Dicriminalization of Marijuana

Marijuana has yet to proven addictive, deadly, and it's role in being a "gate-way

drug" is extremely controversial. Ten states have already taken steps in the right direction

to do the right thing about the Marijuana issue. The states of California, Colorado, Maine,

Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, and Oregon have

decriminalized the possession of small amounts of Marijuana. Therefore, making the

possession a mitigate fine with no jail time. Still in other states offenders are meticulous

of the punishments delt to the offenders. Under the first amendment we supposedly have a

freedom of choice. The laws against marijuana rob Americans of this right. In no certain

place in the United States Constitution does it specifically say that marijuana should be

illegal. So does that or does that not make the Tenth Amendment come into play? This

amendment basically says if a law is forgotten or left out, the government is to leave it up

to the states to come up with the law and decide what is best for that state. But that can't

be because the federal government will not let the states do what they have been told that

could do since 1791. The voters in the states of California, Alaska, Arizona, Nevada, and

Oregon have voted and passed legislations that would make marijuana legal for medical

use. Unfortunatly the federal government will not allow people suffering from various

illnesses including, AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, and anorexia legal use of marijuana which all

could help ease their pain and suffering. Is it right that a cancer patient should be punished

and fined because he didn't feel like throwing up after his chemotherapy? Or that an AIDS

patient wanted to gain the weight that was lost because of his loss of appetite due to his

medications that he is being prescribed. Currently alcoholic drinks are legal due to

protection from the twenty-first amendment. Yet, alcohol is solely responsible for the

deaths of more then 100,000 Americans; although it is still legal. Cigarettes are legal and

contain the same amount of chemicals that marijuana does and it is directly related to the

deaths of more then 400,000 Americans. But in over 10,000 years of usage there has yet

to be a documented death due directly to the use of marijuana. By keeping marijuana

illegal it is costing taxpayers $7.5 billion a year. My resolution is that the money should be

spent on pursuing and prosecuting violent criminals, and keeping them from becoming

repeat offenders. By keeping marijuana illegal it is also making it illegal to grow hemp,