Federalism and Marijuana Federalism and the Legalization of Marijuana Laramie Bahr POL 201 American National Government Jeremiah Chauncey 09 August 2014 Federalism and Marijuana The 'War on Drugs' has been raging across the nation since the passing of the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. On the surface of it this 'war' seems noble and without ambiguity. Many states, however, see it differently when it comes to the possession, use, and growth of marijuana. In this essay I will show that federalism has been, and will continue to be, tested as the federal government and the states find themselves increasingly at odds over the issue of legalized marijuana. The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) of 1970 defined what drugs were illegal,
He defends this claim against a variety of objections, including the claims: that marijuana is unsafe, that marijuana cannot be adequately tested or produced as a drug, that the availability of synthetic THC makes marijuana superfluous, and especially that legalizing medical marijuana will increase recreational use by 'sending the wrong message.' He then goes on to argue that given the intransigent position of the federal government on this issue; state governments are justified in unilaterally legalizing medical marijuana as an act of civil
The legalization of marijuana and hemp has been a controversial issue since Congress passed the 1937 Marijuana Tax Act which made marijuana illegal and fineable. This issue has been fought and protested since the Act became into effect. There are a lot of misconceptions about why it became illegal and the reasoning’s why it shouldn’t be made legal. Currently the use of marijuana, even for medical purposes, is still illegal. It is only legal to the state that makes it legal.
Its main active chemical ingredient is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. Schedule I drugs are classified as having a high potential for abuse, with no currently accepted medical use in the United States. Yet, other drugs such as cocaine, morphine, and amphetamines -- including crystal methamphetamine, or “ice” – are classified as Schedule II substances, thereby implying they are less dangerous than marijuana (“Marijuana Facts”, n.d.). According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, marijuana use can produce various adverse physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral effects. These effects include impaired perception, impaired judgment, diminished short-term memory, loss of concentration and coordination, and increased risk of accidents (“Basic Facts,” 1999).
The current cannabis laws of today are in dire need of reform due to the taxable income readily available for the government; the cruel and unusual punishment inflicted upon many citizens participating in a non-violent and self-indulging “crime”; the dangerous drugs citizens are taking part in to avoid the legal complications associated with marijuana; the destruction of a vast portion of the drug dealers/cartels business; the medical benefits that have been associated with the use of marijuana. The major benefit from marijuana reform would be the large amounts of tax increases for the government, which is something in high desire for today’s struggling market. “Marijuana sales tax has been an untapped gold mine of government revenue. In
14 Nov. 2014. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH) talks some of the affects that marijuana has on your brain and body. They argue that marijuana impairs your memory because “THC alters how information is processed in the hippocampus, a brain area responsible for memory loss.” They explain that “a person’s risk of heart attack during the first hour after smoking marijuana is four times his or her normal risk.” The NIH seems to have some legitimate arguments when it comes to the affects of marijuana. It seems that their main point is to inform people who do not know the effects of smoking marijuana. They
INTRODUCTION: The article I have chosen examines the laws legislated regarding the use of Marijuana by United States citizens for medical reasons. The article mostly explores the clash between federal and state law regarding this issue and raises legal questions regarding the right to grow, distribute or prescribe marijuana as a medical necessity and the right to use marijuana for legitimate medical reasons as a part of the right to personal autonomy. The main reason for choosing to write about the right to use medical marijuana as a part of the right to personal anatomy, and about the conflict between state law and federal law regarding this issue, is that this topic demonstrates a problem within the judicial system. The will
Q. Is marijuana a gateway drug? * Yes. Among marijuana's most harmful consequences is its role in leading to the use of other illegal drugs like heroin and cocaine. Long-term studies of students who use drugs show that very few young people use other illegal drugs without first trying marijuana.
Many people go on vacation and spend money to escape the cares of life. The most common escape is drugs. Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in America. Individuals who support its legalization, for medical or recreational use, fail to recognize that the greatest costs of marijuana are not related to the sale of it, but its long term effects of becoming a gateway drug. The usage of marijuana is damaging to a person’s health, physically, mentally, and emotionally.
This paper will tell you pros such as why we should decriminalized medical marijuana and the reasons it would be useful to people. The cons, such as why medical marijuana should not be decriminalized, like how smoking medical marijuana can have an effect on people with mental illness and people with addictive behaviors.