Colorado's Recreational Marijuana Stores Make History” CNN. CNN. 1 January, 2014. Web. 23 March, 2014. Michael Martinez has discussed the topic of medical marijuana in Colorado in his article “Colorado's Recreational Marijuana Stores Make History,” published on cnn.com. Martinez tells us that the sale of recreational marijuana in Colorado went very well. He says that there was little ruckus created when the stores opened their doors to the general public. Martinez tells us that Sean Azzariti was the first person to buy recreational marijuana at 3D Cannabis Center. Martinez says Sean Azzariti needed medical marijuana to cope with his PTSD after two tours in Iraq, but Colorado doesn’t define PTSD as a legitimate reason for medical marijuana. Sean was very happy to buy recreational marijuana to help his stress and anxiety. Second, Martinez informs us that the lines were so long and massive that the stores had to limit sales to an eighth of an ounce. Third, Martinez talks about how citizens of Colorado were excited by saying that, “Prohibition is over," blared a flier for New Year's Eve festivities at Casselman’s Bar in Denver.” He also says that some people are against it and believe that it is bad for people who are in recovery and children. Lastly, Martinez talks about how not everyone is adopting the law, because communities are allowed to ban the sale of marijuana in their community. Martinez summary of the events that took place was very good and stated a neutral side of the situation.
Hunter, Jack. "How to win a culture war: young Americans are more pro-drug, pro-gay--and pro-life." The American Conservative 13.1 (2014): 6+. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. This scholarly journal says that a lot of younger...
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...aught breaking the law, or even legalizing marijuana all together. Nadelmann says that marijuana users are the highest percentage of people in drug help centers or rehabs, but he says “fewer than one in five people” did this by choice. They were there either by a court system or because they had failed a drug test for work or school, says Nadelmann. He also brings up the point that some people want marijuana to be legal medically. He says that the government says there is no such thing as medical marijuana, but Nadelmann says that the government has several court-declared patients from a few years before. According to Nadelmann, one of the bigger problems of legalizing marijuana is government involvement. He says that a lot of people want to treat legalizing marijuana the same as ending prohibition, where the government will regulate and tax the sale of marijuana.
Although there are numerous deaths, at least 100,000, from prescription drugs each year, there has never been a death attributed to marijuana. The late Dr. Tod Mikuriya, a former administrator of the US government’s marijuana research programs, stated that after he had treated about 10,000 patients in 15 years, he felt that there are about 200 different medical conditions that respond favorably to medical marijuana.
In this essay I will explore the positive and negative effects of legalizing Cannabis in California. I support the legalization of Cannabis, these are my reasons why; If California does legalize Cannabis then it would decrease the money spent on drug enforcement and criminal persecution. Legalizing Cannabis would also reduce the value of the black market product. It would also generate revenue for the California economy because it would be a taxable item that is in high demand.
Jang, Sung Joon and Byron R. Johnson. 2010. "Religion, Race, and Drug Use among American Youth." Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion 6:1-22.
With a country in shambles as a result of the Vietnam War, thousands of young men and women took their stand through rallies, protests, and concerts. A large number of young Americans opposed the war; with a common feeling of anti-war, thousands of youths united as one. This new culture of opposition spread like wild fire with alternative lifestyles blossoming, people coming together and reviving their communal efforts, demonstrated in the Woodstock Art and Music festival. The use of drugs, mainly marijuana, became a staple in the community of anti-war youths. The countercultures’ radical views and actions caused American society to turn its head and look to the young. They set themselves out as a group and were going to stand up for their rights as well as the rights of mankind.
in Colorado and Washington as not only medicinal, but recreational use. They have also begun
Of course, the status quo of vote seeking politicians and conservative policy makers has put up a strong resistance to this "new" reform lobby. The reasons for the resistance to the changes in drug policies are multiple and complex. The issues of marijuana’s possible negative effects, its use as a medical remedy, the criminality of its distribution and usage, and the disparity in the enforcement of current drug laws have all been brought to a head and must be addressed in the near future. It is apparent that it would be irresponsible and wrong for the government to not evaluate it’s current general drug policies and perhaps most importantly, their marijuana policy. With the facts of racial disparity in punishment, detrimental effects, fiscal strain and most importantly, the history of the drug, the government most certainly must come to the conclusion that they must, at the very least, decriminalize marijuana use and quite probably fully legalize it.
The legalization of Marijuana in Colorado has been great news for every user over the age of 21, but has anyone bother to ask the question “What negative impact will this decision have on the children of Colorado”? The legalization of marijuana will increase the risk of use by adolescents and teenagers in our schools. We are sending a message to our younger generation that it’s ok to get “high”. A quote by –Nine-Inch Nails “Kind of like a cloud I was up, way up in the sky and I was feeling some feelings you wouldn’t believe… I decided I was never coming down.” (1)
Just as alcohol prohibition during the 20’s and 30’s was not successful, marijuana prohibition has not been successful either, as evidenced by its current and increasing popularity in the United States. According the deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, Mr. Paul Armentano, marijuana was made illegal in the United States with the passing of the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 (2014). Later, Congress classified marijuana as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substance Act of 1970 (Armentano, 2014). Since then, hundreds of thousands of Americans have been arrested for the possession, distribution and use of marijuana. According to Professor Katherine Beckett, “there were 829,625 marijuana arrests” (Beckett, et.al., N.D.) in 2006 and that number is increasing. The debate on whether or not to legalize marijuana for recreational use has raged for decades but is beginning to see the light of day with the recent state-level victories. With Washington and Colorado guiding the way, the country as a whole is considering the issue of whether or not marijuana should be legalized. If legalized, tax revenues could potentially generate millions, if not billions, of dollars annually for state and federal coffers. Marijuana should be legalized. Legalization will not increase usage nor will the current prohibition decrease usage; however tax revenue from the distribution and sale of marijuana could benefit many state programs and even possibly eliminate governmental deficits in the future.
Have you ever thought about what marijuana actually does to you? Most people hear the word marijuana and see the picture perfect scenario. They picture goofy stoners smoking a joint, and laughing until there stomachs hurt. This would be the situation in a perfect world. Unfortunately we do not live in a perfect world. There are always setbacks to every thing we do. As humans evolve we believe more and more that we are all invincible. We do not think about the major affects of the different things we do recreationally. This includes marijuana. One of the biggest debates in the United States is the debate about legalizing marijuana. Many people believe that marijuana should be legalized because why not? They think that it would be beneficial
Drugs have largely been viewed with fear and disgust by society, and rightly so. Certain drugs do horrible things to people. They can make one lose their self control, see things that aren’t there, damage the mind, deteriorate the body, and cause a dependency in the user that utterly consumes them. But while this is the case for many drugs, it is in no way universal. This is the case of Marijuana, which has long been subject to the same treatment as other, illegal, drugs and, despite it’s many benefits, is currently illegal in The Greater United States. Marijuana is not only less dangerous than other drugs, legal or otherwise, but provides many medical benefits. And yet, someone in The United States found using or possessing the substance can face harsh jail time. Marijuana should be legalized because it would provide medical benefits, help the economy, and it is no more harmful than other legal substances.
Walsh, John. "Q&A: Legal Marijuana in Colorado and Washington." The Brookings Institution. Washington Office on Latin America, 21 May 2013. Web. 26 Feb. 2014.
Despite the 1976 ruling by the federal government that marijuana has “no acceptable medical use”, sixteen states have passed medical marijuana laws that allow for patient use o...
Marijuana is the third most common leisure drug in the United States after alcohol and tobacco. Millions of Americans smoke marijuana despite the strict laws against its use. Marijuana is less dangerous compared to tobacco or alcohol. Smoking marijuana can cause breathing problems and coughing just like cigarettes and some people get addicted after using for a while. Regulating and legalizing marijuana will bring Americas greatest cash crop under law, create economic opportunities and jobs in the formal economy as opposed to the underground market. Adopting a legally controlled market for marijuana will ensure that consumers buy the products from a safe and legal source. Marijuana has been approved in some states for medical uses to ease the effects of different health challenges. Colorado and Washington legalized m...
Colorado is the latest state to approve the sale of marijuana for recreational use. This topic has been tossed around by the officials for years now. Legislators in Colorado have “considered excise and sales taxes on marijuana of up to 30 percent combined” (Frosch, 2013). With the rapidly growing market and marijuana industry, rules and regulations had to be put into place. Even this tax charge needs to be implemented and enforced.
Marijuana continues to be one of the most used illegal drugs in the United States. Marijuana has been used for many years and at one time was legal to consume. Throughout the years, marijuana has been used for treatment of different medical conditions and has been used recreationally by people of all ages. While the use of medicinal marijuana has proven to be effective in treating medically ill patients, society continues to question its recreational use and the long term effects it will have on its users. Some feel that legalizing marijuana will only open up avenues for the use of more potent drugs, causing an increase in criminal activity. However, a number of people question why it is considered illegal being it is a naturally growing