Enslavement Theory Of Addiction Essay

There are two theories that need to be discussed when looking at the legalization of marijuana, the moral model of addiction and the enslavement theory addiction. The very discussion in the shift to make the legalization of marijuana a reality shows a nation trying to move pass the moral model of addiction as it pertains to marijuana. This model implies that addiction is the result of poor choices addicts make because of lack of willpower or moral strength. This model could be viewed as to what leads to the creation of intolerance and stigma in society. On the other hand, the enslavement theory of addiction assumes that addicts are “slaves” to their habit and driven to crime by high cost of drugs. Today, we are trying to move beyond the moral model of addiction which also shows its implications in the enslavement theory of addiction especially with its discrepancies with minority sentencing and majority selling of it.

Annunciated as a ‘‘war on drugs’’ in the early 1970s and notably expanded during the 1980s, this has been the central U.S.

illicit drug strategy since World War II (Tonry, 2011). Whether intended or not, many negative outcomes of drug policy, including mass incarceration, societal disenfranchisement, and community and family breakdown, have long disproportionately impacted the health and social standing of Blacks in the United States (Alexander, 2010). For 40 years, the nation has watch the African American community be adversely, and disproportionately affect by the “war on drug” policies. Policies that produced many racial sanctions that have contributed to the large mass incarceration in America. The U.S has 5% of the world’s population however 25% of the world’s prisoner population. Together, African American and Hispanics comprised 58% of all prisoners in 2008, even though African Americans and Hispanics make up approximately one quarter of the US population (NAACP,

2015)
As it comes to African-American community, this is where the opposition of the legalization arises for this writer. Michelle Alexander, author of the New Jim Crow, stated “Here are white men poised to run big marijuana businesses, dreaming of cashing in big—big money, big businesses selling weed—after 40 years of impoverished black kids getting prison time for selling weed, and their families and futures destroyed. Now, white men are planning to get rich doing precisely the same thing?” The face of this new movement of marijuana as incorporated white men. You begin to see the move passed the moral model of addiction when the placement of white is made the face of the discussion, which continues to show discriminatory implications will still be applied that will continue the disenfranchisement of African-American. In a report conducted by NBC to discuss why African Americans aren’t breaking into the cannabis industry, it illustrates six crucial points. Key points out of those six include you cannot have any misdemeanors, felonies to obtain a license to sell and the high fee price to obtain a license. While it will lower the arrest for possession charges of marijuana, it keeps many incarcerated as the majority exploits the very actions that is keeping minorities incarcerated. We can clearly observe the ramifications of how the removal of a theory of addiction can be applied to an issue as the face of the issue changes. Historically, the prohibition of drugs have had implications of the moral model of addiction, especially seen as being necessary to keep society safe from minorities. This level of stigma and intolerance that comes this model of addiction that has perpetuated for years creates so much uncertainty.