Justin Winslow Case

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Inside the gates of the largest maximum security prison in the country sits a man wasting his life away for a nonviolent offense. After being convicted of 3 separate felonies, including possession of cocaine, Fate Vincent Winslow was left homeless, penniless, unemployed, and hungry. Winslow had been living on the streets since 2004, and often sold drugs as a way to get money for necessities such as food and clothing (Jilani n.pag.). In 2008, Winslow was approached by a man named Jerry Alkire who, unbeknownst to him, was an undercover police officer that was primarily in search of arresting sex workers (Haglage n.pag.). Alkire was also bugged and about one hundred yards away, another officer was sitting in an unmarked vehicle watching and listening …show more content…

Additionally, marijuana results in zero deaths annually, compared to 88,000 alcohol-related deaths and 480,000 tobacco-related deaths each year (“The Sinister Reason Weed is Illegal” 0:24-34). Dr. Jack E. Henningfield of the National Institute of Drug Abuse and Dr. Neal L. Benowitz of the University of California at San Francisco conducted a study on addictiveness of nicotine, heroin, cocaine, alcohol, caffeine, and marijuana in the categories of withdrawal, reinforcement, tolerance, dependence, and intoxication. The doctors rated the drugs on a scale of 1-6, one being the most addictive and 6 being the least addictive. In Henningfield’s study, he concluded that marijuana was the least addictive in the withdrawal, tolerance, and dependence categories, and was the second least-addictive substance in the reinforcement category (“Which Drugs are the Most Addictive?” n.pag.). Benowitz’s study found that marijuana was the least addictive in every category except for intoxication (“Which Drugs are the Most Addictive?” n.pag.). Another aspect of marijuana use people seem to misconstrue is the widely-believed misconception that marijuana is detrimental to one’s health. However, according to a study commissioned by President Nixon in 1972, scientists found no correlation between marijuana and physical and mental ailments, even when family history was examined (“Marihuana Use and its Effects” n.pag.). Even when patients were thoroughly examined through x-rays, electrocardiograms, blood work, chemistry tests, tests of the functions of the lungs, liver, and kidneys, hormone tests, and extensive psychological exams found no link between marijuana use and decreased bodily function (“Marihuana Use and its Effects” n.pag.). One question remains, however. If President Nixon knew that marijuana had minimal health effects, why

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