Legalize it - 2016 Words

In this paper I intend to show that the motives for the criminalization of marijuana was not for the public good, but were inspired by bigotry and fear, and potentially for political and monetary gains. This paper will also show that contemporary arguments for the continued criminalization of marijuana are based on skewed studies rather than factual information and that regulation, taxation and responsible use are the solutions to satisfying the demands of both sides of the issue. Finally, this paper will examine the constitutionality of marijuana criminalization and whether it should be decriminalized on this point alone. The use of marijuana (cannabis sativa) and its industrial component, hemp is not a modern phenomenon; in fact its use†¦show more content†¦One can draw parallels between the prohibition of alcohol and the criminalization of marijuana to see the logic behind this premise. Prohibition was championed by groups such as the Anti-Saloon League who felt that alcohol was a blight on society and spoke out against its ‘evil’ effects. Prohibition was intended to curtail crime, yet crime increased in association with the manufacture, transport and sale of illegal alcohol and led to the birth of organized crime syndicates here in America. Prohibition did not thwart the public’s use of alcohol; it only managed to drive its consumers underground. These scenarios are all similar to what we see today in connection with the criminalization of marijuana. Apart from the psychotropic aspects of marijuana, there is no dispute that it has industrial uses. Hemp was being used in the manufacturing of rope well into the 20th century. A point could be made that there were political and financial benefits to banning the cultivation of hemp in order to create a demand for nylon, a new synthetic material that was being developed by DuPont, a company owned by the affluent du Pont family. Currying favor with a family such as this obviously could reap certain rewards politically and monetarily and this fact could have been yet another motivation to criminalizeShow MoreRelatedLegalize It1104 Words   |  5 PagesLegalize It In 2000, George Bierson’s â€Å"Marijuana, the Deceptive Drug†, was published by the Massachusetts News. Bierson concludes that marijuana is harmful in many ways, including brain damage, damage to the reproductive system, and weakening of the immune system. He also attempts to convince the reader that marijuana is a â€Å"gateway drug† that leads users to venture into much harder drugs. I believe that research to support anything can be found if one is looking hard enough, but that the fallacyRead More To Legalize, or Not to Legalize Gay Marriage Essay1971 Words   |  8 Pagesnegative. The same study cited by opposition also states that the economy of New York would stand to gain $210 million in the next three years if gay marriage was legalized (Peters). When New York did legalize gay marriage the economy did improve, and more money was gained. If all of America legalizes gay marriage this would cause a huge marriage boom. With this marriage boom, massive amo unts of money would pour into the economy. Countered with all the negative expenses of legalizing gay marriage,Read MoreIt Is Time to Legalize Marijana1700 Words   |  7 PagesLegalize It! Growing up, everyone is told that, â€Å"Drugs are bad for you,† time and time again. Now as a kid you don’t really understand the reasoning behind it, but you listen to your authority figure regardless. I remember being told this my entire life and even to this very day. But as I got older I realized that people would still use drugs even though it’’s illegal. I could never understand why someone would go against the law and jeopardize their life just to use drugs? The drugRead MoreLegalize Marijuana1495 Words   |  6 Pagesevidence that the legalization of marijuana will yield certain health and environmental benefits to American society. From a strictly economic perspective, a bill being considered by the Legislature of the State of California, which would legalize marijuana in that State, is expected to result in a $1 billion per year increase in tax revenue that would greatly aid California’s troubled economy. Nationwide, marijuana legalization could potentially generate annual tax revenues of $2.4 billionRead MoreLegalize Marijuana Essay1333 Words   |  6 Pagesreducing excess consumption of the drug. This is because most young people who indulge in excessive use of the drug do so as an experiment to get the good feeling of being on the other side of the law. To prevent this, it would be appropriate to legalize the use of the drug without restrictions. This would result in the moderate use if not the total abandonment of the drug when not necessary. There are numbers of instances when the drug use is fully permitted and protected by the law such as inRead MoreLegalize It Already1663 Words   |  7 PagesLife has its daily complications and we often need an escape. Some of us find relief in a nice glass of red wine and a piece of double chocolate cake. Others may find their arrival in paradise on the rim of an ice cold beer. An abundant amount of us turn to more common fixes like cigarettes or food. Then there are the ones that can’t find pleasure in common fixes, they’d rather turn to drugs for peace. Drugs like Marijuana (Cannabis) are often frowned upon because of its effect on the brain and hasRead MoreLegalize Marijuana808 Words   |  4 PagesIf Marijuana Were To Be Legal Drugs are a major influential force in our country today. The problem has gotten so out of hand that many options are being considered to control it or even solve it. Ending the drug war seems to be a bit impossible. The war on drugs seems to be accomplishing a lot but this is not true. Different options need to be considered. Legalization is an option that hasnt gotten a chance but should be given one. Although many people feel that legalizing marijuana would increaseRead MoreLegalize Steroids in Sports799 Words   |  4 PagesLegalize Steroids In Sports Ben Johnson was one of the first superstar athletes to be caught using steroids and was stripped of his 100m gold medal at the 1988 Olympics. He was eventually banned for life in 1993 for testing positive again (Richardson 2010). Performance enhancing drugs have become widely used since the 1970’s and have only increased in the numbers of athletes using the drugs to up their endurance and perform to their greatest potential. Professionals such as Barry Bonds, JoseRead MoreIs It Time For Legalize Prostitution?1429 Words   |  6 PagesMckenzi Baker Individual and Society II Dr. Hawkins Policy Paper Is it Time to Legalize Prostitution? Research says†¦ One policy issue at the forefront of many discussions is the decision of whether to make prostitution legal. This issue was sparked by a draft from Amnesty International in 2015 proposing to decriminalize â€Å"all aspects of sex work†. There is a myriad of things to evaluate in this argument, including motives, ethics, economy and the list goes on. People prioritize those things differentlyRead MoreEssay about Legalize It!828 Words   |  4 Pages Legalize It! nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Many feel today we are loosing the war on drugs. When a battle goes to the point where there is no winner there needs to be a re-evaluation of how to solve the problem. In the case of the war against drugs, years of fighting have caused increased crime, overcrowding of prisons and the wasted use of money and resources with no results. It is now time to look at alternative methods to solving the nations drug problem. I will be looking at one of these