The Decriminalization Of Marijuana

Marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug in the United States. Despite this, Marijuana remains illegally in many states across the country. Legal drugs like tobacco, and alcohol are proven to be more deadly then marijuana. However, they remain legal nationwide. Tobacco itself is the second major cause of death in the world. The United States should legalize marijuana because it’s not as deadly as some other legal drugs, it’s already widely used, and it’s nearly impossible to enforce its’ use.

On January 1st the states of Colorado and Washington officially began the regulation of legal marijuana sales. Thousands of people from all over the country including tourists from Wisconsin, Ohio, Chicago, and even Georgia lined up out front of dispensaries to make a purchase. Recreational marijuana is being regulated and monitored like alcohol; you must be at least 21 years old to make a purchase. The drug, which is controversial in many states’ legislations, is currently legal for medical use in 20 states, but Colorado and Washington were the first to approve of recreational use (Healy). The geographical concepts involved in the legalization of marijuana include migration, movement and flow, and private/public space.

Marijuana is the most common drug in America and all over the world. It is legalized in some countries, but most countries prohibit its use. It has proven medical abilities and was used for this purpose for a while before being federally criminalized. The United States has been debating on the legalization of marijuana with some states supporting the move and others against it. ("10 Facts About Marijuana") Despite all these debates, the legalization of marijuana is the better option of the two. Legalizing marijuana will result in medical, economic and social benefits all over America.

Leblanc, D. (2016, January 12). Legalizing marijuana will come with strict controls, MP Bill Blair says. Retrieved October 21, 2016, from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/legalizing-marijuana-will-come-with-strict-controls-mp-bill-blair-says/article28137320/

The legalization of medical marijuana has brought into question various components of medical care for advance practice nurses (as well as others within the larger healthcare profession). In addition to navigating the legal complexities of care associated with this particular method, advance practice nurses must understand prescriptive rights, best practices for us and how statutory language as it is currently written has been amended for medical use. This is a growing movement in the healthcare sector and one that will continue to evolve as legalization continues to be a large part of the national health care conversation. Advance practice nurses, as professionals that can and often do prescribe medication, must be knowledgeable about the parameters surrounding prescriptive rights. Moreover, they are required to know the latest information from a legalization perspective in order to ensure professional boundaries are not being crossed in the process of helping patients.

Alberto Wilmore was a beloved art teacher in the Ella Baker School located in Manhattan, New York. To his students he was more than their fourth hour teacher, he was the man they trusted and the man that inspired them. Mr. Wilmore who had never been in trouble in his life was arrested on May 30th, 2011 after walking out of his apartment and flicking a cigarette on to the curb of the street. A New York city police officer stopped and arrested him claiming that it was a marijuana cigarette. Mr. Wilmore was immediately terminated from his job. Under New York state law marijuana possession is classified as a serious offense for a teacher; it is in the same category as physical assault

Marijuana is the most frequently used illegal drug in the United States (http://www.drug-rehabs.org).Although it is illegal. Researchers found that 42% of people surveyed in the U.S. had tried marijuana at least once (Gettman pg 4).Why should medical marijuana be legal in all fifty states? It has been proven be a reliever for many illnesses today such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, anorexia, seizures, migraines, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, glaucoma, depression and even autism (Wunder pg 46). According to the NORML (the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), ten states currently legalize or decriminalize the medical use of marijuana in some manner. Since 1996 nine states have passed legislation that

    In 2016, close to 600,000 people were jailed for possession     of marijuana, a harmless drug, regardless of the amount (Ingraham 1). In the eyes of the law, these innocuous offenses are seen as serious crimes, and are often treated harshly.  The executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, Maria Moreno, agrees that the cruel punishment over marijuana “has devastated families across the US...for no good reason” (Ingraham 2). Marijuana has been proven to be safer than tobacco and alcohol, there is a road test for the prevention of impaired driving, and its taxation would provide money to the government that could then be used similarly to Colorado, who put most of their profit from marijuana sales towards school funding (Smith 1). The taxation of marijuana would provide the government with an abundance of revenue; If regulations on the amount of marijuana one can purchase and age minimums are set into place, combined with new methods to test for marijuana use while driving, legalizing and taxing recreational marijuana would be beneficial for the United States government.

People have been smoking marijuana for thousands of years while also using hemp for everything from fabric to make clothes and other items. Unfortunately, Harry J. Anslinger with a bit of power and enough determination decided pot was evil and addictive. The struggle continues to this day to overcome the lies about marijuana (“Marijuana (Weed) History and Facts”). There are many benefits to legalizing marijuana and the government should take advantage of it.

In Philadelphia marijuana, also known as pot, has recently become decriminalized within the city limits. This is due to the increasing popularity of the drug and the effects it will have on the public. Pot is still illegal under federal law even though more states are starting to adapt to the medical aspect of it. The possibility of gentrification if marijuana becomes a legal and recreational drug is limitless. With the legalization of marijuana, crime rates not just in the city but all over the united states will plummet. With crime rates dropping our police forces will have time to pursue other, more criminal acts. What also to look for will be a financial boom for our government as marijuana will be as taxable as cigarettes to help cut our

Marijuana has it’s medical uses, but people are still getting arrested and doing time in prison for being caught with it even though they were using it for its medical purposes. I know who would smoke Marijuana for medical purposes so they wouldn’t have to take pills that the doctors prescribed him because he knew he’d become addicted to them. I feel like it should be decriminalized because what it can do for people. People with anxiety can smoke it instead of taking pills. There are some people with Cancer who will smoke to help them eat and do stuff after Chemotherapy. It can even prevent alzheimer's from happening. They don’t even have to smoke it there are different ways for them to get it into their system. Marijuana is all natural and

Legalize, control, and discourage is a way to fix the problem. Evident by Colorado and Washington, “the legalization of marijuana can stop most of these possession arrests” (Levine). After the first opening of the first retail marijuana stores on January 1, 2014, Colorado had decreased crime rates, decreased traffic fatalities and increase in economic output (DPA). Since 2010, the marijuana possession arrest have went down 84% since its legalization. The tactic of legalizing, controlling, and discouraging has been proposed by the Economist, a weekly news magazine, in the late 80’s.

The decriminalization of marijuana refers to removing drug offences concerning marijuana from criminal law rather than completely legalizing and allowing public use of the drug whether regulated or not. The legalization of Marijuana has been a hot political issue for decades due to its potential medical uses and industrial properties. It is a very important and controversial issue in society today. Although many false claims have been made about cannabis in recent history, the truths are slowly starting to resurface. Unfortunately, these truths are under heavy debate due to the stereotypical view of what people view as the typical “pot smoker.”

The legalization of recreational drugs in the United States is a polarizing issue that affects every American, whether they are a drug user or not. Both sides present arguments that call for changes to federal drug policy. The pro-drug side says that the recreational use of drugs should be allowed and the law should change to legalize it. The anti-drug side says that the use of drugs should continue to be illegal and more should be done to control drug use. All side of this issue have a point they want to make and it is important to understand the verifiable facts surrounding the use of recreational drugs.

The legalization of marijuana exists as a perennial “hot topic,” as it would have serious social implications if any legislation of this type were to occur. It should be obvious that the legalization or decriminalization of marijuana would mean that weed would no longer be illegal. That is to say, with the legalization of marijuana, individuals would no longer be penalized for possession or use, and law enforcement agencies would no longer be burdened with the task of carrying out these laws (Pot Politics 10). The number of people incarcerated for marijuana possession would obviously go down if it was no longer against the law, and police wouldn’t have to spend time or resources to bring these individuals to justice. In the two cases, legalization