...The Legalization Of Marijuana for the Benefit of America Marijuana under the Controlled Substance Act of 1970 is a schedule I narcotic and therefore has been made illegal in the United States[1]. Marijuana has been illegal in the United States since the early 1900’s and has been demonized for what it does to a person that uses it. Through the great propaganda of the 1900’s by the United States government they convinced an entire nation that marijuana is evil and will cause horrible side effects without having to prove just about any scientific or research data at all. Basically people chose to go against marijuana without knowing what it is, how it works, or how even America can benefit from breaking apart from the 1900’s way of thinking and legalize it. As it is normally known and referred to as marijuana but its scientific name is cannabis. It comes from the cannabis sativa plant, which is native to Asia and Africa but now is being grown just about world wide. Cannabis has many forms other than its plant one that is widely used. In its most common form, marijuana consists of flowers and leaves while as hashish it is found as a type of resin liquid. There were many prominent Americans that used to grow the plant and use the cannabis as a cash crop similarly to how tobacco plants were grew for profit. George Washington used to grow cannabis as his primary cash crop on his plantations, it was a good profit for him as it had its medicinal and recreational...
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...Legalization of Marijuana Marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug in the United States. Despite the harsh laws against marijuana use, approximately twenty five million Americans have used the drug in the past year and more than fourteen million continue to use marijuana on a regular basis (norml.org). In turn, not only is the criminal justice system over-flooded with marijuana cases, but law enforcement is focusing valuable time on finding marijuana “criminals”. With the legalization of marijuana, the United States judicial system would be able to handle more important cases in a timely manner and law enforcement officers would be able to spend more time on more important crimes. However, the judicial system is not the only one standing to benefit from the legalization of marijuana. The United States stands to greatly benefit economically on the legalization of marijuana as well. The legalization of Marijuana would benefit our society in many ways. Being aware of all of this, I was curious to know why so many people oppose legalization of the drug. However, it was important for me to gather knowledge from credible sources. I did not want to learn the benefits of marijuana from a “stoner” blogging from his parent’s basement, nor did I want to learn about the negatives of the drug from an extremely right wing conservative who will stand against it- just to be against it. First, I went straight to George Mason University’s online library in the hopes...
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...| Marijuana Legalization: Why Marijuana Should be Legalized in All Fifty States English 102 Final Paper Table of Contents I. Introduction …………………………………………………………………………… 1 II. Is Marijuana a “Gateway Drug?” ……………………………………………………... 2 III. Arguments against Legalization ………………………………………………………. 3 VI. Recent Legalization Efforts …………………………………………………………… 4 V. Medicinal Uses of Marijuana …………………………………………………………. 5 VI. Economic Arguments Against Criminalization ………………………………………. 7 VII. Marijuana Cultivation and DTO ……………………………………………………... 8 VIII. From Decriminalization to Legalization …………………………………………… 8 IX. Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………… 10 Marijuana Legalization: Why Marijuana Should be Legalized in All Fifty States I. Introduction The issue of marijuana legalization in the United States is a charged one that brings forth supporters and opponents arguments alike. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Uniform Crime Reports, one marijuana-related arrest occurs every forty-two seconds in the United States. The government conducted over 1.53 million drug-related arrests in 2011, 90% for possession alone, and nearly 50% due to marijuana (FBI Uniform Crime Report). State governments are currently responding to shifts in public opinion, especially given the recent legalizations that passed in Colorado and Washington. According to Gallup Polls, more Americans supported the legalization of marijuana than not in 2011 (50% vs. 46%)...
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...The Blunt Truth Many people wonder what marijuana is and if it should it be legalized. Marijuana comes from the hemp plant, it is the dried leaves of female flowers. Marijuana has been called a gateway drug for years, making many people believe that if they use it they will then become addicted to hard drugs. However, unlike cigarettes that contain tobacco and other illegal drugs such as speed, cocaine, and heroin, marijuana is not addictive. Marijuana is a misunderstood plant that many people assume is dangerous. The usage of marijuana (also known as cannabis) can actually be very beneficial not only to oneself but also to their country. The legalization of marijuana in the United States would benefit the States society economically, socially, and medically. The economic benefits that the legalization of marijuana would bring to the U.S are enormous. Oregon, Colorado, and Washington have already legalized marijuana for both medical and recreational use. When the rest of the U.S legalizes marijuana and places the high tax on it, it will create a larger budget for every state. In the state of Colorado, According to the article Experimenting with Pot: The State of Colorado's Legalization of Marijuana “By regulate marijuana like alcohol the state collect about $134 million in taxes from medical and recreational marijuana sales in fiscal year 2014-2015” HICKENLOOPER, G. W. (2014). If all of the states in the U.S was able to bring in at least that much extra revenue imagine what...
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...solving May 24th, 2015 John Steele The Legalization of Marijuana The legalization of Marijuana has been a controversial subject within society for quite some time. What is Marijuana? Marijuana is defined as a tall plant with a stiff upright stem, divided serrated leaves, and glandular hairs. It is used to produce hemp fiber and as a psychotropic drug. Psychotropic is relating to or denoting drugs that affect a person's mental state. All drugs affect a person’s mental state in various ways. This is inclusive of cigarettes, alcohol and many over the counter drugs. Deaths caused by drugs in general are substantial, however the deaths caused by marijuana are substantially less or almost nonexistent. “Why should a drug be legalized?” and “Should marijuana be legalized?” these are questions that society has fought with for quite some time. There would be a great amount of benefits derived from the legalization of marijuana. Marijuana should be legalized for the medical benefits, the social benefits, and the economic benefits it would create. Marijuana has many medical benefits that would continue to aid the people already using it for existing conditions that may improve their standard of living. Studies on marijuana shows that marijuana supports the brains learning and memory functions. This is beneficial as improving one’s ability to learn and one’s memory functions would allow them to improve their knowledge span. Marijuana has also been proven to support goal oriented...
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...Running head: LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA 1 Legalization of Marijuana Communications and Thought 1 February 23, 2015 LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA 2 Abstract The debate surrounding the legalization of marijuana has been raging decades. The debate is centered on the issues of health, addiction and economics. Arguments and claims supporting the legislation are countered by contrary arguments and claims. Scientific claims from one side are disputed by scientific claims from the other. The tug-of-war is beginning to show signs of a clear winner. Time has brought about changes in the thinking and behavior of a large segment of our population. Marijuana usage is now considered acceptable behavior by a clear majority of Americans. Social mores have changed and the use of marijuana is commonplace. We have reached the point in the debate where the trend is leaning toward legislation. LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA 3 Legalization of Marijuana Introduction There is an ongoing national debate about the legalization of marijuana. According to a 2013 Gallup poll, a clear majority of Americans (58%) favor legalization. The age group most likely to support legalization is young adults from the age of 18 to 29 years. Surprisingly, the majority of the 30 to 64 years age group also favors legalization. The opposition to legalizing marijuana comes mostly from Americans 65 and older. Changing social...
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...Should Marijuana be Legalized? BCOM/275 November 26, 2012 Should marijuana be legalized? Throughout the years, the topic should marijuana be legalized is often heavily debated. For many years the use of marijuana was forbidden and outlawed in the United States, but in more recent years marijuana seems to be becoming accepted. Scientist has found many useful applications for marijuana. Recently, here in the United States, many states have approved legislation for marijuana for medical purposes. Most recently, two states Colorado and Washington have passed referendums that will allow people over the age of 21 recreational use of marijuana without the penalty of a criminal offense. These two states will oversee the use of marijuana for its constituents similar to how alcohol is controlled. Whereas, the government at the state level in Colorado and Washington is in favor for the legalization and passed legislation for the legalization of marijuana, the federal government has not. This causes legal, moral, and ethical issues and begs that questions; should marijuana be legalized? Pros of Legalization One benefit of the legalization of marijuana would be the ability for state and local governments to tax the legal production and sale of it. Currently, because marijuana is illegal the sale of it is not taxed so the local, state, and federal governments do not reap any of the benefits of this “$10.5 billion dollar industry” (Miron, 2005, p.4). In a report written by Jeffrey A....
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...Legalization of Marijuana Tina Washington Everest University March 3, 2015 Abstract The prohibition of marijuana has brought forth multiple passionate debates for many years in reference to its effects on the human body, its medicinal properties, and its effect on society. Even though there are many people who are opposed to the legalization of marijuana, this paper will dispute that the legalization of marijuana is justified. This paper will provide proof by measuring marijuana’s effects on the human body when ingested by inhalation against the effects on the body when consuming alcoholic beverages and smoking tobacco, by submitting research facts on its medicinal qualities, and providing you with information on how the use of marijuana can benefit a lot of people as well as our nation as a whole. Legalization of Marijuana Legalization of marijuana is wide spread. There are so many benefits to it such as helping those with medicinal issues like anxiety, AIDS, Cancer, glaucoma, etc. Being able to assist someone without throwing pills down their throat is certainly a better approach. Most people don’t know this, but there are 18 states that have already gotten on the band wagon of legalizing marijuana. Colorado and Washington are the two most recent states that adopted this law. Not only is it a great way to aid in certain medical issues, but it is also a way for the states and our government to generate revenue...
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...Should We Legalize Marijuana? In most countries, possession and use of marijuana, also commonly known as cannabis is considered legal, even in some states in United States. In fact, it can be noted that for many years, cannabis has been considered an illegal drug in most countries. Nevertheless, today, some countries have legalized cannabis while other countries have not. In particular, small quantities of cannabis have been allowed in regions such as Europe, North America and South America and the United States, where some states such as California, Washington and Colorado have legalized the possession and usage of marijuana for medical purposes. Federal government should legalize marijuana due to benefits toward patient health care, government tax subsidy and reduction in drug wars can strongly favorize the legalization of marijuana. Opponents of marijuana legalization, support their beliefs by using objections such as marijuana is not a proper medical treatment. They believe marijuana can be as efficient as any other painkiller or other drugs that mimic similar results. Opposers also claim that by legalizing marijuana will allow more people to abuse this drug. Primarily, cannabis should be legalized since it is used for medical purpose. Marijuana can offer individuals a higher standard of living. For example, Sativex is a recent drug that contains a major active ingredient derived from cannabis and it has been discovered to cure Multiple Sclerosis (Kmietowicz 89)...
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...Marijuana Legalization Name Institution Marijuana Legalization Uruguayan government must be the most daring in the world. According to Mic (2014), they proved this as late as they legalized the use of marijuana. There have been divergent opinions on whether to legalize weed or not. And with Uruguay providing the laboratory for scientific prove, it sounds an alert to other nation on pressure to appreciate and embrace the legalization of weed. Against many false dogmas surrounding the use of the ‘drug’, there exist countless benefits from its legalization. This writing elaborates why nations should follow the trend and legalize marijuana. Firstly, the illegality of marijuana is based on unproven theories and delusions. Use of the modern scientific records proves against dogmas of reefer madness associated with marijuana consumption (Alternet, 2007). Claims of how vastly dangerous marijuana use can be, are nothing else, but 20th-century prejudices that existed without any scientific evidence. Since the discovery of cannabinoid receptor system during the late 1980s, cases of psychoneurotic hysteria concerns are yet to be confirmed. Also, a belief wide that marijuana helps in generation of criminals is nothing away from lies. Somebody’s character in inborn and prevalent. We have as many criminal culprits who don’t know the taste of marijuana. There is no any ground to support this. Secondly, almost every government has failed to control the use of marijuana. According to WHO (world...
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...English 1108 Essay #3 28 April 2015 The debate for marijuana legalization has been getting more and more attention as more and more states are opting for legalization for not only medical purposes but also recreational purposes. Since it was outlawed in “1937 when congress enacted the marijuana Tax Act made it a federal crime to possess,” (Alex & Alexander pg1 13s) people believed that marijuana was a terrible drug that did harmful things to our bodies, and that it lead to the use of harder drugs. It just had a bad reputation all together. More recently there has been more and more people deciding to be pro legalization. Marijuana has been studied rigorously and over many years and has proven to provide a very beneficial impact on society in many different ways and this is why there has been a huge push for legalization in most recent time. These benefits have been seen in positive health gains for adults and children being treated for an array of illnesses, revenue gains in several different areas, as seen recently with amendment 64 being passed in Colorado, and criminal/court system spending goes down, along with spaced being freed up in prison systems for harsher criminals. These benefits should be viewed as something that can greatly help are economy and citizens within which in turn would make our country a more thriving better place to live and that is why marijuana should be legalized. Marijuana is a naturally grown plant that can be grown anywhere. There...
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...recent legalization of marijuana in some states will there be a widespread across the united states? While Federal and State Laws may prohibit Marijuana use, many states are Considering legalization and some have already done so with both medicinal and recreational, its Likely of a widespread across the United States. Federal government has set regulations that are developed, these regulations are followed by what is called the Controlled Substance Act (CSA), which does not recognize the difference in the use between recreational and medicinal use. (Americans For Safe Access, 2014) According to Americans for safe access(2014) The Controlled Substance Act has classified Marijuana as a schedule one drug, its a controlled substance that is treated as any other drugs such as heroin, or cocaine. Along with the CSA, there is the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), According to Dea.gov (n.d.) The Drug Enforcement Administration has a mission to “is to enforce the controlled substances laws and regulations of the United States and bring to the criminal and civil justice system of the United States " Marijuana is illegal, and use is prohibited through federal laws, but many state laws have legalized the use for recreational and medicinal. State laws vary state to state. There are so many different laws on marijuana use, whether it be for recreational or medicinal. Many people feel that the laws on marijuana have to do with whether the state considering legalization is a...
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...PHY-105 Shelley Evans 05/08/2016 Should Marijuana Be Legal? Marijuana has long been labeled a Schedule I drug by the US government. A Schedule I drug, has no medical benefits, known to have high a potential for abuse, and is declared not safe even with medical supervision. How can that be you ask, when many studies have shown the benefits of the use of marijuana for certain medical conditions. It is prohibition at its finest, serves no purpose and is a violation of our rights of liberty, due to the misrepresentation of marijuana. The legalization of marijuana has many benefits with increase revenue for the state, enormous medical benefits, and a significant decrease in violent crime and gang activity. A study done in 2010, by Cato, legalizing marijuana would generate over $8 billion in federal and state revenue annually. (HuffingtonPost, 2013) The cost of keeping marijuana illegal to this day is astronomical. “In 2012, Colorado voters approved Amendment 64, which legalized marijuana for full recreational use. The state now stands to raise hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes over the next decade.” The largest boost of revenue from the sale of marijuana comes from taxes. In 2014, Colorado, had a vast number of pot tourists visit the state and bring in over $10 billion in funds, even with the increased snow activity that would normally lower their tourism. Another benefit that comes with the legalization of marijuana is the money saved from unnecessary use of...
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...Marijuana Legalization: Pros and Cons BCOM/275 October 31 2011 The debate over the legalization of marijuana is a highly talked about and popular subject. Although we have been taught that marijuana is a gateway drug to other more harmful and toxic drugs; studies have shown that legalizing marijuana could bring more good then harm. We want to believe that the outcome will be better, but will it? As much as the public would love for this drug to be legal and available for consumption many Americans believe that it should still be considered a dangerous drug. Its hard to convince the public unless you provide proof and facts but, really only the individual can make up there own opinion. Marijuana Legalization: Pros and Cons Marijuana has been around for years and is the most commonly used illicit drug. Marijuana was legal in the United States up until 1937 but was rarely enforced until the 90’s. In the 1970’s the war on drugs campaign initiated. This campaign was designed to prevent new users from using this drug. Most of the advertisements the government established were based on false facts and biased opinions to lower the drug use in America. But, is marijuana bad? Marijuana has been proven to have medical benefits and will be a great way to boost the economy. In the 70’s when the government conducted multiple tests on marijuana the assumption was that this was a harmful substance that can cause loss of brain cells, infertility, and even death...
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... Marijuana, formally known as cannabis, is a plant that contains a chemical called THC that produces certain psychological and physiological effects when inhaled or ingested. Although the use and possession of marijuana is considered illegal in most of the country, many people still consume the drug every day. The recent legalization of marijuana for medical and recreational use in some states has caused a nation wide debate. Marijuana users and supporters argue that the drug’s benefits out way the possible risks, while non-supporters argue that the potential addictiveness and health issues associated with the drug are strong enough reasons to keep it illegal. The effects of marijuana are less harmful than most other drugs, including alcohol and tobacco. Yet, marijuana is the most common drug that Americans are arrested for possessing. Our current U.S. drug policies and federal laws on marijuana are inadequate and in need of change. I support the legalization of marijuana throughout the nation because of the drug’s medicinal benefits, and its potential to stimulate the current economic recession by creating new jobs and tax revenues. The Controlled Substance Act (CSA) is a federal U.S. policy that ranks drugs into five categories based off their abuse potential, medical applications, and overall safety. In the United States, the CSA classified marijuana as a schedule I substance claiming the drug offers no medical benefits and has a high potential for abuse (Marijuana). However...
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