... 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...
Words: 909 - Pages: 4
...alcohol in the 1920s, marijuana should be legalized because doing so would not only reduce crime, but make the substance more reliable and safer and would generate tax dollars. Background/History: Why is marijuana illegal? Why is it legal in some states and not in others? Marijuana became widely criminalized in 1937 when congress passed the “Marijuana Tax Act” 1 as a result of a national propaganda campaign against the substance. Harry J. Anslinger 1 led the campaign as the first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics from 1930 to 1962. He used the themes of racism and violence to cause widespread hatred and fear of the drug in order to make it illegal. He was often quoted saying "Colored students at the Univ. of Minn. partying with (white) female students, smoking [marijuana] and getting their sympathy with stories of racial persecution. Result: pregnancy" and "Two Negros took a girl fourteen years old and kept her for two days under the influence of hemp. Upon recovery she was found to be suffering from syphilis." 2 In 1996, Proposition 215 was passed in California and this allowed for the medical use of marijuana. Since then, 22 other states, D.C, and Guam have enacted similar laws. These laws have now decriminalized possession and/or legalized medical marijuana in the state.1 How is it similar to the prohibition era before and after? It is similar to the prohibition era in that both the prohibition of alcohol and the prohibition of marijuana were country wide...
Words: 1598 - Pages: 7
...Legalized Marijuana: Colorado’s Answer? The current presence of Marijuana in the United States is at an all time high. Everywhere you look and read you’re sure to hear or see something that has to do with marijuana. Marijuana has become a huge element within our current culture and it is easily seen. Since marijuana has been on the rise in the United States, there has been a push for legalization of it for both medical and recreational use. With the current movement that is ongoing, we have seen 21 states within the U.S. legalize marijuana for medical use and the states of Washington and Colorado have legalized it for recreational use (ProCon.Org 2014). Colorado has been in the spotlight of the movement ever since the legalization for recreational use of marijuana went into effect. It’s been considered a modern day Amsterdam in the United States with the amount of marijuana that is being consumed and produced there. But, with the legalization of marijuana also comes the negative elements that can and will be produced by the drug. The ongoing debate in the U.S. concerning the legalization of marijuana benefits seems to outweigh the potential of negative consequences it could potentially cause. Those who are in favor of the legalization of marijuana believe it will aid in reducing the populations in jails and prisons, free up law enforcement resources so they can target more serious crime within the U.S., as well as increase states’ revenue through the taxation of sales of legal...
Words: 3116 - Pages: 13
...*The Evolution of Cannabis:* a Recreational drug transition*ing to a medical remedy approved by* Americans. Cannabis has been a recreational drug and medical remedy since the herb was known to exist but, today cannabis has been researched, approved by legislators to be used only for applications. People have opposed the consumption of marijuana for medical and recreational use. The herd known as cannabis indigo is the # l drug and the hottest issue coming to the surface of social issue for Americans. History of the Problem (Include, perhaps, past attempts at solutions. Work in sources. The plant marijuana has been known since 6000 B.C. and in 1840 in America medical preparation cannabis was legal and available to Americans. The United State government and the department of food and Drug Administration ordered in 1906 to label products that contained cannabis. The Harrison Act in 1914 listed Cannabis, to be approved but the law did not pass legislation. The pharmaceutical industry's was opposition the approval due to lack of beneficial properties. In 1915-1924 cannabis was prohibited for non medical use in the United States. Dr. Hamilton Wright, a State Department official whom from 1908 to 1914 coordinated the domestic and international aspects of the federal antinarcotics campaign, wanted cannabis to be included in drug abuse legislation because of his belief in a hydraulic model of drug appetites. He reasoned, along with numerous other experts, that if one dangerous drug...
Words: 2554 - Pages: 11
...Marijuana is a recreational drug that has been around the United States for quite some time now. This drug is popular amongst people of all ages and is often sold illegally to the masses of the people of the United States. As of now, marijuana is illegal in almost every state in the United States. Some states such as Alaska, Colorado, California, and Nevada have taken a proactive step by legalizing marijuana (Goggin). While other states aren’t as proactive and still upholds certain laws that makes marijuana illegal. To some people marijuana should be legalized across the United States. In their opinion, the drug has a positive effect on the life of its users. Some of those positive effects include improved lung health and it can be used to...
Words: 1865 - Pages: 8
...effect it has on Medicinal Marijuana users So far, twenty-five states have medicinal marijuana laws in place. Thirteen of those have state laws protecting patients rights, but only two, Colorado and Washington have also passed a law legalizing the recreational use of marijuana. Therefore, even though you can legally get a recommendation for medicinal marijuana in all twenty-five of those states, it is illegal, and punishable by federal law to possess it unless you live in Colorado or Washington. The United States Government, who owns patent # 6630507, which is the use of cannabinoids as an antioxidant and neuroprotectant, has classified marijuana as a schedule I drug. ie: Highly addictive with no medicinal value. Schedule I drugs can not be researched until they are reclassified as a schedule II drug. Although the Health and Human Services Department has acknowledged the benefits of medicinal marijuana use, the U.S. government continues to deny it. If...
Words: 1003 - Pages: 5
...In Virginia, a bill for medical marijuana is to be established on Tuesday by the Virginia house committee. However the bill was not passed, but if it had been passed medically prescribed marijuana can be used for medical purposes. However, many people believe marijuana is a gateway drug and can lead you to other harmful drugs. That is not the case because people have control over what they put into their bodies. Medical marijuana is legal in some states but it should also be legal in Virginia. Medical marijuana should be made legal in Virginia because it can help those with medical conditions, medical marijuana is a classified drug that has not caused a single death, and it can help those who are on chemotherapy. Medical marijuana can be used...
Words: 911 - Pages: 4
...Marijuana Prohibition Was The Result Of White Power You must be able to ignore the racial roots of Marijuana Prohibition; the effect of discrimination on race has made this a popular topic. A lot of arrests for drug paraphernalia is mainly focused on Race. The amount of Blacks and Latinos that are targeted instead of White people is unbelievable. Why are people of color being singled out for public possession? Why are the statistics of the drug arrests for people of color at higher rates compared to White people? Because of targeting people of color we can't use certain drugs to help with neuropathic pain. Why is law enforcement targeting blacks and latinos? We need to stop addressing people of color for these drug charges so we can start...
Words: 985 - Pages: 4
...Hailey Lattimore ENG 101-027 Mrs. C Dawkins October 11, 2017 Evaluation Essay: Medical Marijuana Marijuana is one of the most beneficial drugs on the market. It’s a non-addictive, cheap, and natural drug that helps with several medical issues. It benefits several medical issues, like pain relief, that opioids can’t help or don’t help enough. Additionally, marijuana is a natural drug so there are not any dangers that come from additives. The cost is also a benefit because it’s easier to afford it, more so than opioid prescriptions. Unlike most opioids, marijuana is not an addictive drug if it’s just used for medical purposes. Opioids include oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl, and many others, all of which have a history of being extremely...
Words: 798 - Pages: 4
...Marijuana legalization has been talked about alot recently in the media. There is a constant debate on whether or not it should be legalized. There really is only a two way debate on whether or not it should be legal, yes it should or not it shouldn’t. My personal opinion is that marijuana should be legalized. It would help out with tons and tons of health problems, lowered crime rate and would save our government lots of money. The first reason it should be legalized is that is would save the government money. The reason for this is that marijuana prohibition costs out government money and enforcement costs. If weed was legal, enforcement costs would be zero and government would wager on the sale of marijuana(https://tinyurl.com/yd53l99b)....
Words: 349 - Pages: 2
...Monali Patel Final Paper Draft 1 Surrounding Impacts of Marijuana Dispensaries Marijuana is a drug derived from the cannabis plant. There are two types of cannabis: sativa (with a main psychoactive component of THC) and indica (components include THC and CBD). Since cannabis is dioecious, it allows cross-breeding and diversity, resulting in crop breeders being able to somewhat control the THC and CBD contents of specific strains. Dispensaries are stores that sell cannabis products for either medicinal or recreational use. Currently only limited states in the U.S. have legal dispensaries for medicinal use and even limited for recreational use. The only states that currently have operational dispensaries for both medicinal and recreational...
Words: 440 - Pages: 2
...Marijuana Legalization When the word marijuana comes up in a conversation, people automatically think of it as a terrible thing to do. Then, there are people who know of far worse things, such as alcohol. Seventy-five thousand deaths in the United States are linked to alcohol every year. Something that kills thousands of people a year is legal and something like marijuana that can be used in the curing treatment of cancer is illegal. The most common reasoning for keeping marijuana illegal is because it is known as a gateway drug. A gateway drug means that people who smoke marijuana are more likely to get into the use of more harder drugs like heroin or cocaine, which is definitely not the case. ¨Studies show that 85% of cocaine users...
Words: 1384 - Pages: 6
...Is Marijuana a Stimulant? Is marijuana a stimulant that raises levels of physiological or nervous activity in the body? Marijuana cultivated from the Cannabis sativa or indica plant, is a brown, green, or gray mixture of dried stems, shredded leaves, and flower buds. The plants primary psychoactive ingredient is the chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other related compounds. It’s usually ingested, rolled up like a cigarette or cigar, or put into a pipe and smoked. Occasionally, people inhale it using a vaporizer or mix it with food. Although there are people who use it for treating a variety of medical conditions, young people typically use it as a recreational drug. Is Marijuana a Stimulant? Marijuana is considered to be a...
Words: 674 - Pages: 3
...Medical marijuana has been a subject that people frequently hear on the news. Entrepreneurs make products infused with medical marijuana to help certain people, for example, Whoopi Goldberg and Maya Elisabeth created medical cannabis products to help target premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and menstrual pain for women. The two created the products because medical marijuana can help relieve pain for a large population of people. Medical cannabis is known to treat those with chronic conditions that they have to live with every day some of which include HIV/AIDS, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, and cancer patients. “In a placebo-controlled, 2007 study in the journal Neurology, Abrams and his colleagues found that marijuana is effective at reducing neuropathic...
Words: 284 - Pages: 2
...The use of marijuana in the medical world have always gone through much debate since some people doubt it’s medicinal properties. Maybe the general view on the public’s opinion about using the drug medicinally have changed drastically since depending on the type of media especially in the movies or news have always portrayed the drug to be used recreationally but, studies have shown that there are potential health benefits that can be link to the usage of marijuana or with its more common term weed. WHAT IS MEDICAL MARIJUANA (CANNABIS)? Medical marijuana comes from the flowers, bud and leaves of the marijuana (cannabis) plant to use as treatment for certain diseases or to relieve symptoms. The healing properties of marijuana are due to its...
Words: 718 - Pages: 3
