This article addresses the debate on cannabis legalization, focusing on the health risks and side effects of cannabis in a social and cultural context. In particular, it raises questions about the effects of cannabis on adolescents and adults, and whether South Korean society is ready for legalization.
Discussing cannabis legalization in South Korea
“My country, South Korea, is a conservative country.” Some people who consider themselves progressive are dissatisfied with the social system in South Korea. They usually seek reformative and progressive changes and take a strong stance on the need to keep up with global trends. However, these positions often run the risk of making overgeneralizations on a variety of issues. This is the case, for example, in the discussion of cannabis. While some argue that “since cannabis is already legalized in other developed countries, we should follow suit,” this argument fails to take into account the social and historical context of each country.
Cannabis has been a constant social issue in recent decades. Every time a famous celebrity or author has been caught smoking cannabis, there have been calls to legalize it. While I agree that the criminalization of cannabis is a problem, I have some questions about the arguments for legalization.
Before I present my arguments against legalizing cannabis domestically, it’s important to note that I’m not going to get into the philosophical issues surrounding cannabis. The philosophical question is whether it is ethically wrong to artificially manipulate human emotions now that we know that most human emotions are caused by chemical reactions in the brain and body. While some argue that there’s nothing wrong with manipulating hormones through drugs to enhance personal happiness, this is a very abstract discussion that can lead to different conclusions depending on your values. Therefore, this discussion is beyond the scope of this article.
Cannabis in the context of public health
Cannabis is a hallucinogenic substance and is known to adversely affect the central nervous system, causing symptoms such as lethargy, impaired cognitive function, and delusions. Proponents of cannabis legalization argue that alcohol and tobacco are also legal substances despite causing these side effects, and therefore should be legalized as well. They argue that cannabis is less dependent than alcohol and tobacco, and that treating it as a drug is overkill. However, it is still debatable whether chronic cannabis users develop psychological dependence and whether cannabis is actually less harmful to health than other drugs (alcohol, tobacco). For example, some research suggests that unfiltered cannabis may have more serious lung effects. Under these circumstances, it would be rash to legalize cannabis simply because it is less harmful.
It’s also problematic that the public is not fully aware of the risks of cannabis, especially given the lack of consistent research on its health effects. While people are well aware of the negative effects of alcohol and tobacco on the body, there is a lack of awareness of the side effects and dangers of cannabis. As a result, more people will be exposed to cannabis once it is legalized, and young people, who are more vulnerable physically and mentally, will be at the greatest risk.
Youth and cannabis issues
The potential for exposure to cannabis, especially among youth, is a serious concern. Adolescents are more vulnerable to drugs than adults because they have not yet fully matured physically and mentally. Smoking and drinking during adolescence can lead to alcoholism or nicotine dependence in the long run, and cannabis can follow the same path to serious dependence. Furthermore, adolescents are highly influenced by their peers, so increasing access to cannabis will lower the psychological barriers to use.
We already have a problem with youth smoking and drinking in this country, and legalizing cannabis will only exacerbate the problem. While the side effects of cannabis exist for adults, they are even more devastating for young people. It would be irresponsible to discuss cannabis legalization without considering these risks.
Cannabis legalization and the lack of social preparedness
Even if studies show that cannabis is less harmful than other drugs, the discussion of cannabis legalization should still be handled with caution. Especially since many countries, including the United States, have recently followed the trend of legalizing cannabis, there are a number of difficulties in translating this to our country. In the United States, 10% of people over the age of 15 smoke cannabis, and social perceptions of cannabis smokers are relatively positive. In South Korea, however, the perception of cannabis is still negative and there have been no public opinion surveys.
If cannabis is legalized in Korea, it will require not only legal and institutional arrangements, but also a public discussion process to change people’s perceptions. Legalizing cannabis simply to follow a global trend, while ignoring the social costs and disruption that would result from such a process, would be a huge risk. Unlike other countries, South Korea has a very small percentage of the population that uses cannabis, and changing an entire society to ensure their rights would be a step too far.
Conclusion – the need for social consensus
Legalizing cannabis is not just a legal issue. It’s also about people’s health, safety, and social values. As a society, we still lack clear research on cannabis, and public perception is often negative. Therefore, it’s important to have enough research and social consensus before discussing the legalization of cannabis. There needs to be a serious discussion about whether cannabis is truly less harmful than other drugs and whether our society is ready to accept it. Only then, after building a consensus across society, would it be right to make a decision on legalizing cannabis.
