...wid out visa”, are words from a popular song by the renowned dance hall artist Adijah Palmer. This is typical of the messages that are conveyed through the lyrics of many popular Jamaican songs today, but is this the most rewarding use of marijuana? Would the development of a medical marijuana industry prove more beneficial to Jamaica? Would the decriminalization of marijuana in order for such an industry to be enacted be economically viable? Other questions to ask ourselves are, what is Decriminalization and how would decriminalization of marijuana help with enacting a medical marijuana industry? According to the Merriam-Webster decriminalization means “to remove or reduce the criminal classification or status of; especially: to repeal a strict ban on while keeping under some form of regulation”. Marijuana currently is a banned drug in Jamaica and for Jamaica to develop a medical marijuana industry which would therefore means large scale production of the drug for scientific research and medicine production. The drug would have to be legalized on a certain level to facilitate such. Note in the above definition for decriminalization it made mention of the drug being kept under some form of regulation which for this research basically means certain punitive usage of the drug would still be rendered as illegal. The scope of this research paper will cover areas such as, the economic state of the country and its ability to facilitate and withstand such an industry, the illicit use...
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...utilitarianism, Brian’s franchise is hurting no one. Which support his right to pursue a good career. Beside business would only harm himself which he chose to pursue the business in such hostile climate of the United States, where he would certainly. Marijuana dependence occurs in 9 percent of Americans who have ever used the drug, and between 33 percent and 50 percent of those who smoke it daily. Approximately 3.6 million Americans are daily or near daily users. In 20 years of marijuana dependence counseling studies at the University of Washington, those who’ve sought help averaged 10 years of daily or near daily use and had unsuccessfully tried to quit more than six times. There might be a big difference between legalization and decriminalization when it comes to the dependence issue. Surveys indicate increasingly...
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...The Decriminalization of Drugs: Costs and Benefits to Society The University of Pennsylvania Michael F. Harker March 21, 2009 Criminology 200-401 Instructor: John MacDonald Abstract History In 1973 the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was formed to control drugs in America. Cocaine became popular again towards the end of the 1970’s followed by crack in the 1980’s (DuPont, 1995, p. 463). These two drugs helped to account for a large increase in violence that was spreading like a pandemic. Today the DEA still faces large problems with crime due to drugs;however it is now in the form of organized crime. It is becoming increasingly difficult to stop shipments of drugs into and out of the U.S. as the leaders of drug cartelsare beginning to set up headquarters in foreign countries. If the U.S. does not take some action with reducing the penalty for certain drugs, then these drug lords will continue with their violent ways, and America will face even more problems with drugs than it currently does. The Problems Faced Today and Their Solutions A major concern of many proponents of decriminalization is that of the economic burden on society. Gary E. Johnson, former governor of New Mexico, stated,“legalization means we educate, regulate, tax and control the estimated four hundred billion dollar a year drug industry” (Johnson, 2001). By reducing the amount of money that is spend on the whole system for controlling drugs, the government would have more money to spend...
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...Jennifer Boyd PHY-105 Shelley Evans 05/08/2016 Should Marijuana Be Legal? Marijuana has long been labeled a Schedule I drug by the US government. A Schedule I drug, has no medical benefits, known to have high a potential for abuse, and is declared not safe even with medical supervision. How can that be you ask, when many studies have shown the benefits of the use of marijuana for certain medical conditions. It is prohibition at its finest, serves no purpose and is a violation of our rights of liberty, due to the misrepresentation of marijuana. The legalization of marijuana has many benefits with increase revenue for the state, enormous medical benefits, and a significant decrease in violent crime and gang activity. A study done in 2010, by Cato, legalizing marijuana would generate over $8 billion in federal and state revenue annually. (HuffingtonPost, 2013) The cost of keeping marijuana illegal to this day is astronomical. “In 2012, Colorado voters approved Amendment 64, which legalized marijuana for full recreational use. The state now stands to raise hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes over the next decade.” The largest boost of revenue from the sale of marijuana comes from taxes. In 2014, Colorado, had a vast number of pot tourists visit the state and bring in over $10 billion in funds, even with the increased snow activity that would normally lower their tourism. Another benefit that comes with the legalization of marijuana is the money saved from unnecessary...
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...November 9, 2013 The Decriminalization of Drugs It goes without saying that America faces a drug addiction that is beyond anything we could have ever anticipated. It is reported that an estimated 22.5 million Americans suffer from a dependency from a drug of some sort, whether it may be stimulants, depressants or hallucinogens (NIDA 2). However these victims of addiction are often demonized for their condition and are treated as criminals by the infallible U.S. Government. As a result there is a trend of 1 in every 100 adults will end up incarcerated for a drug related offense such as possession (Drug Policy Alliance 1). So instead of treating addiction itself, many politicians decide that it is necessary to place these undesirables into prison in an effort to reform their ways. This trend of mass incarceration gained momentum in the early 70’s during the Nixon Administration with his “War on Drugs”, but in reality over the past 4 decades we have only seen the increase of drug addiction, overdose and any hardly any progress as a result. So where do we go from here? Well many liberals would whole-heartedly suggest that we legalize all controlled substances for recreational use, but that is a pipe dream reserved for a utopian society in a novel. Therefore I suggest a similar yet more conservative approach to this problem: the decriminalization of drugs. Instead of legalizing, which involves taxation and regulation of controlled substances; decriminalization simply removes the association...
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...Legalizing Marijuana 1 Crystal N. Nichol Tiffany Davis March 5, 2012 Dying To Get High: Marijuana as Medicine People around the world are dying to get high, off the cannabis also known as marijuana to treat certain medical conditions, which is why marijuana is something that should be legally justified to treat specific pre existing medical conditions in all fifty states (Meltzer,2004). The controversial issue of legalizing marijuana for medical use is a worldwide concern, although thirteen states already have legalized marijuana for medical reasons. The legality of marijuana has been a hotly debated subject for decades until the government of US and many other established countries outlawed its use, smoking marijuana had been a widespread activity for thousands of years (Meltzer, 2004). Marijuana has been illegal in America since 1923. Since the authorities banned the recreational use, sale, and growth of this substance many groups have sprung up and protests have been organized to fight for the right to possess and use the plant (Meltzer, 2004). Opinions appear to be pulled in two directions: that the use of marijuana is an extreme social, moral, and health ‘danger’ that must be stamped out, or that it is an innocuous, pleasant pastime that possesses health benefits and should be legalized(Zimmer,1997). It may be some time before all the truths concerning the use of this ancient drug in our society are fully known. An understanding of the history and attitudes...
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...grown plant species. Hemp has been used for a variety of everyday purposes in Americas past including paper, clothing, food, and fuel; the economic potential for this plant type surpasses many plants which are considered staple crops today. Marijuana is America’s number one cash crop surpassing corn and other items. Its decriminalization would open new tax revenues and slash old tax budgets as funds are re appropriated to satisfy a hungry criminal justice system. There have been many non-violent convictions in the justice system that costs the country potentially hundreds of billions of dollars every year and have since the start of the war on drugs during the Reagan era. These convictions could be avoided if the government let each American decide if the production and consumption of marijuana violated their moral and ethical values as individual liberties. As Americans, we are given, at birth, unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the freedom to pursue happiness through whatever means beyond any clear and eminent harm. The combined benefits that would be experienced from legalization are obvious, evident, and too important to remain illegal; the decriminalization of marijuana is more a matter of time due to the variety and abundance of positive effects that would be caused by it. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit...
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...Legalizing Marijuana Article Rebuttal Bruce Wayne BCOM/275 October 24, 2011 Dr. Phil Jackson Legalizing Marijuana Article Rebuttal A persuasive article on legalizing marijuana was published by TIME magazine. The reasoning for legalizing marijuana was that it would generate the government an estimated 1.4 million dollars in tax money. This figure does not include additional taxation which could be applied to activities or jobs within the agricultural, marketing, and retailing sectors that would be generated if marijuana where to be legalized. Although legalization of marijuana may produce more jobs, stimulate the economy, and possibly reduce the majority of crime produced by the illegal distribution of marijuana. I still disagree with the idea and choose to rebuttal this article for the lack of reliability, validity of data used, and the faulty comparison that was displayed in this article. First off, TIME magazine is a well-known newsmagazine that has been publishing articles on politics, world issues, and business related topics since March 3, 1923 (TIME magazine, 2012). They are also partners with Cable News Network (CNN) which is a respected news source. Both of these factors are enough to convince the majority of individuals to think they are reliable sources when reading information regarding certain topics. For the most part they are, unfortunately I found a correction noted on the bottom of this article which causes me to think otherwise. The correction...
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...Learning Team B Kathy Bell Shamlin, Kenneth Fishman, Shorunda Hinton: Instructor: Ms.S BSHS / 355 September 4, 2015 Social Policy Paper War on Drugs; Take A Stand: The Case for Reforming Drug Policy: Most of us cannot imagine a place where it is legal to sell, buy, and use drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin, crystal meth, ecstasy. The mere thought of these substances being legal like tobacco and alcohol seems absurd since the War on Drugs, the prevailing approach to drug policy in the United States is in its fifth decade. Yet there are advocates, many of them well respected authorities and government officials, of drug policy reform, the decriminalization of drugs, and even legalization. Has the War on Drugs been lost? Do we need to look at drug use and addiction as a public health problem instead of a crime problem? Should we focus attention and funds on those who use drugs or fight to keep drugs from coming into the United States from other countries? “ We believe the Global War on Drugs is Now Causing More Harm Than Drug Abuse Itself.” That was the half-page headline of a two-page add in The New York Times on June 8th, of 1998. The heading was followed by a letter to the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The letter pointed out that “U.N. agencies estimate the annual revenue generated by the illegal drug industry is at $400 billion, roughly eight percent of the total...
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...With the November 2 elections right around the corner, there has been a lot of debate about the numerous propositions that are on the California ballot. One of the most controversial proposition is Prop 19; the legalization of marijuana. This is not the first time that a proposition regarding marijuana has been on the voter’s ballot. In 1996, California Proposition 215 (the Compassionate Use Act) passed, allowing the use of only medical marijuana. Proposition 19 takes marijuana legalization a step further, creating full legalization in California, and treating marijuana more like tobacco or alcohol. Proposition 19 should be passed, making it a stepping stone towards a national referendum on marijuana decriminalization and leading to a reduction the national debt. If passed, Proposition 19 will legalize the use of marijuana under California state law. It would permit local governments to regulate and tax the commercial production, distribution, and sale of marijuana. But with the legality of the buying and selling of marijuana, there would come many rules and regulations that are stated in the proposition that would adjoin to users. According to Yeson19.com, the proposition was very carefully written to protect medical user’s rights while at the same time, written to regulate the use and impose constraints on those same individuals (Control & Tax Cannabis). In addition, these laws could be viewed as fairly similar to current laws regarding the use of tobacco and alcohol. Some...
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...Some will argue “there should be a right to physician assisted suicide under United States law to enable qualified patients to avoid unnecessary suffering, to enable qualified patients to die with dignity, and to respect those patients’ right to autonomy or self-determination” (Wellman 19). PAS is a humane and compassionate act to end an individual’s suffering when there is no hope of recovery. The loss of quality of life and tolerance for pain is unique to each person, therefore they are the ones that are most qualified to know when the time has come to make the decision to end their life. On the other hand, opponents of legalizing physician assisted suicide make several different arguments against the decriminalization of physician assisted suicide. They argue that the natural sacred way of life shouldn’t give an individual the legal right to decide about death. Some people are arguing that only God can decide when the end comes, and others are arguing that even without involving religion, human life should be considered too precious and short to...
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...Jeffrey Siefker Amanda Hayes English 151 19 February 2012 Decriminalization of Prostitution The question that I am exploring is should society allow individuals sell sex for money? This question is important because taxpayer money is being spent on Vice Police Units who patrol known prostitution locations and go under cover. It’s also important because through out history social policy and public law has changed back and forth on the issue of prostitution. I am interested on this issue because recently my hometown of Ottawa, Ohio, has had a scandal involving our town mayor being arrested for solicitation of prostitution, causing the loss of his job and embarrassment for our town. My first source was a documentary series on the History channel called “Sex in the Ancient World” specifically the episode I watched was “Pompeii”. “Sex in the Ancient World” is written and directed by Kurt Sayenga. Kurt Sayenga got his start with his magazine “Greed” which covered punk rock culture and quickly rose to stardom trough his multiple documentaries and his feature films like “The Day the Earth Stood Still”. His experience shows he is a very creditable source because he has blockbuster movies and is a respected by all of the film community. In this documentary the core issue was sex in Pompeii in ancient times. Pompeii was small Roman city of 6,000 when Mount Vesuvius erupted in the year 76 AD and sealed the city in volcanic ash like a time capsule. Pompeii is the first definite proof...
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...Prostitution will occur no matter what laws the government creates in order to prevent it. In Nevada, prostitution is a large part of the state's infrastructure. Woman were originally unable to work in the mines along with their male counterparts, which was the largest source of jobs in the state at that time ("Legalizing Prostitution"). Woman in developing countries, including many Central American countries, work incomparably low-wage jobs have no other option but to prostitute themselves. The jobs that women have access to are often lower-paying, dangerous jobs that don't provide livable incomes. If those jobs are legal, why isn't prostitution? Critics of legalization and decriminalization of prostitution say that it communities lowers the quality of life in communities. Despite their testimonies, prostitution remains alive because of the money it provides for impoverished women and families. Furthermore, critics push to say that legalizing prostitution is similar to condoning it. Legalizing prostitution is not a law pushing women to solicit their bodies, it is giving them the option, and respecting their decision to have it as their...
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...Legalizing Marijuana Autumn Donton Soc 120 Tori Taylor February 17, 2013 What are the prevailing issues for and against legalization of marijuana? Just because something is “illegal” does not mean it is bad; likewise, if something is “legal” does not mean it is not bad. Unlike law, ethics tries to determine what is right and wrong regardless of any law that may, or may not, already exist relating to the issue at hand. By 1890, hemp had been replaced by cotton as a major cash crop in southern states. Some patent medicines during this era contained marijuana, but it was a small percentage compared to the number containing opium or cocaine. It was in the 1920's that marijuana began to catch on. Some historians say its emergence was brought about by Prohibition. Its recreational use was restricted to jazz musicians and people in show business. "Reefer songs" became the rage of the jazz world. Marijuana clubs, called tea pads, sprang up in every major city. These marijuana establishments were tolerated by the authorities because marijuana was not illegal and patrons showed no evidence of making a nuisance of themselves or disturbing the community. Marijuana was not considered a social threat. (http://www.narconon.org/drug-information/marijuana-history.html). The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 classified marijuana along with heroin and LSD as a Schedule I drug, i.e., having the relatively highest abuse potential and no accepted medical use. Most marijuana...
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...There is always a great debate, for many years, on if marijuana should be legalized for all purposes, to include medical and recreational. The question should lie as to what is the actual harm that comes from making the drug legal. Why not legalize the drug and place a tax, just like the tax occurred on tobacco. In the 1890’s, marijuana/hemp was replacing the cotton plantations and it was a major cash crop in the southern states. The product was being placed in some prescriptions; it was even listed on the United States Pharmacopeia from 1850 until 1942. During this time, using marijuana for recreational use was not illegal. In the 1950s it was an accessory of the beat generation; in the 1960s it was used by college students and "hippies" and became a symbol of rebellion against authority. It was being used by musicians and the people in show business. During this time clubs were opening in most major cities and these were tolerated by the community because the patrons did not disrupt after using the drug. The government has tried to use criminal penalties to prevent marijuana use for over 75 years and still to this day marijuana is now used by over 25 million people annually. Now that Colorado and Washington have legalized use and possession of marijuana and 20 states have legalized its medical uses, many people, including virtually everyone who has studied the matter, hope that other states will also legalize and ultimately force the federal government to repeal...
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