...Drug Legalization Drug legalization is an increasingly common topic that’s debated frequently. Drug legalization is not considered a glamorous topic by any means and in fact many prefer to sweep the protruding issues of drug legislation under the rug. In the United States alone since the beginning of the war on drugs in 1972 they’ve increased spending 17,000% from $101,000,000 to $17,400,000,000 in 1999.(McNamara, J. D. (1999)). While many might think that greatly increased spending most have major positive impacts on drug use it’s in fact quite the contrary. Overdoses on heroin have skyrocketed from 2,000 in 2004 to 10,000 in 2014 (Overdose Death Rates((2015). )). Additionally the United States currently has close to 25% of the world's...
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...recent legalization of marijuana in some states will there be a widespread across the united states? While Federal and State Laws may prohibit Marijuana use, many states are Considering legalization and some have already done so with both medicinal and recreational, its Likely of a widespread across the United States. Federal government has set regulations that are developed, these regulations are followed by what is called the Controlled Substance Act (CSA), which does not recognize the difference in the use between recreational and medicinal use. (Americans For Safe Access, 2014) According to Americans for safe access(2014) The Controlled Substance Act has classified Marijuana as a schedule one drug, its a controlled substance that is treated as any other drugs such as heroin, or cocaine. Along with the CSA, there is the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), According to Dea.gov (n.d.) The Drug Enforcement Administration has a mission to “is to enforce the controlled substances laws and regulations of the United States and bring to the criminal and civil justice system of the United States " Marijuana is illegal, and use is prohibited through federal laws, but many state laws have legalized the use for recreational and medicinal. State laws vary state to state. There are so many different laws on marijuana use, whether it be for recreational or medicinal. Many people feel that the laws on marijuana have to do with whether the state considering legalization is a...
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...commonly known as cannabis is considered legal, even in some states in United States. In fact, it can be noted that for many years, cannabis has been considered an illegal drug in most countries. Nevertheless, today, some countries have legalized cannabis while other countries have not. In particular, small quantities of cannabis have been allowed in regions such as Europe, North America and South America and the United States, where some states such as California, Washington and Colorado have legalized the possession and usage of marijuana for medical purposes. Federal government should legalize marijuana due to benefits toward patient health care, government tax subsidy and reduction in drug wars can strongly favorize the legalization of marijuana. Opponents of marijuana legalization, support their beliefs by using objections such as marijuana is not a proper medical treatment. They believe marijuana can be as efficient as any other painkiller or other drugs that mimic similar results. Opposers also claim that by legalizing marijuana will allow more people to abuse this drug. Primarily, cannabis should be legalized since it is used for medical purpose. Marijuana can offer individuals a higher standard of living. For example, Sativex is a recent drug that contains a major active ingredient derived from cannabis and it has been discovered to cure Multiple Sclerosis (Kmietowicz 89). The drug has been used in the United Kingdom to treat MS patients, and it has been found to work...
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...War on Drugs & Marijuana legalization in California United States: Thoughts on our War on Drugs The United States has been fighting a "war on drugs" for decades, yet illegal narcotics remain a problem for the country. Unfortunately, the developed world’s criminalization of many drugs has been neither effective nor free from unintended consequences. Though we may wish to judge the war on drugs by the good intentions of those who instigate it, we must evaluate it based on the terrible outcomes that it has produced. Prohibition has not been without unplanned consequences. Indeed, much of the harm caused by drugs is precisely due to the fact that they are illegal. For typical, legal businesses, murdering your competitors is not a feasible business strategy. For businesses that exist outside of the legal system, this strategy is not only feasible, but archetypal. By making drug use illegal, we have turned otherwise law-abiding citizens into criminals. America has the highest incarceration rate in the world — nearly five times the world average — which is primarily due to harsh drug laws. According to Human Rights Watch, “More people are sent to prison in the United States for nonviolent drug offenses than for crimes of violence.” Instead of criminalizing the production and use of drugs, we should legalize and tax these activities while supporting greater prevention and treatment programs. Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron calculated that drug legalization in the United States...
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...Introduction The question of whether or not to legalize drugs in America has been a strong debate for many decades. Each year there has been a growing number of deaths because of drugs in the United States. With these numbers, there are still wide spread efforts to legalize illicit drugs around the country. This paper will research drug legalization in the United States versus other countries, the positives and negatives, and a reasoned opinion on the topic. When debating the issue of drug legalization and crime, there are questions to ask: Do drugs cause crime and do they inevitably lead to crime? If drugs are made legal, would there be less crime? If the government subsidized addicts, would they still engage in criminal conduct? What would happen if drugs were legalized (Hartnett, 2005)? States like Washington and Colorado have made Marijuana legal, all other states and countries are watching the results. They are watching what legalizing marijuana does for the economy, tax revenue, and crime reduction. There is an international impact with marijuana legalization. History behind the drug war Throughout the history of the drug war, both state and federal law enforcement agencies have cracked down on both drug abusers and drug dealers. During the late 60s, the U.S. government founded the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (BNDD). The BNDD worked a study to find a correlation between crime and heroin addiction. They found that 44 percent of...
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...| Marijuana Legalization: Why Marijuana Should be Legalized in All Fifty States English 102 Final Paper Table of Contents I. Introduction …………………………………………………………………………… 1 II. Is Marijuana a “Gateway Drug?” ……………………………………………………... 2 III. Arguments against Legalization ………………………………………………………. 3 VI. Recent Legalization Efforts …………………………………………………………… 4 V. Medicinal Uses of Marijuana …………………………………………………………. 5 VI. Economic Arguments Against Criminalization ………………………………………. 7 VII. Marijuana Cultivation and DTO ……………………………………………………... 8 VIII. From Decriminalization to Legalization …………………………………………… 8 IX. Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………… 10 Marijuana Legalization: Why Marijuana Should be Legalized in All Fifty States I. Introduction The issue of marijuana legalization in the United States is a charged one that brings forth supporters and opponents arguments alike. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Uniform Crime Reports, one marijuana-related arrest occurs every forty-two seconds in the United States. The government conducted over 1.53 million drug-related arrests in 2011, 90% for possession alone, and nearly 50% due to marijuana (FBI Uniform Crime Report). State governments are currently responding to shifts in public opinion, especially given the recent legalizations that passed in Colorado and Washington. According to Gallup Polls, more Americans supported the legalization of marijuana than not in 2011 (50% vs. 46%)...
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...Marijuana Legalization: Pros and Cons BCOM/275 October 31 2011 The debate over the legalization of marijuana is a highly talked about and popular subject. Although we have been taught that marijuana is a gateway drug to other more harmful and toxic drugs; studies have shown that legalizing marijuana could bring more good then harm. We want to believe that the outcome will be better, but will it? As much as the public would love for this drug to be legal and available for consumption many Americans believe that it should still be considered a dangerous drug. Its hard to convince the public unless you provide proof and facts but, really only the individual can make up there own opinion. Marijuana Legalization: Pros and Cons Marijuana has been around for years and is the most commonly used illicit drug. Marijuana was legal in the United States up until 1937 but was rarely enforced until the 90’s. In the 1970’s the war on drugs campaign initiated. This campaign was designed to prevent new users from using this drug. Most of the advertisements the government established were based on false facts and biased opinions to lower the drug use in America. But, is marijuana bad? Marijuana has been proven to have medical benefits and will be a great way to boost the economy. In the 70’s when the government conducted multiple tests on marijuana the assumption was that this was a harmful substance that can cause loss of brain cells, infertility, and even death...
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...Legalization of Marijuana Marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug in the United States. Despite the harsh laws against marijuana use, approximately twenty five million Americans have used the drug in the past year and more than fourteen million continue to use marijuana on a regular basis (norml.org). In turn, not only is the criminal justice system over-flooded with marijuana cases, but law enforcement is focusing valuable time on finding marijuana “criminals”. With the legalization of marijuana, the United States judicial system would be able to handle more important cases in a timely manner and law enforcement officers would be able to spend more time on more important crimes. However, the judicial system is not the only one standing to benefit from the legalization of marijuana. The United States stands to greatly benefit economically on the legalization of marijuana as well. The legalization of Marijuana would benefit our society in many ways. Being aware of all of this, I was curious to know why so many people oppose legalization of the drug. However, it was important for me to gather knowledge from credible sources. I did not want to learn the benefits of marijuana from a “stoner” blogging from his parent’s basement, nor did I want to learn about the negatives of the drug from an extremely right wing conservative who will stand against it- just to be against it. First, I went straight to George Mason University’s online library in the hopes...
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...Marijuana Legalization: The War on Drugs and Criminal Law Howard R. Burke Strayer University Abstract This research will point out that the United States’ current policy on drug prohibition, the so called “War on Drugs,” is ineffective. The current draconian prohibition policies against drug consumption may actually increase their use. As well, contrary to claims made by current drug policy supporters, increased drug enforcement can reduce public safety and compound the individual and social costs of drug use. The U.S. drug policy, born over a hundred years ago, has gone through several transformations becoming more voracious with each new invocation. The War on Drugs is an expensive and failed concept which has incorporated racism in its administration, increased crime rates, imposed harsh sentences for nonviolent offenses, facilitated police corruption and aggressively eroded civil liberties. Table of Contents INTRODUCTION Introduction to the Problem Background of the Study Statement of the Problem Purpose of the Research Research Questions Significance of the Research Assumptions and Limitations Organization of the Remainder of the Study LITERATURE REVIEW CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Marijuana Legalization: The War on Drugs and Criminal Law INTRODUCTION The United States has conducted a long experiment of drug prohibition. The prohibition of marijuana and other illicit drugs has only...
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...legalized is often heavily debated. For many years the use of marijuana was forbidden and outlawed in the United States, but in more recent years marijuana seems to be becoming accepted. Scientist has found many useful applications for marijuana. Recently, here in the United States, many states have approved legislation for marijuana for medical purposes. Most recently, two states Colorado and Washington have passed referendums that will allow people over the age of 21 recreational use of marijuana without the penalty of a criminal offense. These two states will oversee the use of marijuana for its constituents similar to how alcohol is controlled. Whereas, the government at the state level in Colorado and Washington is in favor for the legalization and passed legislation for the legalization of marijuana, the federal government has not. This causes legal, moral, and ethical issues and begs that questions; should marijuana be legalized? Pros of Legalization One benefit of the legalization of marijuana would be the ability for state and local governments to tax the legal production and sale of it. Currently, because marijuana is illegal the sale of it is not taxed so the local, state, and federal governments do not reap any of the benefits of this “$10.5 billion dollar industry” (Miron, 2005, p.4). In a report written by Jeffrey A. Miron, Miron states that “marijuana legalization would yield tax revenue of $2.4 billion annually if marijuana were taxed like all other goods and $6.2...
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...Legalization In most countries, possession and use of cannabis that is also commonly known as marijuana is considered illegal. In fact, it can be noted that for many years, cannabis has been considered to an illegal drug in most countries. Nevertheless, today, some countries have legalized cannabis while other countries have not. In particular, small quantities of cannabis have been allowed in regions such as Europe, North America and South America. Moreover, in the United States, some states such as Washington and Colorado have also legalized the possession and usage of marijuana for medical purposes. On the other hand, various penalties are imposed for use or possession of cannabis in most countries. The penalties generally range from simple to severe punishments. Possession of small quantities of marijuana is not punished the same way as possession of large quantities. In this argumentative essay, I seek to argue the reasons why cannabis should be legalized, and why it should not. Primarily, cannabis should be legalized since it is used for medication, and its legalization means better and higher quality health standards. For example, Sativex is a recent drug that has been discovered to cure Multiple Sclerosis (Kmietowicz 89). The drug has been used in the United Kingdom to treat MS patients, and it has been found to work effectively. Therefore, banning of cannabis would be a disadvantage to people who suffer from diseases that use cannabis as a major component in their medicine...
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...Sociology 397 Exam II 1. In your opinion, what is the most dangerous drug to our culture and why? All illegal drugs are dangerous to American culture in some way. Society’s view of the dangers of illegal drugs comes from a number of sources. A drug may be considered dangerous because it is physically addicting and harmful to your body. A drug may be considered dangerous because the possession and distribution of the drug generates an increase in crime. A drug may be considered dangerous because it is mentally addicting and the likelihood of an overdose is high. In my opinion, heroin is the most dangerous drug to our culture because it is one of the most physically and mentally addicting substances in our culture. Furthermore, addiction to heroin leads to heavy, compulsive use, which greatly increases the risk of overdose and death. According to our text, there is only a small number of heroin users in the United States. Most of these users are physically and psychologically addicted to the substance and use heroin on a regular basis. Our text states, “Heavy heroin users inflict a great deal of damage on the rest of society—and in turn, society inflicts a great deal of damage on them.” (p.267). Although there is only a small number of heroin users in our society, heroin use is problematic because heroin accounts for almost all drug-related overdoses, compared to drugs with more widespread use such as cocaine and marijuana. Not only is heroin dangerous because of the...
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...Why Should Drugs Be Legal? Should drugs be legalized? Drugs are resources that are capable of affecting the American economy in many ways--both positively and negatively. Drugs often have a bad name even though they help us every day in medical cases. And the drugs with the worst reputations are not the most abused drugs one may benefit from the legalization of drugs in many ways, while others would suffer greatly. Almost every person in the United States has their own opinion on drug legalization. There are many different pros and cons to the legalization of drugs. Drug legalization is also an ethical and a moral issue. Should drugs be legalized or not? While I think drugs should be legalized, many others disagree. The first major benefit that will come from the legalization of drugs will be the increase in jobs. Creation of new jobs will take place in the manufacturing industry, sales industry, and marketing industry, due to the increased demand for drugs. The manufacturing industry will experience a boost because some drugs will need to be mixed with other substances to become other drugs, such as crack cocaine. The sale industry will expand from the legalization of drugs because the drugs will not sale themselves. A new form of entrepreneurship will be available for many individuals to take part in. Marketing jobs will increase simply because every new drug product will need to be marketed. In addition, there will be a variety of legalized drugs. Higher demand...
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...Legalization of Marijuana Marijuana is the most common drug in America and all over the world. It is legalized in some countries, but most countries prohibit its use. It has proven medical abilities and was used for this purpose for a while before being federally criminalized. The United States has been debating on the legalization of marijuana with some states supporting the move and others against it. ("10 Facts About Marijuana") Despite all these debates, the legalization of marijuana is the better option of the two. Legalizing marijuana will result in medical, economic and social benefits all over America. Americans are championing for the inclusion of marijuana among other social drugs such as alcohol and tobacco. The public has had mixed opinions for a while but lately, the trend is changing and more Americans embrace marijuana. Media houses have been carrying out polls to ascertain the citizens’ readiness for its legalization. From the responses, the citizens support marijuana legalization. A recent poll shows the support has increased to fifty-five percent as opposed to forty-four percent who are against its legalization (Weiss). The people who oppose the move cite drug problems as a possible outcome in case it becomes legal. On the other hand, those who support legalization say it has medicinal significance and can be used to save lives (Weiss). They argue that alcohol and tobacco are more harmful yet accepted within the society. Everybody likes to be happy and out...
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...Jill Porter April 26, 2014 Marijuana: Should it be legalized? There is an epidemic debate of deciding if legalizing marijuana in states will benefit not only the users but the community also. Marijuana has been illegal in the United States and now slowly the states are permitting medical marijuana for purposes. There still are many that oppose this legalization and hate the thought of making this drug legal. Some feel that if marijuana is made legal it can also lead to other gate-way drugs also being legalized. While others feel that it can help others medicate themselves and also bring up the economy. Despite which side one might choose marijuana is still considered a drug that is mind altering and many want to avoid this legalization and want nothing to do with while others are all for it. Marijuana is a seed based hemp that is usually smoked but can be used in the form of oil or hash. THC is what causes the brain to alter in what is usually called a high. The National Institute of Drug Abuse states that, “Marijuana refers to the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa, which contains the psychoactive (mind-altering) chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), as well as other related compounds” (Marijuana, 2014). It seems that marijuana is used a lot by individuals in the United States for medical and recreational purposes. With today’s youth being interested in marijuana it is very important to study its long-term effects...
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