User:I1stephe/Cannabis in California

Opposition to Marijuana Legalization
Currently, Marijuana is decriminalized in California. Proposition 64 was passed with a 53% to 47% vote, which resulted in the decriminalization of use, sale, cultivation, and distribution of Marijuana under specified circumstances. The 47% opposition vote has several dissenting opinions on why Marijuana should remain criminalized and why it should not be legalized. (CALM) is a political organization which stands for Citizens Against Legalizing Marijuana; their position on the matter is the drug maintains it's status as a schedule 1 drug and that the benefits of Marijuana are untrue and not backed by proper research. A primary argument in the support for decriminalization of Cannabis is that it has been deemed less toxic toxic to the body compared to Alcohol and it pulls police resources away from larger crimes.

According to the FDA, much is still unknown regarding Cannabis and it's long-term and short-term health effects, as a result of limited study. Cannabis products have the potential to cause liver damage, damage to fertility, brain activity changes, and other unknown side effects. In addition to potential harms of Cannabis use unknown to the FDA, there is also false claims regarding the benefits of Cannabis use. A common benefit claim for cannabis is it's use as a pain reliever in assisting chronic pain patients and it's use an an anti-inflammatory; however, these findings varied or lacked sufficiency. Another point of view regarding opposition to marijuana legalization is that it aims to create a new Big Tobacco Industry. The laws and regulations surrounding decriminalized marijuana make it expensive to get involved in due to licensing and fees, and a proposed positive to proposition 64 was a reduction in criminal charges against people of color in urban areas; however, the laws passed which decriminalize marijuana under the specified circumstances don't reduce charges for distribution.