Public health policy analysis Essay

Public wellness insurance policy analysis penetration legitimation of ganja has been a heated issue and is featured both(prenominal) in local and national media. The drop of marihuana by adults and offspring in United States is on the increase. give the bouncenabis call remains a checkup problem interrelate since ganja habituaters ar more vulnerable to disorders associated to marihuana use. In the last decades state policies aimed hemp use for medical purposes, while recent policies are advocating for legalisation of cannabis to adults. Public dealing campaigns fully advocate for the legalization of ganja. The main reason organism that prohibition of ganja convey more harm than good and as well go off violence in the markets. The increased use of cannabis amongst the y bulgeh is plenty evidence of failed control measures against marihuana. These opinions come together to enhance promotion of marijuana legalization (Gerber et al, 2004). The recent opinions to legalize marijuana raised furbish ups to (ASAM) American nine of Addiction Medicine. In April 2012, they had to form committee to develop the reaction out-of-pocket to the proposal of marijuana legalization. The committee aims at informing the macrocosm almost marijuana legalization of marijuana and their judgment to the popular policymakers. The ASAM recommends that the chemicals in marijuana that deem an achievementive give-and-take against some illnesses should be legalized as characterized and fix products permitted by the Food and Drug and be dispensed by schoolmaster pharmacies just like any other medicine. ASAMs greatest repair is due to the opinion that marijuana is the most common abused bootleg dose in America. Clear distinction between de guiltyization and legalization is necessary in explanation of objectives and negative impact of marijuana legalization. Legalization deals with the commercialization of production, use and sale of marijuana. On the ot her hand, decriminalization removes penalties to face-to-face use while sale and production of marijuana is prohibited. However, ASAM does non house legalization of marijuana since their research findings reveal that marijuana smoking is not a medicine.Background and relevance marijuana use has several awing health cause which raise concern to human beings health sector. Marijuana can lead to addiction as well as cause of (THC) delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. look into reveals that 9% of marijuana becomes addicted. Marijuana smokers who try to quit experience from anxiety, depression, insomnia, irritability, and appetite disturbance. In 1993, the National Institute on Drug shout carried a study that found that marijuana led to an estimate of 7% of preaching admissions funded by the government. The number increased to 18% in 2009. In Central and Western Europe marijuana use is a life-sustaining macrocosm health issue. Marijuana is said to be the basic medicine being a bused in 21% of the incidents in addiction iron out function in Central and Western Europe, and 14% of incidents in addiction reforms services in Southeast and Eastern Europe. look into found that of entirely do drugs treatment teen while patients, 83% were under dismission treatment for basic marijuana use. Retrieved from http//www.asam.org/policies/state-level-proposals-to-legalize-marijuana Young adults are more prevalent to marijuana addiction. Research from U.S. treatment centers shows that if drug use is s holeted at tender age there is greater risk of dependence. Early use of marijuana might be genius of the causes of increased admissions for marijuana addiction treatment. In Europe, the number of patients seeking treatment due to marijuana addiction increased from 200% from 1999 till 2006, and late stands at 30% of over in all admission cases. on that point are other many health hazards associated to marijuana use apart from addiction. ASAM great concern put a lot of weight to the following major areas. The point substances from marijuana results to short-term impact on the brain in apprisal to attention, verbal fluency, sensory perception, learning, memory, and perception of cadence. The greatest concern is marijuana expending during teenage where brain development is in progress. This results to decreased neurocognitive activity. Mental health NIDA found that marijuana use is associated to increased anxiety, schizophrenia and depression. Research studies brought out age factor as a significant risk factor. Research shows that there is correlation between early marijuana consumption and worsening and development of symptoms of schizophrenia. High usage of marijuana can cause piercing psychotic reaction as well as initiating the beginning or degeneration of schizophrenia in susceptible persons. Prenatal or perinatal some research findings have suggested that marijuana causes retarded fetal growing including length, gestational age, birth weight, and head circumference. Other long-term cause deviate with age. They include depression, decreased wit, and addiction. Respiratory or pulmonary research reveals that marijuana contains more tar, carcinogen and carbon monoxide as compared to tobacco. Marijuana is plausibly to deposit tar four times as compared to tobacco. Chronic smoking has harmful make to the lungs. Marijuana smokers inhale greater volumes of smoke and hold it for longer periods. Research reveals that marijuana smokers are more susceptible to bullous disease as compared to hindquarters teen smokers. Addiction among other health hazards associated to marijuana outlines that marijuana use affects both the exploiter and their family members. ASAM is concerned since they see that the current discussion is exactly concerned with reforms to the ongoing marijuana policy and less(prenominal) concerned with detrimental impact of marijuana consumption. Harmful health and safety impacts of marijuana leave beh ind be of great importance in the decision making in the development a marijuana policy with an aim of astir(p) public health.Objectives of marijuana legalization Legalization of marijuana is considered as a public and safety measure aimed at reducing drug-associated crimes and as a improve to harm caused by marijuana control such as enslavement among others. Advocators of marijuana believe that legalization of marijuana go out reduce wicked marijuana trade and violent crimes associated with the illegal trade. They overly believe that it leave alone be a source of revenue as well as reduce monetary value of law enforcement. There is an ongoing research to analyse the impact of marijuana legalization in United States. Prohibition of drugs such as marijuana increases speak tos of businesses operations due to violence problematical to the illegal drug trafficking. The price of marijuana is expected to reduce to 80% since the social price depend on standard and taxes. Retrie ved from http//www.asam.org/policies/state-level-proposals-to-legalize-marijuana RAND research reveals that marijuana legalization I California would not reduce drug trafficking as well as violence associated with illegal drug trafficking. Research reveals that amused marijuana from legalized production in a given rural area affects all the others since it would lead to reduction of marijuana across that country. Price elasticity of marijuana under legalized plan is complicated since addictive substances behave differently from non-addictive substances. Marijuana legalization will change it from being luxury for first time users to basic necessity to the marijuana addicted persons. Legalization of marijuana is likely to be accompanied by legal advertisement of commercial use marijuana this is likely to increase marijuana consumption. Although most research were carried to look into effect of marijuana legalization in California, the findings might also collapse in another state. Legalization of marijuana might cause cause to the taxes, prices, markets as well as spilling over their effects to the neighboring countries. Legalizing marijuana might be a right step since it will sanction impact of violent related to illegal drug trafficking. It is also believed that public health problems of criminal justice interventions exceed their benefits. This leads to the question as to whether legalization proposals should be passed and amended. Lessening toughness to marijuana use might not be so much fruitful since there can be little or no reduction in the level of solid costs and incarceration rates (Morgan, 2011).Negative impact of legalizing marijuana each state considering altering legal condition of marijuana should consider the health hazard involved as well as the profit of deal up with criminalization of marijuana use and sale. Legal drug use provides evidence that it is national public health issue. Legal drugs of late cause a havoc on public health s ector since it results to pregnant health and financial burden. Legalizing marijuana is likely to lead to an increase in the social costs due to taxes imposed due to the sale of the drugs. The cost of coming up with a regulatory plan for legal marijuana is also unknown. Although legalization of marijuana might be aimed at increase funding for prevention, addiction and treatment of commercial activities linked to legal marijuana. wellness effects of gradual increase use of marijuana would rise sharply. It is also likely that legalization of marijuana will be accompanied by increase in number of marijuana related issues such as driving under marijuana influence, violations in act regulating age limits as well as public use violations. Research reveals that marijuana is the most famous drug associated to drugged driving. Fatal injuries, crashes and even deaths are commonly linked to habitual marijuana use. Drugged driving will raise the cost of injuries, loss of lives and crashes. De creased highway safety is a major negative impact of marijuana legalization (Gerber et al, 2004). American academy of Pediatrics predicted that legalizing marijuana will result to increased use of marijuana amongst the youth. The fact is that there is a positive relationship between drug use and availability. Advocators of the policy should consider detrimental effects of marijuana availability to the society if the law was passed and amended. There will be an increased incidents of marijuana related cases, addiction as well as the regulatory cost that will be passed to the public in form of taxes.International place setting The advocators of marijuana legalization policy usually come from experience from nations with less strict policies on drug use. It should not be understood that no country has ever legalized marijuana. Most countries use decriminalization policies where they have a specific limit of marijuana or a given drug use for private purposes while drug use for comme rcial services remains illegal. In a country like Netherlands, commercial drug businesses are illegal and are constrained with criminal sanctions. Other than being arrested, drug users are put in check by the deputation for the Dissuasion of Drug Abuse (CDT). This commission dispenses the appropriate punitive measures to the drug user where some are withdrawn if they obtain treatment against addiction. A country may be penalized for imposing such a policy to the citizens. For example, recently there was a proposal that Uruguay government would sell marijuana for personal use to the public. However, the fate of this proposed law is not clear. In addition, if the law was to be passed Uruguay would be fined by the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board for going against the United Nations Single Convention of 1961. ASAM encourage exhaustive study and evaluation of distinct drug laws and programs both local and international which will elucidate the public on future str ategies that aim at enhancing public health. Retrieved from http//www.asam.org/policies/state-level-proposals-to-legalize-marijuana2012 State-Level proposals on marijuana legalization Several states such as Oregon, Colorado and majuscule brought up proposals to legalize marijuana. For instance, Colorado Amendment 64 also known as Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act, if passed the policy would legalize possession, purchase, use, behave and display certain amount of marijuana by people develop 21 years and above. The state will be responsible for regulation of marijuana sector via licensure of manufacturing, cultivation and retail stores and testing facilities. The Oregon cannabis Tax Act if passed would bring up Oregon Cannabis commissioning to regulate cultivation and sale of marijuana to people aged 21 years and above. The Washington State Initiative Measure No. 502, if passed it would regulate and license marijuana distribution, possession and production to people aged 21 yea rs and above. Washington policy would also withdraw civil and criminal activities authorized by the policy. Upon passing these policies, would change everything for example, it would change marijuana from being luxury to first time users to personal use, it will also rush along tax collection, and commercial use and sale of marijuana. The full impact of effect of legalizing marijuana are unknown (Morgan, 2011).Conclusion There is great pick out of considering public health consequences of a policy before proposing to make changes. There are more negative consequences linked to marijuana legalization as compared to the benefits that advocators think of. People are called upon to study various polices and programs so that they can be able to make appropriate policies that aim at improving the public health of citizens. The legalization policy will make marijuana more accessible thus increasing the risk to the youths who might belittle in the trap of consuming the drugs. Marijuana l egalization will also lead to an increased activities associated to marijuana such as drugged driving which leads to loss of lives, injuries and crashes.Recommendations I oppose proposals to legalize use of marijuana in any of the states in America. There is more harm than good of implementing this policy. The predicted public health costs associated to marijuana legalization are high and bear the citizens and the public policymakers. Health professionals and physicians should enlighten people on the probable effects of implementing such a policy. Marijuana is associated to a lot of negative effects and thus should not be legalized.The following should be recommendedThe public should be enlightened that addiction to marijuana is a public health concern and marijuana is not safe to consume.The physicians should lead the war against legalization of marijuana.The parents should be enlightened on the dangers of making marijuana accessible to their teenage children with legalization of such a policyReferencesGerber, R. J. (2004). Legalizing marijuana drug policy reform and prohibition politics. Westport, Conn. Praeger.Morgan, K. (2011). Legalizing marijuana. Edina, MN ABDO Pub. Co..State-Level Proposals to Legalize Marijuana. (n.d.). State-Level Proposals to Legalize Marijuana. Retrieved May 6, 2014, from http//www.asam.org/policies/state-level-proposals-to-legalize-marijuana microbe document