...What are the benefits of decriminalizing any drug? “A drug is not bad. A drug is a chemical compound. The problem comes in when people who take drugs treat them like a license to behave like an asshole,” – said Frank Zappa, the American composer and rock musician and I absolutely agree with him. The dawn of the twenty first century has ushered in a new age of optimism and wonder. Despite the proclamations of television, all is not in well in our part of the world. Our societies have waged a war on drugs, but this war is far from being won. Being fought against our own citizens and citizens abroad, an international effort to eradicate drug production and use has undoubtedly failed leaving in its wake social unrest and political chaos. Assault, property crime, homicidal tendencies, racial and economic marginalization, murder, corruption and many other undesirable things are burning through society fanned by the drug war's cold and inhuman policies. In addition to these problems there are the initial problems that drug users incur on themselves and society; the same ones the drug war was supposed to eliminate. Prohibition is an old idea that is not practically attainable in a democratic society that values individual rights. – short generalization+quotation For one, experiments with the prohibition of alcohol failed miserably and cost many people their lives. If the justification behind the drug war is human health and wellbeing, as governments would have us believe, then refraining...
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...Legalizing and Decriminalizing Marijuana When people hear the world marijuana they often associate it with other negative things such as, addiction, gangs, law violations, hallucinations, disorientation, and criminal activity. However marijuana has been used and shown to have positive effects in multiple medical conditions. Marijuana has been found to relieve symptoms of diseases of serious magnitude such as asthma, glaucoma, and muscle spasms are just a few. Marijuana has also been found to relieve a loss of appetite and nausea due to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) wasting syndrome and chemotherapy treatment (AIDS 1). Marijuana has become a major source of relief for many terminally ill patients, as well as people with mental disorders such as depression, and bipolar disorder. Why then if marijuana has multiple positive effects and uses is it illegal? One common answer is that it is a mind altering drug and can be a life treating and can affect health in long term use. This is a weak answer because while marijuana is illegal other substances such as alcohol which is well known to be a mind altering substance and tobacco which is a substance proven to cause health issues including death, are both very legal. Legalizing marijuana and decriminalizing marijuana could have multiple positive outcomes. Legalizing marijuana for medical use would not only give ill patients different treatment options for their illnesses, but the handling and issuing of medical marijuana...
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...Thomas 08/08/2013 EN1320 Composition 1 Unit 10 Research Paper Part 6: Final Draft of Research Paper The war on drugs isn’t necessary; the amount of money tax payers are wasting is reason alone to consider other options. There is talk that decriminalizing drugs will not help, and that legalizing them will cause more trouble than what is already around, while legalizing marijuana and educating the teens about drugs may guide them to make better choices as they grow older. Not only does the war on drugs take money out of the hard-working hands of Americans, but it also forces drug users to look for alternative ways to get high. Because of unfair laws on drugs such as marijuana, users move toward the legal “spices” that cause more death than marijuana itself. There are a few states that have legalized marijuana for medical purposes, although it’s still difficult to grow and use in those states because of federal laws. The legalization of medical marijuana; brings money to that state, helps the sick, opens jobs and rises the tax revenue; a few of the things to look forward to when Uncle Sam starts treating us like adults. “In the 1980s and ‘90s the U.S. beat back the cocaine and heroin epidemics, but not by legalization or decriminalization, but by tough law enforcement, strong prevention and education programs and public outcry.” (Bennett, 2013) The truth is the War on Drugs is something like the War on Terrorism. To end terrorism is to end hate; a great idea, but is it possible? It’s...
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...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 different illnesses, states should decriminalize...
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...Amanda Martinez Proceed with the Weed! Although people say marijuana has no benefit or purpose of use, I strongly standby the fact of it becoming legalized acknowledging that there has been positive results’ concluding from the medicinal uses of marijuana, growth in job marketing and fiscal matters. The first and most essential reason that marijuana should be legal is that there are no cautious proven facts or reasons for it not to be legal. Some people ask 'Why should marijuana be legalized?" but we should really be asking "Why should marijuana be illegal?" Some of the United States labels Marijuana as a gateway drug leading to a life of failure because it is assumed to not having a legitimate purpose of use. Although there has been proven facts of positive benefits from the uses of marijuana. Many people against legalizing marijuana argue that marijuana should stay illegal because it poses health risks. This claim is not logically sound because Marijuana’s health risks are too complex therefor can’t be specifically classified of being a detriment to an individual’s health or not. The health risks that are believed to occur from ingestions of marijuana are most likely to be known as exaggerated. When people against legalization begin to go over health risks with the public they use it as a strategy for providing controversy arguments to try convincing individuals to avoid excessive use of marijuana or use at all. No one realizes that alcohol and tobacco are a...
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...The Benefits of Decriminalizing Marijuana There are so many benefits to be derived from the herb Marijuana, yet it sparks so much controversy, as policymakers probe the aspect of legalizing the possession and use of this plant. Marijuana also called Cannabis sativa when used correctly provides many benefits to one’s health. It can also be used to develop the psychological being of an individual. The legalization of Marijuana will lead to a reduction in drug related crimes. Therefore, I firmly believe that Marijuana should be decriminalized worldwide. Marijuana is sometimes referred to as a medicinal plant. The leaves and buds have been used in herbal remedies and cures for years. There have been 66 biologically active components, identified by scientists called cannabinoids, in marijuana. The most powerful of these is said to be the chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, even though other active elements are being studied. (American Cancer Society, 2012). Research has shown that marijuana can be used to treat the eye disease glaucoma. Glaucoma is a disease associated with increased pressure fluids in the eyes resulting in damage to the optic nerve, which may lead to blindness or vision loss (National Eye Institute, 2012). The National Eye Institute supported many researches and studies in the early 1970s that proved that marijuana whether administered orally, intravenously or by smoking decreased intraocular pressure (IOP). (National Eye Institute, 2012). According...
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...diseases/disorders. As also, a numerous number of others contend that cannabis is not an effective way to help treat these diseases/disorders. Personally, I believe that cannabis for medicinal usage should be legalized because it has more benefits than risks. The smoking of cannabis can help alleviate the symptoms of the terminally ill. The Institute of Medicine published in its Mar. 1999 report titled “Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base”: “For terminal patients suffering debilitating pain or nausea and for whom all indicated medications have failed to provide relief, the medical benefits of smoked marijuana might outweigh the harm.” Nausea these patients experience from chemotherapy can be alleviated with marijuana by blocking pain receptors to mask the feeling. The risks of smoking cannabis are significantly lower for terminally ill patients because they have a limited amount of time left to live. The time it would take for a new condition to possibly occur, the likelihood of the patient still being alive would be slim. By smoking cannabis, these patients can make the remaining time left in their lives more enjoyable and bearable due to the relaxing effects cannabis has on the body without the side-effects of other mainstream prescription drugs. The Eagle Forum, a group focused on social issues, stated in its online brochure, “Facts You Need to Know About ... Marijuana, “Cancer patients receiving chemotherapy often die from infection because chemotherapy weakens...
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...legalization of marijuana is justified. This paper will provide proof by measuring marijuana’s effects on the human body when ingested by inhalation against the effects on the body when consuming alcoholic beverages and smoking tobacco, by submitting research facts on its medicinal qualities, and providing you with information on how the use of marijuana can benefit a lot of people as well as our nation as a whole. Legalization of Marijuana Legalization of marijuana is wide spread. There are so many benefits to it such as helping those with medicinal issues like anxiety, AIDS, Cancer, glaucoma, etc. Being able to assist someone without throwing pills down their throat is certainly a better approach. Most people don’t know this, but there are 18 states that have already gotten on the band wagon of legalizing marijuana. Colorado and Washington are the two most recent states that adopted this law. Not only is it a great way to aid in certain medical issues, but it is also a way for the states and our government to generate revenue and give back to the community. Benefits There are so many beneficial aspects of this substance being legalized that a lot of people deter from. We have school systems and community centers that need new books, equipment, etc. and nobody is seeing the big picture in all of this. Many doctors agree that this substance is a great aid to patients with chronic pain and lack of...
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...Decriminalization and Legalization of Drugs in Canada The Decriminalization and/ or legalization of drugs is a highly contentious issue regarding political, legal, economic, and social implications. It is also a highly contagious issue that the media cannot seem to cure its self of. Then again the public definitely cares about this issue intensely and so do many politicians whether they are users themselves or just simple supporters (of the tax revenues that legalizing certain narcotics will bring in to the country), especially in the United States and Canada where people are being thrown in jail for years only because of small possession charges (more so in the USA). Prisons in The United States are overcrowded with people who shouldn’t be...
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...research is being submitted on August 17, 2015 to Hugo McPhee’s GS1145 course at ITT Technical Institute by Cullen Fitzsimmons. Abstract I decided that a very controversial subject was that of the legalization of Marijuana, both for medical and recreational use. I found that there are many health benefits to medical marijuana. There also can be many benefits to the recreational use/sale of marijuana. Like all controversial topics there cannot be positives without the negatives. Some of the negatives are accessibility to children, gateway drug and impaired driving. The legalization of marijuana has been a long debated and often heated subject. The federal government has not legalized the recreational use of Marijuana, but that did not stop four states from legalizing it with in their own borders. Through the course of this paper I tend to discuss the many pros and cons of the legalization of Marijuana. There are two main ways of legalizing marijuana; medical use and recreational use. Positives Currently there are four states and Washington D.C. that have passed the legal right to recreational marijuana, Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington. Besides the medical benefits from marijuana there are also multiple reason why making it legal is a good thing. Colorado has seen a recent drop in crime rate. According to Rough (2015) “violent crime in the state has decreased by 2.2%, burglaries are down 9.5%, and overall property crimes decreased by 8.9%.” These numbers...
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...Decriminalization of Marijuana. Marijuana is a drug that comes in many forms and strains. The decriminalization of marijuana could have outstanding effects on our country. Decriminalization is to make something no longer a criminal act but was marijuana always illegal. The benefits of decriminalization are double to triple the negatives of decriminalization. Four groups of people would be hurt by this. You may be wondering can this be regulated by government. The answer may shock you but California already has it well regulated. I believe it best we decriminalize it when the time is right and some states are already seeing that the time is right. We can’t talk about why something needs to be decriminalized without first discussing why it was criminalized in the first...
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... 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 only. The increasing number of physicians implying that they would use marijuana medicinally for their patients shows that there are many benefits, which could derive from using the substance. A study conducted by American herbalist showed, “79.5 percent of professional members stated that were there not legal prohibitions they would use cannabis clinically” (Romm & Romm, 2010, p. 25)....
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...Anti-Drug legislation Analysis Joe Lamb CJA/354 May 21, 2012 Lora Terrill Anti-Drug legislation Analysis The topic of paper will focus on the numerous anti-drug policies created by federal and state legislation. Furthermore, the similarities and differences between the various states will be compared with federal policy. An analysis will further be provided regarding the legalization or decriminalization of the drug marijuana and the possible impact legalizing drugs like marijuana could have on the federal, state, and local law enforcement, corrections, and society. In 1875, San Francisco was the first state to enact a ban that prohibited individuals from smoking opium. Unfortunately, the Act targeted mainly Chinese immigrants but was a leading factor to the creation of future antidrug laws. In 1914 the Harrison Act came into effect which required all medical professionals dealing in morphine, opium, and other substances to register with the federal government and pay an annual tax of one dollar. Any individual not registered and who were caught trafficking drugs could be punished with a fine of not more than two thousand dollars and serve up to five years in prison. Before the Heroin Maintenance Act was put into effect in 1920, individuals addicted to drugs could be treated at a clinic with medially prescribed Heroin. Studies conducted over time proved that the use of heroin to treat substance abuse was only causing further damage by prolonging one's addiction and delaying...
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...in the United States. Today, while marijuana has been known to have positive medical purpose, it is a federally illegal drug. Due to the drug’s growing fan base, it would not be a surprise if it were to become legalized sooner rather than later. Marijuana should become federally recognized as legal because of its medical effects, possibility for economic prosperity, and harmlessness. Not all People use marijuana just to get high. A growing number of citizens smoke cannabis because it helps with sleeping, headaches, and insomnia. Studies at University of California Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research indicate that inhaling marijuana smoke can lead to positive medical effects for patients that have serious illnesses. For example, cancer patients have been known to experience a great reduction in neuropathic pain after taking the drug (norml.org). Commoners without serious health problems smoke marijuana to alleviate eye irritation and anxiety. With such a large percent of the population that takes the drug illegally, marijuana is bound to benefit the government as well that the people. By legalizing marijuana for both medical and recreational use, the government can regulate the buying and selling of the product. Imposing a new and higher tax on the drug will open a doorway to broad possibilities for a country in an economic recession. Legalizing the drug to be bought, sold and taxed would provide the country with a whole new rejuvenated market that contains a consistently...
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...of decriminalizing marijuana state-by-state. As of this writing, twenty-four states and the District of Columbia have instituted forms of marijuana legalization: twenty allow patients with certain incurable or degenerative and painful conditions to access marijuana for medical purposes, while Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Alaska, and DC have decriminalized marijuana for both medical and recreational purposes (State Marijuana Laws Map, 2016), with possibly as many as fourteen with potential legalization measures on the ballots this November (Rough, 2016). With public opinion shifting so quickly and marijuana becoming increasingly commonplace in American culture (pop and otherwise), it’s hard to imagine that this drug has been largely illegal and controlled in the United States for a century. Proponents of marijuana legalization argue that the initial criminalization of the plant has its roots in racism and capitalism, and that marijuana became the political sacrifice to the looming economic giant that was timber production in the early 1900s in the face of cheaper and more sustainable hemp competition. Criminalization of marijuana simultaneously created another reason to demonize people of color, especially Mexicans; post-war immigrants are largely credited for introducing the US recreational medical marijuana after the Mexican Revolution, though laws would later be created to vilify both Mexicans and African Americans (Siff, 2014). Marijuana may seem like a simplistic drug to...
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