The Pros And Cons Of Decriminalizing Marijuana

Words: 1790
Pages: 8
Open Document
Decriminalizing Marijuana would help the criminal justice system, public health, and socioeconomic mobility. Decriminalization is not the same as legalization, rather is reduces or abolishes criminal penalties. There are currently twelve states in the United States that have decriminalized marijuana possession and forty-seven states have made penalties for marijuana possession a less serious offense. There are currently thirteen states where medical marijuana is legal to possess, cultivate, or distribute; thirty-seven other states are debating weather or not to do this. ("Police Chief Magazine - View Article."). Some people support decriminalizing the use of marijuana exclusively for medicinal purposes, but others argue that recreational use …show more content…
The first recorded use of Marijuana was in 2737 B.C. By the eighteenth-century medical marijuana had reached America. At this time, it was prescribed for inflamed skin, incontinence, venereal disease, eased the pain of rheumatism, and was helpful against discomfort and nausea in cases of rabies, cholera and tetanus. It wasn’t until the 1914, that it was considered illegal, but even then it was still used for medical purposes. In the 1950s Congress passed the Boggs Act and the Narcotics Control Act, this law stated that those in possession of marijuana will be punnished. After this there were many different types of ban and taxes to try to get ride of the use of marijuana but were unsuccessful. (Amar, Mohamed Ben.) Throughout history marijuana and has proven to be good treatment to ease the symptoms of many diseases. Marijuana does have some side effects after use, but false to suggest that there are no occasions when it benefits a patient more than it harms them. There is 4,000 years of medical history to prove the FDA …show more content…
All of those laws are different but a citizen can be charged with any type. The punishment you will receive will differ greatly depending which state you are in and who is prosecuting you. “In Montana you can get a life sentence for a first offense for growing one marijuana plant. In New Mexico, which is not far away, you can be growing ten thousand marijuana plants for a first offense and get a punishment of no more than three years. Under federal law, you can get the death sentence for a first-time marijuana offense even if there's no violence involved. Anyone who's caught with 60,000 plants, which seems like a lot of pot, but if you're the person driving the truck for that conspiracy you may not be the kingpin can be given the death sentence under federal law.”
Show More

Related Documents: The Pros And Cons Of Decriminalizing Marijuana

The Benefits Of Marijuana

Marijuana Laws are meant to keep society safe by forcing people to be accountable for their actions. While many laws are appropriately and effectively serving their purposes, unfortunately there are some laws that are not. No single rule, regulation, or law should not be set in stone since societal values and needs can change over time. The laws that are expected to run smoothly and be effective must reflect such changes. Canada’s marijuana laws were enacted with the intentions to benefit society…

Words 1287 - Pages 6

Law essat Essay

not legalizing marijuana has been much disputed within recent years. Some argue that marijuana is not harmful to human health as alcohol, cigarette, and tobacco is and therefore there is not much of a valid reason behind marijuana being kept criminalized. However, when hearing such arguments, it is quite obvious that the bigger picture is not being considered. Legalizing marijuana would be the cause of more negative impacts on the society and economy than positive. Legalizing marijuana will not necessarily…

Words 1519 - Pages 7

Enc1101 Paper

Harris 1 Natori Harris Molinari 3 December 2014 ENC1101 Are We Not Old Enough For Medical Marijuana? Marijuana has many positive industrial and medical uses while alcohol and tobacco have negative effects, so why isn't marijuana legal ? Since pretty much the dawn of time ,tobacco and alcohol has become a common hobby for young adults with many negative results like deaths.The constant use of the substance can lead to many health problems even cancer in places the smoke or alcohol may come in contact with…

Words 1243 - Pages 5

Marijuana: Legalize or Deamonize Essay

Marijuana: Legalize or demonize? Marijuana has been a part of culture for centuries and has even been cultivated and sold by prominent members of American society. I chose the topic because of the political implications that have become an issue within the last decade and wanted to be able to make an informed decision. A more personal second reason why I chose this topic is due to personal interactions. Both I and my family have been affected by marijuana; I grew out of it and…

Words 2219 - Pages 9