Cannabis legalization: Normalizing the usage of cannabis in society

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• February 4, 2022

Insight summary

First stepping onto the world stage with Uruguay's decision, the journey of cannabis legalization has since been taken up by other nations and has been steadily gaining support. While previously shrouded in taboo, the cultural shift driven by younger generations towards viewing cannabis as a low-risk recreational drug with potential medicinal properties has played a crucial role in fostering its acceptance. Far-reaching implications from this transformative wave include new business opportunities, shifts in healthcare prescriptions, and changes in political and environmental landscapes.

Cannabis legalization context in the US

Uruguay was the first country to legalize the recreational use of cannabis in 2013. Canada became the first developed country to follow suit when they passed the cannabis act (Bill C-45), which took effect on October 17, 2018. Acceptance of cannabis in US society has also been seeing steady gains. 

In 1969, only 12 percent of Americans supported the idea of legalizing cannabis, this number grew to 31 percent by the year 2000, and over 50 percent in 2013. The figure has grown to over 70 percent of the American population in 2021. Recreational use of cannabis was banned in all 50 US states until 2012 when it became legalized in 18 states, starting with Colorado. By 2016, 36 states, including Washington DC, had legalized the use of medical cannabis. 

Among the major reasons driving cannabis legalization legislation has been to alleviate the decade’s worth of injustices caused by pot-related crimes in the US. However, state and federal-level resistance to legalization (2021) has often been due to societal resistance in select parts of the country, as well as studies that have linked legalization to an increase in cannabis addiction in the legal states. 

Disruptive impact

Cannabis legalization has become culturally mainstream largely due to the leadership and advocacy of younger generations who largely support legalization and view cannabis strictly as a low-risk recreational drug that also exhibits effective medicinal properties. Among older generations, their advocacy has led to progress like the Cannabis Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act passed in 2019, a bill that would see the legalization of cannabis if successfully signed into law. 

Should legalization be fully implemented, it could mean that pot-related charges and criminal records would be cleared, enabling affected individuals to more actively participate in the workforce and for communities to more freely participate in the cannabis industry. The act could also generate new tax revenue that can be reinvested into social programs like employment services and substance abuse programs in communities that were affected by the war on drugs. 

Currently, state governments where cannabis has been legalized have started to license dispensaries and established regulations to oversee distribution and taxing. Experts believe that the US federal government will follow suit in due time. 

Implications of cannabis legalization 

Wider implications of cannabis legalization may include:

• Companies integrating cannabis ingredients into novel food and beverage options.
• Governments applying their experience with cannabis decriminalization and legalization toward other restricted substances, like psychedelic drugs.  
• Healthcare workers increasingly prescribing cannabis to patients for pain and mental conditions like depression and stress. 
• Increased research in agricultural technologies, advancing scientific understanding and improving the cultivation techniques for not only cannabis but also other crops.
• New legislation bringing about complex shifts in the political landscape, as politicians and lawmakers strive to adapt to these changes and provide effective governance.
• The growing demand for cannabis resulting in more agricultural land devoted to its cultivation,  impacting land use patterns and potentially straining water resources.

Questions to consider

• Where do you stand on the legalization of cannabis and why? 
• Does the potential positive impacts of cannabis legalization outweigh the negative impacts, or is it the other way around?