This past semester, as exams approached, I gave in to a guilty pleasure; watching the law dramedy known as Suits. The series, which aired in 2011, centers on a brilliant but misguided fraudster working at a prestigious law firm. He leaves behind his mistakes and lies—often related to cannabis use—to pursue a better life. The first several seasons paint marijuana as a guilty pleasure, but ultimately a life ruiner. Yet, by the time the show ends in 2019, one of its high comedic moments, literally, occurs when the law firm’s partners smoke weed together.
What gives? Major character development for the protagonist included abandoning weed and changing his life, only for the series to again sensationalize it. One explanation is that, parallel to the show's runtime, public opinion regarding the drug changed rapidly. Gallup reported that 46% of Americans supported the legalization of Marijuana in 2010, and by 2020 that number had jumped to a staggering 68%. [1]
This change in opinion has resulted in changing laws. As of February 2025, 39 states, 3 territories, and Washington D.C. have legalized some form of medicinal cannabis, with 24 states legalizing the drug for additional recreational purposes. [2] This is a far cry from the stricter laws against marijuana that occurred in the 70s and 80s when cannabis went mainstream. And while America as a whole has become more tolerant of marijuana—Utah even permitted medicinal use in 2018—the drug itself, like the shifting laws, has not remained static.
As reported by the New York Times, the “The commercial [marijuana] industry… tout[s] its products as beneficial, while focusing not on developing marijuana’s medical uses but on engineering a quicker, more intense high. The marijuana smoked in the 1990s, typically containing about 5 percent THC, was transformed. Companies turned out inconspicuous vape pens, fast-acting edibles, pre-rolled joints infused with potency enhancers and concentrates with as much as 99 percent THC.” [3]
Higher-potency marijauna has led to a drastic increase in related hospital visits and symptoms, along with a rise in addiction. “About 18 million people — nearly a third of all users ages 18 and up — have reported symptoms of cannabis use disorder…Of those, about three million people are considered addicted.” [3]
A slew of studies have also consistently correlated marijuana usage with increases in chronic mental health behavior. “A study [a] in 11 sites across Europe found that people who regularly consumed marijuana with at least 10 percent THC were nearly five times as likely to develop a psychotic disorder as those who never used it. A study [b] in Ontario found that the risk of developing one was 11 times as high for teenage users compared with nonusers. And researchers estimated [c] that as many as 30 percent of cases of schizophrenia among men in Denmark ages 21 to 30 could be attributed to cannabis use disorder.” [3]
My opposition to recreational marijuana is rooted not only in my personal moral values but, more importantly, in my belief that its legalization has a net-negative impact on public health, as evidenced by the significant amount of data.
I will admit, however, that the argument that has always stood out to me as the most effective against my position is the unfortunate reality that black Americans are disproportionately imprisoned for marijuana possession. The NYT reporting that I consistently cite mentions this as a significant reason why so many blue/Democratic states have legalized marijuana.
Indeed, a widely accepted study conducted by American Civil Liberties Union reports that a black person is 3.73 times more likely to be arrested than a white person for marijuana possession. [4] I do not dispute the statistics and corroborating reports; however, I challenge the idea that legalizing marijuana is the only solution. This represents a false dilemma— suggesting that to solve injustice in the American judicial system, marijuana must be legalized for recreational purposes.
I counter that the legalization of recreational marijauna, a substance proven to have negative impacts on public health let alone teaming with a host of other unknown qualities, is not the sole solution to the racial imbalance in our criminal justice system. We should address the disproportionate incarceration of Black individuals by tackling the root issue: systemic racism. A variety of programs could be considered, including increased training for police, adjusting mandatory sentencing, and increased spending towards prison reform programs to lower recidivism.
It’s a tall order for sure, one in which I don’t have simple solutions nor the space to adequately consider them here. But ultimately, the legalization of recreational marijuana would not be the most effective answer to equitable criminal justice. This refutation is supported by numerous studies.
A 2024 study saw no significant decrease in the Black-White jail incarceration disparity in legalized states like Colorado and Washington. [5] A 2020 review of the public health impacts of marijuana and lack of progress on racial disparity decreases highlighted misguided laws. [6] Additional 2020 studies further supported this, revealing increased racial disparity in youth marijuana-related accusations in Oregon [7], and a lack of racial progress in Washington despite legalization [8].
I invite readers to analyze this information further, particularly the New York Times investigative reporting and academic citations. This data-backed information regarding the dangers of legalizing recreational marijuana is crucial for Americans to understand. As a society, we must collectively say no and vote no towards any state referendums that would seek to alter the status quo regarding recreational access and the exacerbation of a public health crisis.
