...numerous propositions that are on the California ballot. One of the most controversial proposition is Prop 19; the legalization of marijuana. This is not the first time that a proposition regarding marijuana has been on the voter’s ballot. In 1996, California Proposition 215 (the Compassionate Use Act) passed, allowing the use of only medical marijuana. Proposition 19 takes marijuana legalization a step further, creating full legalization in California, and treating marijuana more like tobacco or alcohol. Proposition 19 should be passed, making it a stepping stone towards a national referendum on marijuana decriminalization and leading to a reduction the national debt. If passed, Proposition 19 will legalize the use of marijuana under California state law. It would permit local governments to regulate and tax the commercial production, distribution, and sale of marijuana. But with the legality of the buying and selling of marijuana, there would come many rules and regulations that are stated in the proposition that would adjoin to users. According to Yeson19.com, the proposition was very carefully written to protect medical user’s rights while at the same time, written to regulate the use and impose constraints on those same individuals (Control & Tax Cannabis). In addition, these laws could be viewed as fairly similar to current laws regarding the use of tobacco and alcohol. Some of the major parts of the bill in regulating the use of marijuana are to control marijuana like alcohol...
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...Could legalization of marijuana pave the way to a modern and less violent society ? Plan : 1) Proposition California ( modern or chaotic state ? 2) The debate : fear or hope. 3) The arguments in favour : Financial, Mexicant cartels (tempered by BRAND study) ( it’s a good start. 4) The argument oppos : the raising of consumers and the consequence on heath. 5) The portuguese exemple tempered by the differences between the countries. 6) The conservative views : an break to mernisation, the exemple of prohibtion in the thirties al Capone. 7) Let’s be modern ! 1) Next month, a proposition which legalises marijuana will be voted in the state of california. According to the polls proposition 19 has a big shot of becoming a state law, making California the first amercian state to legalize marijuana. The proposition stipulates that adults could grow own and consume a little bit of marijuana for personal pleasure. If adopted, will this law make California a modern state or a chaotic one ? Those two perspectives are on one hand a hope for the majority and a fear for the others. The debate opposing those in favour of leagalising marijuana and those against is old. In 1972 more than 30 years ago, the opponents would have won at a rate of 2 against one, now we’re facing the oposite. But this fact isn’t a revolution. It’s more likely to be the result of an evolution of minds : Indeed in 1997 a big step was made towards legalization :...
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...An Argument Against Proposition 19 Abstract This rhetorical analysis examines a response from Stainlislaus County about their feelings and arguments against Proposition 19. Their arguments that they use to refute their opinions had many fallacies, even though they tried to appeal to their audience as much as possible by using pathos, logos, and casual 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...
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...Legalizing Marijuana Proposition 19 supports the legalization of marijuana in California, by making sure it is controlled and taxed. It allows the citizens of California who are twenty-one years of age and older to buy up to an ounce of marijuana (also known as cannabis) and not be penalized for any crime. This is an effective plan, because it would significantly decrease crime rates among people illegally purchasing marijuana on a daily basis. Right now, it is completely illegal for anyone without a medical marijuana license to purchase it. However, if it were legal for everyone at least twenty-one years of age, this would eliminate the thousands of drug busts each year and allow law enforcement to focus on other major crimes than trivial marijuana. It would also crack down on minors smoking marijuana, as police would single out teenagers and hopefully better prevent substance abuse at a younger age. Rather than trying to incriminate everyone in possession of marijuana, they can direct more of their attention to younger generations where substance abuse problems typically begin. By putting a tax on marijuana, it would create a huge increase in California’s annual budget, generating billions of dollars in revenue. “According to the State Board of Equalization, legalizing and taxing marijuana will generate an estimated $1.4 billion in new tax revenue for California.” (Lipton) This revenue could majorly boost our economy and eventually get out of debt. Taxing marijuana could...
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...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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...a wide margin, it is hard to believe anyone thinks things are getting any better. The government tried prohibition in the 1920’s and the crime rates spiked because people produced, smuggled, sold, and consumed the banned substance. The same goes for drugs. The argument about legalizing drugs has a push-pull correlation and always will. However, the reasons why drugs should be legalized have a stronger defense than why they shouldn’t be. The most heated argument out about drugs as of now is the legalization of marijuana. The financial benefits of legalizing marijuana alone are worth it in the eyes of the right person. The state of California would generate a tax revenue of 1.4 billion dollars off of the 14 billion dollars of currently untaxed marijuana sells. If the production and distribution of drugs was regulated by the government, people will be less likely to turn to the streets to obtain drugs. The government will be able to control the production and sell of marijuana the same way they control the sell of alcohol and tobacco. The opposition to the...
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...Legalizing Marijuana Greg Crist Law and the Individual Fall 2010 Legalizing Marijuana Legalizing marijuana would prevent so many problems for the United States government and could have a positive effect on the economy if handled correctly and take a very large strain off of our justice system as well. This debate has become much more intense since the latest president legalized medicinal marijuana. Now the push for total legalization has become much stronger. The recent ‘Proposition 19’ in California, which called for total legalization and taxing, failed by only a small margin, losing by only 7%. (ballotpedia.org) The problem with this issue is that marijuana has been viewed as a dangerous drug for so long that many people have a hard time accepting its benefits and the recent research that says many of the myths about marijuana use are untrue. Marijuana is an illegal drug right now, yet many people currently use it or have used it at one time in their life. 27% of people ages 18 to 25 have reported using marijuana in the last year (US Gov.) Close to a third of the population in that age group uses marijuana, yet the government still considers it a schedule 1 drug (highly addictive with no medical purposes) along with LSD and heroin. (Gunn) The federal government has set up a schedule system for all drugs based on the level of addiction and medicinal properties. Some examples of schedule II drugs are Ritalin, PCP, morphine, and cocaine; schedule III drugs are...
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...Seventeen million people have been arrested for marijuana related crimes, Thats more than the entire population of Alaska. Credibility: As a non-marijuana smoker I still feel, from past experiences and research, that the legalization of marijuana is very important. Preview: Since the year 1970 we have been wasting tax payers money, as well as law enforcements time and effort to fight something that has the potential to help so many. Body Problem Marijuana, also known as Cannabis, comes from the plant Cannabis Sativa. The main active ingredient is THC or tetrahydrocannibol. When cannabis is consumed for recreational purposes it creates a euphoric and relaxing high that according to "Medical News Today" has both physiological and psychoactive effects. Marijuana is hands down the the world's most popular drug. According to Attorney Bruce Block, "Marijuana use dates all the way back to 7,000 B.C. however widespread use of it recreationally didn't become popular until alcohol was banned during the Prohibition Era. In 1937 the government used fear, and false stories of violence to completely outlaw it. Since then, almost all of the theories used to ban marijuana have been proven false. By making marijuana a legal, taxed, and regulated product, it will result in a sharp decrease in drug related crime and a sharp increase in government income. Solution The Plan: My proposed solution is to model new laws in all states after Proposition 19, also known as the Regulate, Control, and Tax...
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...*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...
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...Why Marijuana Should Remain Illegal Published: February 26, 1994 * Sign In to E-Mail * Print To the Editor: I read with concern "Legalizing Marijuana Would Allow Regulation of Its Potency" (letter, Feb. 13). According to the writer, marijuana with high levels of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC (the chemical that causes the psychoactive effects on the abuser), is not a new phenomenon, and this high potency should not be used as a reason to keep marijuana illegal. Marijuana is not the same drug it was 20 years ago. Special fertilizers, plant hormones and steroids, carbon dioxide and advanced indoor horticulture techniques are used by the informed grower to "push" the plant to produce the highest grade, most potent variety of marijuana, sinsemilla. Because of its potency, domestic marijuana is the most highly prized cannabis product in the world. In 1970, the average THC content of a marijuana plant was 1.5 percent. The THC content of today's sinsemilla variety ranges from 8 percent to 20 percent. Today's marijuana is a drug that is significantly more potent than it was during the Woodstock era. The writer then states that "if the Government really believes that stronger varieties of marijuana are less desirable, then it has one more reason to support legalization. If cultivation of marijuana were legal, growers would not be pressed to produce the strongest possible product, and health authorities would be able to regulate its production and strength." This logic doesn't...
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...NORML-National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws By Abigail Galicia PID: A09469570 POLI 100E Final Paper Prof. Galderisi 12/13/2012 Abigail Galicia POLI 100E Galderisi 12/13/12 Final Paper NORML-National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws “It’s NORML to Smoke Pot.” How is NORML organized, and how does it pursue its policy interests? I. Introduction. The issue of the legalization of marijuana has been a hotly-debated and increasingly bitter confrontation among Americans. On the one side lie those who oppose everything about the drug and believe it to be a threat to society’s health and well-being, while the other side is composed of “the millions of smokers, many of them well educated, successful people who resent being defined as criminals for using what they regard as a mild but enjoyable drug (Anderson 3).” Both sides—for and against the legalization of marijuana—have presented proper research and evidence on either the virtually harmless or life threatening effects of marijuana along with either the economically beneficial or detrimental effects drug policy reform will have on the US. Either way, this debate has gained political momentum in the past decades and can no longer be seen as one-sided. Fueling this debate and whole-heartedly representing the pro-marijuana lobby organization, is the interest group NORML. NORML stands for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws and has been the top main advocate in leading the...
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...Mouna Mawloud Professor Orticelli AC 101 B February 28th, 2012 Legalizing Marijuana Since marijuana's first recorded use dating back five thousand years ago, it has never gained much popularity until the last century with prohibition and antiwar movements. Now, more than ever, propositions to legalize the plant have risen and been subject to controversy and heated debate. Marijuana is the most widely used drug in the United States and considered to be the most harmful by the government with its anti-marijuana stance and laws aimed at curtailing its use. With marijuana use rapidly growing, the United States national debt has never been so high, and the search for seemingly 'incurable’ diseases raging on, marijuana has the potential to solve many problems if it were to be legalized. Marijuana has been part of American culture ever since Thomas Jefferson smuggled hemp seeds out of France because he considered hemp vital to America. According to a national household survey an estimated sixty million Americans use marijuana occasionally or regularly. More than 800,000 marijuana users are arrested each year. The main reason marijuana is currently outlawed is money. The government earns revenue from prosecuting users, jobs will be lost in law-enforcement-judiciary-penal systems and scientists will lose millions of dollars in grants aimed at searching for the negative effects of marijuana. "Recently, many of these same researchers have changed their opinions as they see development...
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...Should Marijuana be legalized? In 1545, the Spanish brought marijuana to the New World. The English Introduced it in Jamestown in 1611, where it became a major commercial crop alongside tobacco and was grown as a source of fiber. It was in the 1920'sthat marijuana began to become more popular. Some historians say its emergence was brought about by Prohibition. http://www.narconon.org/drug-information/marijuana-history.html Cannabis sativa commonly known as marijuana is a plant species that is mainly known for its psychotic effects when consumed. It is consumed either through smoking, ingesting, or vaporizing. Marijuana has been used for centuries but has recently been mainstreamed in culture today. It has nicknames such as weed dope, grass, ganja, Mary Jane and chronic. Now, more than ever, propositions to legalize the plant have risen and been the subject to controversy and heated debates. Morals and politics are what make up the structure of this country, so when an issue receives responses coming from different points of views, the issue becomes controversial, and the topic of marijuana is definitely a controversial subject. The legalization of marijuana is a controversial subject; however, there are many positive arguments to support the idea as well. The following passages will discuss some pros and cons to this subject and will provide some insight on just what this drug is. Just saying the word Marijuana conjures...
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...Conflicting Federal and State Medical Marijuana Policies: A Threat to Cooperative Federalism Todd Grabarsky* Abstract The legal status of medical marijuana in the United States is something of a paradox. On one hand, federal government has placed a ban on the drug with no exceptions. On the other hand, over one-third of the states have that legalizes the cultivation, distribution, and consumption of the drug for medical purposes. As such, the usage of medical marijuana is an activity that is at the same time proscribed (by the federal government) and encouraged (by state governments through their systems of regulation and taxation). This Article seeks to shed light on this unprecedented nebulous zone of legality in which an activity is both legal and illegal, an issue that one scholar on the subject has deemed “one of the most important federalism disputes in a generation.” The issue has become heightened as two states have legalized marijuana for recreational (non-medical) purposes as a result of recent 2012 Election. This Article examines the issue from a federalism perspective. It begins by arguing that unpredictable enforcement by federal authorities in states that have legalized medical marijuana not only threatens state drug policy, but also the efficacy of federal enforcement. This argument is based on the premise that the federal drug ban exists as a cooperation between the states and the federal government. That the federal government relies on the assistance...
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...over-crowding of our penal institutions, the diversion of our tax dollars from more productive areas, the corruption of our law enforcement agencies, and directly and indirectly the erosion of our civil rights? Since I am confining this paper to discussing the laws prohibiting marijuana use, I will concede that it fits the first two categories above; i.e. it is by law, illicit, and by its nature, mood-altering. With the third category we enter upon shaky ground. There is no scientific proof that the prolonged use of marijuana exacts a greater physical toll on the user than the equivalent abuse of nicotine or alcohol. Under the name Extract of Cannabis, marijuana was once widely used medicinally in the United States, and still has minor medicinal uses in other countries. There is only one species - Cannabis Sativa - which yields both a potent drug and a strong fiber long used in the manufacture of fine linen as well as canvas and rope. The seeds are valued as birdseed and the oil, which resembles linseed oil, is valuable because paints made with it dry quickly. A Chinese treatise on pharmacology alleges to date from 2737 B.C. contains what is usually cited as the first reference to marijuana. Through out the history of man in just about every culture the mention of this substance is found used both as a fiber...
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