The war on drugs is a movement of prohibition and military aid being undertaken by the United States government intended to both define and reduce the illegal drug trade. In the year 2010 the U.S. government spent $15 billion on the war on drugs, at a rate of $500 per second. State and local governments spent another $25 billion as well. In 2007, $42 billion was spent on the marijuana prohibition. That is more money than the war on drugs spent on all types of drugs three years before when $40 billion was spent all together. Why is our government focusing on a drug that can be called merely harmless to those who use it? Why is this drug getting more money spent on it than drugs that are highly addictive and life threatening? Marijuana is not as dangerous as people may want it to seem.
Marijuana is a product of the Cannabis stavia, a hemp plant, and it is usually referred to as the plants leaves and flowers. Marijuana has become a popular drug with its recreational use that produces a feeling of well-being. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that 21.1 million people were current users of illegal or illicit drugs, and of these people 75 percent reported using marijuana. Illegal in most countries this drug has many monikers such as pot, weed, grass, mary jane, etc. This drug is generally dried, crushed, and smoked in pipes or hand-rolled cigarettes, but it can also be consumed in food and drink. This drug comes with feeling both physical and psychological effects (Gale). The article “Is Marijuana Good?” by states that marijuana affects the brain with it’s key ingredient THC. The author asserts that “THC, a key ingredient in marijuana, attaches to cannaboid receptors throughout the body. Several areas of ...
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Marijuana is a drug that is harmful to a person¡¯s health. It has been found to have adverse impacts on one¡¯s mental processes such as memory, attention, judgement, and problem- solving (Butcher, Mineka, Hooley, 2004, p.415). Also, marijuana can interfere with a person¡¯s ability to think rationally and logically. Thus, the lapse in judgement caused by the drug use can lead to risky sexual behaviours and this may result in increasing sexually transmitted disease such as AIDS. Moreover, the long-term use of marijuana may cause chronic breathing problems and cancer ...
Today the United States wastes billions of dollars to fight against the war on drugs, for the imprisonment of hundreds of thousands of people, etc. It’s also brought a rise in violence and crime relating to the dealing and production of the drug. Marijuana should be legalized because its ban has been futile in preventing illicit production, regulating it would allow new development in medical treatments, and would give a boost to the economy. The illegalization of the drug has a much more negative impact than it does well, in fact it’s pushed drug cartels to produce more of the drug because of the high demand and the millions of dollars they’ll make from profits. Prohibition has been futile in preventing illegal production and has increased the number of violent crimes regarding the production of marijuana in the black market.
People are always quick to judge the idea of marijuana legalization. Most of the reasons stem from various media sources that promote negative views of the plant. Commercials always try and show that marijuana makes people become lazy and unproductive, but these commercials are completely biased. Marijuana can play a key role in our society and it is a safe natural alternative to modern pharmaceuticals. Marijuana is also related to hemp which is a very versatile material that can be produced cheaply but is outlawed due to its relation with marijuana.
Marijuana while illegal on a federal level has been legalized in 18 states and the District of Columbia for medical use and also for personal use for anyone over 21 in Washington and Colorado. 48% of Americans admit to using marijuana according to a 2013 survey conducted by Scientific America. With the change in public opinion concerning marijuana the need to understand the effect and consequences associated with its use are vitally important. What are the effects on the brain and the rest of the body? Does it matter when you start using marijuana? Also what is the effect marijuana use has on a person’s life, to include school, work, family and friends.
Drug legalization is an end to government-enforced prohibition of certain substances. It has sparked a great debate in the U.S. over the past couple of years. With two states, Colorado and Washington, already completely eliminating the illegalization of marijuana, should the rest of the country legalize the use of marijuana and other drugs too? There are many advantages and disadvantages of legalizing marijuana, but other drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, ecstasy, etc., should they be legalized? Are the health issues too much of a risk? The question is; which will outweigh each other? In my own opinion, I think the only drug that should be legalized is marijuana. Although only legalizing it to an extent with boundaries and restrictions. Many people in this world have disorders that can be treated with the use of medicinal marijuana. Would the people using it for recreational purposes overthrow the opportunity for future medicinal marijuana users? Above all, the profit from legalizing it would help solve other problems far more important than arresting drug abusers.
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.
Introduction The legalization of marijuana is considered a controversial issue, something that can benefit people for medical purposes, but what about recreationally? Marijuana has been illegal since 1937, but there’s never been a bigger push for legalization. There are several reasons why it is illegal, because of government propaganda and big industry not wanting to lose money, but this will be discussed later. The purpose of this paper is to educate, theorize, and discuss various aspects of marijuana, such as its history, development, and the advantages and disadvantages of marijuana legalization. Finally, my personal reflection on legalization and marijuana in general will be discussed.
The effects of marijuana are minimal. The high has a feeling of euphoria, peacefulness and well-being. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the active chemical in marijuana. It’s estimated that a person would have to ingest a dose 20,000 to 40,000 times the average dose before death would occur. In the early 1990’s sophisticated research on marijuana began. The scientists discovered THC stimulates special receptors in the brain. Researchers have now isolated a natural substance that appears to produce the same effects as THC in the brain. Recently the medical uses of marijuana are being more and more accepted, and many marijuana smokers wonder how it can be harmful if it helps/treats patients.
Marijuana also known as weed is a preparation of leafy material from the Cannabis plant that is smoked. There are different types of Cannabis from the sativa to the indica. A high grade of Marijuana is called sinsemilla. The main psychoactive agent is the delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol also known as THC. When the cannabinoid particles are smoked, THC is absorbed very fast into the blood and distrusted first to the brain and then emptied into the rest of the body. Within thirty minutes of absorption much has left the brain. Within five to ten minutes the peak mood- altering and cardiovascular effects will occur together.
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 is delta tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (3). . Marijuana has been used throughout history and in many different cultures to change mood, perception, and consciousness (to get "high"). Its effects range from increasing creativity to provoking mystical experiences, to heightening the capacity to feel, sense and share. After alcohol, it is the most popular of what are called "recreational drugs." It has been used around the world for other purposes. In some primitive tribes of South America, Africa, and India, "cannabis" is used in religious ceremonies and for medical purposes. African mine workers have used it to ease the drudgery of their work and many Jamaicans use it at the end of the day to relieve fatigue. It has been used as an intoxicant in various parts of the world for centuries and in the United States, for the most part the 20th century. Marijuana was first described in print in a Chinese book of
The Pros and Cons of Drug Legalization Should drugs be legalized? Drugs are resources that are capable of affecting the American economy in many ways—both positively and negatively. Drugs often have a bad name, even though they help us everyday in medical cases. and the drugs with the worst reputations are not the most abused drugs. One may benefit from the legalization of drugs in many ways, while others would suffer greatly.
“Weed is on the left, Success is on the right. And hell, you better choose right and ruin the sign for left.”- Unknown. The America I believe in should have Marijuana illegal is every state. Marijuana is a very dangerous drug and can harm many things like your memory and your vision, and your way of thinking, and even your learning! “Keep calm and say no to Marijuana.”
So once again I posture the question why is marijuana illegal if it is not more dangerous than substances that are legal? The American government's investment in the war on drugs spans the spectrum of governmental offices. But the main recipient of funds from the budget is the Drug Enforcement Agency, located in the Department of Justice. Before I start quoting budget allocations, I would like to ask the reader to make a small assumption. The budget does not make distinctions between fighting marijuana and fighting cocaine, heroine, etc. So I would ask that the reader assume marijuana accounts for five percent of the budget's drug prevention allocations.
“Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself; and where they are, they should be changed. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against possession of marijuana be private for personal use. Therefore, I support legislation amending federal law to eliminate all federal criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana” (Carter, 1977) Before analyzing and either agreeing or disagreeing with the quote of Jimmy Carter and the legalization of Marijuana, people must first be aware off what Marijuana even is or what it does. The term Marijuana originated from the Mexican and Spanish words, mariguana and marihuana. Marijuana was first used in 1894 and weed itself comes from a widely cultivated Asian herb called hemp. The leaves of the hemp plant are smoked that cause intoxicating effects. Carter’s quote made a lot of sense
Last year, a total of $7 to $10 billion was used towards arresting and processing marijuana. The big picture here is that 90% of those arrests were just for possession. It is crazy that as a country we spend most of our time trying to stop the biggest drug in America when it is just wasting our money. There are fewer arrests for violent crimes than marijuana charges combined. These “violent crimes” consist of assault, rape, robbery, and murder.