The marijuana legalization movement is one of the most controversial social movements of the modern day. Efforts to reform marijuana policy have been organized since the mid 1900s. There are two major organizations leading the battle for marijuana decriminalization. The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and the Marijuana Project Policy (MPP) are both looking to reschedule and eventually legalize marijuana for the use of responsible adults. These two organizations provide various strategies that, along with additional tactics from other sources, have strongly influenced the position of the marijuana legalization social movement. The mobilization of resources is strongly influenced by the two leading organizations …show more content…
Many celebrities publically advocate for the legalization of marijuana. Artists like Snoop Dogg, Justin Timberlake, John legend, and Madonna are just a few of the many in the music industry who advocate for the legalization of marijuana (Schiff 2014). These artists help the movement by maintaining a culture upon which the use of marijuana is “cool”. This promotion of marijuana by such celebrated people creates a sense of collective identity. “Historically, one of the most obvious means through which group identity has been manifested and shared is through language generally, and music specifically” (Danaher & Roscigno:26). Athletes like Michael Phelps, Allen Iverson, and Randy Moss advocate for the use of marijuana. Politicians like former president Bill Clinton, current president Barack Obama, and senator John McCain have all been very vocal about reforming the current marijuana policy. All these public influences help influence cultural outcomes that promote positive images surrounding marijuana. “Media coverage of SMOs is key to both substantiating their claims to represent groups and developing important cultural outcomes” (Goodwin & Jasper:312). Ultimately, public support of marijuana decriminalization from such important characters creates communal support and strengthens NGO campaign support. “To assert the media’s influence requires specifying the structural and instrumental ways in which it can shape collective action across a dispersed population. On the structure end, the introduction of new media may provide opportunities not directly associate with collective action, but which alter the leverage and/or autonomy of subgroups” (Danaher &
Over the past few years, the issue of the legalization of marijuana has become a very controversial topic. When confronted with the issue, it feels almost instinctive to feel as though marijuana should forever be illegal. However, when the issue is really dissected and thought about, it becomes apparent that ther
The role of how marijuana is used in the United States is being reexamined, rethought, and recalibrated, Barcott emphasize throughout his book. The new adjustment in America's relationship with cannabis cannot be measured in just monetary or social terms, “there are more profound movements going ahead here; social realignments, social alterations, and budgetary modifications” Barcott believes. Barcott show marijuana came to be one of the most vilified drugs in the market ever since the war on drugs was announced in the 1980s. However, the author shows how those who were against that movement are now cheerful that the way of that line of thinking is finally coming to a close. “Weed the
Marijuana has been one of the hot topics in America and is yet to still be looked down upon by the media and government. One example of this is a poster for a 1942 movie called “Devil’s Harvest”. It’s a tale that has been highly fictionalized and exaggerated on the use of marijuana and justice taken to stop the spread of marijuana around the nation. In other words, an investigator goes on a hunt to take down marijuana dealers. Though marijuana is looked down upon and is also illegal in many states, it is in some ways still a beneficial medicinal substance in ways such as reducing nausea during chemotherapy. But the nation or, more specifically, the government, does notice a lot of recreational use by mostly teens and higher ages who get arrested on average of 800,000 people every year. This poster not only advertises to the audience about the movie but also gives the evil eye on marijuana in society. It could be portrayed as a warning to marijuana users and to others to keep an eye out for the “devil’s harvest.”
Lately it seems that drug policy and the war on drugs has been in the headlines quite a lot. It is becoming increasingly apparent that the policies that the United States government takes against illegal drugs are coming into question. The mainstream media is catching on to the message of organizations and individuals who have long been considered liberal "Counter Culture" supporters. The marijuana question seems to be the most prevalent and pressed of the drugs and issues that are currently being addressed. The messages of these organizations and individuals include everything from legalization of marijuana for medical purposes, to full-unrestricted legalization of the drug. Of course, the status quo of vote seeking politicians and
ABSTRACT Social movements are continuously engaged in the act of framing. Whether it is to present their message in a positive light or to cast their opponent’s arguments in a negative light, SMs find it necessary to engage in a public contest over how they are perceived.
At some point in the not-too-distant future, America will confront the question of whether or not to legalize the use and cultivation of marijuana. A recent poll shows that support for legalization has reached its highest level since the question was first asked thirty years ago, with 34 percent supporting a liberalization of policy. Among political elites there is a growing consensus that the harsh penalties imposed on those who grow, use, and sell marijuana are disproportionate to its harmful effects. Even among conservatives, opinion seems to be shifting. Whether the change should be welcomed is another matter.
The General perspective that society throws on marijuana is that equal to any drug; negative. However, many researchers have found that the effects of marijuana for medicinal purposes can be beneficial to the right patients, as well as the United States government. The negative effects from marijuana use in a medicinal environment are far less than that of most over the counter drugs, while the benefits remain the same. There are instances in which marijuana was legalized for people with prescriptions from licensed doctors; however, full legalization is leaps and bounds away from the current status. Another way full legalization could help is money the government uses to try and fight marijuana
Legalization of marijuana has been an extremely controversial topic in the united states, as well as many other countries, for years. There is evidence that marijuana has been consumed since around 2700 B.C. It often served as a substitute for alcohol in the middle east, as the Quran banned followers of Islam from drinking alcohol. Marijuana was first introduced to America in 1545 by the Spanish. The colony of Jamestown used hemp, a variety of marijuana, as a means of creating paper, clothes, and many fibrous materials, creating a fair amount of jobs and income. The production of cotton took over as a cheaper and faster means of making those goods, replacing marijuana. Marijuana was then mostly used for recreational use, sparking clubs called “tea pads” to pop up. The increase in popularity of reefer in the 1920s is often argued to be the spark that birthed jazz music. In the 1930s, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Narcotics (now the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs) intended to give marijuana a bad reputation, stating that it is highly addictive, and would lead users into doing other narcotics. It was made illegal in the 1930s to give the alcohol market much more room to grow. Marijuana is now considered a schedule 1 substance, meaning it is very easy to abuse and has no medical value, despite the evidence that it has many potential uses in medicine. It is considered as dangerous as heroin, despite
Throughout this paper details dealing with the topic of marijuana and its legalization will be explained by using journal articles and information gathered from my local Lincoln Parish library. These details include the explanation of what marijuana is, the views on marijuana’s legalization regulations among citizens in states across the United States, and the government’s outlook on the use of the drug. Also, personal opinions of a few of my peers will be provided through brief interviews. By completing this research paper, I plan to discover how far marijuana legalization within America has come and the steps being taken to either fully legalized or illegalize marijuana in the future.
Support for legitimizing Marijuana is not new. In any case, demographic changes may support improving marijuana laws. With it’s across the board use among undergrads starting in the 1960's, cannabis is no more a medication connected with edges of society. Today, the National Association for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), the most noticeable association campaigning for its authorization, asserts that about 100 million Americans have utilized marijuana. A World Health Organization study reports that more than 40 percent of Americans have attempted it. Defenders of authorizing marijuana can indicate the present lip service among legislators: potentially three Presidents, a Supreme Court Justice, California's Governor, and various conspicuous
Over the past 46 years there has been an increased in the number of people who are in favor of legalizing marijuana. In a survey conducted in 1969, “12 percent of Americans thought marijuana used should be legal” (Jones 1). Nothing really change in the 1970’s and 1990’s, but in 2000 it “exceeded 30 percent…and was higher than 40 percent by 2013” (Jones 1). Several reasons for this dramatic increase is that more Americans are becoming aware of its medicinal use, also how the legalizing marijuana can help boost in revenue, and “newer generations of adults are more in favor of marijuana, replacing the older generation of adults who aren’t” (Jones 1).
This discussion is not new. Cannabis. Pot. Grass. Mary Jane. 420. Ganga. Herb. Joint. Blunt. Skunk. Marijuana. Weed. With over two dozen different names, call it whatever you fancy. The battle for legalization throughout the United States continues to be a controversial topic. As more states choose to legalize weed, more medical research in the United States is beginning to unfold. Although the views of marijuana as a deviant drug are changings rapidly, our medical research on marijuana is still lagging due to the lasting legacies of anti-weed drug policies and misinformation about what Cannabis does to the body. In 2013, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon and CNN’s chief medical correspondent, made a documentary entitled
Marijuana is illegal in 48 of the 50 states, but the drug will most likely be legal in the near future. The heated debate on whether the “illicit drug” should be legalized in all 50 states keeps resurfacing. The most popular recreational drug in the United States today is marijuana. The formal name for marijuana is Cannabis but it also goes by a number of other street names including bud, grass, weed, reefer, ganja, hemp, and herb. “In 2011, more than 18 million Americans aged 12 and older reported using the drug within the past month” That is a very large amount of people that have used the drug even before it was legalized in two states. The government has thrown unproven facts about the harmful effects of marijuana to the people to scare them. The United States government has stated that Cannabis does cause lung cancer and includes many carcinogens, chemicals that cause cancer. Scientists and researchers have proven the exact opposite considering the drug is now used in many cancer treatments. With this being said, marijuana is not a perfect medicine either. Some of the harmful effects include posing a major irritant to the lungs and increased chance of a heart attack. There are always alternatives to work around these harmful effects. For example, marijuana can be eaten which would cause no irritation to the lungs in any way. As far as the increase chance of heart attack goes, any exercise raises the heart rate just as marijuana does. This means that you
The United States is splitting up into two sides with the date of 4/20 coming closer with one wanting the legalization of the plant substance and the other opposing it. According to the United Nations, 158.8 million people around the world use marijuana—more than 3.8% of the planet’s population. Marijuana was legalized on the 20th of April in Colorado in 2014. It has been legalized in various other states such as: Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. The question is, is the legalization of marijuana good for the United States, and how does it affect the economy? The people that are
United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report that , in 2014 , caused by excessive drug use, the United States more than 4.7 million deaths , and the number of deaths than traffic accidents caused more than gun violence . This figure compared with 2013 growth of 14% , a record high.