...The use, sale and cultivation of cannabis/marijuana are prohibited in Australia and all other countries that have signed the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. The prohibition of the drug is justified on the grounds that drug use presents a serious danger to health. Despite the prohibition of the drug, cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in Australia. The question of whether it should remain illegal or become legalized remains open for discussion. Hence, this report explores the advantages and disadvantages of cannabis use throughout society, through the following messages; the alternative use for medicinal purposes, the negative affects the drug has on the individual, and their possible harm to community concluding with the...
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...Legalization of Marijuana Brian S. Clear HU2740 28 August 2013 Marijuana dates back many years, and has been used throughout different cultures in various ways. Over the last few years however Marijuana has been used to fit our lifestyles and social environment in many ways. In our society today many people around the world smoke Marijuana for different reasons like medical purposes, with that being said I think Marijuana should be legalized permanently as it has many beneficial uses, including easing pain, it would help the United States get further out of debt. Legalizing Marijuana would also create jobs for many people lowering the unemployment rate in the United States. Marijuana whose scientific name is Cannabis Sativa has been mentioned in manuscripts dating back to 2700 B.C. in China. The Jamestown settlers recorded that they had first planted the crop in 1611, as they used the hemp from the plant’s fibers to make rope and canvas. Marijuana also known as ‘weed’ was used to make clothing, as the plant was very durable. During that time Marijuana was used more for survival far more than any other purpose. Marijuana came into play with the scarcity of alcohol during the prohibition era. The use of the drug rose from there, and became a large problem in the Unites States. The United States is one of those countries that can immensely benefit from the legalization of Marijuana use. In the United States, Marijuana is the most widely used controlled substance...
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...marijuana use for medicinal purposes while others have let their guards down completely allowing citizens to use it not only medicinally, but recreationally as well. While the use of marijuana is still illegal at the federal level, there is much discussion by other states regarding policies to support marijuana legalization and many policy makers proactively planning for the possibility of such policies. Such discussion is necessary to ensure the policy implemented supports the intended use of the drug and to reduce illegal use that is not specified in the policy. Currently, there are a total of 21 states that have laws governing the use of marijuana in some form. The state of Florida has a policy in place that is closely monitored as it applies to patients suffering from severe medical conditions such as AIDS, cancer, and other diseases that leave patients in excruciating pain. This paper will discuss the great controversy of legalizing marijuana pointing out policies that are currently in place for the state of Florida and the need for small municipalities to establish policies to ensure proper monitoring of the drug. Problem Definition The legalization of marijuana is a controversial topic that has been prominent in political news. There has been discussion among legislature in many states concerning the pros and cons associated with legalizing the drug sparking a controversial debate. There are many legitimate arguments that have been made on legalizing marijuana making...
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...law enforcement. In this essay it will be explained to you the medicinal, manufacturing and economical values of legalizing marijuana. Medicinal marijuana has shown promising therapeutic effects in conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease as well as rheumatoid arthritis. Multiple cannabinoids including delta nine, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol make up most of the chemical additives of marijuana and have been proven to be much less addictive than alcohol (Grotenhermen,2015). Inhalation through smoking and vaporization are the most common route to administer medical marijuana. Other methods have included rectal, transdermal, and intravenous ways routes as well. Medicinal Marijuana has also been found to help the appetites of HIV/AIDS as well as cancer patients. The cannabinoids in medicinal marijuana have pain reducing properties when given to patients who suffer from numerous ailments and medical conditions, including but not limited to Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and glaucoma. Tests have been successfully conducted on patients who use medicinal marijuana since the 1990’s (ProCon.org, 2015). Medical marijuana has been proven to help in the natural insulin regulation of diabetics. Hemp is the stems of the marijuana plant. Industrial hemp (cannabis sativa L) has been used for at least twelve thousand years all throughout India, China and the Middle East. Hemp (cannabis sativa L) was a necessary crop for producing cloth, food, oil,...
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...Legalizing Marijuana: An Ethical Perspective In today’s society, many ethical concerns arise on a daily basis, especially when it comes to the topic of legalizing marijuana. Many individuals have relied on the fact that marijuana was illegal, when determining whether smoking it should be considered unethical. However, many studies have shown that the effects of marijuana are not as detrimental as they were once made out to be. Legalizing marijuana can be an extremely controversial topic because several people have strong beliefs concerning why it should not be legalized, while a significant amount of people have stronger arguments, as to why it should be legalized. When it comes to looking at the ethical standpoint of legalizing marijuana, everyone has a different interpretation as to why marijuana should or should not be legalized. This is because everyone’s sense of morals and values differ. Legalizing marijuana for medicinal and recreational use would be beneficial for large amounts of people for many reasons. The theory of utilitarianism implies that the proper course of action should be the one, which benefits the greatest number of people. Many aspects of legalizing marijuana should be considered when determining if the benefits outweigh the risks. Several states have passed laws, which govern the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. In fact, over twenty states, as well as the District of Columbia have enacted laws that govern the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes...
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...There has been endless debate about the public health risks and benefits of cannabis. Legalization of cannabis for medicinal and recreational use has been a one of most disputed issues in the United States. This has become an important issue in public health because, although some risks and benefits are known, more research is needed to determine other harmful and therapeutic effects (Wilkinson, 2016). There is not enough evidence for wide-spread clinical or recreational use. Laws, initiatives and policies for making marijuana legal may lead to, “increased clinical and recreational usage, a wide range of methods for consumption, and conflicts between state and federal laws. However, these policies would focus on guarding the health and safety...
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...Bobby D. Jackson Ms. Woods English Comp. 12/04/2013 Legalizing Marijuana Will Benefit American Society It has been called a pain reliever, stress reliever, and a psychiatric reliever – helpful to the health of a human being – so why do some call it harmful? Cannabis is the third most popular recreational drug in America, surpassed only by alcohol and tobacco. Of the top three recreational drugs, Cannabis is the only one that is outlawed, but it plays a tremendous part in the social and financial gain of America. Many states have already supported the more liberal view of legalizing marijuana. California legalized medicinal marijuana in 1996 because of the way marijuana impacts the Autonomic Nervous System, which expands the breath and relaxes the body (http://sundial.csun.edu/2009/11/legalizing-marijuana-can-reduce-crime-increase-revenue-for-state/). Its potential for health and healing is enormous, and its use has been legally adopted by nearly 20 states. "The evidence is overwhelming that marijuana can relieve certain types of pain, nausea, vomiting and other symptoms caused by such illnesses as multiple sclerosis, cancer and AIDS and it can do so with remarkable safety. Indeed, marijuana is less toxic than many of the drugs that physicians prescribe every day" (Joycelyn Elders, MD, Former US Surgeon General). Many of the physicians who have adopted marijuana as a form of treatment have done so with substantial positive effects. There are over 600,000 physicians...
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...Consequences of Legalizing Recreational Marijuana and Hemp Throughout the US Colorado is expected to bring in $185 million in revenue from taxing recreational marijuana sales. This money will be used to fund substance abuse support, law enforcement support, education support and funds to what they call “statewide coordination.” Recreational marijuana alone however, cannot get our federal government out of the hole that it is in now. Even if the revenue was about $100 million from ever state that has recreation cannabis, and if all states had legal recreational cannabis, it would still not even get close to how much money the government needs to generate. The problem with that is that once the government legalizes marijuana recreationally everywhere, it will create a black market due to people not wanting to be charged such outrageous prices and taxed so intensely. If certain states make marijuana recreationally legal, that would be for the best in my opinion. The US government wouldn’t really benefit from that amount of money even if all the states were legal, there was no black market and everyone was making a lot of money. According to an article in Forbes about a report made on the inefficiencies of legalized cannabis, Colorado won’t even make half of what they were estimating to make. The article explains how right now the cost of growing is around four hundred dollars per pound of cannabis. This price would have to increase to eleven hundred dollars per pound of cannabis to make...
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...Legalizing Marijuana Shirley Whitley PHI208: Ethics and Moral Reasoning Rebecca Wilson October 27, 2013 When you think about legalizing marijuana, what comes to your mind first? The benefits it would have on legalizing marijuana. Everywhere you go someone is debating whether we should or should not legalize marijuana. There’s a lot of good in this plant. Having an open mind, there is advantages and disadvantages that it can have for this country. There is medicinal marijuana. Now what comes to question now, what is the relationship between the scientific knowledge and other types of knowledge? I will attempt to express how marijuana can benefit everybody if it was to be legalized. This is a universal plant. Marijuana can be used to treat different illnesses. This universal plant can treat constipation, female weakness, gout, malaria, rheumatism and absent mindedness, this is just a few names according to Bloomquist. Different countries used it to treat hydrophobia, delirium, and skin disease, protracted labor during child birth, asthma, hay fever, and cholera. (Bloomquist, 1968) Ten percent of patients who has fibromyalgia syndrome use marijuana for medicinal relief from FMS symptoms such as widespread pain, fatigue, and insomnia, according to research published in arthritis care and research. A pain levels were measured using the visual analog scale functional ability was thought to be with fibromyalgia questions: A psychologist evaluated all patients for previous...
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...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...
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...Marcela Covarrubias Mr. Odegaard English 1A 4 October 2011 Legalizing Marijuana “Memory is the enemy of wonder, which abides nowhere else but in the present… ordinarily we think of drug experiences as additive- it’s often said that drugs “distort” normal perceptions” (Pollan 168). When the word Marijuana is said, many negative thoughts pop into one’s head. Do you ever stop and think of the positive ways marijuana can be used; as opposed to the danger in using the plant? Today, marijuana and other drugs are the main reason for drug wars amongst gangs here in America. Maybe if marijuana was legal it there wouldn’t be such fights over it. Legalizing marijuana would allow people to be able to purchase it legally, therefore it being a taxable item; which would eventually bring the state more money. Marijuana has also found its way into our hospitals. Many doctors today prescribe “Medicinal marijuana” and can be used to relieve people of pain. Allowing marijuana to be legal would benefit both the distributor and the consumer. All while letting the American society enjoy some cannabis and is able to relax their state of mind after stressful encounters throughout there day. Marijuana is used all throughout the United States. Although the using of this plant for recreational purposes is still not legal; people still find a way to get there fix. The consumers seek distributors and spend money to receive this plant. Distributors of marijuana don’t report their money anywhere they use...
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...Rebuttal The legalization of marijuana has been a controversial topic for many years now. Do the pros of the legalization of marijuana outweigh the cons of the legalization of marijuana? I believe so. The fact is Marijuana legalization would have an abundance of positive effects for not only the U.S. but for the world as well. Cannabis is not a deadly plant. However some choose to argue that the crime rate would rise as of a result of the legalization of marijuana. However legalization of cannabis would lessen the prison population, allow marijuana to be table and create billions of dollars that would be used in the United States and other countries. Marijuana legalization would allow cannabis to become it’s own industry. Marijuana legalization would reduce the impact of gangs in the streets. Cannabis would be become more effective and better for ones health because the Government would be in control of regulation. The Alaskan Association of Chiefs of Police Inc. posted an article against the legalization of marijuana stating numerous preconceived cons against the cannabis plant. The statement in the article I didn’t agree with was “After medicinal marijuana became easy to get in Colorado, seizures of smuggled marijuana quadrupled in roughly 4 years as legal marijuana was diverted to other markets. No comparable studies have been found addressing this problem in Alaska, but if legalization in this state results in a similar increase in diversion trafficking, more than 75%...
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...Cannabis in the U.S Cannabis is a drug that is often perceived the wrong way .As a result marijuana has been classified as a schedule 1 drug and is illegal throughout the united states with the exception of a few states who have recently legalized cannabis for medicinal and recreational use. Since marijuana has become illegal it has affected the social life of minorities since they are often prosecuted harsher and more often than white people for marijuana use and is still happening all the way in 2014 .(Washington voters should reject the rush to legalize marijuana The Washington Post, September 15, 2014) .Throughout history the debate on marijuana has prompted many opposers to...
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...issue in the United States today is the debate over medical marijuana. Currently, the medical use of marijuana is legal in twenty-three states and Washington D.C. The federal government and the majority of states believe legalizing marijuana is simply too dangerous. Despite the many benefits medical marijuana offers severely ill patients, opposers believe legalization will eventually lead to recreational use. Protestants against marijuana argue the benefits have not yet been proven and could potentially be dangerous. According to How Is Colorado Doing Since Marijuana Legalization, some say it helps the economy and brings jobs while others say it creates more crime and puts kids at risk (1). However, many testimonials from patients and their loved ones provide evidence that medical marijuana has been nothing short of a miracle for them. Because of the benefits marijuana offers, legalization laws should be passed in all fifty states for the sole purpose of medical use; severely ill patients who could receive benefits are being deprived because of the possibility that the drug would lead to recreational use, increased...
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...marijuana for medicinal purposes. The need for laws to be passed in order to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes, in the state of Ohio changes need to be made to our state laws, protecting individuals from prosecution for the use of medical marijuana. History of medical marijuana 2900 BC – 2013: Marijuana has been used for medicinal purposes as far back as 5000 years ago. It was first documented as being used by the Chinese Emperor Chen Nung for illnesses such as; malaria, constipation, rheumatic pains and female disorders and has over the centuries been used for ailments from treating venereal diseases, depression, glaucoma, inflammation, edema, depression and snake bites. It was in 1611 that the Jamestown settlers first brought the marijuana plant, which was commonly called “hemp” to North America; the hemp fiber was an important export at that time. Marijuana was used throughout North America for many years and was even grown by some of our Presidents such as; George Washington who it is said had an interest in the medical uses of marijuana. It was in 1850 that the United States added marijuana to their Pharmacopeia which at that time was the public authority which set the standards for prescriptions and over the counter medications. Up until the 19th century marijuana had been used all over the world for medicinal purposes. The following are events that led to marijuana being classified as a harmful and illegal drug which contained no medicinal purposes whatsoever...
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