Prohibition And The Illegalization Of Marijuana Summary

The legalization of the drug marijuana is a hot topic nowadays. Many people want this substance to be legalized and regularly available like cigarettes. But what some people do not know are the serious health risks involved when using marijuana. There is a lot more to marijuana than just smoking it.

The legalization of recreational marijuana is an important debate, one that could really cause drastic changes in societies. Marijuana has entered a dark stage in the pathway of legalization, and it is correlating with the prohibition stage that alcohol rested in. The debate can often reach a nasty level between individuals taking sides with the topic. Legalization of marijuana can be very beneficial under regulated circumstances, therefore making all of the negative views less important.

Cannabis began being outlawed all across the U.S. during the 1900’s and has remained illegal ever since, until recent years when states began legalizing it (huffpost.com). Although many people believe that the reason behind the prohibition of cannabis was based on genuine concern for the possible consequences it may have on the well-being of people if it remained accessible to all, the truth is that the drive behind the U.S.’s prohibition of cannabis was founded on racism. During the early 1900’s cannabis was considered an “ethnic drug” due to the fact that many Mexican immigrants smoked the plant (huffpost.com). With the tension in Western states regarding the migration of Mexicans into the states, laws concerning the use regulation of

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

There has never been a death from marijuana overdose. “A person would have to smoke 20,000 to 40,000 times the amount of THC in a joint to overdose” (Wing). Marijuana was classified as an illegal drug in 1970, because it can be abused very easily (“infoplease”). Marijuana was then grown indoors. Marijuana is illegally used by many people daily. Marijuana should be legalized because it is naturally grown and can be used to help cancer patients, relieve stress, and be used daily.

Marijuana is currently a hot topic of debate throughout Canada, and has been for the past few years. Marijuana was first banned in 1923 under the Opium and Drug Act, but since 1997 the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act have controlled it. In 2000, over 30,000 Canadians were charged with possession of marijuana. Currently, the marijuana laws are not enforced equally across the country, which has prompted the interest in changing the laws or possibly decriminalizing marijuana. Also, those convicted of marijuana related crimes usually don’t go to jail, but they do receive a criminal record.

We’ve all been told not to use drugs starting at a very young age. We’re told they very bad for you and can even cause death. As a child, we always believed what we were told; the older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve come to realize that not all of these “drugs” are as bad for you as we were taught. The particular drug I am speaking about comes from the dried leaves and flowers of a hemp plant (Cannabis Sativa), and goes by the name Marijuana.

The legalization of marijuana appears to be a hot topic and is definitely controversial among the American people as well as federal agencies like the DEA (The Star Ledger, 2012). From my research through the university library as well as over the intranet, I found several sources of information that referenced the legalization of marijuana. The sources were mixed in biases and opinions about marijuana usage, its affects on the human body, and whether or not marijuana is even as toxic and harmful as the government has made people believe. I read over a few sources that claimed that suggest that marijuana is not harmful enough to justify its prohibition (Dubner, 2007). I read over articles that suggest that states were marijuana has been legalized will encourage an increase in usage. I also found a source that opposed the previous idea that legalization will increase usage by suggesting that legalization does not increase usage through case studies.

Marijuana or Cannabis is one of the bused drugs in America and the rest of the world. Interesting accumulating evidence show that the significant negative impact of this drug outweighs the positive effects. However, the medical benefits of the drug seem on the process of chemical compounds as compared to the drug itself. Medical debates show that chemical compound in marijuana are the problem as compared to the plant. The said chemical compound affects the mental and physical health of the persons abusing this drug. There have been traditional efforts to control the use of marijuana through legislation laws, (Crick, Haase, & Bewley-Taylor, 2013). However, in the recent past the efforts and the laws are being lifted to relax the implementation of the same legislations and the population is responding fast in accepting the legalization of the use of marijuana. The aim of this paper is to discuss how lifting on the laws of the said drug indicate adverse tolerance of Cannabis among populations. The paper will also discuss impact of legalization marijuana on the safety, security and overall quality of human life. Also, the paper will analyses the effect of relaxation of the laws controlling this drug to other hard core drugs such as cocaine, heroin and meth-amphetamines among others.

Since 1863, the United States has had a dual banking system composed of both federal and state chartered institutions. This means that banks and other financial institutions have the option of choosing between a federal charter issued by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency or a state charter from a state banking regulator (Hill, 2014, p. 8). When it comes to marijuana banking however, federal regulation holds all the power. “Under federal law, marijuana is still classed as a Schedule I drug which means that it is not legal in any form, including for medical purposes” (Erb, 2015). Federal financial regulators have complete authority to punish institutions that do not comply with federal law. Aaron Smith, executive director of the National Cannabis Industry Association calls the lack of banking services “the most urgent issue facing the legal cannabis industry today” (Sullum, 2014). Without help from Congress to bring down these walls, most financial institutions will not provide their services to those in the marijuana industry. The risk is simply too great. Also, if financial institutions continue to be federally liable for the illegal actions of their potential marijuana business customers, financial services will continue to be unavailable. The next few sections will look at some of the obstacles facing the marijuana industry, specifically how the federal laws are preventing businesses from gaining access to financial services.

Legalization of marijuana is one of the most controversial topics in American society today. Surveys done by the US Government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data Archive showed that 95 million Americans have used marijuana. There are two opposing sides that have strong stances on whether it should become legal or should remain illegal. We have one side that is anti-marijuana and the other is pro-marijuana. Each side provides valid and strong arguments supporting their views. The purpose of this paper is to carefully examine each opposing side and try to find some way to come to a compromise.

Marijuana has a long standing history of being one of the most controversial substances in America. While the history or the Cannabis plant indicates not only acceptance as a useful plant, but even advocated as a source of revenue and medicinal usage, much of the United States government propaganda over the last 100+ years has led Americans to accept very slighted and often false information about the plant and its uses. Based on the origin of the illegalization of marijuana and the inconsistent findings of its effects in comparison to other substances, both legal and illegal, marijuana should be decriminalized and treated as a recreational substance just as alcohol and tobacco are.

Marijuana, also known as Cannabis is the third most well-liked recreational drug, which only falls behind alcohol and tobacco, in the United States (The Whitehouse, n.d.). Marijuana is made up of dried leaves, plants, stalks, and pits from the hemp plant Cannabis Sativa, which comprises of the mind-altering compound delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), in addition to other associated compounds. This plant substance can correspondingly be converged in a resin called hashish or an adhesive black fluid called hash oil. Efforts to legalize marijuana for medication treatment and recreational use in the United States have grown in current years. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that marijuana may perhaps

The article, “Hooked on Just Saying No”, was written to address the problems of the War on Drugs. It discussed the problems with prohibition. Back in the early 20th century, America’s prohibition of alcohol failed; it caused social and economic problems all over America. When alcohol became legalized, bootleggers ended up becoming legal brewers and distillers, becoming wealthy from the profit. However, “prohibited drugs could yield even bigger profits than prohibited alcohol” (the Economist). Therefore, after marijuana becomes legal, it should be controlled and regulated, to prevent the monopolization of the market. Taxation of marijuana and less incarceration for marijuana would yield economic benefits to the government, leading to more funding for productive activities such as better education and drug rehabilitation.

A number of movements to legalize marijuana have been gaining attention lately. Currently there are 14 states where marijuana is legal for medical use (medicalmarijuana). 41% of U.S. citizens believe marijuana should be legalized (drugpolicy) but others are still concerned about health damage. American society has lost the war against marijuana, and that's okay. We should stop wasting time and money trying to reverse history and instead legalize both medical and recreational use of this mild narcotic widely seen as no more harmful than alcohol.