Should Marijuana be Decriminalized?

The issue of legalizing marijuana, also known as Cannabis Sativa, has been controversial for a long time, and has become even more so in recent years. Cannabis Sativa is a plant that has been used for a variety of purposes by many cultures for thousands of years. Not only does the Cannabis Sativa plant produce Marijuana, it also produces Hemp. Hemp was used to make food, clothes, shoes, ropes and paper, making it a very useful cash crop. Legal up until 1937, Marijuana was used in America for recreational use, medicinal, and industrial products as well. In the 1960’s the government’s war on all drugs was created putting Marijuana in the same category as Cocaine, Heroin, and Morphine. Today Marijuana remains a

Since the first efforts to legalize marijuana in the 1960s, Americans have become progressively more accepting of requests to liberalize laws restricting possession and use of marijuana, but the shift has not been a straight line. After 11 states decriminalized marijuana possession in the 1970s, recoil led by suburban parents led too much harsher implementation of drug laws. But since California legalized medical marijuana in 1996, outlooks toward the drug have relaxed significantly.("A Brief History of Public Opinion on Marijuana Legalization.")

Marijuana has been used for a very long time throughout the country for many medical uses. Starting in the 1900’s marijuana as well as other drugs such as cocaine and opium were not considered drugs and were in fact very commonly used. Not much later in 1914 the U.S. made cocaine illegal for non-medical purposes, 56 years later in 1970 cocaine was classified as a schedule II substance. The U.S. was very strict about the cannabis laws starting around the 1980’s. Then beginning in the early 2000’s scientists started discovering the medical benefits the marijuana has on people that are sick. Marijuana was used to treat many people with cancer and also people suffering from depression. Shortly after these studies were released the argument for medical marijuana began to grow throughout the United States. The government did not want any kind of marijuana becoming legal but by being able to overrule the government laws marijuana was legalized for medical use only in California in 1996. This was a huge step in the marijuana industry and a few other states such as Colorado and Arizona had also allowed medical marijuana shortly after. There are now 21 states in the United States that have legalized medical marijuana.

Marijuana is “ the dried leaves and female flowers of the hemp plant, used in cigarette form as [a] narcotic or hallucinogen.”(“Marijuana”) In the 17th century, marijuana production was encouraged and supported by U.S. legislation. Later, “during the 19th century,[marijuana] use became a fad in France and also, to some extent, in the U.S.”(“ Marijuana Timeline”). During the 1920’s and 1930’s, the drug raised fears linked with illegal immigrants and criminal activity. (“Marijuana Timeline”). Then, during World War II, cannabis regained its popularity and support as “Hemp for Victory” (“Marijuana Timeline”). In the following years, the federal government created laws restricting the growth and use of marijuana. Specifically, drug

Marijuana has only been illegal for less than 1% of the time that it has been used and was completely legal for the first 162 years of America’s existence because it was such a common crop. It was not know for use as a recreational drug until the early 1900s. The first law in America regarding cannabis was at Jamestown Colony, Virginia in 1619. This law required all farmers to grow Indian hempseed. Shortage of hemp led to the requirement to grow hemp during the years of 1763-1767 to the extent where you could be sent to jail for not growing cannabis. The government pushed people to grow cannabis later on because it was such an essential crop during the war. At the time, hemp was accepted as legal tender in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maryland and could even be used to pay taxes. Over time, marijuana became an ingredient in many medical drugs and was sold in pharmacies. In 1906, the Pure Food and Drug Act required the labeling of cannabis in any over-the-counter drugs. This was the first time that the government had any control of drugs. In the 1920’s after the

The first recognised use of marijuana dates to 2737 B.C. where Chinese medics used this plant to treat several diseases like malaria. Marijuana first started being popular and draw worldwide attention was when the U.S. outlawed alcohol in the 1920s, many people turned to weed as a replacement for the extremely popular alcohol. Since then there has been a staggering trend in recent decades in the use of ‘pot’. Marijuana was first classified as an illigal drug in 1970 when the Controlled Substance Act (CSA) identified weed as a schedule 1 drug which is considered an illicit drug. This has caused controversy worldwide that is still ongoing today. In today's climate, one of the most controversial issues is if Cannabis should be legalized

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.)

The legalization of marijuana is a topic that has gained widespread attention. Supporters of legalization list all of the benefits that marijuana provides. Opponents list all of the health risks that are associated with its use. Marijuana is illegal on a Federal level, but many states have already completed the process of legalizing its use. Marijuana was not always illegal (PBS, 2014). It is a naturally occurring plant that has been around for thousands of years. The Cannabis plant was around even before societies developed formal legal systems. In the early days of America, the government had not yet made drugs illegal. Growing concerns about the misuse of narcotics resulted in the United States eventually making laws against the plant. It

The cannabis plant has been around for thousands of years since the 3rd millennium BCE in countries such as China and India. The plant grows in tropical and humid parts of the world and it was used as a medicine, and in some cases was turned into a holy oil. In the year 1545, the cannabis plant spread west and the Spaniards imported to Chile to use it as a fiber. In North America, cannabis was in the form of hemp and farmers grew it on plantations so that they could use it to make rope, clothing, paper, and it was also turned into oil to be used in paint. Just after the year 1900, cannabis, commonly known as marijuana, became illegal shortly after the Mexican Revolution. During the hearings, the claims stated that marijuana had the ability

Marijuana was first discovered in China around 2727 BC. People from China called marijuana Cannabis Sativa. After that it was spread from China to the Greeks, Romans and Mideast. People from northwest called the plant hemp. Hemp was used to make fibers for rope, paper and clothes (drug enforcement administration ). Marijuana was brought by Spanish people in 1545 to the Americas. It was the big commercial crop in America but was slowly replaced by cotton. In 1937 it got banned at the national level by “Marijuana Tax Act 1937.” The main reason was that the most states believed that marijuana is an addicting drug and use of marijuana lead people to harder drug like meth , heroine etc . In 1969, in a debate about marijuana legalization in the United States,

Marijuana has been used by people over many centuries for medical uses. It is a natural pain killer used today as a recreational drug by people all over the world. According to Noel Merino in, “Introduction to Gateway Drugs: Opposing Viewpoints”, “a drug is something other than food intended to affect the structure or function of the body”. Marijuana is a very controversial drug and has been outlawed in many countries for its affect on the function of the body. “Effects may involve hallucinations, impaired judgment, and mood swings.” Describes the effects of marijuana in “Marijuana” Current Issues Macmillian social science library. During the past century Marijuana has been legal, made illegal, strictly enforced, decriminalized,

To begin with, lets see the history of marijuana. In 2737 BC, it had been scripted that a Chinese emperor Shen Nung used weed to help him with his spacing out (“20 medical benefits of marijuana you probably, never knew”). Then, from the 1850’s to the 1930’s marijuana started to grow famous, as the intake became bigger overtime the Controlled Act of 1970 started (“20 medical benefits of marijuana you probably, never knew”). In 1999, a US government sponsor

Marijuana is most often see as a detrimental drug, but to a great deal of people it helps cure diseases and/or relieve the pain from them. It helps relieve stress and anxiety to people who often have anxiety attacks or problems being in a social environment. Making marijuana legal could also help our overall economy if regulated. Most people think smoking cannabis is bad for your health when that is not entirely the case. Any type of smoking is bad for your lungs, but conveniently marijuana come in many different forms including edibles, chewable and even liquid form marijuana. Marijuana is less harmful and addicting than both alcohol and cigarettes. Marijuana should be legal for those who are eligible to buy it and also to others

The use of marijuana has been around since B.C. times and was banned by the US government in Marijuana Tax Act of 1937. However, the debate over the legalization of cannabis sativa, known as marijuana, has been one of the most prominent and controversial issue in society today besides same sex marriage. Over the centuries, a shift in opinion in the favor of legalization has been seen. There are five jurisdictions in the United State that have rejected the failed prohibition of marijuana and changed their laws to legalize small amount of marijuana: Washington, Colorado, Alaska, Washington, D.C., and Oregon. Recently, Representative David Simpson (R-Longview) filled a bill to legalize marijuana in Texas. Cannabis is the largest cash crop in

Like people, marijuana has a past of its own. Back in 1970, Congress adopted the controlled substances act: this policy puts drugs in certain schedules (categories) based of its abuse and medicinal benefits. At the moment, marijuana falls under schedule 1:were drugs currently have no accepted medical use and have high potentials for abuse. This is significant because Congress and the federal government use this law to oversee medicinal and recreational marijuana: use, distribution, and growth in the present (White House). Congress isn’t the only one that uses this act, but the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) follows this policy also. The DEA sees marijuana as a dangerous substance due to its severe psychological and physical dependence (DEA). This is important because federal law bans the existence of marijuana entirely, yet some states took matters in their own hands like Colorado.