Legalized Marijuana Essay, Research Paper

Marijuana Controversy:

America is the land of the free and the foundation of democracy. This states foundation is based on the fact that an person can bask freedom from subjugation and the minority & # 8217 ; s sentiments can be heard along with the bulk & # 8217 ; s. Our authorities is designed to be just and unfastened minded, to be a retainer to the people it governs. Unfortunately once an sentiment is placed into the corporate head of society, it is a battle to change that sentiment through statement and information.

The sentiment in our state on the topic of marihuana usage has ever been a sensitive issue, unfastened to debate and triping many controversial inquiries and moral issues. The same inquiries come up clip and clip once more when the argument starts. What are the effects on marihuana on the organic structure? Does marijuana make a desire to seek more powerful substances? Is the opposition society topographic points on the usage of marihuana bing the taxpayers more than it is deserving? What is the concluding behind our determination to by and large see marihuana as a bad substance worthy of opposition? And even though most hesitate to acknowledge it isn & # 8217 ; t marijuana already a portion of our civilization and a major factor in the individuality of multiple coevalss of Americans?

So many inquiries surround the issue, probably they will non travel off in the close

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hereafter. Marijuana is non a menace to our society, other than sentiments that have been generalized into our cultural beliefs of right and incorrect, we have much more productive ways to pass our revenue enhancement dollars. Marijuana has ne’er been proven to hold any long term medical effects that are damaging. Cigarettes, intoxicant, and assorted apothecary’s shop stimulations should be of more concern than marihuana. The sentiments that have been formed about marihuanas are based on racialist beliefs and besides circumstantial minutes in history. Supporters of the legalisation of marihuanas have valid statements and can non be ignored everlastingly. These people are going a strong voice in our society and can non be ignored. We have facilitated this with our blood and difficult work in the creative activity and defending of our fundamental law.

The first issue to be confronted is that of the effects of marihuana on the organic structure. The physiological effects of marihuana on the organic structure are non really strong. It would really take 20,000 to 40,000 times the normal dosage to kill a human being. There is no documented instance of a decease caused by marihuana overdose. The lone noticeable consequence on the organic structure is the little addition in bosom round, depending on the dose sum. The addition in blood force per unit area besides normally creates bloodshot eyes. The oral cavity tends to dry out and the user has an impulse to imbibe H2O. All of the other effects that could be related to marihuanas usage are inconsistent so can non be straight linked to the substance ( Model 15 ) .

Many people would reason stating that marihuana has long term long term effects on the organic structure and marijuana consequence a individuals ability to drive doing him a danger to others? These statements can be addressed with information from cultural anthropologist Charles Levinthol as referenced in Michael Massing & # 8217 ; s article in & # 8220 ; The Nation. & # 8221 ; There is

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no grounds that marihuana is habit organizing or that users suffer from backdown symptoms. Long term users do non endure from increased bosom diseases or any other seeable marks of wellness jobs. About the lone proven long term consequence is short term memory loss, and this is merely while the individual is under the influence of the substance. A perfect illustration of the long term effects of heavy marihuanas use can be seen by looking at the Rastafarians, Costa Ricans and the Greeks. These people tend to hold a more accepting attitude of marihuana usage in their day-to-day lives. When these groups were studied for inauspicious effects none could be found, other than a little lessening in pneumonic maps ( massing 6 ) . As for the effects on the driver, marihuana can in high doses cause hallucinations. This is merely in instances where doses 10 times the normal articulation is smoked. This is besides really rare and merely happens to a little per centum of people who smoke. The individual who is at the mean degree of influence is non truly unsafe to others particularly when compared to the rummy driver ( McWilliams 62 ) . Using driving as an statement against legalisation of marihuana is non concrete. If marihuana was legalized it would still be probably that it would be illegal to drive under the influence. The job is non the marihuana itself, but instead in the maltreatment of it by the user. We don & # 8217 ; t fault intoxicant when a individual uses it and decides to mistreat the Torahs refering to imbibing and drive.

Disregard on the portion of people, and over generalisations by writers and lawgivers sometimes leads to the belief that marihuana is a gateway to other harder drugs. One writer of such an article is Henry Clark. He tells us that marihuana is a certain manner to acquire interested in harder drugs. He boldly implies that marihuana increases the hazard of malignant neoplastic disease, and that it ever leads to criminal behaviour ( Henry 7 ) . This truly makes me huffy, I read

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this article and realized that he had perfectly no grounds to back up any of his claims. I am non stating that he is incorrect, but how does he come to such monumental decisions

without concrete grounds? I remember hearing that green M & A ; M & # 8217 ; s caused malignant neoplastic disease, does that intend it is true. It seems like everyone is doing a claim that one thing or another causes malignant neoplastic disease. And as for marihuana being a gateway drug there is no grounds, merely guess. How do you cognize that drug users do non merely utilize marihuanas along with their other drugs? I smoke when I drink does that intend imbibing causes smoking? I know many people who have smoked marihuanas for old ages and old ages. These people would ne’er believe about seeking a harder drug. I have yet to run into a individual who got bored with marihuana and decided to seek diacetylmorphine.

There is no concrete connexion between marihuanas and difficult drugs. We are blowing so much of our states money runing down and these atrocious pot tobacco users so we can lock them up and salvage our society from their awful ways. For illustration, Phillip Macleans makes a comparing between a state that has legal marihuanas and the U.S. Amsterdam has legal marihuanas you can purchase it in the shop and so travel fume it in the street if you want. But in the U.S. this is worth a long prison sentence. Amsterdam statistically has a lower per centum of marihuana users, a lower offense rate, and less people are addicted to hard drugs. And wear & # 8217 ; t bury about the revenue enhancement money that goes into the states economic system. The money is put into the economic system, instead than spent on imprisoning the users. The fact that marihuana has medical value should be an index that it is non a deadly substance. The encephalon even produces that specifically respond in a positive manner to THC ( the substance that gets you high in marihuana ) ( Macleans 57 ) . Many would reason

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that our state has its ain alone jurisprudence, and that we should prosecute nevertheless we see fit. My response to that is, weigh the pros and cons of marihuana and the money we pay in revenue enhancements to forestall its usage, it is non deserving it. It seems that our state has a long standing tradition of desiring to prosecute marihuana users. If we go back and follow a small spot of American history provided to us by writer Janet Monfreddi, of & # 8220 ; High Times & # 8221 ; magazine, we can get down to follow the beginnings of the present ideas and sentiments on marihuana. The first written history we have of a cannabis merchandise as a temper changing drug is in 2737 BC. This history was given in the Hagiographas of the Chinese emperor Sheng Nung. They used the substance as an assistance to speculation and besides to assist them with such medical jobs as rheumatism, urarthritis, and even absent-mindedness. They knew it had intoxicant effects but they were more concerned with the medical benefits that could be gained from its usage. The Muslims used it besides since intoxicant was purely prohibited by the Koran. The Muslims were the first to bring forth the substance known as hasheesh, the new substance rapidly gained popularity and spread throughout Persia.

In 1545 the Spanish brought marihuana to the new universe, they introduced it to Jamestown in 1611. The substance rapidly became a basis of their economic system right following to tobacco. By 1890 hemp was being replaced by the cotton works every bit far as textile utilizations.

It was around 1920 that the samarium

oking of Marijuana became progressively popular. Many believe that the popularity of the marihuana is due to the prohibition of intoxicant that was present during those times. Marijuana nines called tea tablets began looking in every

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major metropolis. These nines were left entirely by constabularies because marihuana was non illegal, and the people at the nines barely of all time caused any jobs or bothered the surrounding

community. Marijuana was non considered a menace during this clip ( Monfreddi 22 ) .

To understand how marijuana went from an acceptable societal pattern, to a national concern we need to travel back to the 1920 & # 8217 ; s and 1930 & # 8217 ; s when a big figure of Mexican immigrants began coming into the United States. They were by and large viewed with bias and hatred due to chauvinistic point of views. Many of them smoked marihuana on a regular footing. So when they would travel out and make something violent it was natural for the people to fault it on the marihuana, it was slightly of an flight caprine animal for the people, a manner to generalise all Mexicans together. And since most white Americans during this period hated the Mexican immigrants, they began to look down on marihuanas through association with the violent Mexicans. The people of the clip did non necessitate a big sum of nonsubjective informations to establish their determinations. So in a mostly undisputed ballot 32 provinces had outlawed marihuanas by 1932, by 1936 the remainder of the provinces had followed ( Zimmer 120 ) .

So why is it that in our modern society were bias is fought against so difficult that we are still cleaving to a jurisprudence that was created out of a basically prejudice position of Mexicans? It may be the simple fact that taught behaviour is so difficult to divert from. If your parents taught you when you were turning up that the Moon was made of cheese you would believe them until some kind of grounds presented itself and proved beyond a sensible uncertainty that they were non right. Merely as with faith and homosexualism, positions and sentiments are normally based on a moral standing or belief. Unlike a simple fact or

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fiction statement, this is an thought that has been presented in a moral manner. Anytime ethical motives are involved it is an acclivitous battle to alter person & # 8217 ; s positions.

Another of import inquiry that needs to be addressed in the argument of legalisation is how effectual is the current policy on marihuana? The fact that the ownership of these substances is land for apprehension and strong belief merely serves to increase the cost of the marihuana. This in bend merely makes it more profitable for the drug traders ( McWilliams 64 ) .

The more the authorities cracks down on marijuana the more unsafe and greedy the people who deal in it will go. This lone furthers the negative thoughts presently held about marihuana. As with the Mexicans the substance itself will be synonymous with the people who are involved in its illegal trafficking. It seems about pathetic to compare marihuana with some other sorts of drugs such as cocaine, cleft and diacetylmorphine. How can the authorities put the same categorization on these drugs as on marihuana? A adolescent who is smoking marihuanas at a party can have the same rough sentence as a cleft trader who runs a brothel across the street from a church. This may sound like an hyperbole but it is true.

The authorities keeps beliing itself in its Torahs besides, physicians realize the possible for first-class medical specialties derived from marihuana and THC. They handily found a manner around the job, they introduced a pill that contains concentrated sums of THC it is called marinol. This pill really contains 10 times the sum of THC that an mean articulation has. Marijuana is a category one drug, marinol was given a category three evaluation which means a prescription can be given over the phone ( O & # 8217 ; Neil F7 ) .

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This seems really hypocritical to me. Why should something that is so helpful for

hurting and besides has a recreational value be controlled entirely by the upper category. I know

precisely why, when an organisation has money it has influence. Why should the authorities lose its fastness monopoly on such a moneymaking industry? It seems to me

that they would instead maintain the power out of the custodies of the mean citizen and maintain it in the custodies of the more influential members of society who have the power to assist each other out.

One statement that could be spoken on this issue of distribution and categorization of the controlled substance would be that marihuana should be distributed merely on a needed footing by a accredited physician. Well that may be a good point, but you must besides recognize that a category three drug is something like Tylenol three with codeine. Don & # 8217 ; t bury that this is a drug that is 10 times more powerful than regular marihuanas and they are doing it that easy to acquire. You must besides look at the other side of the issue what if you could acquire put in gaol for holding one ten percent of a Tylenol pill? It may look like a brainsick comparing but it is in proper position. You can travel to imprison for holding one articulation in your ownership, spend the following 10 old ages paying for it alongside raper and liquidators. Or you can acquire a backache and travel to your physician and acquire the same thing merely 10 times stronger and be all right. This truly does withstand logical logical thinking, there is no alibi for our authorities to do contradictory Torahs like this.

The last of the major point to be debated on the legalisation of marihuana is the cultural issue. It all began around the 1960 & # 8217 ; s when the Vietnam war began to elicit the feelings of brotherhood and peace in the heads of the American people. When a big

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bulk of the younger people began to utilize marijuana to a great extent it was viewed as merely

aberrant behaviour, it was mostly ignored by the constabulary ( Zimmer 105 ) .

That was until they did the 10 twelvemonth nose count and the American people decide that they did non like the aberrant act of withstanding the jurisprudence. The fact that most of the people who were involved in the drugs and peace motions didn & # 8217 ; t do things wish fill out their nose count didn & # 8217 ; t assist either. This finally led to the crackdown on drugs. Since the people who propose the measures to congress were normally upper category older people, they had small or no tolerance for those who wished to arise against the usually expected behaviour. The fact that they started go throughing tougher Torahs on marihuana did non look to decelerate down the usage or production of the substance. In fact it became more moneymaking than of all time to sell marijuana. This in bend led to an detonation of the craving for that which was forbidden ( Zimmer 106 ) . Just like a child who eats the cookies he isn & # 8217 ; Ts supposed to touch. Not merely does this war on marihuana non work out the job, it besides takes an obscene sum of money out of the taxpayers pocket.

It can ever be argued that you don & # 8217 ; t mind seeing your revenue enhancement money spent on the prosecution of marihuana users. It is your right as an American to assist form and build the Torahs which govern us in our great state. But a individual who holds this belief is besides burying that there are many who would take the opposite place. Who think it is a waste of clip to pass money and punish people so badly that should non even be considered in the same class as other felons. There is a strong voice emerging in the crowds of the American people and it can non travel ignored for much longer. As a society we are going more and more unfastened minded about things that

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were one time considered cultural tabu. Don & # 8217 ; t bury we are populating in the same state that

one time made intoxicant illegal through prohibition, it did non work in any sense. We are going a smarter, more educated people in our century, we should be able to larn from our past errors.

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Clark, Henry. & # 8220 ; The Fallacies of Marijuana. & # 8221 ; American Family Physician 1 Dec. 1999: 5- 10

Massing, Michael. & # 8220 ; Mindlessness on Drugs. & # 8221 ; The Nation 7 Feb. 2000: 32-35

McWilliams, Peter. & # 8220 ; The Stand on Marijuana. & # 8221 ; Playboy Dec. 1999: 61,70-72

Monfreddi, Jamie. & # 8220 ; High Hemp Hopes. & # 8221 ; High Times Magazine Oct. 1998: 12-15

O & # 8217 ; Neil, John. & # 8220 ; Substance Abuse Commentary. & # 8221 ; The New York Times 28 Dec. 1999: F7 column 4

Phillips, Andrew. Populating the High Life Ontario: Hunter Publishing, 1999

Zimmer, Lynn. Marijuana Myths: Marijuana Facts London: Hartford, 1997