...The opinion of Marijuana during the 70’s was much more definitive than it is today. Approval of Marijuana by 27 states, new medical studies, and its consequences on those convicted from use of the most common illicit drug in the world, is forcing the United States of America to rethink its stance on the matter. In general, the underlying argument about Marijuana in this country is: should Marijuana continue to be prohibited to citizens based on its health effects, medicinal values, and costs to the country? The reasons why this argument is so important are great. As previously stated, Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the world, and with millions of people using it regularly and almost 100 million that have ever used it in this country, the laws behind this drug hold great influence. It is because of this and the immergence of new evidence, that the justification behind prohibition of this drug is being rethought scientifically, socially, and economically. The use of Marijuana as both medicine and a recreational drug is being thoroughly questioned in the US. 27 states have Marijuana approved in some form, many of those for medical purposes however those users can still, and do get placed into prison by federal law. Currently, 830,00 people a year are in trouble with the law in regards to Marijuana and numbers seem to be on an uphill trend . Furthermore, the US invests 30 billion a year into the drug war, half of which is dedicated to Marijuana. Many are questioning...
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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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...Thesis: Legalizing marijuana simply digs a deeper hole in the fight against harmful intoxicants. Summary: The legalization of marijuana would have no benefits. To the contrary, doing so would simply add to the list of readily accessible and potentially addictive substances that can lead to irresponsible behavior and poor health. Given the widespread problems associated with addictive substances such as alcohol and tobacco, why should laws be altered to add another substance to this list? The fact that so many people break laws prohibiting marijuana use does not mean that these laws should be repealed. Introduction One function of government is to protect citizens from harm, whether it is from foreign enemies or from internal causes such as poisonous food or contaminated water. Similarly, the ban on marijuana protects citizens from the dangers of drug consumption, as well as potentially destructive behaviors associated with marijuana use. With the possible exception of limited benefits in treating some diseases under a physician's direction, there are no advantages to the use of intoxicants such as marijuana or more potent drugs, including cocaine and heroin. This is not to say that individuals do not experience some momentary pleasure in consuming drugs-often at tremendous social costs. However, drug use can also wreak havoc on an individual's ability to experience all of the facets of life-from facing and overcoming challenges to enjoying times of great joy to relishing...
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...views today on Marijuana are not the same as the views in the 70’s.Due to the approval of 27 states, medical studies, and cost of consequences on those convicted from use of the most common illicit drug in the world, the United States of America has began to rethink its stance on the matter. The question of this country seems to be the underlying argument about Marijuana in this country is: should Marijuana continue to be prohibited to citizens based on its health effects, medicinal values, and costs to the country? This argument seems to be a great topic in the U.S. Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug, not only in the United States, but the world, and because of this the laws connected with this drug hold great influence. It is because of this and the immergence of new evidence, that the justification behind prohibition of this drug is being rethought scientifically, socially, and economically. Twenty seven states have approved the use of marijuana for medical purposes, but the users can be prosecuted, and placed into prison according to federal law. I cannot began to understand this, but currently, 830,000 people a year are in trouble with the law in regards to Marijuana (Business Insider, 2012) and numbers seem to be on an uphill trend . The money tax payers are paying for the war on marijuana places a dent in our society. This money could be used for many other things such as education, care for elderly, and funding for U.S. soldiers. Marijuana comes from...
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...Legalization of Marijuana In today’s society what is accepted in different American cultures as far as drugs are on a thin line of what people accept. The Gore Vidal was published on September twenty-six nineteen seventy, so the discussion on marijuana has been talked about over forty-four years now. It is about time that the American society accepts legalization of marijuana. Many Americans do not see anything wrong with a doctor prescribing them “legal drugs.” People think of marijuana in a negative ways because they are against the law. Many people don’t realize that there are many things that are legal that are a lot worse than marijuana things like prescription drugs, alcohol, and even in some instances cough medicine, but none of these are illegal why is that? When in all reality can we really put a difference on which is okay in today’s society. In the article that Gore Vidal wrote, he believes that our society should legalize marijuana. In comparison to Gore Vidal an article on the website called the Huffington post they also think that there are good reasons to legalizing marijuana and also some negative stand points. America has been fighting to legalize marijuana for nearly forty-four years now. Recreational marijuana is for sale in Colorado, one of the few states that have actually gone through with legalizing it in the United States. There is a Huffington Post article about the legalization of marijuana in Colorado and the effects of it. Amendment 64 is the...
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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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...fight the war on Marijuana. Marijuana has been a hot topic lately, and the debates really been heating up. The main question is how much would our country benefit from the legalization of recreational marijuana? Our citizens and political leaders have a chance to cash in on one of the biggest cash crops in existence today. Legalizing marijuana for recreational use has the potential to be very lucrative and beneficial to our country and society. To fully understand the debate on legalizing marijuana, you must know what marijuana is and how it came to be outlawed in the U.S. in the first place. Marijuana is a plant that produces flowers or buds that can be smoked to produce...
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...drugs on an individual and the society as a whole. The effects brought about by the abuse of drugs are many and well known to us. Some of these effects include, destruction of the human character, a person’s dignity and autonomy is destroyed, the sense of responsibility is swept away, drugs subvert productivity and there is loss of memory affecting to the greatest extent students. Legalization generally means removing a legal prohibition against something that is currently not legal. (Dictionary.com) Then by legalizing drugs; we will be making the sale and use of drugs which is currently illegal to be legal. The sale of drugs will be done freely on every corner of our streets just like candy without anyone bothering the other. Legislation advocates deny that the amount of drug use would be affected, I conquer with the opinion, making drugs legal will increase their availability and use. For instances, “when powder cocaine was hard and expensive to get, it was found in the circles of the rich, famous and privileged”. (William J Bennett) There is an argument that legislation of drugs will reduce the number of street crimes in our streets. Research has proven otherwise. Most drug criminals on our streets were into crime well before they got involved with drugs. Legalizing drugs won’t stop these criminal from because they will continue their criminal activities to cater for their bills and needs. By keeping drugs illegal we maintain the criminal sanctions that persuade most people...
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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 lot...
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...provoked questioning of the rationality of the current US federal legislation on both drugs, as marijuana is currently illicit whilst alcohol is not. Research has suggested that marijuana could be equally if not more beneficial than alcohol to the economy, with fewer negative externalities. This discussion has been sparked anew after the states of Colorado and Washington infringed federal legislation by instating the open legality of marijuana. The topic, in current debate, must be viewed objectively to reach a valuable conclusion, since much of the argument is highly opinionated and biased owing to the stigma attached to such substances. Marijuana is currently a Schedule I substance under federal law whereas alcohol is federally regulated through the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) alongside stringent state and county laws. Existing federal law makes alcohol legal to those over the age of 21, with high taxation placed on consumption. Hence, the substance is highly regulated, although not currently prohibited. We intend to examine the economic effects that alcohol has on the economy and compare these findings with the hypothetical benefits of legalised marijuana. Analytically considering the reasoning behind its current illegal status, we will compare the negative externalities of cannabis against those of alcohol to determine whether there is logic behind the prohibition. The paper will look to settle disputes about the monetary incentives of a legal market by...
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...Arguments Against: Prohibition of Marijuana 1. Medicinal Use a. STUDY- According to Congressional Research Service, “By the 1840s, marijuana’s therapeutic potential began to be recognized by some U.S. physicians. From 1850 to 1941 cannabis was included in the United States Pharmacopoeia as a recognized medicinal. By the end of 1936, however, all 48 states had enacted laws to regulate marijuana.” b. Certified physicians prescribing marijuana (specifically for the THC in it) as a form of medicine i. Many people can find benefits from its medicinal purposes 1. Improves nausea and vomiting 2. Stimulation of hunger a. Cancer and AIDS patients b. STUDY- University of California, San Francisco concluded that 30% more AIDS patients who smoke cannabis compared to those who did not felt “significantly less pain and better appetite” 3. Lower eye pressure c. Specifically Glaucoma patients 4. Generic pain reliever ii. Many countries have begun the process of legalization for medicinal use 5. 9 Countries around the world, including Spain, Germany, Italy, and Canada 6. As well as 14 states within the United States, making you wonder what exactly will happen if over half the states legalize medicinal marijuana c. VIDEO----------------------------------------------UNION MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS ------------- 2. Industrial Use ...
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...Marijuana, subject that has been around since most were even born, yet still controversial to this very second. There are very passionate parties on both ends, some for it, and some against it. There are also positives and negatives to each. In a day and age where numbers are everything, it is “the” thing. This is a disclaimer: I am not writing about the legalization of weed. In fact, I am addressing the economic argument of if marijuana is the productive economic stimulus the United States has been looking for. Marijuana as of right now is an illegal banned substance in most states, yet without many documented negatives, is left out and unable to bring most state revenue departments hundreds of millions of dollars per year, further helping this country and keeping it out of another economic recession. In this argumentative piece, I am going to address if marijuana is actual an economic benefit in the states that do allow it, or if it is just a myth. Now we must first address the elephant in the room. There is a certain stigma with Marijuana. It has been said by many that the legalization of marijuana is not in hopes of revenue and economic gains, but instead our troubled generations excuse to legalize a substance that as of now is still widely illegal. It is important to note the now cultural norm marijuana’s widely gained. On the Expanded Academic ASAP Gale, Ventrell Marvin goes into depth on Colorado’s land mark experiment of Marijuana. The author of the scholarly source...
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...Marijuana, also known as Cannabis, is a very controversial drug. With the American public being more informed regarding health, strong opinions on both sides of the marijuana argument have developed in regards to why the Government and other establishments are so opposed to re-evaluating the use of marijuana, whether for recreation or medical use. Marijuana has been researched, analyzed, studied, and proven to have positive impacts on the American society. A couple of these impacts are a boost to the economy (additional taxes) and health care (medical benefits). It is going to take society becoming more educated and with up-to-date scientific data to prove or disprove previous misconceptions about the drug and finally remove the bad reputation that this drug has garnered. During the late 19th century through the early 1920’s, marijuana was legal and a widely used ingredient for medicinal purposes and even sold at local pharmacies. In 1937, the US passed a law that ultimately ended up prohibiting sales and use of the drug in the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 in an effort to control the Mexican immigrant population in the Southwest. The Act, after being deemed unlawful, was replaced by the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970. The federal government lists marijuana as a Schedule 1 narcotic which defines it as “narcotic drugs with no known acceptable medical use, that carry a high abuse potential” (Drug Enforcement Agency [DEA]). Regardless of the barriers...
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...not apply to marijuana, since the individual who chooses to use marijuana does so according to his or her own free will, and the government also may have a right to limit individual actions if the actions pose a significant threat to the individual. But this argument does not logically apply to marijuana because marijuana is far less dangerous than some drugs that are legal, such as alcohol and tobacco. There for the most basic reason that marijuana should be legal is that there is no good reason for it not to be legal. Some often ask “why should marijuana be legalized?" but we should ask "Why should marijuana be illegal?" From an abstract point of view, we as individuals deserve the right to make choices for themselves. There is no logic why someone would be pushed to take legal drugs that are proven to sometimes be potentially worse for one’s body and mind. “Marijuana is far less subject to abuse than most drugs used to treat the same conditions. It is also less addicting. Dr. Lester Grinspoon, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, says that “Marijuana is safer than most drugs used to treat the same problems.” Since there is no known case of lethal marijuana overdose, that would mean marijuana is safer than aspirin. According to John Marx, one thousand people a year die of aspirin overdose. The side effects of aspirin can also harm young children. The estimated ratio of lethal to effective dose is 40,000 to 1. The second major reason that marijuana should be legal...
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... on if marijuana should be legalized for all purposes, to include medical and recreational. The question should lie as to what is the actual harm that comes from making the drug legal. Why not legalize the drug and place a tax, just like the tax occurred on tobacco. In the 1890’s, marijuana/hemp was replacing the cotton plantations and it was a major cash crop in the southern states. The product was being placed in some prescriptions; it was even listed on the United States Pharmacopeia from 1850 until 1942. During this time, using marijuana for recreational use was not illegal. In the 1950s it was an accessory of the beat generation; in the 1960s it was used by college students and "hippies" and became a symbol of rebellion against authority. It was being used by musicians and the people in show business. During this time clubs were opening in most major cities and these were tolerated by the community because the patrons did not disrupt after using the drug. The government has tried to use criminal penalties to prevent marijuana use for over 75 years and still to this day marijuana is now used by over 25 million people annually. Now that Colorado and Washington have legalized use and possession of marijuana and 20 states have legalized its medical uses, many people, including virtually everyone who has studied the matter, hope that other states will also legalize and ultimately force the federal government to repeal its strict criminalization of marijuana. Starting...
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