counselling session. Recently, in Sydney, a bill has passed according to which residents are allowed to possess 50 grams of marijuana and can even grow two plants per person. The legalization of marijuana is specifically for medical purposes (Reuter, 2010).

The main reason why many people are not supporting the legalization of marijuana is because it is a drug of abuse. Conversely, if marijuana is addictive so is the alcohol. So, if the government is not banning alcohol consumption, then they should also not ban the use of marijuana as despite being a drug of abuse, it can be used for treating several diseases. Also, lifting a ban on marijuana will also help people that are incarcerated for the possession of very small quantity of marijuana (Herbie & Stern, 2015). However, lifting the ban would also have a disadvantage as people who were incarcerated for few amounts of marijuana possession can involve in possessing a large quantity as well that can result in severe consequences (Neill & Martin, 2015).

According to the functional theory, social problems do not reflect faults in the structure of society and therefore social problems can be solved by gradual social reforms (Barkan, 2013). Thus, the government must make policies where marijuana can only be legalized for medical purposes and can be given to the patients that have a physician’s prescription rather than allowing every citizen to possess a few amounts of marijuana.

References

Barkan, S. E. (2013). Social problems: Continuity and change. Flat World Knowledge, Incorporated.

Herbie, J., Hempstead, N. Y., & Stern, R. C. (2015). DIVIDED WE STAND: MEDICAL MARIJUANA AND FEDERALISM. Health Lawyer.

Neill, K. A., & Martin, W. (2015). Marijuana Reform: Fears and Facts. Issue Brief, (02.04. 15).

Reuter, P. (2010). Marijuana legalization: what can be learned from other countries. Baltimore, MD: RAND Drug Policy Research Center, University of Maryland.