Drugs Are Bad For You

"Marijuana is the second most popular drug after alcohol in the country today. So many people smoke marijuana that the numbers alone seem to legitimize and condone its presence in people's lives. Yet, even in moderation marijuana is not 'safe.' Somehow this information had not filtered down to people who think they are smoking a fairly innocuous drug. Our society perpetuates the myths about pot being a fun, harmless, recreational drug. These myths feed into people's denial of marijuana's problems" (Baum 6). However, the abuse of marijuana is a problem. It is not only a personal problem, but also more importantly a social problem. Throughout history marijuana has been used to serve various purposes in many

Marijuana was in the United States Pharmacopeia from 1850 until 1942 and was prescribed to patients for various conditions including labor pains, nausea and rheumatism. During the 1850’s up to the 1930’s it was a very popular intoxicant. A movement conducted in the 1930’s by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Narcotics (presently the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs) fought to make marijuana appear to be an Addicting and powerful substance that would lead

During the 1920's many mexican immigrants fled to the United States for work. With them, many of them brought marijuana. The act of smoking marijuana was picked up on by many black and white jazz musicians during the 1920's and 1930's, but was not used widespread until the 1960's. During the 1930's, Louis Artmstrong was arrested in California and given a sentence of six months for possession of Marijuana [3]. In 1937, the Treasury Department established a marijuana transfer tax known as the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937, after testifying before Congress. After 1937 up until the passing of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Act of 1970, which include the Controlled Substance Act of 1970, marijuana was legally controlled through a transfer tax. [2]

On October 1, 1937, the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 was enacted and it prohibited all forms of cannabis sativa. Although the bill was targeted towards the banning of marijuana and both forms of cannabis on separate ends of the sativa spectrum, there was no specification on which form was directed for the ban. Thus both were prohibited from being grown in the United States of America. In November of 2016, marijuana officially became legal to grow in all fifty states, yet industrial hemp is still currently legal to be grown in 13 states within the USA.  Hemp is largely exported to the US from other countries. It is imperative that hemp becomes legal to be grown around the entire country, for hemp will help retain the USA’s revenue by using hemp grown in America, has can be used for many different purposes such as clothing or food for example, has the potential to reduce American citizen’s carbon footprint as a substitute for paper and gasoline, and has no major threat to the industrialization of hemp in factories.

Almost a century ago, there was a film made that is considered to be one of the worst films ever produced, Reefer Madness. Reefer Madness is a film made in the 1930’s and later resurfaced in the classrooms during the 70’s as a scare tactic to persuade teenagers into saying no to pot; the film depicts hilarious scenarios and outlandish claims that marijuana turns the users into addicts, and causes them to have horrific hallucinations. Also their addiction will in turn force them to become murderers, rapists, and thieves. While these claims are ridiculous, and have been disproved by extensive research, these same claims are still used by the people fighting the war on drugs today (Ferner). One of the main concerns about

"These new Americans brought with them their native language, culture and customs. One of these customs was the use of cannabis as a medicine and relaxant" (Burnett and Reiman). Americans always knew the plant as "cannabis" but Mexicans referred to it as "marijuana." The term "marijuana" was foreign on United States' soil therefore, it raised suspicion and fear amongst not only Texans but Americans as well. Surprisingly, the herb was never illegal during the time period of the massive immigration. However, it was originally used in Texas for medical reasons, such as arthritis but evolved into substance abuse over the next decade or so. As more immigrants came into American territory, so did marijuana. "In an effort to control and keep tabs on these new citizens, El Paso, TX borrowed a play from San Francisco’s playbook, which had outlawed opium... the idea was to have an excuse to search, detain and deport Mexican immigrants" (Burnett and Reiman). Of course, the drug got into the hands of rich white men and since America is known for their free market economy, money started to be made. This turned into the entrepreneurship we know today as drug dealing. Laws were made to help regulate and control the exchange of marijuana. It became illegal during the 1930's."Twenty-nine states carried restrictions on cannabis by 1931" (Rathge). Eventually that's how the old "Say no to drugs" campaign was

As some teenagers are pressured in to using marijuana, others are interested in experimentation. Many young people who are curious about drugs tend to try marijuana because it is viewed as the "safest" illicit drug. The popularity of the drug, talk of legalization, and media all contribute to marijuana being seen as a safe drug. Aforementioned, many young people use this highly accessible drug. People begin to think that if everyone else is doing it without harm, then they can too. It is well known that marijuana alone has never lead to death and has only been associated with fatal accidents when combined with alcohol or other drugs. These unthreatening ideas of marijuana combined with the constant debate about legalizing or decriminalizing the drug, persuade people to believe that it is safe and will not do them any harm. The most significant way this idea is developing is through the media. Although there are many anti-drug commercials and campaigns, the amount of television shows, movies and songs involving marijuana outweigh them all. In an article about marijuana in the media, Gary Oetjen, assistant Drug Enforcement Administration special agent, says that television is "glamorizing the usage of [marijuana] and these young kids believe they can get away

While marijuana was not actually outlawed until the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 it was a part of the country and society since before the arrival of its current transplanted inhabitants. Hemp is the name of a species of Cannabis that has been used throughout history for many things including rope, clothing, medicine, oils and other such novelties. Marijuana and hemp are both of the species Cannabis Sativa and occur naturally along with a score of other variations of the plant. Marijuana is simply a form of hemp that is higher in delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), marijuana’s naturally occurring psychoactive chemical. Today we hear many nicknames for marijuana including: weed, pot, budda, grass, and bud to name a few. Marijuana has long been used by the indigenous peoples of North and South America for many things, from medical to religious purposes. Of course a select few Europeans exploited narcotics and different types of marijuana. However, in Europe it was not a widespread phenomenon, and neither was it from the time of colonization or even industrialization in America. It was not until the era of the 19th amendment to the U.S. constitution, known as prohibition, that marijuana became a widely used substance in the U.S..

Marijuana has a deep history in America, being in the Americas since 1545 when the Spanish brought it over with them. Later, it was again brought over with the English colonists to Jamestown. Here it was used as a large cash crop similar to tobacco and was used as a major source of fiber. Later in the 1890s, a similar plant, hemp, became another large cash crop in the southern half of the US even replacing cotton. Around this time marijuana was also used in medications, although it was not on the scale of cocaine and opium, being used to treat everything from labor pains to rheumatism, “any disorder of the extremities or back, characterized by pain and stiffness” (The Definition of Rheumatism). Further on, in the 1920s marijuana became increasingly more popular with jazz musicians and even special cafes/clubs opening for its use. It was not until the 1930s when a campaign conducted by the Federal Bureau of Narcotics whom labeled marijuana as the harmful “gateway drug” it is seen as today. Though

Growing up, everyone is told that, “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 drug that I am talking about is marijuana, and surprisingly it is all around us. Marijuana is even referred to in today’s media Mainstream media sources that people enjoy, like music, movies, and TV shows, do not even bother to leave the drug out of their system. Now being a young adult and having my own personal experience with the drug and knowing its effects on others, I wonder why it’s not legal. Why is it that this drug has become illegal all over the world? The debate to legalize marijuana in the United States of America has been fought over nonstop since the existence of the drug and its effects. Marijuana has been tested and proven to provide a very positive impact on the American society for many reasons. Some of these reasons are for America’s economy, health and even crime. These reasons could very well help America thrive in the future and that is why Marijuana should be legalized in the United States of America.

Even though it is illegal if the drug abusers have not been caught they will continue to use the drug and use others. Many adolescences experiment with marijuana due to curiosity and peer pressure studies have shown that the use of marijuana at a young age causes the adolescences to want to try more dangerous narcotics such as cocaine and heroin. An article titled “Evidence That Marijuana Is a Gateway to other Illicit Drug Use” by Joseph Gfoerer, Li-Tzy Wu, and Michael Penne states that, “the highest prevalence of use of heroin, cocaine, and psychotherapeutics in the lifetime was noted among those who initiated marijuana before they were 15 years old. With many young people trying strong narcotics illegally it is no surprise that other young people will also become more apt to try these heavier drugs. The article, “Marijuana is a Dangerous Drug for Teens” by Joseph Calfifano discuses why marijuana is so dangerous for teens and how the gateway effect plays part in this problem. The article states that marijuana use is a “signal of trouble”, the troubles include lack of growth, focus, and motor skills. He also brings up the gateway effect in the article the statistics he uses include, “Twelve to seventeen year olds who smoke marijuana are eighty five times more likely to use cocaine than those who would not.” These statists are very strong in

Studies show that our drug situation is a major public health and safety threat, and drug addiction is a condition that can be successfully stopped and cured. Legalizing drugs would boost their availability and normalize their use, leading to negative health results, mainly between young people. Drug legalization also weakens preventative health strategies a base in improving our overall public health in the United States. A drug like Marijuana places a strong tension on our health care system, and poses a substantial crisis to the health and safety of the consumer themselves, their families, and our communities. We all know that marijuana use, mostly long-term and chronic use that begin at a young age usually around 16-19, can lead to reliance and addiction. “In 2012, approximately 4.2 million people met the diagnostic criteria for wrong use or dependence on marijuana. Marijuana and other drugs is associated with addiction, respiratory illnesses, and cognitive impairment” (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). “Studies also show that marijuana effectiveness has nearly tripled over the past 20 years, raising deliberate concerns about ramification for public health – especially among young people, for whom long-term use of marijuana could possibly be linked with lower IQ later in life” (DAWN Report). Drug use puts a lot of emphasis on parents, Siblings, grandparents and anyone who is part of the household. There are many reasons why. You can't always count on them to do what they say they will do, they may get distracted and forget because their pivot is the idea of getting and taking drugs, they might deceit or keep money to purchase more drugs, they might get terminated from their jobs, they might not come home at night, and they may do terrible things

Before one can begin to explore why marijuana should be made legal, the factors going into the original ban on marijuana must first be known. Since the early 1900’s a great number Mexicans began to move across the border and find a new home in many of the southwestern states. Unfortunately, the American citizens at the time were not very welcoming. They viewed the massive Mexican immigration as a problem that needed to be dealt with. Unlike most Americans, many Mexicans used cannabis as a recreational drug by smoking it. American law makers used marijuana as a way to drive out the Mexican population. Even though at the time scientific research had been completed showing that the drug was not very dangerous, the government blamed the drug for all the negative qualities the American people viewed in the Mexicans. Harry Anslinger, head of the Bureau of Narcotics, began releasing waves of propaganda depicting the drug as extremely dangerous. He claimed that marijuana contributed to insanity, violence, and rebellion. Thousands of newspapers, magazines, and other sources of media depicted

Under the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, there was no chemical distinction made between the two substances. Because of this, hemp eventually became illegal when marijuana did. (Williams 4). While industrial hemp has been used for centuries to make rope, clothing, and other materials, it has never been used for smoking due to its lack of THC. Cannabis was used first in about 8000 BC for cloth and textiles, and by 2700 BC it was incorporated into most cultures for fabric, cordage, food and medicine. From 1000 BC to 1883 AD hemp was considered the world largest agricultural crop (Schreiber 159). Hemp didn't just have its roots in other cultures either; it has been used in America for a very long time. The first recorded hemp plot in North America was planted in 1606 by a French botanist named Louis Hebert (Jenkins 1). From the early 1600's to 1859 hempseed oil was the most used lamp oil in the world. In early America, most colonies enacted "must grow" laws that made it illegal for farmers not to grow hemp. The first U.S. flag was sewn with hemp fabric in 1777 (Schreiber 161). Famous people such as Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington were avid hemp farmers. George Washington was once quoted saying, "Make the most of the Indian hemp seed and sow it everywhere." Back then, hemp was recognized as a versatile crop, yet today, with other countries allowing the production of hemp, the U.S. still considers this

The second reason that the government should not legalize marijuana is that doing so will send the message that is okay to use other psychoactive drugs. Legalizing marijuana could result in advertising of this drug to adolescents. A study was conducted during 2003 showing that roughly 48 percent of twelfth graders reported using alcohol in the past thirty days and 24 percent reported smoking cigarettes in the past thirty days. Household access to illicit substances is coupled with a greater risk of marijuana use among both younger and older adolescents. This is often coupled with parental drug use which sends the message that it is okay to use psychoactive drugs (Joffe & Yancy, 2004, p. e636). The general idea is that we, as people, shouldn’t be making it easier for our children to get drugs. Thus far, it is shown that there is a struggle to educate the youth to avoid the use of psychoactive drugs. However, certain organizations, such as DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), have made solid efforts to