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Medical Marijuana Laws and their Effects

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Medical Marijuana Laws and their Effects Keith Reese COM/156 7/23/2014 Jennifer Preus Medical Marijuana Laws and their Effects In 1936, George Herliman produced the propaganda film “Tell Your Children”, later titled “Reefer Madness”(“IMBD”, 1990-2014). This film, financed by a church group to display the exaggerated consequences of marijuana usage, was intended to inspire fear in parents and children alike. Though marijuana legalization has become a front burner topic, one would assume that our technological advances would invoke more rational responses from the general public seeking facts to support claims. However, the same type of fear induced media messages are employed today by anti-marijuana …show more content…

NORML 's website states that their mission “is to move public opinion sufficiently to legalize the responsible use of marijuana by adults, and to serve as an advocate for consumers to assure they have access to high quality marijuana that is safe, convenient, and affordable.” (NORML, 2014). NORML claims that their support of marijuana legalization is the result of the cost of marijuana prohibition enforcement to the taxpayers and the more than 740,000 arrests per year for marijuana related offenses.(NORML, 2014). Pro- marijuana activist, Brittney Guest of Oklahoma City, has a similar reason for maintaining support. Guest stated, “The prohibition itself is what 's creating all of these crimes and all of these inhumane things that are happening to people.” Guest continued, “Families are being torn apart by these aggressive marijuana laws that are on the books.” (Murphy, February 12, 2014). Statements like this one contradict the claims of the opposition that marijuana legalization is in the public 's best interest. The movement to end marijuana prohibition has found supporters from all walks of life, but some are more unlikely than others. One such supporter has been Pennsylvania State Senator, Daylin Leach. Leach has been outspoken about his support for the movement to legalize

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