Should Marijuana Be Legal?

Marijuana has been a hot topic of conversation over the last few years, as some states in America have legalized it medically and recreationally. By discussing the legal aspect of marijuana, the economic benefits, medical usage and how marijuana affects the family, we can see the positive and negative impact that marijuana has on sociology.

In the essay “Marijuana Should Not Be Legalized,” there are four supporting arguments stated of opponents on legalizing marijuana. For instance, opponents argue “scientific reports show harmful effects of habitual marijuana use” (2). In addition, prominent politicians in Massachusetts contend “legalization provides a veneer of acceptance that will encourage children and teens to try it” (3). Furthermore, “legalization will give the cannabis industry the same incentive the alcohol industry has to encourage excessive use and lobby against tax and regulation” is argued by opponents (6). Lastly, the essay counters “legalization has already had negative consequences on

The flame ignites, the smoke builds, the mind relaxes. It’s a process that at one point, could have

Should marijuana be legalized? Many Americans have been asked this question or have heard some type of news about the issue. Marijuana is commonly known as cannabis which refers to the dried up hemp plant cannabis sativa, even though marijuana is a plant and has no chemical additives it has been a tropic of controversy for many years but nowadays it is in the spotlight more than ever. For centuries, marijuana has been used by people throughout the world for religious, recreational and medical use. A few countries like the Netherlands and Uruguay have already legalized marijuana for recreational use and many other countries are taking a step towards doing so. Is it finally time for the United States to take a closer look into possibly legalizing marijuana. Marijuana should be legalized for medical and recreational purposes because it would aid in the War on drugs, it would become an important source of revenue for the government and reduce overpopulation of American jails.

What is the new question on the table with politicians and law enforcement officials alike? The question is whether or not it is time to legalize, tax, and create a lucrative industry out of marijuana. For a few decades now the idea of legalizing marijuana has been met with fierce opposition and seen as being nearly impossible to accomplish. The current state of our economy and criminal corrections system have actually made the option of legalizing marijuana for financial aid as not only a viable option but a prudent one (Cohen, 2009). From a sociological standpoint it almost seems to be common sense to legalize and tax the plant. The research supporting the benefits of marijuana in the fields of finance, healthcare, economic stimulation,

They're are many people in the states that are for and against the prohibition of marijuana. The people who are for the prohibition of marijuana, they beileve that the drug causes loss of brain cells and will have the negative impact of your health. The other side of the argument is that it's not harmful as other illegal drugs and can be useful in curing or stopping fatal disease from killing you. Where I fall in this spectrum is against the prohibition of marijuana. One of the main reason I'm against the prohibition is because of the medical uses. Examples of marijuana for medical uses are to treat and prevent glaucoma, can prevent epileptic seizures, and prevent cancer from spreading to name a few. In the article "Why I changed my mind on

Marijuana use, be it for medical or recreational purposes, is quickly becoming a more socially acceptable activity within the United States. As time goes on and more is understood about the medicinal qualities of marijuana, the longstanding illegality of the substance has come into question within many states across the country. With marijuana being legalized in multiple states for medical, and sometimes even recreational purposes, the looming federal ban on the substance is at conflict with state law and is causing some problematic legal situations. For the workplace, there is little said about employee rights within state laws on marijuana. Thus, disabled employees who may legally use medical marijuana within their state could still be punished by employers who are citing federal law.

Medical marijuana is legal in more than half of the states, but is still not legal at the federal level. Marijuana is classified as a Schedule 1 substance under the Federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970 (Ingraham, 2016). This means that marijuana could potentially be abused and that it has no recognized medical purpose. Possession of marijuana is a federal crime subjecting one to fines or even prison time. However, states have still managed to legalize this drug both recreationally and medically, so there is a clear conflict between federal laws which criminalize marijuana related activities while states protect marijuana possession and use. Despite the federal law, individuals using medical marijuana are unlikely to face issues from

The proposition known as Prop 64 is the California Marijuana Legalization Initiative. This proposition was on the ballot November 8th, 2016 and supporters have also referred this initiative as the Adult Use of Marijuana Act. In which has been approved. Those who have voted yes supported legalizing marijuana usage for recreational purposes for those who are aged 21 years or older. This measure has created two taxes, one for cultivation and the other on retail prices. The money from the taxes will go to drug research, enforcements, youth programs, health and safety grants addressing marijuana, and preventing damage to the environment resulting from illegal marijuana production. Proposition 64 legalized permitting smoking marijuana in a private home, or at a business that has been licensed for on-site marijuana consumption. Although smoking while driving, in all public places, and anywhere smoking tobacco is, has remained illegal. Along with, possession on school grounds, daycare center, or youth center where children are present. For businesses to sell marijuana for recreational use, they need to have a state license and are not authorized to sell within 600 feet of a school, daycare, or youth center. In order to regulate this, the Bureau of Marijuana Control (BMC) are responsible to regulate and licensing marijuana businesses. ("California Proposition 64, Marijuana Legalization (2016) - Ballotpedia." Ballotpedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2016.)

American citizens have been hiding in the closet of “parental shame” since the beginning of cannabis prohibition. At first, moms and dads were desperate to hide their personal cannabis use out of fear of shame, incarceration, or even worse, accusations of child neglect. Public perception of the “stoner” has all but crippled the progress of those fighting the cause. We live in a society where alcohol consumption is not only accepted, but glorified. Even the morning talk show hosts on a popular national news network spend their morning sipping on wine yet the mainstream media would like us to think a parent who tokes a joint will simply “forget” their children even exist.

There are many researches educating pregnant women about the danger of cigarettes, alcohol and women are also aware of the potential negative effects of cigarettes, alcohol on fetus development. However, not many the data or research addresses specific effects of marijuana on pregnancy women because women who use marijuana also tend to smoke cigarettes and are more likely to use other drugs such as cocaine and alcohol. Thus, it is difficult to identify the precise effects of marijuana on pregnant women and fetus (Leemaqz, 2016.). Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United State (Murray & McKinney, 2014). According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 40-60% of marijuana users continue to use during pregnancy. Studies have shown that marijuana crosses the placenta producing negatively affect brain development, and significant increases the risk of pre-term birth. Proposition 64, the California Marijuana Legalization Initiative for adult use just passed after election, California is added into the list of 26 states legalizing marijuana for medical or recreational purpose which could increase the number of women using marijuana during pregnancy even higher in the future studies. Due to above evidences, doctors warn pregnant women or women planning to pregnancy or breastfeeding women should discontinue use of marijuana and should consider alternative therapy.

A special interest group that manipulates the news about crime is the pharmaceutical industry. Marijuana in the United States, with the exception of a few states, is illegal and pharmaceutical corporations want to keep it that way. They influence the news and legislators by providing information on the effects of marijuana as well as give money to other corporations to keep prohibition of marijuana around. Even though marijuana could be used for medicinal purpose, self-cultivation of marijuana pose a risk financially to pharmaceutical companies and the government. Pharmaceutical companies wouldn’t make as much money if people can grow their own marijuana and it is thought to be a drug that cannot be control through taxation which is an issue for the government. For many, marijuana is used as a pain relief mechanism and drug companies are stating that private consumption of marijuana is dangerous since a certain amount is not agreed upon for safety. Also, drug companies would lose money on other painkillers in the industry, such as ibuprofen, if people used marijuana instead.

Growing up, everybody is informed that, " to don’t do drugs," or that drugs are bad for them consistently. Usually as a child you don 't generally comprehend the “why “behind it, yet you listen to your parents. I was told this my whole life by my elders and the people around me and even right up today. Be that as it may, as time went on I noticed that people still use drugs even though it is against the lawl. I would never comprehend why somebody would be willing to break the law and endanger their life just to utilize drugs? One specific drug that am referring to is marijuana also known as marijuana or weed, and shockingly it is surrounding us. This topic is all over today 's media sources that we use every day, similar to music, films, and TV appears, I have never used the drug myself, but I had some friends who experienced with marijuana and knowing its consequences for others, I ask why it 's not legitimate. Can any anyone explain why marijuana has ended up legal almost everywhere throughout the world? I believe that marijuana in the United States of America has been battled with this drug since it first was presented. Marijuana has been verified to give an exceptionally positive effect on the American culture for some reasons. Some of these reasons are for America 's economy. . These reasons could extremely well help America flourish later on and that is the reason Marijuana ought to be legitimized in the United States of America.

I also found the video to be very informational and it gave me a great understanding of how one becomes a marijuana addict. Just as many of the interviewees said, I agree with you that I myself did not have a lot of prior information about marijuana addiction and how the people who do have it are suffering severely. This videos raised my awareness of this problem within our society. I believe having this awareness is important because we all make our own misconceptions and have preconceived notions of certain people and ideas. As you mentioned, I have known people as well who have stated, that they needed to smoke in order to “function”. I myself did not really believe that was possible from what I learned from health courses in high school and in college. I did not fully understand the dependency and how it affects one’s life until now. Again, as you mentioned, marijuana is widely known as a non-addictive substance, people do not usually take any talks of addiction seriously. In the documentary David mentioned, how it was difficult for him because he felt like he constantly had to defend the fact that he was addicted, whereas if he would have been addicted to meth or heroin, no one would question him about it (Goldenkranz, 2011).

The Jamestown Settlers where the ones who first brought the Marijuana plant over to North America in 1611. The plant is also commonly known as Hemp to people when it was first introduced. Through the Colonial period in North America hemp fiber was a very important export to this country. In 1762 Virginia would award rewards for those who would cultivate and manufacture the hemp plant. For those who would refuse to produce the hemp plant, faced consequences and penalties. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both grew the hemp on their plantation farms for recreational and medical uses (Medical Marijuana). The current drug laws are doing more harm than actual good. Decriminalizing Marijuana would have a positive effect on the country and even put a dent in drug cartels operations.