Marijuana Legalization Research Paper

Words: 2753
Pages: 12
Open Document
Should Marijuana be legalized in the U.S.? Grass, skunk, kush, mary jane, chronic: just a few of the slang terms for Marijuana. Marijuana (of Indian origin) is the brown, green and gray assimilation of dried leaves, seeds, and stems. This plant is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States of America, and the third most used recreational drug behind only tobacco and alcohol. It has been used by nearly 100 million Americans. According to government surveys, some 25 million Americans have smoked marijuana in the past year, and more than 14 million do so regularly despite harsh laws against its use (“Medical Marijuana”).
The drug comes from the Hemp plant (Cannabis Sativa), which contains hundreds of compounds, the main …show more content…
(Eldridge 23). The 1970’s saw stricter enforcement in regards to Marijuana. Nixon personally disliked all illegal drugs, and convinced Americans that if more arrests were made on drug related charges the crime rates would go down. Cannabis became a Schedule I drug according to the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, which classified cannabis as having high potential for abuse, no medical use, and not safe to use under medical supervision (“Medical Marijuana”). The 1980's saw the rise of the Reagan administration, which made some of the most restricting policies about marijuana use. These policies are still very relevant to current times. In 1986, Reagan's then-drug advisor, Carlton Turner, gave an interview with Newsweek magazine about marijuana use in the United States. He said that he visited a rehabilitation center and that 40% of marijuana users participated in gay homosexual activities (Berger 56). The cover of Newsweek that week read "REAGAN AIDE: POT CAN MAKE YOU GAY." Next, George Bush Sr.’s and his running mate, Dan Quayle, wanted to “set out to destroy" the country's narcotics empire and to ensure that marijuana would not be legal while they were in office. (Cong. Quarterly) However, in 1977, Quayle was documented talking about how supported the decriminalization of Marijuana, and that he thinks the country should focus more on burglars and rapists (Helmke 128). Bill Clinton kept a pretty harsh policy on marijuana. He launched a new
Show More

Related Documents: Marijuana Legalization Research Paper

Legalization Of Marijuana Research Paper

Contested Issues of the US Economy Professor Peter Simon January 28, 2013 Legalization of Marijuana Marijuana is a very controversial issue that is often debated on in the United States and there are several implications of legalization of marijuana. One of the main implications of legalization of marijuana is the idea of taxation. If the federal and state governments legalize the distribution of marijuana, they can tax it both at the state and federal levels. Additionally, if they can…

Words 491 - Pages 2

Legalization Of Marijuana Research Paper

Ryan Glover 9-9-12 PHI-105 Dr. Larson Legalization of Marijuana From the past to the present the government and society has given such a negative view on marijuana it left no room for the positives. Tobacco and other chemicals in cigarettes are widely used and welcomed more than the use of marijuana and yet people and the people around them die every day and are linked to several medical conditions. Alcohol has been linked to anger and aggression, many…

Words 831 - Pages 4

Pro Marijuana Legalization Research Paper

really understand the reasoning behind it, but even though marijuana may only be fully legalized in a few states, it is still all around us; legally or not. People all around the world wonder why it’s not legal everywhere. Why is it that this drug has become illegal all over the world? Marijuana in the United States of America has been fought about since the drug and its effects were first discovered thousands of years ago. Marijuana has been verified in many forms and proven to deliver very positive…

Words 1599 - Pages 7

Essay about Marijuana Legalization

Should Marijuana Be Legalized Should Marijuana Be Legalized There are many pros and cons concerning the argument of the legalization of Marijuana. By far, the two biggest pro arguments are the medical benefits along with the tax revenue that legalization could bring. As for the cons, one can argue about the potential increase in crime and the potential spike in dependency issues with other drugs. Other…

Words 423 - Pages 2

Essay on Legalizing Marijuana in the U.S.

Running head: LEGALIZATION OF Legalization of Marijuana: A hot topic Tonie J. Moutra GEN 499 Dr. Curt Sobolewski November 26, 2012 The legalization of marijuana for recreational usage could may be a new trend in America but the Federal government will likely oppose usage through the end of time. The Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) stance is that marijuana is an illegal drug and that using this drug whether for medicinal or recreational purposes is illegal…

Words 1340 - Pages 6

Persuasive Essay On Legalizing Marijuana

traditional parents with even more traditional values, I viewed recreational marijuana use as the wrongest of wrongs and set out to disprove any arguments for the legalization of marijuana in my debate essay. Not too long into my research did I realize that I could not write that paper, so here I am three years later writing a paper arguing, not against, but for the legalization of marijuana. The thing is, the benefits of marijuana far outweigh any negative side effects, and its being illegal is an example…

Words 507 - Pages 3

Essay Legalization of Marijuana

head: Legalization of Marijuana Legalization of Marijuana: For the Betterment of Society Janice Duncan SOC 120 David Strand November 27, 2012 Legalization of Marijuana: For the Betterment of Society The purpose of this paper is to use utilitarianism to show that the Legalization of Marijuana is indeed for the betterment of society. We will also contrast this view from the perspective of emotivism. Legalization of marijuana has…

Words 3105 - Pages 13

Legalization of Marijuana Essay

Legalization of Marijuana The debate over the legalization of Marijuana is a growing concern in the U.S. today. Many people have different views on the subject: some consider it the devil’s weed and others consider it a harmless alternative to over-the-counter medication. Marijuana has been documented in the U.S. since the early 1600’s when domestic production of Hemp was actually encouraged; it wasn’t until the early 1900’s that Mexican Immigrants flooded into the U.S. and introduced recreational…

Words 935 - Pages 4

Philosophy Analytical Paper

Analytical Paper November 7, 2014 Legalization Versus The Illegalization of Marijuana Marijuana is also called cannabis, which is a plant an herb that contains psychotropic ingredients that is mostly used as a drug. This drug and herb has been used medically for centuries all over the world. The usage is for medical purposes and treatments for diseases and symptoms of illnesses. Marijuana is a substance that can be viewed as both beneficial and harmful. It is debatable to legalize marijuana in developed…

Words 570 - Pages 3

Persuasive Essay On Legalizing Marijuana

Marijuana is still illegal in a lot of states in the United States. Marijuana is being used for medical reasons in some states. Whether its legal or illegal it always has been widely used within teens and adults for quite some time now. It is still taboo topic of conversation because people around you might judge you because of the use of the illegal drug. A lot of new professional jobs opportunities are dependent on the drug tests these days. Everyday use of marijuana is very common in the United…

Words 1206 - Pages 5