Essay about Marijuana as a Social Problem

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

According to National Institute of Drug Abuse, Marijuana is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of Cannabis sativa—the hemp plant. The marijuana is often called pot, grass, reefer, weed, herb, Mary Jane, or MJ. Most users smoke marijuana in hand-rolled cigarettes called joints, among other names; some use pipes or water

Marijuana is a misunderstood drug. Many assume that the usage of marijuana, or cannabis, is dangerous, but it can be the exact opposite. So why is the legalization of marijuana in the United States such a problem for many people today? Considered to be a gateway drug and the reason for the downfall of our youth nowadays, marijuana has developed a negative reputation. Lester Grinspoon, a professor at Harvard University, states, “Few drugs in the United States have produced as much affective heat as marijuana, particularly during the last decade. The controversy essentially revolves around the question of how dangerous or safe the drug is." However, many people are persistent users and believe that this drug is no more harmful than

The social problem of legalizing marijuana has been an issue for many years. I argue that marijuana should be legalized in all the United States. Through research it has been proven that marijuana can bring benefits to society if it were to be legalized. Benefits include, assistance to those who have health issues, reducing crimes related to drugs, as well as uplifting the economy. Marijuana has caused various issues within the minority communities, those who live within a minority community are more likely to receive jail time if caught with the drug, if Marijuana were to be legalized this would prevent minorities from becoming incarcerated. This leads to the conflict theory. The conflict theory states, that “society is in a state of perpetual conflict due to competition for limited resources. It holds that social order is maintained by domination and power, rather than consensus and conformity.” This is a social conflict because through the resource marijuana those outside of the government are making a profit, but also risking their lives because of not conforming to society. In order for this social problem to be fixed, as a citizens we need to educate those who are unaware of the benefits verses the dangers of marijuana.

Number Four: In the Beginning, it was a Legal Requirement to Grow It. As England began to colonize America, a law was sanctioned that each colony must grow a specified, mandatory amount of cannabis plants to meet crop requirements for hemp trade. In fact, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson each maintained their own hemp farms, from which the Declaration of Independence was drafted on paper

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

In the 1900s, weed had already had relatively long legal history in the United States. Many historians believe the Jamestown settlers were the first to introduce cannabis to the United States in 1611. Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, both grew hemp in the 1700s, which was distributed to drug stores to help cure migraines and menstrual cramps. In the beginning weed was used for recreational purposes, and still is used to aid aliments, some aliments worse than others.

Reading ‘The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace’ by Jeff Hobbs gave me food for thought about marijuana abuse. In my opinion marijuana should be legal in state of Connecticut but many people argue that it should be illegal because teenagers might use it even more. On the other side, it will cause many more problems for our federal system. There is no magic bullet for preventing teen drug use, but parents have a considerable amount of influence on their teens, even though it doesn't seem that way. Also, the federal system must cooperate with the people and be able to respect our freedom. Many people asked why marijuana should be illegal and responded, “Because it’s bad” which

Cannabis has been known to man since as early as 7000 B.C. (Marijuana Legalization Timeline). In 1619, the colony of Jamestown in Virginia passed the first cannabis-related law, stating that it is required for all farmers to grow cannabis sativa or hemp plant because of its strong fiber that they used to

The history of marijuana in the United States government date back to the origins of the United States government itself. During the 16th century, the mass production of hemp was encouraged by the British government for its fibrous content, which was used for making fabric, ropes, cords, and other items (“Marijuana Timeline” 2014). By 1619, the Virginia assembly passed legislation requiring each household in the colony to cultivate hemp, praising its variety of beneficial uses. Even after the American Revolution, hemp continued to be a large part of the American economy. By mid-19th century, hemp was the third-largest crop in the United States, only exceeded by cotton and tobacco. As technology was developed, however, the need for

All races and backgrounds use marijuana. Why are black Americans incarcerated at a much higher rate than white Americans, for using marijuana? The issue with racism within the American law enforcement is not as clear-cut as it may seem. Police training and tactics will be examined to try and understand what the real issue is with this statistic. There are many hypotheses and theories of why back Americans are treated so differently in the criminal justice system. Treating every American equally will help secure unity within the United States.

Marijuana use in the United States is more recent. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both grew marijuana on their estates and Washington said to "Make the most of the hemp seed, and sow it everywhere" (Schleichert 9). During the early 1800's marijuana was sold as extracts that were said to help cure aliments ranging from migraines and asthma to epilepsy, insomnia, chronic bronchitis and gonorrhea. Later, around 1890, the medical use of marijuana declined with the invention of the hypodermic needle. Drugs could now have quicker and more reliable pain relief and finally in 1941 cannabis was taken out of professional

Marijuana or better known as Cannabis is one of the planes oldest known agricultural plants. So it has a great presence in the long history of the world, Researchers uncovered Woven Fabrics which were discovered and are believed to have been made with Hemp fibers (Cannabis) from a period as far back as 8000 to 7000 B.C. Some of the very first uses of Hemp were in china during 4500 B.C. Its usages were for making nets, Ropes and Fabrics/Clothe weaving, Also china was known for using it for its psychoactive properties. Even in India there was documented usage of marijuana or as they like to call it “bhang”, a lot of their religious books called “The Four Vedas” during the times of 1400 and 1000 B.C. The books consider marijuana to be one of the “Five Kingdom of Herbs which transcend and releases the human body from anxiety, Stress, and pain”.

Marijuana is one of the oldest, most versatile, most historically significant plants in the history of man. Commonly referred to as hemp, it was the fiber used to create the sails of the conquistadors until steam power ruled the ocean blue. Hemp was universally known and clothed a lot the known world, even before cotton and wool. Its versatility was a virtue and was envied as one of the most valuable plants for any farmer, on any continent. Legislators in many different states across America passed laws promoting its production. In colonial times, the military wanted to make sure it had enough hemp rope for times of war and as a source of revenue for the colonies. In 1767, the Georgia government passed a law which distributed seeds

"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