Legalization of Marijuana:
Does it Impact Society?
Destiny Wright
Criminology 200
Abstract
The legalization of drugs has always been a big debate in the United States. For hundreds of years, our citizens have argued over what they think would be best for our nation. From The War on Drugs to the legalization of Marijuana in Colorado, the United States has transformed. Many believe that this was the worst decision Congress could ever make and others think that this changes life for the better. Although this had always been a great debate, there is nothing much that people could argue over now that Marijuana is legalized in more than one state.
Legalization of Marijuana:
Does it Impact Society?
Many times there are always
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295 and p. 369). During this time, many drug lords and criminals were convicted and thrown in jail. There was no act criminalizing the possession of drugs until The Harrison Act of 1914. It was a law saying that made it a crime to possess, among other drugs, opium, without having registered and paid a special tax for this purpose. (Knapp 1993). After passing this law, the crack down on drugs became very crucial. People would no longer be able to be caught with any drug, or they would be taken to jail. Our former and first President George Washington grew Marijuana on his farm at Mount Vernon, but called it hemp (p.295). Of course, this was before it was illegal to possess any drug, but it shows you that even those who runs our country may have some ties to a type of …show more content…
According to Chu (2015), as of July 2014, 22 states and the District of Columbia had passed laws that allow individuals with designated conditions to use marijuana for medical purposes. Although the direct effects of these laws are limited to legally qualified patients, it is a popular belief that legalization of medical marijuana has increased illegal marijuana use among non-patients as well (p. 482). This could be true, but it could also be inaccurate. Many people never told that they had already used the drug before it became legalized, but after it did, many people were honest with their choices. Chu also discovered that medical marijuana laws increase t proxies for marijuana consumption by around 10–15 percent. However, there is no evidence that cocaine and heroin usage increases (p. 481). As one could see, just because Marijuana was legalized does not mean that it increased the usage of other drugs. If it did increase anything, it was just recreational use of
The truths about marijuana are slowly starting to resurface, the government keeps ignoring that cannabis could one day be as powerful for the U.S. Unfortunately, these truths about marijuana are under a lot of criticism because of the stereotype of what people see as a "marijuana or cannabis smoker." There is a great difficulty in this law because marijuana is still recognized as a harmful and dangerous substance in some states. This can cause problems because each state has their different views and opinions on the matter, and have their own rules and how the rules apply towards it. The twenty-six states and the District of Columbia currently have laws legalizing marijuana in some form, but California, Massachusetts, and Nevada just passed the law for recreational use. The states that have medical marijuana and recreational legalization are Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Nevada, and Alaska. The states that only have medical marijuana legal are Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Arkansas, New Mexico, Arizona, Hawaii (Ingraham). However, legalizing marijuana could have some benefits instead of being a drug with some bad reputations. Marijuana should be legalized because of medical reasons, safety reasons, and have some benefits to society.
First, from 1900 to 1940, marijuana, including opium and cocaine were considered part of everyday drugs. As time went on, the U.S. cracked down on crack and opium, eventually outlawing them, but continued to be very “loose” with the use of marijuana. Hoxter a weed smuggler explains how he began in the 1960’s trying weed and years later saw himself unloading four hundred pounds of pot in Vancouver. The story of this man ends in his isolation and argument of why he couldn’t smoke weed even if he stopped selling? He asked a parole officer and she didn’t know what to respond. It is true what Hoxter states, fifty years ago alcohol was illegal and now it’s not, was it bad then? Will weed be legalized? And will the conflicts have been in vain? (Schou 8). Around the late 90’s and early 2000’s, scientific studies started to produce jaw-dropping results. Scientists started to discover that marijuana can significantly help people who have become ill. Medical Marijuana has been tested to help people with cataracts, cancer and severe depression (Zeese 1999). With this new worldwide discovery, the argument about medical marijuana ignited. States wanted to only make medical marijuana legal so it may help sick people, but the government did not want any form of marijuana legal. The law that was known throughout the United States was any form of marijuana was illegal. But now with this new discovery, doctors in states across the country want the
Marijuana or Cannabis is a hallucinogenic drug that contains a very high amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). It can be used for both medical and recreational reasons, but it is currently illegal in most states in this country. This drug has been illegal for the majority of this country's history, and just recently several states like Washington, California, and New York have passed laws so that people with medical issues are able to consume this drug for their own medical needs
The legalization of recreational marijuana is an important debate, one that could really cause drastic changes in societies. Marijuana has entered a dark stage in the pathway of legalization, and it is correlating with the prohibition stage that alcohol rested in. The debate can often reach a nasty level between individuals taking sides with the topic. Legalization of marijuana can be very beneficial under regulated circumstances, therefore making all of the negative views less important.
The topic of legalizing recreational marijuana in the United States has been a very controversial one. States such as Colorado and Washington have gone on the offensive and have legalized recreational marijuana and have enjoyed the high revenues brought in from cannabis sale. On the other hand other states have kept low profiles because they are wary of the possible negative outcomes of legalizing recreational marijuana and are using the states of Colorado and Washington as guinea pigs to see what their next course of action on this controversial topic should be. This is not only a highly debated topic among politicians, but also by the people. According to a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center 52% of Americans
The legalization of marijuana has been an argument for over 70 years. Even though voters helped to legalize the drug in Colorado and Washington, it’s still legal for the rest of the United States. There are many pros and cons for marijuana
The dispute over the legalization of cannabis sativa, more commonly known as marijuana, is one of the most controversial issues ever to take place in the United States. Its use as a medicine has existed for thousands of years in many countries across the globe. Legalization should be considered despite efforts made by groups who say marijuana is a harmful drug that will increase crime rates and lead users to other more dangerous substances. The legalization of marijuana can improve our society by helping with our economy, freeing legal resources, and benefiting the overall health of the nation though medical uses.
The topic of marijuana has been a big topic for the past few years. The United States considers marijuana as a drug, in some other countries they say it is a natural herb that is grown from the ground. The issue at hand is “should marijuana be legalized?” the congress of the US stay in a constant debate on this subject. Why is the subject of marijuana such in high demand, if the US already considers it a drug? There are many facts that need to be looked at before a final decision can ever be made. In contrast since the past two weeks the state of Colorado became the second state in the US to legalize marijuana. Obviously it is possible for marijuana to be accepted into society, obviously there are as much pros as
Marijuana in the United States has been a big issue for decades dating back to when it was first made illegal in 1937. Using scare tactics, propaganda, and false facts, the government decided to classify the plant as a schedule one drug along with substances such as ecstasy, LSD, and heroin. Marijuana has since become a more common and socially acceptable (Not by the government) drug in recent years. This past year Colorado, Washington, and Oregon had decided to vote on the issue of legalizing marijuana for recreational use. Focusing on Colorado, Amendment 64 passed on November 6th, 2012 which would legalize the possession of up to an ounce of the plant.
The Harrison Narcotic Act of 1914 was the first of many laws due to the laissez-faire attitude toward drug use in the United States. Brecher 1972 states (as cited in Powell & Redford, 2016) society’s view on drugs was not problematic until the end of the nineteenth century. After the Civil War, a widespread epidemic of drugs swept across the nation, which fuels the drug wars of today (Powell & Brecher, 2016).
With any major legislative change there will always be controversy and unanticipated consequences, but in time most of these things will be ironed out with modifications to the law and eventual social or cultural adjustment and acceptance. Such is the case with legal pot in Colorado, and a brief examination of the amendment’s impact on the state reveals impressive benefits – not a dramatic collapse into drug-induced chaos and anarchy.
In the year 1920, the U.S. enforced the Prohibition Act that banned the manufacturing, transportation and sale of all alcohol. The Prohibition lasted a total of 13 years before being abolished in 1933 since the government could not stop the entire country from buying and/or selling alcohol illegally. It seemed that the more they tried to get rid of alcohol, the more people would want it so instead of having continuous law breakers, they’d rather the people drink freely hence Prohibition ending. Drugs, on the other hand, were legal all the way up until 1914, where the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act took place. The Harrison Act basically put a tax on drugs and made it only so that people with sincere medical issues could use certain drugs,
The legalization of marijuana has been a debate in the public eye within the United States for quite some time now; however, as time progresses many states continue to pass legislation. As of, March 2017, 26 states and the District of Columbia have laws legalizing marijuana use in some fashion and 24 remaining states with pending legislation. Although states are in debate for legalization it remains that federal law still prohibits any form of usage, selling, or buying. Federal law supersedes state law on this issue as it is written, “Legalizing Marijuana: Why Citizens Should Just Say No” from the Legal Memorandum Published by the Heritage Foundation,
Drugs are a major influential force in our country today. The problem has gotten so out of hand that many people are even considering legalization of one of the most used drugs, marijuana. The legalization of marijuana is a controversial issue that has been fought for and against for several decades. Marijuana is defined as a preparation made from the dried flower clusters and leaves of the cannabis plant, which is usually smoked or eaten to induce euphoria and to heal and soothe. (dictionalr.com)