...arguments. Proposition 19 was a bill that failed to pass because it was unfavorable. It stated that it would legalize the usage of marijuana along with marijuana related activities, it would allow for the government to regulate the activities and also allow the government to place taxes on it, and it would authorize criminal and civil penalties by the local government. This is an ongoing debate in many states today, and will continue to become more popular because of the uprise in popularity of marijuana. Keywords: Proposition 19, Stainlislaus County, marijuana, legalization An Argument Against Proposition 19 The controversy of the legality of marijuana has been a huge subject for debate for years, even decades. Currently, in modern society, the number of supporters for legal use of marijuana has increased significantly. People often question why this topic is an enormous concern and it is because here in the United States marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug. It has been recorded by The National Institution on Drug Abuse (2011, p.8), nearly 104 million Americans over the age of 12 have tried marijuana at least once. Many questions have arisen about the positive impact that the legalization might lead to, directly pointing out politicians because they have thoughts about legalizing marijuana to increase revenue by raising taxes. This idea directly pinpoints California, which currently has the largest...
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...Fall 13 Fall 13 The Marijuana Business James Knight This paper looks at historical information, current legislation, and makes formulates an opinion on the business aspect of the federal and state legislation. The Marijuana Business James Knight This paper looks at historical information, current legislation, and makes formulates an opinion on the business aspect of the federal and state legislation. 08 Fall 08 Fall The Marijuana Business Marijuana arrived with the mayflower and has had a close relationship with the United States ever since. The evolution of the nation’s perspective has been an ever-changing shift between legalization and regulation. This paper is not about the moral aspects of legalization, but rather the business aspect of the legalization of marijuana. It will examine the historical background, overview of the problem, current status, and the business impact of marijuana. Historical Background While marijuana has a somewhat “sketchy” background, its mention pre dates recorded history. While these historical instances are not business related, the instances do offer insight into the benefits of the substance. With the arrival of pilgrims and settlers on American soil, marijuana claimed a stake that has been ever evolving with our country. Jamestown settlers brought marijuana, or what was referred to as “hemp”, from England in 1611. All throughout the colonial era, hemp was a key export. Virginia even granted famers bounties for the cultivation...
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...reasons that the marijuana should be legal, since 1970 when marijuana was labeled a schedule 1 controlled substance by congress there have been 23 states that have legalized marijuana for medical use (2015, January 13). Doctors and nurses have noted that medical marijuana use is less expensive, more effective, and less toxic on the body. While working with aids and cancer patients doctors have noted that medical marijuana has increases patients appetite, reduce pain and nausea. The medical use has been well documented by doctors and nurses (2008, June 17). If marijuana was legal it would put hundreds of street drug dealers out of business and allow the state to collect tax on drugs that are being sold. Legal marijuana would lead to less arrest, if there were less arrest that means less people in jail witch in turn would result in less money being spent by the state and federal government prosecuting criminals for a crime that is now legal. The state would also save money in prison there would be less inmates to house and feed. With police not having to pursue marijuana sales and users that would allow officers more time to spend trying to catch violent criminals, rapist, and thieves. Marijuana being sold in controlled environments can be controlled more than on the streets. Any person buying marijuana on the streets can buy as much as they want with the right amount of money, if there is a controlled market that regulates the amount of marijuana purchased it...
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...Week 3 Assignments Article Rebuttal: Marijuana BCOM/275 September 25, 2012 Gregory Hearnes Article Rebuttal: Marijuana According to Elon (2006), [Smoking a marijuana cigarette deposits about three to five times more tar into the lungs than one filtered cigarette. Smoking three to four joints per day causes as much harm to the respiratory system as smoking a full pack of cigarettes a day. Marijuana smoke contains 50 to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke.] The truth of the matter is that scientific studies show that marijuana is not toxic to humans, and the “overdose” amount is so unrealistic as to be laughable. More people have died from prescription drugs, firearms, alcohol, aspirin, or peanut butter than marijuana. There is no evidence that supports marijuana having ever caused any medical deaths. Alcohol and tobacco are both more addictive and dangerous than marijuana (Hubpages, n.d.) “Accident records from one study showed that up to 12% of non-fatally injured drivers and up to 16% of fatally injured drivers had marijuana in their bloodstream” (Elon, 2006). Just because an individual has marijuana in their bloodstream does not mean that they were under the influence at the time of their accident. Marijuana can show up in the bloodstream over 30 days after actually consuming it. This study is not accurate because it does not show that the individuals...
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...The history of Marijuana dates back many years, and has served every culture since the beginning of time. Weed, ganga, pot, hash, bud, and mary jane, have become apart of many peoples lives today across the world. This growing “green” movement has become a huge topic of discussion in the recent years. Marijuana has been adapted to fit our lifestyles, and social environments. The love for pot in the United States of America is blatant and common. With such attention from celebrities, and rappers, such as Wiz Khalifa, Snopp Dogg and many more, Mary Jane continues to be everyones favorite girl. The realization that a great majority of people in America smoke weed, state governments such as California, Washington, Colorado and many more have legalized pot for either recreational or medical purposes. The legalization of pot nation wide is eminent, and in the near future. I believe that pot should be legalized because of its helpful medicinal purposes, the governments inability to stop this movement, and the incredible potential weed has to help state and national economies. The use of marijuana dates back 2737 B.C and has been used in civilizations for different purposes ever since then. Some ancient societies such as the Chinese used the herb for medicinal purposes to treat gout, malaria, and even absent mindedness. Other places such as India, the drug was used strictly for recreational purposes. Marijuana was first introduced to the United Sates in Jamestown in 1611 and instantly...
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...The word "marijuana" has risen a concerned eyebrow in almost every American home today. Those that oppose legalizing the use of the plant automatically believe its use is to smoke it, but those that do not choose to use marijuana are thought to be in favor of keeping it illegal. Opposing views on the subject of decriminalizing the plant has caused much controversy over the past twenty years and still remains an important issue. The legalization of marijuana in the Unites States would drastically reduce crime in our cities and form a more productive society through its positive uses. The war on drugs deals with every level of society. Every year, the U.S. government spends large amounts of money to control drug use and to enforce laws enacted to protect society from the dangers of certain drugs. Some argue that the fight against drugs is not needed and that society has already lost the war on drugs and the only way to remedy the problem to end most of the fighting altogether is by decriminalizing the use of marijuana. William Buckley says, "Pot is harmful, but people should not go to jail for smoking it" (Buckley 1A). Buckley was a college professor at Columbian University and admitted to smoking marijuana on a national television show in 1973. At the time Buckley was quoted to say, "There were a half-million arrests due to pot use in 1973 respectively -this makes the realization that there has been a breakdown in communication between the public and the police"...
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...Legalizing Marijuana makes Pennsylvanians Rich Introduction Growing up on the gritty streets of West Philadelphia I was exposed to many drugs. From an early age I can remember seeing guys hang out on the corner. It wasn’t until I became a preteen that I realized that these young men weren’t just “hanging out”. They were actually hustling and making drug transactions. In high school I was offered my joint. Scared of my parents finding out and remembering the negative effects of drugs that I learned about in school forced me to decline. Many of my peers were not as strong and fell into peer pressure. The smell of marijuana on the way to school became a familiar scent. As I got older and began to explore the City of Brotherly Love I learned that Philly is drug infested. I’ve met a lot of good people who have fallen into addiction. Their drug usage impedes their everyday life. I have a friend who I went to high school with. My friend was a top athlete and scholar. After a terrible car accident he developed an addiction to prescription pain killers. He ran from doctor to doctor trying to keep his fix alive. The process lingered on for a couple years, One day I asked him why he didn’t get help or try to stop. His main argument was that he wasn’t doing anything illegal like crack or heroine, so he didn’t think he had a problem. His argument got me thinking about the government and how they dictate what medications are okay and not okay for people...
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...Legalization of Marijuana Michelle Shepard Soc 120 July 16, 2012 Danielle Camacho There is no denying that the drug problem in our country today has reached an epidemic proportion. The problem has gotten so out of hand that many options are being considered to control and or solve it. Trying to end the drug war may not seen to be the best answer in the beginning, but those so-called wars on drugs have not been very successful at stopping the drug wars. I feel that there should be some different options. The legalization of marijuana is an option which hasn’t received much of a chance, but should be given one. Given that marijuana has known important medical uses, such as the alleviation of nausea, and the treatment of glaucoma, can the government justify banning it just because some individuals use it for recreational purposes? Is it even the business of the government to regulate the private lives of its citizens? I really don’t condone the use of any kind of drug use, but a drug such as marijuana should be legalized to a certain extent, because marijuana helps people with some medical conditions they may have. In order for one to solve the ongoing issue of the legalization of marijuana one must take a look at the classical theory of deontology. Deontology is the classical theory where the reason for which an act is done is assessed. (Mosser, 2010) When assessing the issue of the legalization of marijuana, one must question the exact reasons as to why individuals...
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...Marijuana, also known as cannabis, is a form of the cannabis plant. In 1923, marijuana was added to the Confidential Restricted List as a prohibited drug in Canada. However, many Canadians believe that marijuana should be legalized because it can play a significant role in the medical industry. However, others hold the opposite attitude toward Marijuana legalization. This serious controversy has lasted for many decades. Canada’s neighbor, the U.S. government, has forbidden this drug since the early 1900s. However, this implementation didn’t produce a satisfactory result. (National Prevention Strategy, 2011) Marijuana should be legalized in Canada because its advantages outweigh the disadvantages. These advantages are likely to promote the Canadian economy, eliminate social issues and benefit the health of its residents. In terms of the economy, legalizing marijuana could conduct not only negative effects, but also positive effects. In the past decade, underground trade of marijuana has caused harm to Canada’s income. Werner Antweiler, the UBC professor, believes that the marijuana market is sizable. (2013) In B.C., the estimates show that Canadians consume at least 3 billion dollars in marijuana products annually. (Barmak, 2013) Other data from The International Journal of Drug Policy indicate that the retail value of marijuana consumption in B.C is between $443 million and $564 million. In addition, further estimates point out that marijuana legalization is likely to help the...
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...that marijuana is bad. Why are we able to go into any store and buy tobacco, which kills 400,000 people annually; alcohol, which kills 100,000 people annually; and caffeine, which kills 2,000 people annually. According to the New England Journal of medicine, you would have to smoke 1500 pounds of marijuana in under 15 minutes to OD. Marijuana was prohibited in 1937, but marijuana prohibition isn’t working. Today between 95 and 100 million Americans admit to having tried it and nearly 15 million have used it within the past month. Some people believe that marijuana is bad and does damage to the body but alcohol and cigarettes are more dangerous. Alcohol has a high level of sulphate and can cause alcohol poisoning. Cigarettes contain over 4,000 chemicals including 43 known cancer compounds and 400 other toxins. Marijuana is not 100% free of chemicals but it more natural because it is from the earth and contains only 100 chemicals. ill be discussing marijuana legislation first wat is marijuana and hw does it affect humans? second when and why did marijuana become illegal? and why states are legalizing marijuana for medical purposes. using these points i intend to inform you about marijuana and the movement to legalize it. according to the national institute on drug abuse, a survey shows that over 98 million americans over the age of 12 have tried marijuana at least one time in their life. what is marijuana? and how does it affect humans? according to webMD, marijuana , is...
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...Heading Heading Heading Title A lot of people in America perceive marijuana and people who use marijuana as something so horrible because of the way that the government portrays it, but most of those people who think this way fail to know the truth about marijuana. The fact of the matter is that the “dangers” of marijuana are over exaggerated and its classification is way out of proportion. Views about the use of cannabis have evolved over the decades. Cannabis has been around for centuries and legally used and distributed as a natural resource until it began to gain restrictions and regulations in the late 1800s and early 1900s soon leading to the illegalization of it in the 1930s with the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 (Guither). In the eyes of many people, the reasons for the illegalization of growing and distributing the hemp plant are untrue or over exaggerated, and this paper will address why marijuana should be legalized in America. The reasons for why the government should take the action of legalizing the use of marijuana, or cannabis, are endless, but this paper focuses on the facts that cannabis has a multitude of known, positive uses, that legalizing it will take thousands and thousands of good people out of prisons, and that legalizing the use of marijuana could actually have economically positive effects on the country. Marijuana has been around long before it was known as a recreational drug in the early 1900s. The known uses of the hemp plant go back to as early...
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...Marijuana Legalization The legalization of marijuana is something that I have always been interested in. In high school, I heard about people first smoking marijuana, and I thought it was so bad because of everything that I was taught in elementary and middle school. Kids always pledged to stay away from any type of drug. Once I knew friends that were smoking and I talked to them about it, they made it seem so harmless, and that’s when I really got curious about it. Then I started to find out more information about marijuana and its effects, and I started to wonder whether marijuana should be legal for recreational use? After all my research I have come to the conclusion that marijuana should be legal for recreational use in the United States. Lets start by looking at the economical perspective. The United States has a national debt of trillions of dollars, and a huge financial problem is how much our law enforcement and Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) are spending to enforce the prohibition of marijuana. “In America we spend nearly $8 billion trying to enforce the laws prohibiting the use and possession of marijuana” (Cartwright 86). This money could be spent on highways, schools and other government properties but instead it is spent on enforcing laws that are being broken every single day. Another huge part of the DEA is the so-called war on drugs. Mexican drug cartels are a huge supplier of marijuana to the U.S. “In 2009, the U.S. National Drug Intelligence Center estimated...
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...The Benefit of Legalizing Marijuana Of all legal reformations that should be made, the legalization of marijuana is perhaps the most necessary. If legalized on a controlled basis, it could greatly benefit our country in a variety of ways. Clearly the most controversial topic is marijuana's benefit to the medical community. The economy would also be a beneficiary of marijuana's legalization through taxation and all the while crime rates would inevitably decrease throughout the country. While many citizens are opposed to the legalization of marijuana they are often misinformed and misguided. Marijuana is a drug that is overlooked and can be used in many positive ways. There are many people that oppose the idea of legalizing marijuana and their point of view can be justified, but marijuana can be used for other purposes than getting “high”. Although there are valid points to each side, ultimately, if legalized the benefits of legal marijuana could greatly outweigh the risk. It has been documented that marijuana can severely reduce some effects of cancer. Also, it is known that marijuana has prolonged the lives of people who were diagnosed as terminally ill. Many rely on the drug to ease their pain and suffering. Another useful benefit is its aide in reducing nausea in chemotherapy patients. Medicinal uses for cannabis date back to 2737 B.C. when the Chinese emperor and pharmacologist Shen Neng prescribed the drug for gout, malaria, beriberi, rheumatism, and memory problems...
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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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...Why Marijuana should not be made legalized * Introduction * Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States, with nearly 17 million Americans age 12 and older reporting past‐month use, and 374,000 people entering an emergency room annually with a primary marijuana problem. * Proposals such as legalization that would promote marijuana use are inconsistent with this public health and safety approach. * This is in contradiction with the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and any economic argument that applies to the legalization of marijuana applies most other illicit drugs. * Tax incentives argument * Alcohol Tax Incentives to Cost incentives * The debate over how much tax money recreational marijuana laws could produce is playing an outsize role in the campaigns for and against legalization — and both sides concede they're not really sure what would happen. * The argument is for: * it could prove a windfall for cash-strapped states with new taxes on pot and reduced criminal justice costs. * The report shows that marijuana legalization -- replacing prohibition with a system of taxation and regulation -- would save $7.7 billion per year in state and federal expenditures on prohibition enforcement and produce tax revenues of at least $2.4 billion annually if marijuana were taxed like most consumer goods. If, however, marijuana were taxed similarly to alcohol or tobacco, it might generate...
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