Cannabis, also known as Marijuana, has been used by humans throughout history for medical, recreational, as well as spiritual purposes. Its fiber, oil, and seed are also refined into products such as hemp oil, wax, rope, cloth, and paper (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 2013, para. 1). With 56% voters overwhelming supported for medical cannabis, California became the first state in the United States to pass Prop 215 in 1996 ensuring the patients and their primary caregivers to “have the right to obtain and use marijuana for medical purpose” (California Department of Public Health, 2013, Text of Law section, para. 1). Right after the U.S. Department of Justice announced in March 2009 that it would no longer prosecute marijuana patients and providers whose actions are consistent with state medical marijuana laws (Meyer & Glover, 2009, para. 1), political windows suddenly opened for California marijuana reform advocates to push for legalizing the recreational use of marijuana. As a result, California Proposition 19, the Regulate, Control & Tax Cannabis Act, became a ballot initiative on November 2, 2010 statewide ballot. Supporters argued that legalizing creational use of marijuana would help California to regulate the use and sale of marijuana, reduce correctional costs, redirect its court and law enforcement resources to other more serious crimes, and collect additional exercise taxes and sales taxes that would help with California’s budget shortfall. In spite of being a
The purpose of the following paper is to explain California’s Proposition 21. This writer will explain the pros and cons about this proposition; as well as what voters voted for when they chose “yes” for this proposition. Research will be done in order to explain what the reasoning for Proposition 21, and the changes that occurred when it enacted in the State of California. The following information will be provided as well; prosecution of juveniles in adult court, juvenile incarceration and detention, changes in juvenile probation, juvenile record confidentiality and criminal history, gang provisions, and serious and violent felony offenses. In addition, the following paper will also explain the impact under this proposition
On November 8th 2016, Arizonans will exercise their right to vote for or against Proposition 205, the Regulation and Taxation Act, that could legalize the recreational use of marijuana in Arizona. Currently, in Arizona, marijuana has only been legalized for medicinal purposes and participants must be registered and carry a medical marijuana identification card. Similarly to when Colorado, Washington and Oregon all proposed the same measures to legalize the recreational use of marijuana over the last four years, there is strong opposition as well as solid support of the amendment in Arizona. In spite of the rhetoric from the opposition, the passing of proposition 205 will prove to be far more beneficial than risky as it will generate revenue
Since 1996, the state of California, and by default, the city of Desert Hot Springs, have allowed the use of medical marijuana. Under proposition 215, any individual with a prescription could legally possess and use cannabis. And this was the case until recently, when a chain of events led to the legalization of consumption for non-medical reasons in California. Proposition 64 legalizes the private use of marijuana as of January 1st, 2018. However, this decision appears to have been made prematurely as the effects of such an abrupt decision are beginning to manifest themselves. Aside from the palpable consequences of marijuana consumption, including sluggishness and impaired judgement, there are far more serious unintended consequences impacting
This article introduces the benefits of marijuana that it has to the states that have legalized it. This article explains how self-funding a product like marijuana can relieve other issues within the state. John Hudak wrote this article for a western law review. He has also written for CNN as well. He is a fellow at the Center for Effective Public Management, Managing Editor, FixGov Blog, and The Brookings Institution. Prior to joining Brookings, John served as the program director and as a graduate fellow at the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions. He holds a B.A. in political science and economics from the University of Connecticut Andan M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from Vanderbilt University. The credibility comes from
A controversial topic often being advocated for by sitting governors is whether the legalization of marijuana is more beneficial or harmful to the economy. Marijuana, also known as weed, is a mixture of the dried and shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the cannabis sativa plant. It’s the most widely used illegal drug in the United States, even though studies have shown results that the benefits of using marijuana for medicinal or recreational reasons far outweigh the negative matters that may be associated with its use. While marijuana is still a controlled substance under federal law, thirteen U.S. states currently have compassionate use laws in place, which allow for regulated medical marijuana use. By legalizing marijuana, the government is helping the economy by reaping medical and financial benefits, not only at the state level, but also at the federal level. Taking into account the numerous studies done with marijuana on whether it is for recreational use or medical purposes, the government cannot go wrong in legalizing marijuana because of such an impact it will have. Marijuana should be legalized for recreational purposes because it will help society economically and socially.
Legalization of medical marijuana is a disputed issue in the United States. In 1996, California was the first state to pass the Compassionate Use Act allowing for the legal use of medicinal marijuana (Freisthler, Kepple, Sims, & Martin, 2013). Subsequently, this lead to the enactment of similar laws from 25 states allowing those with medical illnesses and chronic pain to use medicinal marijuana. The efficacy of the Compassionate Use Act can be determined via data analysis of pain management and other nontraditional benefits before and after 1996. Each state can be categorized as either fully functional, meaning medical marijuana laws are enacted, non-functional, not yet operational or in process, and cannabidiol specific.
The topic of legalizing recreational marijuana in the United States has been a very controversial one. States such as Colorado and Washington have gone on the offensive and have legalized recreational marijuana and have enjoyed the high revenues brought in from cannabis sale. On the other hand other states have kept low profiles because they are wary of the possible negative outcomes of legalizing recreational marijuana and are using the states of Colorado and Washington as guinea pigs to see what their next course of action on this controversial topic should be. This is not only a highly debated topic among politicians, but also by the people. According to a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center 52% of Americans
D) Political: On November 6th, 1996, Proposition 215 (Compassionate Use Act of 1996) took effect as California Health and Safety Code 11362.5 making it legal for Californian patients and/or their designated primary caregivers to possess and cultivate medical cannabis for personal medical use. This law was passed the day earlier by the
Marijuana can be used by the public for many purposes. Medicine is an important part of our lives and marijuana has been tested to cure cancerous cells as well as help people with their epilepsy. Using marijuana for medical purposes is one major aspect that people should take into consideration for legalizing it. Marijuana’s market has also been brought to many people’s attention because it has been poised to grow faster than smart phones. Together, these reasons have been more than enough for people to consider legalizing marijuana.
In the preceding years, when ferocious battles were waged over the wisdom of legalization, both in direct conversations and of course, on the internet, marijuana proponents made boasts about what a major positive impact on government budgets making pot legal would have. To people familiar with economics, basic math and tax policy, these arguments seemed very weak, and that is exactly what they have been proven to be in the first years of Colorado’s new drug era.
The fight to legalize marijuana has been waged for decades and it’s about time that we find a resolution. I’m not a supporter of marijuana, I detest the culture associated with the drug and have no interest in consumption of the drug. But the effects of enforcing laws outlawing marijuana have done more harm than good in the US. The United States imprisons too many minorities due to minor drug infractions, the costs of enforcing these laws are too high, and the government is missing out on tax opportunities due to the current drug laws.
In the United States institutionalized prohibition-based cannabis policies defy widely accepted societal values, delegitimizing the state's authority of law, neglecting its responsibility to respect individual free will and ultimately, the right of self-determination. These unjustified policies take a heavy financial and social toll on society, forcing law enforcement to spend time and money to arrest a majority of non-violent, low level-offenders. In addition, marijuana policies and enforcement have been seen as inherently biased and discriminatory. Not only that, but the medical applications of cannabis are increasingly becoming recognized and accepted as a standard in terms of treating diseases and relieving physical or mental ailments. Furthermore, statistics have shown that legalization leads to a decreased use of marijuana among teens and minors. Dollar wise, cannabis
In our society, especially in recent times, the topic of interest for many is the highly stigmatized drug marijuana. Marijuana is currently under national debate on whether it should be legalized on a federal level. A myriad of news and media outlets report that marijuana is legal in multiple states for numerous reasons, but the federal government still fails to legalize it as of now. To provide insight, marijuana also referred to as cannabis, is derived from the leaves and flowers of the hemp plant and can be used in many ways—smoking, edibles (food or drink), vaporizing, tinctures, ingestible oils, topical lotions or balms, and dabbing (delivers a higher THC in the form of hash oil, wax, or shatter). THC and CBD are called cannabinoids, which are the major chemicals in marijuana that assist the user for medical purposes or recreationally. As stated by Americans for Safe Access (ASA), “The federal government claims that marijuana is not medicine and in Gonzales v. Raich (2005) the United States Supreme Court held that the federal government has the constitutional authority to prohibit marijuana for all purposes… States have recognized marijuana’s medical value” (Americans for Safe Access). Furthermore, marijuana is used recreationally and medicinally in some states and the District of Columbia under state specific laws. Although the use of cannabis is legal in certain states, in the federal government’s eyes, marijuana use,
In 1996 the first law for legalizing weed was in effect. Proposition 215 also known as the California Compassionate Use Act. This proposition allows patients to posses and cultivate marijuana. for their medical reasons. They were allowed to do so after being recommended and approved by a California licensed
The decriminalization of marijuana has been a great issue and has contributed to the arrests of thousands. In Jon Gettman’s article, “Arrests, Usage, and Related Data,” he reports on the reasons for arrests in California. Gettman asserts that, “Marijuana arrests in California have increased from 61,375 in 2003, to 74,024 in 2007.” This suggests that law enforcement has focused on this issue immensely, and it has proven to affect many lives. It goes to show that the arrests for marijuana possession are only increasing as the years go by as well. Gettman also claims that, “Marijuana possession arrests accounted for 80% of all marijuana arrests in California during 2007”(Gettman).This suggests that so many people have a marijuana offense on their record for simply having it, and not being caught using it. If marijuana is legalized, as much as 80% of these users would no longer face arrests as possessing marijuana would no longer be a crime. In his article, “California Arrested Nearly Half a Million People for Pot over the past Decade,” Christopher Ingraham also stresses that although an effort to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana in 2011 was made, thousands are still getting arrested for it. Many are getting arrested for misdemeanors and felonies. The perfect records of many are being destroyed