Despite the strong case for legalizing marijuana there is very little favorable press from the mainstream corporate media. Media companies make most of their money from advertising revenues and that results in a carefully crafted agenda dependent upon not offending their corporate sponsors. Alcohol and pharmaceutical drugs are some the media’s heaviest advertisers which creates an implied business partnership because of their aligned corporate interests. In 2007 alone, drug companies spent $3.7 billion in direct-to-consumer advertising. The media must not bite the hand that feeds them, yet the popular notion of “liberal media bias” still exists. Yes, the majority of media outlets give favorable press for Democratic politicians, but the corporate media isn’t hard hitting, grassroots, or very liberal, for that matter. After all, the United States ranks 46th in the World Press Freedom Index, behind Romania and ahead of Haiti. The television news industry is now primarily driven by Fortune 500 companies that are focused on profits, not independent journalism. That wasn’t always the case as television news wasn’t looked upon for driving profits in its pioneer days. It was considered a loss leader for the major networks. “The interests of the government, interests of the corporations, and the interests of the news media have kind of melded together whereby, I think in many instances, the news media isn’t doing that good old government watchdog job that it used to do,” says
Legalizing marijuana is a concept that can potentially benefit the public as well as the local economies. There has been a nationwide debate on whether marijuana should be legalized or not. The major consensus is that marijuana is not only bad for one’s health, but it is also dangerous to the community. These allegations are not true. Marijuana actually has health benefits that most people overlook. The following essay will address these health benefits in an attempt to present this concept in a way that the audience can better understand how legalizing marijuana can beneficial to an individual health, how it can give an increase to the economy.
The legalization of marijuana has been a hot topic in the media for many years now. There is a major divide in those who believe it should be legal, those who do not, and those who think it could be legal with modifications on the usage. The number of those who support the legalization of marijuana is on the rise with nearly 50% supporting recreational marijuana legalization, and 81% supporting marijuana legalization for medical treatment as of 2015 ("Public Support for Marijuana Legalization, 2015”). Marijuana should be legalized on a federal level because it is safer than alcohol, it will increase the economy, and there is an unfair criminalization of marijuana.
Lately it seems that drug policy and the war on drugs has been in the headlines quite a lot. It is becoming increasingly apparent that the policies that the United States government takes against illegal drugs are coming into question. The mainstream media is catching on to the message of organizations and individuals who have long been considered liberal "Counter Culture" supporters. The marijuana question seems to be the most prevalent and pressed of the drugs and issues that are currently being addressed. The messages of these organizations and individuals include everything from legalization of marijuana for medical purposes, to full-unrestricted legalization of the drug. Of course, the status quo of vote seeking politicians and
With all of the complex issues facing the nation today, it seems as if the legalization of marijuana is being set on the back burner of legislation. There are so many opinions, sides, and overall arguments for and against it that many vote seeking politicians and policy makers have put up a strong resistance to this issue. In this paper I will illustrate the reasons why I think marijuana should indeed be legalized and also the arguments from people who disagree and feel that it should stay an illegal drug.
We’ve all been told not to use drugs starting at a very young age. We’re told they very bad for you and can even cause death. As a child, we always believed what we were told; the older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve come to realize that not all of these “drugs” are as bad for you as we were taught. The particular drug I am speaking about comes from the dried leaves and flowers of a hemp plant (Cannabis Sativa), and goes by the name Marijuana.
There is an intensive debate in society, today, about legalizing marijuana. Supporters of marijuana highlight that legalizing will not increase its consumption, and in fact will provide individuals with a legal choice. Opponents argue that legalizing marijuana will increase consumption, which would expose consumers to health risks as extreme as cancer. I believe marijuana should be legalized by the federal government. It is already being consumed in the society, and legalizing marijuana will facilitate monitoring its growth, usage, and help collect taxes. Marijuana has overwhelming support in the medical field as an alternate medicine. Also, marijuana will provide a legal alternative to individuals who rely on illegal and dangerous drugs, such as cocaine and heroin. Legalization will significantly reduce marijuana trafficking and curtail black market activities. Furthermore, legalizing will divert the cash stream from black markets to the states and the federal government, in the form of taxes. The additional revenue can be used to do additional research on
This discussion is not new. Cannabis. Pot. Grass. Mary Jane. 420. Ganga. Herb. Joint. Blunt. Skunk. Marijuana. Weed. With over two dozen different names, call it whatever you fancy. The battle for legalization throughout the United States continues to be a controversial topic. As more states choose to legalize weed, more medical research in the United States is beginning to unfold. Although the views of marijuana as a deviant drug are changings rapidly, our medical research on marijuana is still lagging due to the lasting legacies of anti-weed drug policies and misinformation about what Cannabis does to the body. In 2013, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon and CNN’s chief medical correspondent, made a documentary entitled
Marijuana has been made legal for some form of use in 29 of the 50 states in America, with eight states having it legalized for recreational use. Notable states with it legalized for recreational purposes include Washington, Colorado, and California. Marijuana shops create millions in tax revenue and loads of job opportunities for these states. Not only does it generate millions of dollars in revenue for each state, there plenty of health benefits from marijuana. Along with those positives, marijuana is responsible for zero deaths per year, while alcohol is responsible for an estimated 88,000 deaths per year. Marijuana, both recreational and medical, creates jobs and boosts the economy, has a lot of health benefits, is safer than alcohol, and also has its disadvantages. Marijuana should be made legal and available to everyone in every state across America.
The subject of marijuana legalization has been an exceedingly popular discussion topic in recent years and, as time goes on, only seems to grow more popular. This discussion has resulted in many arguments that support marijuana’s legalization. One popular argument says that since alcohol is worse for you, and alcohol is legal, marijuana should be legalized. However, this argument that marijuana should be legalized because marijuana’s effects when consumed or smoked are better than those of alcohol is a purposeless argument. This argument fails to consider the many negative effects marijuana would have on the individual, environment, and, society.
Throughout America, the legalization of Marijuana has sparked a mark of controversy. Major states such as California and Nevada legalized Marijuana for medical purposes. Although cannabis has been linked to harmful effects in recent history, it’s true effects are slowly resurfacing with new ideas. Unfortunately, heavy criticism arises as the stereotypical view of the “pot smoker” still associates. The pot smoker was seen as an unproductive and uneducated individual in society, exposed by propaganda and assumptions created by private interests who intent to make cannabis illegal for their own benefit. With personal background of cannabis, marijuana should be legalized for all uses.
Marijuana, or cannabis, is a plant well known throughout the entire country. In the United States, a total of 23 states and the District of Columbia have legalized the use of marijuana in some shape or form, whether it be recreational or medicinal (State Marijuana). Recreational uses of the plant are legal to anyone over the age of 21, in the states that have passed laws to legalize free use. Medicinally, Marijuana has been legal for several years.
Marijuana usage is a topic that has been discussed for some time now but the recent medical and recreational legalization of this drug has brought about a new area of unchartered territory. The business industry will have to revise many of their employment and safety requirements. After viewing some current policies many businesses are likely to be forced to established new protocols for intra and inner state practices. There are many types of complications as to why the marijuana usage laws should stay at the federal level and not within the state.
Until the 1980s, the control of the media was in the hands of the national government. From then, the control shifted to private outlets and by the 1990’s, there were more than fifty multinational companies who controlled it (“Mass Media”). Today, only about six major companies control the larger fraction of media in America (Williams, Par. 1). Norman Solomon wrote in the New Political Science Journal that most reporters and editors work for just a few huge companies. These journalists and editors are on the payroll for “mega-media institutions”, of which, only about six exist (Solomon 297). How much will the public learn if these companies generally control the output of information?
Marijuana, also known as Cannabis is the third most well-liked recreational drug, which only falls behind alcohol and tobacco, in the United States (The Whitehouse, n.d.). Marijuana is made up of dried leaves, plants, stalks, and pits from the hemp plant Cannabis Sativa, which comprises of the mind-altering compound delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), in addition to other associated compounds. This plant substance can correspondingly be converged in a resin called hashish or an adhesive black fluid called hash oil. Efforts to legalize marijuana for medication treatment and recreational use in the United States have grown in current years. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that marijuana may perhaps
Marijuana has become one of the most controversial drugs in America. Ever since its cultivation began around 1611, marijuana has puzzled people with its effects. Many question marijuana?s classification as a schedule one drug. A schedule one drug is one that has a high potential for abuse and no medicinal value. Some argue that the war on drugs, in particular marijuana, has cost taxpayers billions and is wasting funds that could be used on more important tasks such as improving transportation or education. As drug arrests rise, so do the populations in state prisons. This has become an immediate problem with no real solution. The legalization of possessing small amounts of marijuana can contribute positively to the medical and