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History of legalizing marijuana
Medical marijuana policy development paper
Medical marijuana policy development paper
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Marijuana Legalization Why is it the Best Choice for America? Marijuana, the most abused drug in America, has had a lot of publicity recently. Marijuana has caused multiple economic problems within the U.S. A controversial question has arisen from the increased popularity and troubles of this drug. The question is whether or not the U.S. government should legalize marijuana possession and sale in the country. Many Americans believe that the drug should be legalized for various reasons; others, however, are against the legalization of the dangerous drug. While legalization has both pros and cons, the positives of legalizing marijuana for those people over the age of twenty-one far outweigh the negative aspects of legalization. Marijuana is an emergent problem in the United States; the main reasons behind this problem are the extensive use of the drug and the federal government’s determination to put an end to the drug’s illegal sale and use. The government’s efforts to stop the use of marijuana inside the country have been ineffective and actually caused the problem to increase. Its efforts have only added on to an enormous national debt. Jeffrey Miron, a professor of Economics at the University of Harvard, estimates that the total expenditures of enforcing the ban of marijuana of local, state, and federal government combined to be 7.7 billion dollars in 2003. The U.S. government simply cannot afford these extra expenditures while struggling economically. The fact that the government is spending so much money in its attempts to stop the use of marijuana has actually helped to create another problem. Overcrowding in U.S. prisons is also on the increase; marijuana laws are a driving force behind the overcrowding. Eric Schlosser, ... ... middle of paper ... ... Benson, Adam. "Brandeis U.: EDITORIAL: Recent ballot measures indicate need to legalize marijuana." America's Intelligence Wire 12 Nov. 2002. General OneFile. Web. 12 Oct. 2010. Ford, Adam, and Andrew Walter. "Point: Marijuana Should be Legalized." Points of View: Legalization of Marijuana (2009): 3. Points of View Reference Center. EBSCO. Web. 8 Oct. 2010. Fowler, H. Ramsey, and Jane E. Aaron. The Little, Brown Handbook. 11th ed. New York: Longman, 2010. Print Miron, Jeffrey A, “The Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibition.” The Marijuana Policy Project. June 2005. PDF file. Schlosser, Eric. "Reefer madness. (Cover story)." Atlantic Monthly (10727825) 274.2 (1994): 45-63. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 7 Oct. 2010. Thorton, Mike.” Cato Institute Policy Analysis No. 157:Alcohol Prohibition Was a Failure.” Policy Analysis 17 July 1991. PDF file.
Reefer Madness is a movie that was made to draw the public's attention toward marijuana, the specific groups that were at risk, and the consequences that were directly related to using the drug. The purpose of this 1930's film was to create a public fear for the well being of society. Knowing that this movie was made decades ago, it is clear to see that the movie exaggerated both the amount of terrifying behavior and the number of people involved in order to emphasize its detriments.
Legalizing the use of soft drugs would help bolster the U.S. economy, partially because the government would have the ability to tax these drugs. This includes marijuana used for medicinal purposes, which, according to a 1995 article in The Journal of the American Medical Association, can “counteract the toxicity of chemotherapy, treat migraines, minimize pain, and treat moderate wasting syndrome in AIDS patients.” The economy would also benefit from the legalization of drugs because fewer drug offenders would crowd the prisons, and the government could spend the money they saved from this reduction in prison populations on other public expenses. With drug busts running at 750,000 cases a year nationwide, (mostly for marijuana,) prisons are bulging, and those imprisoned for drug-related crime account for only a fraction of America’s drug users. In Elliot Currie’s essay, “Toward a Policy on Drugs,”...
Ed. Larry Madaras and James M. Sorelle. 14th Edition. The. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011.
Works Cited "The California Marijuana Vote." New Yorker 23 Dec 1996: 62+. Brookhiser, Richard. "Pot Luck." National Review 11 Nov 1996: 27+ Simmons, Michael. "Give Pot a Chance." Rolling Stone 26 Dec 1996: 111+. Rist, Curtis and Harrison, Laird. "Weed the People." People 21 Oct. 1996: 75+. Funk and Wagnall's Volume 23 "Marijuana" 1996 Baum, Dan. "California's Separate Peace." Rolling Stone 30 Oct. 1997: 43+ Brookhiser, Richard. "Lost in the Weed." U.S. News & World Report 3 Jan. 1997: 9 Buckley, William "Legalization of Marijuana Long Overdue" The Albuquerque Journal. Online. 8 June 1993.
Malinowski, Zachary W. "Revenues High On Marijuana." Planning 79.4 (2013): 9-11. Academic Search Complete. Web. The Web.
Hawkins , John . "5 Reasons Marijuana Should Remain Illegal." 21 January 2014. Town Hall. Web. 10 April 2014.
Ever since marijuana’s introduction to the United States of America in 1611, controversy of the use and legalization of the claimed-to-be Schedule I drug spread around the nation. While few selective states currently allow marijuana’s production and distribution, the remaining states still skepticize the harmlessness and usefulness of this particular drug; therefore, it remains illegal in the majority of the nation. The government officials and citizens of the opposing states believe the drug creates a threat to citizens due to its “overly-harmful” effects mentally and physically and offers no alternate purposes but creating troublesome addicts hazardous to society; however, they are rather misinformed about marijuana’s abilities. While marijuana has a small amount of negligible effects to its users, the herbal drug more importantly has remarkable health benefits, and legalizing one of the oldest and most commonly known drugs would redirect America’s future with the advantages outweighing the disadvantages.
Wilson, Clare “The Case for Marijuana by Prescription." Marijuana (Contemporary Issues Companion). Tardiff, Joseph, ed. Farmington Hills: Greenhaven Press, 2008. 63-70. Print
Miron, Jefferey. "Cost of Marijuana Prohibition: Economic Analysis." Prohbitioncosts. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 July 2013. .
The legalization of marijuana has been a highly debated topic for many of years. Since the first president to the most recent, our nation’s leaders have consumed the plant known as weed. With such influential figures openly using this drug why is it so frowned upon? Marijuana is considered a gateway drug, a menace to society, and mentally harmful to its consumers. For some people weed brings a sense of anxiety, dizziness, or unsettling feeling. Like alcohol, tobacco or any other drug, those chemicals may not respond well with their body. For other people marijuana brings joy, a sense of relief, and takes the edge off of every day stress. For those who are associated with cannabis, purposes usually range from a relaxant, or cash crop, to more permissible uses such as medicine, and ingredient to make so many other materials. We now need to look at what would change if marijuana were legal. Benefits to the economy and agriculture, health issues, and crime rates are three areas worth looking at. Deliberating on the pros and cons of this plant we can get a better understanding for marijuana. From there it will be easier to make a clear consensus on what is best for the nation.
Farrell, Michael B. "A marijuana tax as the next new revenue stream?" Christian Science Monitor 8 May 2009: 2. Student Edition. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.
A recurring question in the United States, should marijuana be legalized for recreational use? Although it once was seen as a gateway drug that would lead to a life spiraling out of control. Today, that is not the case in most Americans minds. The support for legalization of marijuana has continued to grow throughout the years and it shows with many Americans now flying in the clouds. Bill Hicks once said, “ Why is marijuana against the law? It grows naturally upon our planet. Doesn’t the idea of making nature against the law seem to you a bit . . . unnatural?”. Legalizing recreational use of marijuana will impact economy with tax revenue, marijuana decriminalization would free up law enforcement resources and positively take place of addictive prescription drugs. Colorado for example, in the first six months marijuana was legal a huge sector of jobs became available. Job opportunities within the community balances the economy and lowers the unemployment rate. In an article written by Jeff Roberts he declares that, “The
Smith, Dave. "‘Medical’ Marijuana: 10 Health Benefits That Legitimize Legalization." . N.p., 8 Aug. 2012. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.
Rosenthal, Ed, and Steve Kubby (2004) "Marijuana Should Be Legalized for Medical Use." Retrieved from Opposing Viewpoints: The War on Drugs.
With America’s war on drugs being highly focused on the increased use of marijuana, there is not much time for officers to focus on crimes of greater importance. Crimes related to illegal marijuana use are becoming more problematic due to drug deals that go bad, occasionally ending with murder. It has been estimated that one marijuana-related arrest is made every 42 seconds. With marijuana being illegal, keeping crime related activities under control cost the United States approximately twenty billion dollars per year (Sledge). According to Brian Bremner and Vincent Del Giudice, “A 2010 study by the libertarian Cato Institute, forecasted that states could save $17.4 billion annually from reduced drug enforcement costs and increased tax revenue, assuming marijuana production and sales were legal nationwide” (11). Several law enforcement hours are exhausted with pursing, questioning, and arresting citizens that are in possession of or consuming marijuana. There would be a decrease in the number of misdemeanor possession cases that are pending hearing. These cases would be dismissed, decreasing costs affiliated with each case. There are excessive numbers of people who remain incarcerated for nonviolent crimes related to illegal marijuana use. Legalizing marijuana would allow these people to be released, opening jail space for the true criminals. Legalizing marijuana would free up law enforcement officers from focusing on illegal marijuana use and allow focus to be put on more serious