Level Of Morality And Opinion On Marijuana

In the society we live in, everybody wants to be right. People will have their own unique stance on any controversial subject, and marijuana is no different. Marijuana is a very important topic of discussion especially in the current election season. The drug is discussed on television, social media, and virtually everywhere on the internet. In the article “This Is Why Marijuana Should Be Legal Everywhere” associate viral content editor for The Huffington Post, Renee Jacques, challenges traditional notions of the prohibition of marijuana by brilliantly using rhetorical appeals to persuade you to join the majority. Contrary to Jacques, John Hawkins, writer for www.townhall.com, takes a different stance in his article “5 Reasons Marijuana Should Remain Illegal” holding tight to the traditional, negative view of the drug by using a mixture of logos and pathos to make you question why any human with a brain would smoke cannabis. Although both writers use rhetorical strategies to persuade you to their respective side of the argument, the differing degrees the authors use those strategies renders Jacques’ article much more persuasive to a general audience.

In order to spread lies about marijuana use, various agencies released propaganda films, most notable of these films is “Reefer Madness”. In this film, high school students are lured into using marijuana, which leads the students to commit murder, rape, suicide, and an overall decent into madness. Despite the strong use of propaganda, marijuana use saw an upward trend between the 1950’s and the 1960’s. Use of marijuana had spread to the white upper and middle classes by the 1960’s, partially changing the negative connotations attached to marijuana use. The drug was used by these middle and upper class whites to rebel against the older generation’s way of thinking. Many teens were introduced to marijuana use in college, where various other counter-culture ideas were being expounded. While the use of marijuana experienced a rise since the 1800’s to the middle of the 20th century, use of the drug saw a strong downward trend in the 1970’s through the early 1990’s, in part due to the strongest

Marijuana is a very well-known and commonly used drug. Yet, there are many different attitudes and meanings attached to it. So why is there such a variation in people’s attitudes towards marijuana. This can be explained and understood by using the symbolic interactionism theory. Marijuana is a very controversial topic among Americans and much research has been done regarding it. The Pew Research Center has gathered information on the opinions Americans have towards the legalization of marijuana. The data shows what percentage of Americans think it should be legal or not. There is also data on reasons why they have their opinions and meanings toward marijuana. This data helps to further understand and apply this theory to the use of marijuana.

The role of how marijuana is used in the United States is being reexamined, rethought, and recalibrated, Barcott emphasize throughout his book. The new adjustment in America's relationship with cannabis cannot be measured in just monetary or social terms, “there are more profound movements going ahead here; social realignments, social alterations, and budgetary modifications” Barcott believes. Barcott show marijuana came to be one of the most vilified drugs in the market ever since the war on drugs was announced in the 1980s. However, the author shows how those who were against that movement are now cheerful that the way of that line of thinking is finally coming to a close. “Weed the

Marijuana is a popular and universal drug. It is easily accessible to most people and is the number one illicit drug used in North America. Although the availability and knowledge of this drug is fairly equal for all people in North America, marijuana tends to be more prevalent in teenagers and young adults. Maisto, Galizio, and Conners (2004) reported that "use of marijuana [in young people] was 8.0% among those aged 12-17; 16% among those aged 18-25," as compared to "6.8% among those aged 26-34; and 2.4% among those 35 and older." People of all ages, races, and religions use marijuana and have their own reasons to use it. Young people first try marijuana because of some common reasons. Some teenagers feel pressured by their peers to

For many years in the past, marijuana has been made to look like a dangerous drug, linked to crime and addiction. In the early 1920s and ‘30s most people still did not know what marijuana was or had even heard of it yet. Those who had heard of it were largely uninformed. The drug rarely appeared in the media, but when it did it was linked to crime and even thought to be murder-inducing. A 1929 article in the Denver Post reported a Mexican-American man who murdered his stepdaughter was a marijuana addict (Baird 2011). Articles such as this began to form a long-standing link between marijuana and crime in the public’s mind. Soon, laws against marijuana began coming into place. In 1970, Congress classified

Director Brett Harvey documentary, The Culture High is an interesting story that takes a raw and honest look that tears into the very grit of modern day marijuana prohibition to reveal the truth behind the arguments and motivations governing both those who support and those who oppose the existing pot laws. As we ask ourselves will marijuana be legalized in our lifetime? Or is the “war on drugs” really fundamentally affecting this country? This documentary states two reasons why the information on cannabis is kept from the public, either just one joint can cause psychiatric (mental illness) episodes similar to schizophrenia (a long-term mental disorder) or the addiction and how this drug can lead to another drug. The thesis that this documentary

Growing up, time and time again, we are urged not to do drugs and are told that “drugs are bad for you,” in schools, at home and by many other authority figures. A child typically does not fully understand the reasoning behind this, all they know is that everyone is telling them that drugs are either bad, unhealthy or unsafe without real reasoning. As a child matures, he or she observes people that use drugs even though it is illegal and they do not understand why someone would go against the law and even jeopardize their health to use such drugs. The drug most commonly seen in our culture is marijuana and it is all around everywhere. Marijuana is shown throughout today’s culture in the media that people enjoy such as: movies, music and TV shows, the people using it do not even attempt to hide the fact that they use this substance. Young adults who have personal experience with the drug know its effects on themselves, as well as others, and wonder why it is still illegal. Why is it that this drug has been illegalized across the globe? The debate to legalize marijuana in the United States of America, alone, has been fought over nonstop since the appearance of the drug in the late 30’s. Marijuana has been tested and proven to provide a very positive impact on the American society for several reasons, including economic, medical and crime factors: all of which could very well help America to thrive in the future.

Cannabis otherwise known as marihuana is a plant that has been on the earth for millions of years. History examines its use in many old traditional practices of medicine. However, over the last century society has placed a stigma on those who use marihuana for recreational use. This stigma is associated with criminal and deviant behaviour. As marihuana becomes further researched, the normalcy of the drug has become more popular within the medical community. Although marihuana is being used for medicinal purposes the stigma still exists due to the legal status of this drug. To understand the current state of marihuana, this paper will examine an understanding of what cannabis (marihuana) is, the history behind it, the usage and societal attitudes towards

The argument that all marijuana use and possession is moral is false, some possession and usage of marijuana is not moral. Morality involves a code of conduct by rational persons that adheres to the objective values of a society at a given point in time with or without surveillance (cite). Like other drugs and medications, marijuana alters

"Marijuana is the second most popular drug after alcohol in the country today. So many people smoke marijuana that the numbers alone seem to legitimize and condone its presence in people's lives. Yet, even in moderation marijuana is not 'safe.' Somehow this information had not filtered down to people who think they are smoking a fairly innocuous drug. Our society perpetuates the myths about pot being a fun, harmless, recreational drug. These myths feed into people's denial of marijuana's problems" (Baum 6). However, the abuse of marijuana is a problem. It is not only a personal problem, but also more importantly a social problem. Throughout history marijuana has been used to serve various purposes in many

Did you know that almost half of the population in the United States belongs in jail, according to the law on marijuana? It’s true. In 2008 Time Magazine reported that researchers had found more than 42% of people surveyed in the United States had tried marijuana at least once (Lynch, 2008). So if marijuana use is so common in the United States, why should it not be legalized? In this paper I will discuss both the supporting and opposing positions on the legalization of marijuana. I will also explore the moral and ethical views for legalizing marijuana.

Marijuana, also known as cannabis, is a plant used to produce hemp fiber and as a psychotropic drug. There are many ways to consume the plant, but most often, it is consumed through a cigarette. Over many years, marijuana has been looked at as a gateway drug and something attached to violence and addiction. Users of marijuana have been stereotyped to abuse the drug to get high rather than to medicate their bodies. The hip-hop and hippie communities shed a light on marijuana that gave society a good excuse to view it negatively. Many have overlooked the benefits of marijuana by being blinded by the stereotypes society has created. Despite the negative outlooks, there are an abundance of benefits that using

Within today’s society, Cannabis is seen as a harmful substance of such negative controversy. Marijuana is a very prominent and controversial issue in society today. Despite many malicious allegations have been made regarding marijuana today, the truth of what marijuana’s real dangers are are beginning to come about again. Sadly, these facts have been held under considerable judgement because of what people stereotype a pot smoker as. This has been brought under heavy criticism due to the stereotypical view of what people view as the typical “pot smoker.” This image society has of a lazy and unambitious America has all been the result of almost one hundred years of false propaganda and stereotypes gossiped by certain private individuals trying to keep weed illegal for their own personal benefit.

The legalization of marijuana is a very controversial issue that is being debated across the United States. In the article "Going to Pot?," by Damon Linker, Linker attempts to persuade readers that legalizing of marijuana can cause more harm than help. This publication was released in November of 2001. Although two other writers, Richard Lowry and Andrew Sullivan, try to change readers beliefs Linker maintains his stance against marijuana. Without discrediting their facts he explains and defends why he feels they are wrong. The article is formal and although religion is not talked about, morals and society standards are questioned. Throughout the argument, Linker proves that effects of marijuana are detrimental to our society and