South University Legalizing Marijuana Computer and Literacy ITS 1000 Michael L Smith October 18, 2013 Michael L. Smith Computer and Literacy: ITS 1000 Instructor: Carmen Flores October 18, 2013 Legalizing Marijauna In regards to illicit drugs, an epidemic that has a stronghold on our country caused a movement. That movement was and still is today, “the war on drugs”. Illegal drugs enters this country at an unexplainable alarming rate. In the United States alone the drug market is one of the most profitable in the world. (Agency, 2004) My intent is not to focus on the profitability of illegal drugs but the debate of legalization in particularly marijuana.
This intern will reduce the time for a prisoner to go through the judicial system, most inmates spend a good deal of time waiting for their court appearance, if they are innocent then this conflicts with their work and life. The federal and state governments also spend an astronomical amount of money on fighting Marijuana as well. For example 100 million dollars a year is spent on
Removing the incentives for legality and protection will only force more patients into underground markets. The solution is to lift the prohibition and responsibly regulate the industry. These measures involve limiting the medical eligibility for obtaining marijuana. Patients should only be eligible if they have specific conditions which truly benefit from the drug. This will avoid misuse and prohibit the expanded use.
It is then left up to the patient to find a medical marijuana clinic and obtain a legal medical marijuana card. Marijuana has a plethora of benefits not only to our society but more for medical purposes. In an article written by John Burnett, he discusses possible outcomes if marijuana was legalized. He states that legalizing marijuana would drop crime and addiction rates. People who are addicted to narcotics due to chronic pain, would more than likely stop using if they could legally obtain marijuana.
The marijuana prohibition was enacted in 1937, just three years after the alcohol prohibition ended. After a failed attempt with alcohol, the government must have felt they needed to try and take away another civil liberty, so they tried it on the new popular drug of the time, marijuana. During that period the people were glad to be ridden of the gang violence, notorious of the 1920’s and 1930’s, so they went along with most of what the government said and did, thus making marijuana illegal. Many people also speculate that racism was a large factor in the illegalization of marijuana, as many Mexican workers and black jazz musicians favored using it. In most states it was and still is a felony to posses any marijuana or paraphernalia.
Even Thomas Jefferson even said “Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth & protection of the country” (http://www.hemppresidents.com/pot-and-hemp-quotes.htm) while currently marijuana is only legal for medical use in certain states. Marijuana treats those with migraines, relieve symptoms of chronic disease, prevents seizures, etc. Also the ‘American Association of Cancer Research has proved that marijuana slows the growth of tumors. The widespread of marijuana in America its hard to estimate the amount illegally in America. The Process Starting off I simply looked up “major social issues in America” which showed a list of current events and problems.
Marijuana is not just used for smoking, it is used as hemp and in the past they used it to make paper, rope and canvas. Hemp could produce four times more paper than any regular tree and the harvesting would take 3-4 months, rather than 40-50 years that a tree took. It became a problem to the paper making companies because hemp would take them out of business. These paper companies had connections in the U.S. congress, so that is what began the Marihuana Tax Act in 1937. After the Tax Act in 1937 marijuana ended up becoming illegal due to conspiracies from paper companies and racism against the black.
To Legalize Marijuana or Not.. General Goal: To persuade Specific Goal: To persuade individual to legalize marijuana Central idea: To educate individuals on what the benefits are for legalizing marijuana. Organization pattern: Introduction Attention step: We all have an opinion on the use of marijuana. Is it safe for us on a medical view or will it get out of hand and still be abused. Thesis statement: Marijuana has been decriminalized in several states on the basis that it will benefit the sick and boost the economy. Credibility statement: Marijuana has come along way from being the illegal substance that people abuse.
By legalizing Marijuana, we can reduce the cost of pharmaceutical development for medicines used to reduce the side effects of cancer treatments. Barry McCaffrey, director of the Office of National Drug Policy, authorized a review of Institute of Medicine (IOM) and discovered that IOM admitted that cannabis had medical value but the standpoint of the IOM offered was that “smoking is too dangerous a mode of drug delivery for cannabis—a conclusion based on an overestimate of the toxicity of marijuana smoke. Among its major recommendations was that patients with "debilitating symptoms (such as intractable pain or vomiting)" be permitted to smoke marijuana only after all conventional treatment options have failed—and then, only for six months and under "an oversight strategy comparable to an institutional review board process." In the end, the question boiled down to how to
They believe that since alcohol and cigarettes are more dangerous so why shouldn’t it be legal if regulated in a similar manner. Many people are curious to see how this works for Colorado. With the passing of Amendment 64, marijuana will be distributed under the same guidelines as alcohol; meaning residents must be 21 years of age or older to purchase and possess the drug. Alcohol can lead to disorientation and uncontrolled behavior. Although marijuana can lead to a relaxed and euphoric feeling it will not cause you to make decisions you would not normally do.