...of Drugs in Indiana “Two of my favorite things are sitting on my front porch smoking a pipe of sweet hemp, and playing my Hohner harmonica.” If I asked someone to guess who said the quote above, most people would probably assume it was some kind of musician like Bob Dylan; however, that is a quote from the 16th President of the United States and arguably one of the most successful ones at that, Abraham Lincoln. The negative stigma that drugs has received from the media and government often paints a dramatic picture of the realities of drug use. The state of Indiana should decriminalize all drugs because of the negative effects the current drug laws have on the economy, prison...
Words: 1463 - Pages: 6
...There are several presidents who ran their campaigns on combating the War on Drugs; during their time in office they established or enhanced policies and laws that affected the incarceration rates and drug awareness in our country. During the Nixon administration, the Controlled Substance Act was enacted and made effective May 1st, 1971. The Special Action Office for Drug Abuse Prevention also was established in 1971. The Drug Enforcement Administration was created by Nixon in 1973. Since Nixon publicly declared the War on Drugs, stating that drugs were the public's number one enemy, it is clear when his administration’s intent to commit mass incarceration and racial inequality began. During the Nixon Administration, according to the Sentencing...
Words: 1136 - Pages: 5
...Why to decriminalize cannabis? More and more people are using it, so there is no point to control something that is uncontrollable it is as dangerous and sometimes with even with less consequences then alcohol and tobacco it is better to give a person a ticket for possession rather then destroying their life by sending them to jail pure cannabis is not proven to be addictive or harmful to a person, they just have more tar then cigarettes. Why to have cannabis illegal? In 1999 29% of students form grades 7 to 13 in Ontario admitted smoking cannabis at some time in their lives, compared with 13% in 1993. We should try to make cannabis illegal so our kids would not get addictive experts report that marijuana is 50% more cancer causing then ordinary cigarettes. Why to have cannabis legal? The percentage of students using marijuana is the same percentage as students using cigarettes, about 20 percent, and alcohol is over 60 percent, why not then make alcohol and tobacco illegal to, because they are as dangerous an cannabis most of the people who use the narcotic use it to relieve stress, or just for fun, the popular stereotype is that people use it to fit in, but its actually not true in the Netherlands people can buy as much as 5 grams of marijuana in a coffee shop. The murder rate in the Netherlands is 1.81% per 100,000 people, 14% smaller than in the U.S, and it also has a smaller homicide rate than Canadian rate. All of these reasons show that marijuana will not increase the...
Words: 496 - Pages: 2
...Should the U.S. Decriminalize Marijuana? Every year our government spends about nineteen billion dollars to control the usage of marijuana. About seventeen thousand people were arrested last year because of it. The U.S. spends about twenty thousand per year house keep these inmates. (Miles) Who are these dangerous people that we are talking about? These people are considered pot heads. There is a marijuana arrest every forty two seconds in the U.S. In most cases most people who are pulled over don’t have a lot. Yet the government is letting jails get over crowded and using money the government needs. The economy in the U.S. is horrible, but the U.S. could save billions of dollars by decriminalizing marijuana. Marijuana should be decriminalized because it helps people with health issues, it saves the U.S. tons of money, keep jails safer and less congested, and benefit other people that need it. Marijuana should be decriminalized because it acts as a natural pain killer. Studies have shown that marijuana sometimes is the only painkiller that can help a person. For example, it helps people with chronic nerve pain due to injury or surgery feel less pain, relax, and sleep better. (Doheny) This is only one of the pains that marijuana can help, but there are many more. Today, more than 60 U.S. and international organizations support providing marijuana to people that need it. (NORML) Since marijuana is priceless and can assist so many people with medical care for many...
Words: 981 - Pages: 4
...Iris Walker Kathy Anderson English 1020 02/12/2012 Are our drug laws working I will be discussing drug-related crimes, besides what the financial burden is in our society. Additionally, I will bring out how two countries, the Netherlands and Portugal, addressed their drug problems in relation to crime. I do not believe that our drug laws are working because neither crime nor costs are going down. Below is an excerpt that explains the relationship between drugs and crime: Economic-Related: Economic crimes include those that are committed by drug users in order to support additional drug use. These crimes may not be inherently violent, but may become violent. The strongest indicator in classifying crimes of this nature is that the offender committed the crimes as a result of his or her compulsion to obtain drugs (Goldstein, Brownstein, & Ryan, 1992). Recent articles on national statistics related to such crimes include: * According to Substance Abuse and Treatment, State and Federal Prisoners, 1997, nineteen percent (19%) of State prisoners and sixteen percent (16%) of Federal inmates reported that they committed their most current offense to obtain money for drugs (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1997). * The percent of jail inmates who committed their offense to get money for drugs totaled about thirteen (13%). Among those inmates who committed their offense to obtain money for drugs, almost twelve percent (12%) committed violent offenses and nearly twenty-five...
Words: 1683 - Pages: 7
...from the Los Angeles Times, it is estimated that 100 people die every day from drug abuse or overdose. Abuse or overdose being defined as taking more medicine than a doctor prescribes, or taking medication not prescribed to the victim. These totals don’t even include deaths related to side effects from other prescription drugs, and those reach over one hundred thousand people annually. These numbers have alarmed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), but rightfully so because from the years 2000 to 2009 the report states, “The percentage of poisoning deaths among those aged 15–19 years with prescription drugs as a contributing cause increased from 30% in 2000 to 57% in 2009.” There are many different speculations that would drive such a rapid climb, such as music and lifestyle, accessibility to the drugs, and affordability for many teenagers. Agencies like the CDC and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), are working together with the White House to reside this issue by improving education of healthcare professionals, using state prescription monitoring programs, and proper disposal of controlled substances by business trade and the public. I agree with Obama in that there are steps that need to be taken to help end this recent issue in society. Although, I believe there are other ways to go about it and the first is to federally decriminalize marijuana. Prescription drug abuse has been recognized since the 1980’s, but it hasn’t received as much attention...
Words: 1630 - Pages: 7
...Decriminalize the use of Marijuana American cultural views are in flux. Marijuana, once depicted as a menace to society in the classic film “Reefer Madness” is now considered to be a panacea for a multitude of health issues. While it is debatable that usage leads to more powerful drugs it is certain that the tax revenue generated by the sale of marijuana has been a financial boom to the western states that have implemented newer regulation. The time has come to unclutter the court system and move into the 21st century and decriminalize the personal and medicinal use of marijuana. Marijuana is a very widely used illegal drug in the world today. Marijuana was made illegal through prohibition in 1905. Before 1905 you could go into any local drug store and purchase marijuana (Stuart). Marijuana is a natural remedy for many illnesses. According to many users medicinal marijuana offers relief from pain related to cancer, AIDS and multiple sclerosis. Said side effects, that are psychological, include hallucinations, mood swings and impaired judgment. Some consider marijuana a drug that would lead to other drug dependences, but this has not been scientifically proven. There has been millions of dollars spent to reduce the use of illegal drugs in the United States (Hausk 14). This type of spending is one reason to push to decimalize marijuana. “According to a 2010 study from Cato, legalizing marijuana would regulate the system and offer rehabilitation service to those addicted...
Words: 696 - Pages: 3
...Engl 100A Legalization There are a multitude of various illegal drugs used every single day in the United States. The most common illegal drug used is marijuana. Marijuana, also known as cannabis, is a drug derived from dried leaves and buds from the cannabis plant. This drug can be classified as a hallucinogen, stimulant, or a depressant. Marijuana is a very beneficial drug used for recreational, and medicinal purposes. Cannabis should be legalized and decriminalized for a various amount of reasons, which include: economic, medicinal, and religious reasons. Cannabis is a drug of many names, the most common a person might hear are weed, pot, ganja, and mary jane. Marijuana’s first recorded use as a medicinal drug was in China in 2737 B.C. Until the early 1940s, marijuana was was easily obtained at the local general store or pharmacy. The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 severely restricted Marijuana as a recreational and a medicinal drug. The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 made it illegal to possess, use, buy, sell, or cultivate marijuana. Only a year later, President Nixon enacted the “War on Drugs” policy. However in 1996, California was the first U.S. state to legally allow medical marijuana to pain-suffering patients. Today, 13 U.S. states currently have laws in place which allow regulated medical marijuana use. Marijuana is very similar to alcohol when talking about how the United States government treats it. Alcohol was legal in the early 1900s until...
Words: 1503 - Pages: 7
...War on Drugs and Prison Overcrowding Thomas K Anderson University of Memphis Prison overcrowding has been a social phenomenon that has led to a variety of reforms. One of the major causes for overcrowding in the prison systems today began back in the early 1970’s, when President Nixon declared War on Drugs. There were dramatic increases in the prison population in the 1980’s and 1990’s. These increases were projected due to trends of harsh punishments. Political leaders were influential in these trends as they created mandatory sentencing guidelines. Currently 50.1% of all offenders that are incarcerated in the Federal Prison System are due to drug offenses. That total accounts for 98,554 individuals, many of whom are serving time for a nonviolent offense or first time offenses. The second largest cause for overcrowding in the prison are immigration related crimes, which still only accounts for 10.6% or 20,862 of the individuals. In June of 1971, President Nixon declared a war on drugs, which did not go over too well because he and everyone else had differing views on how to handle the problems being created due to the increase of drug use. Because of the increasing of the prison population, a reform was created to offer treatment for drug abuse; of course this did not take place since it was a contradiction of current drug policies. Unfortunately, the end result of Nixon’s plan did not stop the problem of drugs, but only caused...
Words: 1267 - Pages: 6
...| February 24, 2011 | | Team ASkylar BennettThermon V. Ratliff, Jr.Jan RobertsRichard “Rusty” Wheeler | The Pros and Cons of Marijuana for Medical Use A Brief Discussion of the Topic Team A has chosen the topic The Pros and Cons of Marijuana for Medical Use. Is marijuana even a viable medical option? We have discussed going several different directions with the topic. We will try to include sub-topics such as: * Smoked vs. non-smoked marijuana for medical value * Medical marijuana in public policy * The risks of marijuana for medical purposes including: * Actual medical risks * Is it a gateway or a stepping stone for hard core drugs? * Possible addiction beyond the medical use * Governmental views on marijuana as a medical option * How a patient would gain access to medical marijuana * Who might be allowed to distribute marijuana: * How would it be prescribed by physicians * Control of the growing, production, distribution of the product for prescription disbursement There are so many different avenues of this topic that we have only begun to discuss how we might present this topic to the class. We are sure that we will keep an open mind and not convey the team members’ opinions. We want the audience to develop their own opinions and viewpoints on this topic. Discuss causes for the situation. What factors have led to the problem as it exists? What are the historical roots of the issue? Who are the major stakeholders...
Words: 1615 - Pages: 7
...Hunter Viles™ Mrs. Lesky Eng III 6th hour 19 September 2012 Whistle Blower Drugs are around. No matter where you go. It’s a fact of life. Many people try not to believe it, but it’s true. Cops do their job to make sure these “drugies” and “druge dealers” get caught and justice is served, right? Well, for the most part, they do. However, there is a right way and there is a crooked way to do things. Cops in Charlevoix have been proved to misuse drug dogs. Who knows who else have been using drug dogs to their advantage. They’re animals that can easily be trained and controlled by humans. Drug dogs should not be used because they aren’t always accurate, they cost too much, and some cops don’t use them in the correct way. “Send the K9 unit!” Sounds pretty promising if a cop yells that, but not as much as you may think. Drug dogs have been known to be easily thrown off. Bacon, beef, and common dog treats have been known to throw off the scent of a professionally trained drug dog. If a drug dealer knows this simple trick, an easy getaway could be in his future. Something that is so easily thrown off should not be dependable. A nose of a dog shouldn’t be the last resort to try to find something or someone. For one of the best drug dogs you can possible get, the lowest price is $5,000, not including shipping. Most K9 units come from Germany which can ride shipping costs up to $3,000 a dog. This reason goes hand and hand with the first reason previously stated. If we pay up to...
Words: 477 - Pages: 2
...of Illinois and Douglas Ganslar (D) of Maryland, allege that Caremark "engaged in deceptive business practices" by informing physicians that patients or health plans could save money if patients were switched to certain brand-name prescription drugs (Miller, Chicago Tribune, 2/14).[29] However, the switch often saved patients and health plans only small amounts or increased their costs, while increasing Caremark's profits, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D) said (Levick, Hartford Courant, 2/15).[30] Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett (R) said the PBM [31] kept discounts and rebates that should have been passed on to employers and patients (Levy, AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 2/14).[32] In addition, Caremark did not "adequately inform doctors" of the full financial effect of the switch and did not disclose that the switch would increase Caremark's profits, the lawsuit alleges (Chicago Tribune, 2/14).[29] ...The settlement prohibits CVS from requesting prescription drug switches in certain cases, such as when the cost to the patient would be higher with the new prescription drug; when the original prescription drug's patent will expire within six months; and when patients were switched from a similar prescription drug within the previous two years (Hartford Courant, 2/15).[30] Patients also have the ability to decline a switch from the prescribed treatment to the prescription offered by the pharmacy under the settlement, Madigan said...
Words: 298 - Pages: 2
...11, 2014 Dr. Jane Manson Can Medication Generate a False PTSD Event? During the past few decades, many soldiers have returned from war (Dessert Storm, Dessert Shield, Iraq, and Afghanistan) with having Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), traumatic experience and sleep disorders. Traumatic experiences have a different effect on each person. Each person that went to war had a different mission. Each of these soldiers has experienced different variations of the war from their contributions. Some of the soldiers have been medicated during the wars, and some are being treated after the wars. Many have been on medication prior to the war and sent with these medications. This doctrine is going to depict if medications and drugs, whether legal or illicit, have caused a kind of PTSD event within this special group of people. The people that make up the military force and veterans are approximately one percent of the population of the United States. This is a much-diversified group of people. They comprise of the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard. These are further broken down to reserves and national guards. They also come from different ethnic backgrounds, race, male and female alike. Many reports have been made in the media about the soldiers that have returned about the various treatments they have experienced and care that has been provided them. The purpose of this proposal is to find out if medications have generated a false...
Words: 2721 - Pages: 11
... This kind of needless torture happens hundreds of times every day as scientists don’t even care if the animal is suffering. Animal testing should be banned because we don’t need the next eyeliner and we have a different body system than animals. Claim: My claim is that we should not do animal testing. First Argument: The first reason why is that they kill animals just to have the next medicine,soap, and food ingredient. My first piece of evidence: Right now there are millions of animals such as dogs, cats, rats, mice, and primates getting tortured just to get the next product of eyeliner. In a recent article by PETA they said that “More than 100 million animals every year suffer and die in cruel chemical, drug, food, and cosmetics tests”(PETA), just to see if the products work. There are some countries such as Europe are getting away from buying products that were animal tested. China is different, they are continuing to sell animal cosmetics. What are cosmetics? A product applied to the body, especially the face, to improve its appearance. In 2014 “China spent 26.3 billion dollars, just on cosmetics”(Jeanne Kim). This proves that people should not kill animals just to get the next resource. The second piece of evidence: Animals are suffering mentally and physically in the facilities where they are getting treated. In the “United States there are over 1,100 facilities” where dogs, cats, rats, mice, and primates are suffering from all of...
Words: 828 - Pages: 4
...Delirium is marked by disorientation without drowsiness, hallucinations, delusions; difficulty in focusing attention; inability to rest and physical and autonomic over activity. Common causes of delirium are drug and alcohol withdrawal; medication side effects, infections, pain surgery or trauma, hypoxia, and acid-base electrolyte imbalances. Treatment of delirium includes determining the cause of the delirium. Antipsychotic drugs and benzodiazepines may be used cautiously when other non-pharmacological interventions have failed. (Tabors 2009) Dementia is a progressive irreversible decline in mental function marked by memory impairment and often deficits in reasoning, judgment, abstract thought registration, comprehension, learning, and use of language. Symptoms may take months to years to progress and they include poor judgment, clouding of consciousness and orientation, depression, agitation sleeplessness, Patient may become dependent of activities of daily living. Dementia may result from AIDS, chronic alcoholism, Alzheimer’s disease, vitamin B12 deficiency, carbon monoxide poising, hypothyroidism and subdural hematomas. 4.5 million People in the U.S are affected by dementia. 20-40% of patients with dementia are over the age of 85. (Tabor’s 2009) Some of the most common drugs used to treat dementia are Tacrine (Cognex), Donepezil (Aricept), Rivastigmine (Exelon), and Galantamine (Razadyne). When administering these medications to a patient it is important to remember that each...
Words: 483 - Pages: 2
