Legalizing Marijuana In Texas

With drugs being more common each and every day, and the fact that they are easily accessible, it is causing a dilemma in Texas and in our nation as whole. Texas is the most impacted with being exposed to drugs due to the fact that Texas is right on the Mexican border and with all the drug traffickers being located in that area their only option is to smuggle them through Texas. Due to the high amount of the smuggling of drugs in Texas it is causing the idea of legalizing marijuana. Marijuana is a cannabis that is most often smoked in order to relax the body. Marijuana is not only smoked but it is now being used for medical purposes to treat anxiety, stress, and sometimes even pain. But the real question is whether marijuana should be legalized in Texas. People strongly believe that marijuana should be legalized due to the fact that it would create revenue for Texas, it will also be legal to utilize it for medical purposes, and it has also become a norm for Texans to see and use since it is so easily accessible.

Marijuana has a deep history in America, being in the Americas since 1545 when the Spanish brought it over with them. Later, it was again brought over with the English colonists to Jamestown. Here it was used as a large cash crop similar to tobacco and was used as a major source of fiber. Later in the 1890s, a similar plant, hemp, became another large cash crop in the southern half of the US even replacing cotton. Around this time marijuana was also used in medications, although it was not on the scale of cocaine and opium, being used to treat everything from labor pains to rheumatism, “any disorder of the extremities or back, characterized by pain and stiffness” (The Definition of Rheumatism). Further on, in the 1920s marijuana became increasingly more popular with jazz musicians and even special cafes/clubs opening for its use. It was not until the 1930s when a campaign conducted by the Federal Bureau of Narcotics whom labeled marijuana as the harmful “gateway drug” it is seen as today. Though

Before one can begin to explore why marijuana should be made legal, the factors going into the original ban on marijuana must first be known. Since the early 1900’s a great number Mexicans began to move across the border and find a new home in many of the southwestern states. Unfortunately, the American citizens at the time were not very welcoming. They viewed the massive Mexican immigration as a problem that needed to be dealt with. Unlike most Americans, many Mexicans used cannabis as a recreational drug by smoking it. American law makers used marijuana as a way to drive out the Mexican population. Even though at the time scientific research had been completed showing that the drug was not very dangerous, the government blamed the drug for all the negative qualities the American people viewed in the Mexicans. Harry Anslinger, head of the Bureau of Narcotics, began releasing waves of propaganda depicting the drug as extremely dangerous. He claimed that marijuana contributed to insanity, violence, and rebellion. Thousands of newspapers, magazines, and other sources of media depicted

“The oldest known written record on cannabis use comes from the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung in 2727 B.C. Ancient Greeks and Romans were also familiar with cannabis, while in the Middle East, use spread throughout the Islamic empire to North Africa. In 1545 cannabis spread to the western hemisphere where Spaniards imported it to Chile for its use as fiber. In North America cannabis, in the form of hemp, was grown on many plantations for use in rope, clothing and paper” (Cannabis + Coca). Marijuana used to be listed in the United States Pharmacopeia from 1850 until 1942 and was prescribed for numerous conditions such as labor pains, nausea, and rheumatism. Increased use of pot as an

Legalizing marijuana has been a topic of debate for centuries. In fact, the sale of marijuana has been regulated since the 16th century. Although the U.S. changed their policy on marijuana since that time, legalization is still a topic amongst lawmakers within America. Many want to legalize medicinal marijuana because it is an effective treatment for illnesses, while others oppose the legalization of recreational marijuana because it is a drug that causes the user to become stoned which can lead to impaired judgement and other consequences. Because the consequences of smoking marijuana outweigh the benefits, the state of Texas should only legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes.

By legalizing the recreation use of marijuana, the state of Texas would have to regulate it, control it, and tax it. By doing so, a substantial amount of money could be made off of the taxation. To provide backing to this statement, in 2012 Michigan collected $10 million just from medical marijuana dispensaries, imagine how much could be made off of the taxation of marijuana for recreational use (Smith). To put things further into perspective, Jeffrey Miron,

Marijuana was in the United States Pharmacopeia from 1850 until 1942 and was prescribed to patients for various conditions including labor pains, nausea and rheumatism. During the 1850’s up to the 1930’s it was a very popular intoxicant. A movement conducted in the 1930’s by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Narcotics (presently the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs) fought to make marijuana appear to be an Addicting and powerful substance that would lead

because of the Mexican Revolution. These immigrants brought along a new culture and customs one of them being the use of Marijuana as a medicine and relaxant. Marijuana which had been known as “cannabis” by Americans was not illegal in the U.S. and was in fact commonly used for industrial and medical purposes. Citizens in the Western states were uneasy of the newcomers and with rising tensions in those states it was not a difficult task for the media to take advantage of the citizen’s unease and pit them against the newcomers and their customs. Harry Anslinger, who is considered the father of the war on weed was a prominent figure of prohibition during the time, used the media to demonize marijuana by using racist tactics. He made several racist claims such as, “There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the U.S. and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others”(huffpost.com). In succeeding in painting the Mexican immigrants in a bad light, the media also managed to arouse people’s fear towards the unknown effects of Marijuana The outlawing of marijuana would provide authorities with an opportunity to control Mexican immigrants.( Although the prohibition of marijuana was founded on racism one has to wonder if things are really the same today. Facts have continuously managed to show that

Texas has always stood apart in terms of reputation; known for its sprawling landscape, unique geography, proud heritage, and conservative views. Due to these characteristics, it is no surprise that, in the case of Marijuana, Texas has tended to lean towards a strict and firm set of guidelines. The initial piece of Texas state legislation passed concerning Marijuana was in 1919, when Texas decided to prohibit the drug within the state. Texas was the third state to do so inside the United States, and the law’s implementation set the foundation for proceeding policies.

Cannabis was used by almost every ancient civilization for, but not limited to, ropes, clothing, medicine, and recreation. Marijuana has only been illegal for the past 73 years. The interesting thing about it’s illegality is the fact that Cannabis used to be very legal in the United States. Prior to 1937, cannabis was the largest agricultural crop in the United

During the 1920's many mexican immigrants fled to the United States for work. With them, many of them brought marijuana. The act of smoking marijuana was picked up on by many black and white jazz musicians during the 1920's and 1930's, but was not used widespread until the 1960's. During the 1930's, Louis Artmstrong was arrested in California and given a sentence of six months for possession of Marijuana [3]. In 1937, the Treasury Department established a marijuana transfer tax known as the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937, after testifying before Congress. After 1937 up until the passing of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Act of 1970, which include the Controlled Substance Act of 1970, marijuana was legally controlled through a transfer tax. [2]

The beginning of Texas anti-marijuana laws can be traced back to the city of El-Paso (Drug Policy ORG). Prior to 1914 Texas had no laws concerning the usage or sale of the plant, but then the stories of people using marijuana in Mexico and terrorizing people made their way to El-Paso and the Deputy Sheriff Stanley Good. Deputy Good made it a personal mission of his to get El-Paso to make the substance illegal. The whole basis of his argument is that immigrants from Mexico will come to the Untied States and use the drug and terrorize El Paso. At the time marijuana use was prevalent in the border towns by both Americans and Mexicans but nobody gave it any

While marijuana was not actually outlawed until the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 it was a part of the country and society since before the arrival of its current transplanted inhabitants. Hemp is the name of a species of Cannabis that has been used throughout history for many things including rope, clothing, medicine, oils and other such novelties. Marijuana and hemp are both of the species Cannabis Sativa and occur naturally along with a score of other variations of the plant. Marijuana is simply a form of hemp that is higher in delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), marijuana’s naturally occurring psychoactive chemical. Today we hear many nicknames for marijuana including: weed, pot, budda, grass, and bud to name a few. Marijuana has long been used by the indigenous peoples of North and South America for many things, from medical to religious purposes. Of course a select few Europeans exploited narcotics and different types of marijuana. However, in Europe it was not a widespread phenomenon, and neither was it from the time of colonization or even industrialization in America. It was not until the era of the 19th amendment to the U.S. constitution, known as prohibition, that marijuana became a widely used substance in the U.S..

In Texas it seems as though the state, overall, is very traditional in its ways of thinking.Although there would be many different opinions over many issues that are controversial, such as the legalization of marijuana, it can also be stated that it is the 21st century and people are more open minded to new and different ideas. Through study and research there are pros and cons which could support or oppose the legalization of marijuana. Whether or not there would be any action taken towards reaching this objective, it is conclusive that different opinions will rise due to different cultures intertwining within the same region, therefore making a final opinion towards how approving a law that lagalizes marijuana will affect Texas is unknown.

Over time U.S. citizen had grown more interest in the use of marijuana. Base on the Federal Bureau of Narcotics agent reported in 1965, they have concluded that, “From what I have read and heard, it would appear that the reported increased and widespread use of marihuana by college students could be attributed in part to the influence of Allen Ginsberg and persons of his ilk.” (Katel 534) Base on those facts, it tell that college students were indeed using marijuana. By 1978, the first state that legalize marijuana for medical use was in New Mexico. The reason for this to happen