The Decriminalization of Cannabis Cannabis Sativa, the illegal strain of hemp known as marijuana, provides numerous benefits that greatly outweigh the harmful effects of the drug. The perceivable physical and social problems of excessive use of marijuana are severe, yet unproven. These problems are easily related to those posed by excessive alcohol consumption on a regular basis. There are a variety of advantages of the legalization of marijuana that can be categorized as medical, social, and economical improvements. Although the harmful side effects such as brain damage caused by the use of marijuana have not been proven, as the only government licensed testing for this effect was unmercifully biased, the advantages of the drug in a medical context have been repeatedly proven. Marijuana is known to slow the influences of diseases including AIDS, glaucoma, epilepsy, certain forms of cancer, and many more fatal and incurable ailments. Currently, approximately 150,000 citizens of Ontario alone suffer from diseases that marijuana would help to lessen, but due to the stringency of federal and provincial laws only 50 of these people are granted exemption. The war on drugs endangers us all. Police react towards the age groups who are commonly rumoured to use these drugs severely. The sad fact is that crime is induced by the actions of law officials. People are forced to very dangerously smuggle marijuana in and out of the country. Sales of the drug have seeped into every tiny crevice of our communities. This could be stopped almost instantly with the licensing of sales in stores and specialized cafés. Also, it is rumoured that marijuana is a gateway drug to harder, more dangerous substances like cocaine and heroin. The reasoning behind this is that a large portion of hard drug users smoked marijuana before advancing to harder drugs. The flaw in this reasoning is that the majority of marijuana users have never before used hard drugs. The nation's economy would undoubtedly be one of the largest beneficiaries of the legalization of marijuana. By adding steep tariffs on import, export, and sales of marijuana, Canada’s revenue would be increased greatly, adding money that could go towards lowering taxes, lowering the national debt, and increasing healthcare and national security. The prices of marijuana, despite the high taxes, would be significantly lowered due to the decrease of danger from prosecution. The current street prices of marijuana range from $150 to $250 per ounce of low-grade bud.
The government only has a right to limit those choices if the individual's actions endanger someone else. This does 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 are which legal, such as
by-products, and medicinal purposes. Why should marijuana be illegal when people just use it to help themselves enjoy their lives more? Tobacco and alcohol are both used, and abused for the same reasons, but with many more negative side effects than pot. "Government's surveys indicate more than 70 million Americans have smoked marijuana at some point in their lives, and that 18-20 million have smoked during the last year" (Rose, 1). Marijuana has no solid negative effects, and "the U.S National Institute
Cloning: Just Legalize It! Cloning is a very controversial topic since it relates to moral values of human beings. In February 1997 scientists in Scotland announced the birth of the first cloned sheep named Dolly, this heralded the future of cloning possibilities and scientists began extensive experiments on cloning and have since then cloned both plants and animals successfully. The next step was to clone actual human beings but before experiments could have been carried out pressure started
"The only part of the conduct of anyone, for which he is amenable to society, is that which concerns others. In the part which merely concerns himself, his independence is, of right, absolute... The principle requires liberty of taste and pursuit; of framing the plan of our life to suit our own character; doing as we like, subject to such consequences as may follow; without impediment from our fellow creatures, so long as what we do does not harm them, even though they should think our conduct foolish
Legalize It: The Necessity For Marijuana Law Reform When I think about social issues that should be discussed more often than they are, I think about the topic of legalization of marijuana. As a person that has consumed marijuana both in legal settings, and illegal settings, I can say that the title “illegal drug” should not apply to cannabis. The reason that I believe this is because I do not feel that marijuana is a threat to my personal safety, nor is it a threat to the safety of people
question of whether to legalize drugs or not is very controversial. Drugs affect so many areas of society. For several decades drugs have been one of the major problems of society. There are two views on the legalization of drugs: some people think that they should be legalized, the other group of people think that they must not be legalized. I support those who refuse legalization of hard drugs. Well, and what about marijuana? Whether you call it hemp, Mary Jane, hash, pot, juane, giggle-smoke,
Should We Legalize Marijuana? In the perspective of America's war on drugs, marijuana is one of the biggest enemies. And since alcohol and tobacco, two life threatening substances, are legal it is a relevant question to ask why marijuana is illegal. The taxpayers of America can partly answer this question when they fill out their tax forms and when they hear the hash rhetoric used against marijuana by the government. The fact that marijuana is illegal is sufficiently caused by the amount of
The Legalization of Marijuana Yes, I believe it is a great idea to legalize marijuana. What a great idea! Think of all the good benefits that could come about. The government could tax marijuana like they do tobacco, and it could help our economy out. Think of all the money that could be gathered with this taxing. The prison and jail populations would decline simply because a number of people in prison are there solely because of a marijuana conviction. This would cost tax payers a lot less money
miracle? If so, do its clinical benefits outweigh its drawbacks? Should we legalize marijuana? Is medical marijuana really worth the risks? These are the issues one needs to think about before making the decision to legalize marijuana. Marijuana is a drug that is derived from the dried and cut leaves of the hemp plant known as "cannabis sativa". Marijuana has a variety of street names such as "grass", "Mary Jane", "pot", "smoke", "reefer", "herb", and "weed". The active ingredient in marijuana
There have been lots of views and opinions surrounding the arguments whether marijuana should be legalized and if tobacco should be made illegal. The reasons for marijuana not being legalized are similar to the reasons people want tobacco to become illegal. Only the danger that tobacco provides is more intense than the danger marijuana. Marijuana’s short-term effects include temporary problem with memory and problems with learning. It also causes temporary distorted perception (sounds, time, touch
it was made legal. My goal is to reverse prejudices, relieve ignorance, and inform people of the known and potential therapeutic uses of this remarkable plant. As of today the nation stands behind three basic ideas of what to do with marijuana; legalize marijuana, make it legal only as a prescription drug, or keep it as it is, illegal. People, who are pro-marijuana like me, argue that marijuana is considerably less harmful than tobacco and alcohol, the most frequently used legal drugs. Furthermore
of Marijuana has quickly become a controversial issue in America. In the United States, legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes is spreading to the state level. For example, in November 1996, the people of California and Arizona voted to legalize marijuana for medicinal reasons. As a result of Proposition 215 in California, patients now smoke marijuana provided their physician recommends its usage. A prescription is not required, and marijuana continues to be illegal to prescribe. The Clinton
brows as both the executive and judicial branches of government have also maintained a very white, male, Protestant resemblance. However, Congress was formed for a distinct purpose: to represent the people of the United States of America. The melting pot of America’s huddled masses has been slow in placing leaders that truly represent its demographics. There are a number of simple and complex reasons as to why this under-representation of minorities has occurred. Who is the real minority in Congress
The Mosaic of American Culture, It's No Melting Pot Culture is a behavior that consists of several critical elements, such as language, religion, race and ethnicity, clothing and politics. Culture is what one does in his/her daily life. In order to understand others, we must first keep in mind that every culture carries its own set of values and assumptions. Culture is an evolving, ever changing civilization, which includes several different groups people. For immigrants, America is a land of
4 % of the US population which report themselves as people who have two or more races. (United States). The number of interracial couples has reached to 1.6 million, which account for almost 4 % of U.S. marriages. ( Fletcher, par. 3 ). In a melting pot country like the United States, where immigration and emigration rates are high, inter-cultural marriage has become an inevitable by- product of mobility. Interracial marriage refers to a marriage which consists of couples with two different racial