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The discussion whether marijuana should be legalized and taxed is very present within the last month. That’s why I’m going to discuss the pro and cons about the legalisation of weed, as it is often called, in the following research paper. Marijuana is a drug produced from the Cannabis plant, which is used to produce several kind of drugs. It is illegal an illegal substance under federal law, but some states passed legislation, that allowed the use of medical marijuana. Some states like Colorado and Washington went further and legalized the sale and consumption of small amounts of weed. In the Netherlands, marijuana is legal too. There are several reasons why marijuana shouldn’t be legalized. First of all, the consumption rate will increase dramatically, as consumer who didn’t use marijuana so far because they didn’t want to break the law might start using it. Many experts fear that social cost increase dramatically. That means that because of the higher consumption rate, the number of health issues caused by marijuana consumption will increase. Furthermore, “there is plenty of evidence that drug-using employees are less productive and less healthy” (Walters, John P. “No surrender: the drug war saves lives”). What goes along with this is that a higher consumption rate also affects school. Experts fear that it has “a negative effect on high school graduation rates, college enrollment, and youth employment” (“Legalisation of Marijuana” Student Resource Center). There are also public safety hazards that go along with the legalisation of marijuana. “Intoxicans rob individuals rob individuals of the ability to see a clear path” ( Wright, GeorgeNewton, Heather.”Counterpoint: There Are No Good Reasons To Legalize Marijuana). That is ca... ... middle of paper ... ...Edition. Web. 18 Mar. 2014. Ingraham, Janet. "Lee, Martin A. Smoke Signals: A Social History of Marijuana--Medical, Recreational, and Scientific." Library Journal 1 Sept. 2012: 117. Student Edition. Web. 19 Mar. 2014. International Business, Times. "Will US Marijuana Legalisation Help Smash the Mexican Drug Cartels?."International Business Times 08 Nov. 2012: Points of View Reference Center. Web. 20 Mar. 2014. "Legalization of Marijuana." Student Resource Center. Detroit: Gale, 2012. Discovering Collection. Gale. MINITEX. 20 Mar. 2014 Walters, John P. "No surrender: the drug war saves lives." National Review 27 Sept. 2004: 41. Student Edition. Web. 19 Mar. 2014. Wright, GeorgeNewton, Heather. "Counterpoint: There Are No Good Reasons To Legalize Marijuana." Points Of View: Legalization Of Marijuana (2013): 2. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 20 Mar. 2014
The National Institute of Drug Abuse defines marijuana as, “The dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa, which contains the psychoactive (mind-altering) chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), as well as other related compounds” (“DrugFacts: Marijuana”). It was not until the Food and Drug Act of 1906 that marijuana was required to be labeled as an over the counter herbal remedy (“Regulatory Information”).... ... middle of paper ... ...
Lately it seems that drug policy and the war on drugs has been in the headlines quite a lot. It is becoming increasingly apparent that the policies that the United States government takes against illegal drugs are coming into question. The mainstream media is catching on to the message of organizations and individuals who have long been considered liberal "Counter Culture" supporters. The marijuana question seems to be the most prevalent and pressing of the drugs and issues that are currently being addressed. The messages of these organizations and individuals include everything from legalization of marijuana for medical purposes, to full-unrestricted legalization of the drug.
Caulkins, J. P. (2013). Marijuana legalization: What everyone needs to know. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Ever since marijuana’s introduction to the United States of America in 1611, controversy of the use and legalization of the claimed-to-be Schedule I drug spread around the nation. While few selective states currently allow marijuana’s production and distribution, the remaining states still skepticize the harmlessness and usefulness of this particular drug; therefore, it remains illegal in the majority of the nation. The government officials and citizens of the opposing states believe the drug creates a threat to citizens due to its “overly-harmful” effects mentally and physically and offers no alternate purposes but creating troublesome addicts hazardous to society; however, they are rather misinformed about marijuana’s abilities. While marijuana has a small amount of negligible effects to its users, the herbal drug more importantly has remarkable health benefits, and legalizing one of the oldest and most commonly known drugs would redirect America’s future with the advantages outweighing the disadvantages.
The Cannabis industry if legalized and regulated will be able to create jobs and economic opportunities within the states. Instead of how it is right now, which is through illicit marketing, if legalized, the street crime and cartels that are running the business at the moment will suffer greatly.
Marijuana is the cause of much commotion and debate, as the question of legalization becomes more of an issue. Drugs are a major influential force in countries all over the world today. Legalization is an option that has not had a chance, but really should be given one. Although many people feel that legalizing marijuana would increase the amount of drug use, legalization would benefit for the following reasons: 1)reduction of money spent on law enforcement 2)increase in the countries revenue 3)lessen crime 4)useful in treating certain medical conditions. Many feel today we are losing the war on drugs.
Before we can debate the topic of marijuana we must first know the material. Marijuana also known as weed, cannabis, or reefer is a green plant that will virtually grow anywhere. Commonly developing up to 8ft in length cannabis can be consumed through digestion or inhaling. The only part of the plant that is consumed is the flower or bud. The stem and leaves of the plant can be broken down to make other materials. From this plant we could create consumer textiles, industrial textiles, paper, building materials, food, industrial products, and hygiene product...
What exactly is marijuana? Marijuana, also known as pot or hemp, is a naturally grown substance that contains THC. THC changes how the brain works and gives the user a high that relieves many different pains and even helps erase bad memories. The hemp plant can be found in just about any place, but has to be kept in heat. Marijuana is from a naturally grown plant so why not be able to use it legally? Well, there are many reasons against the legalization of marijuana and there are also many very good reasons to legalize it for medical and recreational use. So to the government and everyone against legalizing marijuana, too bad! It’s natural and people are going to smoke no matter what the laws are, so why not just make it legal? Making the use of marijuana legal everywhere will more than likely help stop the chaos between the smokers and nonsmokers and reduce the outrageously high total of 858, 408 who are arrested annually for marijuana possession and use.
Walsh, John. "Q&A: Legal Marijuana in Colorado and Washington." The Brookings Institution. Washington Office on Latin America, 21 May 2013. Web. 26 Feb. 2014.
The legalization of marijuana is considered a controversial issue, something that can benefit people for medical purposes, but what about recreationally? Marijuana has been illegal since 1937, but there’s never been a bigger push for legalization. There are several reasons why it is illegal, because of government propaganda and big industry not wanting to lose money, but this will be discussed later. The purpose of this paper is to educate, theorize, and discuss various aspects of marijuana, such as its history, development, and the advantages and disadvantages of marijuana legalization. Finally, my personal reflection on legalization and marijuana in general will be discussed.
Earlywine, Mitchell. Understanding Marijuana: A new look at the scientific evidence. New York Oxford University Press. 2002.
Marijuana, used by almost 100 million Americans, is the third most favored recreational drug in America. Legalizing marijuana has been a controversial topic of discussion in the media, general popular culture, and government. The War on Drugs, more specifically the War on Marijuana, has been a strenuous, ongoing battle for decades. The benefits of legalizing marijuana, such as the economic and business benefits, the extension of medical marijuana research, and controversial recreational uses, outweigh the risk of addiction and other negative side effects. The actions taken by the government, both for and against the legalization of marijuana, are an attempt to resolve the controversial usage of this popular drug.
Wolf, M. (2011, June 4). We should declare an end to our disastrous war on drugs. Financial Times. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxy.consortiumlibrary.org/docview/870200965?accountid=14473
A brief explaination on what exactly the drug is. Marijuana is a psychoactive drug extracted from a dried herbal female flower and other parts of the plant Cannabis Sativa. It is also referred by several other names in broader sense which include hashish, cannabis, ganja among many others. Fo...
Wright, George Newton, Heather. “Counterpoint: There Are No Good Reasons to Legalize Marijuana.” Points of View: Legalization of Marijuana (2013): 2 Points of View Reference Center. Web. 4 Feb 2014