Legalization of the Use of Marijuana for Recreational Purposes

Legalization of the Use of Marijuana for Recreational Purposes

Part I

Ethical Issues Present in the Relationship between the Interest Group and the LawMaker

The relationship between the lawmaker and the 420 Interest Group amounts to bribery. By donating funds to the lawmaker’s campaign, the interest group unfairly influences the lawmaker. (Weber, 254). Political donations from the corporate world to lawmakers’ campaigns unfairly influence their decisions. For instance, Congress member Smith’s voting decisions will be unfairly biased toward anything that advances the interest group’s demands.

Additional Perspectives

According to Weber, the relationship between the interest group and the lawmaker also amounts to a conflict of interest (p. 255). Congressmember Smith will prioritize the interests of his sponsoring group over the public interest. A good lawmaker should only have undivided attention to the interests of their electorate. Secondly, the lawmaker’s relationship with the 420 Interest Group undermines democracy. One of the primary principles of democracy is that elected officials are supposed to represent the interests of the larger public. Based on Lawmaker Smith’s voting history on matters touching on marijuana legalization, the interest group has succeeded in influencing him to support legalization laws. He has consistently supported legalization laws even with his limited knowledge of the medical use of marijuana.

Thirdly, the relationship raises critical perceptions of bias. Even when a lawmaker’s decision is free of the influence of their relationship with an interest group, the public always raises eyebrows about such relationships. Therefore, even if Smith’s support of marijuana legalization laws is not because of the influence of the sources of his campaign funds, the public will always be doubtful. In the end, the credibility questions about Congress will arise (Weber, 259).

Ethical Values Raised

Fairness and accountability are the principles that I considered, mostly because of the consequences that arise when they are violated. For instance, the relationship between the congress member and the interest organization indicates that there was a violation of fair representation. Smith is likely to prioritize the interests of his financiers over the public good when performing his legislative functions. Apart from the funding Smith gets from the interest group, leaders from the group also finance his private business. That means his decisions will unfairly favor the private interests of group directors. Another value violated in Smith’s acceptance of financing from the marijuana interest group is accountability. The public may not be able to hold their politicians accountable if they receive huge funding from interest groups (Weber, 253). My values have mostly been influenced by my religion, which always advocates for fairness and accountability.

Part II

Cultural Perspectives on the Issue

The silent generation is the most opposed to the legalization of medicinal marijuana. For instance, although a majority of Democrats (75%) support the legalization of marijuana, only 51% of those aged above 75 years are likely to say so (Green, n.p). That shows that the elderly population opposes marijuana legalization. On the other hand, the majority of Generation Z and millennials support the legalization of marijuana for medicinal and recreational use. The trend in research carried out on the Republican party shows that the younger generation favors marijuana legalization (Green, n.p). While 52% of those aged 30-49 years support marijuana legalization, over 62% of those aged 18-29 years support unconditional marijuana legalization (Green, n.p). Another notable trend is that the elderly support medicinal use legalization over recreational use.

Civic Responsibility 

My civic responsibility in the region, nation, and globe is to advocate for safety and public health. First, there is a need to inform the public about the dangers of misusing marijuana, even if it is legalized. Another issue is to address the negative consequences resulting from marijuana use. Users are likely to experience impaired driving and unsafe workplace machine use. Moreover, there is a need to encourage stakeholders to pay attention to vulnerable communities that require marijuana use based on adverse historical experiences.

Addressing the Marijuana Issue at the Local, National, and Global Levels

Addressing the marijuana debate requires sufficient scientific research and education. Scientific research will offer insight into the medicinal benefits and risks that may result from marijuana use. The research will also provide a glimpse into the social implications of legalizing marijuana use. Also, encouraging community dialogue on the marijuana legalization issue will provide diverse perspectives that will lead to informed laws based on community interests. To that end, blanket legalization advocacy is discouraged. Instead, community members should engage at that level and recommend state-specific laws.

At the global level, social media campaigns encouraging research on marijuana will come in handy. Some countries with significant farming potential are missing out on the benefits of marijuana commercialization due to misinformed decisions. By encouraging an open conversation about marijuana legalization, the ultimate legalization decision will be based on information and not misconceptions.

Works Cited

Green, Ted Van. “Americans Overwhelmingly Say Marijuana Should Be Legal for Medical or Recreational Use.” Pew Research Center, 22 Nov. 2022, www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/11/22/americans-overwhelmingly-say-marijuana-should-be-legal-for-medical-or-recreational-use/.

Weber, Leonard J. “Citizenship and democracy: The ethics of corporate lobbying.” Business Ethics Quarterly, vol. 6, no. 2, 1996, pp. 253–259, https://doi.org/10.2307/3857628.

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Identify and explain the issue from at least three or more cultural perspectives. Use the age groups provided and consider how they might view the issue of marijuana legalization.
List at least three different perspectives from the list of age groups.
Explain in detail your answer.

Identify your civic responsibility to the issue and explain the effects of your civic responsibility on a regional, national, and global level. Civic responsibility refers to any active participation of life in an informed, committed, & constructive manner.
Explain in detail your civic responsibility in relation to the issue of marijuana legalization.
Explain in detail the effects of your civil responsibility in each of the following areas:
i. regional,
ii. national
iii. global.

3. Identify at least three ways to address the issue in communities on a regional, national, and global level.