Marijuana Law Essay

marijuana at some time in their lives. 18 million have smoked marijuana within the last

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

After reading Chapter 16 I came to the conclusion that In Raich v. Ashcroft, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed that the medical use of marijuana does not have any direct or obvious effect on interstate commerce; however, the U.S. Supreme Court beg to differ, the Supreme Court felt like that medical marijuana would have an effect on the interstate market for marijuana, so in 2005 the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the Ninth Circuit Court (which wasn’t right but they had the power to do so). In addition, the federal government had the power to prohibit the use of medical marijuana. The federal law enforcement is targeting individuals who seem clearly to be using marijuana for purposes other than medical treatment.

Confusion comes from the varying difference from one state to another and even one city to the next. As medical marijuana is legalized in various states, confusion comes from each state’s definition of “medical”(Leonard). In Texas, for example, the marijuana needs to be prescribed by a physician, however, since marijuana is legal for medical use, it cannot be prescribed, only recommended (Leonard). With almost 41 states legalizing marijuana, it seems as though the drug would be reclassified rather than stay a Class 1 drug which is “a category reserved for substances with “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse”(Leonard). States are faced with the balance between legalization for those who need help and not creating an ease of access for those who abuse it. For this reason, much confusion comes from the differences in drug enforcement and drug sentences from state to state, especially in a post-”war on drugs” era. These very laws have severe punishments that can Now, especially as drug laws cause confusion state to state, more effective policies need to be made in order to ensure justice and correct punishment for each

Cannabis or Marijuana is a psychoactive drug found in the Cannabis plant. Its use has been noted as far in the past 2000 B.C. The prevalence of Marijuana is constant throughout the United States of America. The legalization of this substance has been widely debated for decades. The large debate has led to a lack of consistency with our laws throughout states; In states such as Colorado, Washington, Alaska, Nevada, Oregon, Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, and California, marijuana is legal recreationally while others may only be legal medically, or not legal at all. Legalizing the recreational use of marijuana has led to an apparent issue of controlling drivers under the influence of marijuana. Police face issues attempting to control inhibited drivers through errors such as a lack of testing and a lack of regulation.

To Some people, it's a relaxing herb, something to temporarily pull the mind from reality. The aroma is unmistakable, the potency various, and there are roughly sixty five million people smoking it. I'm talking about Cannabis Sativa, the illegal strain of hemp known as marijuana. This plant provides many medical benefits that far outweigh the side effects. It has yet to be proven to be addictive or deadly. Marijuana as it stands right now is an illegal narcotic, but I think the drug, with it's physical, psychological, spiritual, but most importantly, medical benefits, should be legalized.

Recreational use of marijuana is already permitted in a handful of states, and can be medically prescribed in over half the states of the US, though it remains illegal under federal law. News reports on the issue suggest some voters are concerned that the decriminalization of marijuana will have adverse effects on the US crime rate. Opponents to the legalization of marijuana often claim that people who use marijuana are more likely to move on to harder drugs and those users commit crimes to pay for their habit. Additionally, they are concerned that marijuana dispensaries are attractive targets for criminals and that marijuana use encourages alcohol abuse, and that stoned drivers are a danger to the public. That being said,

This debate has been very prevalent in society and in politics. Experts, politicians, and people alike have been debating among themselves whether or not marijuana should be legalized in America. Marijuana is a drug that can be smoked or eaten. It is grown from the ground and gives the user a sense of a hallucinogenic high. It goes by many names

Marijuana is neither as lethal nor as harmful a drug as cocaine or methamphetamine (meth) by any stretch of the imagination; nevertheless, the use of marijuana is a step towards using these extremely harmful drugs. Marijuana is a gateway drug to the use of cocaine or meth and although users oppose this idea, it cannot be overlooked or forgotten about. A gateway drug is a drug that after using for a decent amount of time the user will eventually begin to look for a more powerful drug. They will look for a more powerful drug to reach a stronger and more exhilarating “high.” Eventually in their search for a stronger drug they will fall subject to the dangers of cocaine or meth, which undoubtedly harm society through numerous different avenues. The largest problem that is faced when dealing with whether marijuana should

Marijuana has always been illegal to cultivate, smoke, or to have in your possession. What would be the perks of legalizing it though? What we used to think was harmful has actually been proven to have medicinal benefits. This is the main reason people think it should be legalized, but what's behind the scenes? The are millions of dollars to be made off of marijuana sales, and the tax they put on it could bring in insane profits for our government. Marijuana legalizations would make less calls for our law enforcement making their jobs safer and allowing them to focus on more potent crimes like harder drugs or violent crimes. With the sales being made by U.S. business this would decrease the amount of U.S. money going cross border powering

Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the world. With millions of people using it regularly and almost 100 million that have ever used it in this country, the laws behind this drug hold great influence and power. It is because of the emergence of new evidence though, that the justification behind prohibition of this drug is being rethought scientifically, socially, and economically. The use of Marijuana as both medicine and a recreational drug is being thoroughly questioned in the US. 20 states including DC now have Marijuana approved in some form, many of those for medical purposes. However, those users can still, and do get placed into prison by federal law. In 2012, the total number of marijuana arrests accounts for 48% of all drug arrests in the US. 87% of these arrests were for possession only, a total of 658,231. Another 91,593 were arrested for sale or manufacturing charges. This staggering fact means that a marijuana user is arrested for possession every 48 seconds.

When a someone hears the term “Marijuana” the first thing that comes into the mind is that it is a drug which is illegal. Some people believe that the only use of marijuana plant is that it can get you high, which is far from the truth. The Marijuana, cannabis, or hemp plant is one of the oldest psychoactive plants known to man. Many people fail to acknowledge that marijuana has a history of more than 8000 years and it has only been illegal for a short period of time. Its history dates back as far as 6000 B.C , when cannabis seeds were used as food in early Chinese traditions. People have used the hemp plant for fabric, ropes and even ethanol fuel. False myths have discredited marijuana for a long time, marijuana not only provides benefits

I could not help feeling a sense of irony as I observed a BPD officer stationed outside a local MMJ dispensary warmly greeting patients and directing traffic so that departing patients could access the busy street. I feel gratitude for the apparent progress we have made. But there is one truth that cannot be minimized in light of this growth. We still have brothers and sisters serving time for marijuana-related crimes despite changes in national views (over 50% of Americans support law reform) and legalization for medical and/or recreational usage. The future of those incarcerated or with past criminal records related to marijuana remains to be seen. Analyses from the ACLU paint and even more disturbing picture. Marijuana arrests account for

Morals and politics are what make up the structure of this country, so when an issue receives mixed responses coming from two different points of views it becomes contraversial. The legalization of marijuana is a controversial subject; however, there are many positive arguments to support the idea. First of all, it is very expensive to keep marijuana illegal. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuana has also proven to contain positive medicinal uses for illnesses (Marshall, 67). In addition to its positive use, ignorance keeps the public unaware of the fact that alcohol and cigarettes are far worse. The American government is simply approaching this issue very poorly, because the

"The only way in which a human being can make some approach to knowing the whole of any subject is by hearing what can be said about it by persons of every variety of opinion and studying all modes in which in can be looked at by every character of mind. No wise man ever acquired his wisdom in any mode but this.' - John Stuart Mill" (Mill. 7). The topic of legalizing marijuana is a very conservational issue in American politics today. There are many good arguments both for and against legalization. But most important is that all of these arguments are based on facts.