...Abstract: The prohibition of marijuana has been a heated debate for years. This paper will examine the question of whether or not it will be beneficial to the population as a whole, smokers and non-smokers to legalize marijuana. This paper will begin by giving a historical overview of marijuana and how it became illegal. Then, it will attempt to examine and illustrate the many valuable, and beneficial qualities that marijuana has. Relying on the facts found to ultimately come to a conclusion on whether or not legalization would positively effect our country. Introduction Background Information The legalizing of marijuana for both recreational and medical purposes will have significant benefits for smokers and non-smokers, the economy, and the population. Currently any production, sale, distribution, or consumption of the drug marijuana is illegal in forty-eight states in the nation. Legalizing marijuana in this situation would mean executing the same or similar laws as are imposed on to alcohol. “On November 6, 2012, Colorado and Washington became the first states to legalize the sale and possession of cannabis for recreational use since the Marijuana Tax act of 1937 when they passed Colorado Amendment 64 and Washington Initiative 502” (Szalavitz). The few states that have legalized marijuana are instituting practices to integrate the substance into society. To continue, consumption of marijuana would be illegal as well as the purchase of the substance by minors...
Words: 3369 - Pages: 14
...JADM 100 Introduction to Criminal Justice Midterm Exam Answers Follow Link Below To Get Tutorial https://homeworklance.com/downloads/jadm-100-introduction-to-criminal-justice-midterm-exam-answers/ JADM 100 Introduction to Criminal Justice Midterm Exam Answers (TCO 1) Which model emphasizes individual rights? (TCO 1) Who returns an indictment? (TCO 1) Jake Robinson was convicted on a burglary and a drug offense. He was given a sentence of six years in prison for both offenses. These sentences were to run concurrently. How many years would he spend in prison? (TCO 1) The ________ collects information on crimes suffered by individuals and households, whether or not those crimes were reported to law enforcement. (TCO 1) Which of the following would be included in UCR/NIBRS murder statistics? (TCO 1) A juvenile who steals a candy bar and states “No one was really hurt,” is using which neutralization technique? (TCO 1) An 18th-century approach to crime causation and criminal responsibility that grew out of the Enlightenment and that emphasized the role of free will and reasonable punishments. (TCO 2) When a police officer induces a subject to commit a crime, a defendant will probably use: (TCO 2) Bob is sitting on a park bench minding his own business when an undercover police officer comes up to Bob and talks him into buying some marijuana. Then the officer arrests Bob for possession of marijuana. Bob can claim the defense of: (TCO 2) ________ is/are a person’s reason...
Words: 7086 - Pages: 29
...Legalization of Marijuana Jimmy Martin, II Saint Leo University Author Note This paper was prepared for Drugs, Society, and Human Behavior CRM 328, taught by Dr. Pappas. Abstract With exception to the debate surrounding the Affordable Health Care Act and the attacks on the United States Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, public policy regarding legalization of recreational and medical marijuana has reached a boiling point in most state legislatures. However, possession and use of marijuana is still viewed by many as comparable to consuming an alcoholic beverage. Regardless, it (marijuana) is still classified as a Schedule I Controlled Substance by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Introduction After prohibition of alcohol was rescinded by the Twenty First Amendment, years later the focus from the United States government shifted to prohibition of drugs. But there have always been varying ulterior motives. According to Baylor University Professor of Sociology, Dr. Diana Kendall, the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 was passed solely to criminalize marijuana by taxing it; this would dissuade migrant Mexican workers who smoked marijuana to seek employment elsewhere and not take jobs from U.S. citizens as the country struggled during the Great Depression (Kendall, 2010). Last year, voters in Colorado and Washington State approved legislation that supported the commercial growth, sale, possession and use of recreational marijuana. In response, United...
Words: 1535 - Pages: 7
...production of marijuana. The government has tried to use criminal penalties to prevent marijuana use for over 75 years and yet: marijuana is now used by over 25 million people annually, cannabis is currently the largest cash crop in the United States, and marijuana is grown all over the planet. Claims that marijuana prohibition is a successful policy are ludicrous and unsupported by the facts, and the idea that marijuana will soon be eliminated from America and the rest of the world is a ridiculous fantasy. 9. Arrests for marijuana possession disproportionately affect blacks and Hispanics and reinforce the perception that law enforcement is biased and prejudiced against minorities. African-Americans account for approximately 13% of the population of the United States and about 13.5% of annual marijuana users, however, blacks also account for 26% of all marijuana arrests. Recent studies have demonstrated that blacks and Hispanics account for the majority of marijuana possession arrests in New York City, primarily for smoking marijuana in public view. Law enforcement has failed to demonstrate that marijuana laws can be enforced fairly without regard to race; far too often minorities are arrested for marijuana use while white/non-Hispanic Americans face a much lower risk of arrest. 8. A regulated, legal market in marijuana would reduce marijuana sales and use among teenagers, as well as reduce their exposure to other drugs in the illegal market. The illegality of marijuana makes...
Words: 1167 - Pages: 5
...five years in prison. The Crime Control Act of 1990 is another federal anti-drug legislation targeting drug crime and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 provided funding for rural anticrime and antidrug efforts (Pearson Edu, 2010). In 1986 legislation was passed by U.S. Congress requiring mandatory prison sentences for a variety of drug offenses. This legislation was brought about due to the death of University of Maryland basketballs star Len Bias. Maryland along with several other states quickly followed the federal level and made this part of their legislation. The federal mandatory minimums stated that “Judges no longer consider the facts of each case to determine a fair sentence” (Justice Policy Institute, 2007). The legislation also...
Words: 1316 - Pages: 6
... The u.s should legalize recreational marijuana Is marijuana safer than alcohol? Marijuana is not a lethal drug, which means it is not toxic to humans, overdoses are nearly impossible and is not as addictive as tobacco or alcohol. Legalizing marijuana would have a beneficial impact on the U.S. Marijuana has been illegal for less than 1% of the time that it’s been in use. Legalizing marijuana also would cut taxes. Also legalizing it would get rid of government waste. The U.S should legalize recreational marijuana because marijuana is too expensive for the justice system and should be taxed. In the High Times article they state that, “Law enforcement has more important responsibilities than arresting 750,000 individuals a year for marijuana possession.” Statistics do show that the people arrested for marijuana, 90% of it is just for possession. This is unfair because people are not selling it, they are not criminals, and they are just smoking it for their own use. They also state, “Marijuana arrests make Justice more expensive and less efficient in the U.S…” It is expensive because the government is spending all this money on court cases for just smoking pot and wasting jail space on basically innocent people. The High Times article also states, “Furthermore, taxation of Marijuana can provide needed generous funding of many important criminal Justice programs.” A Harvard study estimates that legalizing recreational marijuana would save the U.S 7.7 billion dollars a year...
Words: 562 - Pages: 3
...Marijuana is the most abused drug in the United States of America. People believe that by making marijuana legal it can reduce crime and costs of using law enforcement, but the reality is that making marijuana legal can affect many Americans. The cost will just be unbearable due to many addictions, overdose, and juveniles/adults committing delinquency acts because they are under the influence of drugs. Addiction will be the major cause of the United States spending money on overdosed people being admitted to the hospital. Many will not be able to afford visits to the hospital because of their addiction they have nothing left. Car accidents will be immense because being under the influence of any substance can and will impair driving. The cost of making marijuana legal would be ten times more than what the United States is spending on keeping it illegal. Drugs are stimulants that affect the body in many ways. There are many drugs that are legal and many that are illegal. Drugs are used in many ways doctors use it to help people. Then there’s abuse of drugs and addiction of getting drugs illegally to stimulate the body. Marijuana an illegal drug that stimulates the body. Has been the center of attention for a few years now because some Americans believe marijuana should be legal. They believe it can reduce crime and that it can save Americans money as well as making money by selling the illegal drug legally to Americans. Marijuana is the most commonly abused illegal...
Words: 1169 - Pages: 5
...Marijuana Prohibition Marijuana prohibition in America has become a much heated debate over the past decade or so which has launched countless campaigns both for and against legalizing the plant for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately, excessive propaganda has been used to distort the facts and prevent education on the matter. It may surprise you to know that 100 years ago this was not even an issue. Most people in America simply assume that marijuana was criminalized due to the result of scientific research which determined that it fell into the category of a dangerous drug. This is completely false and the history of marijuana’s criminalization is filled with fear and corrupt legislation. The laws that were created as a result were made for the wrong reasons using false evidence. Despite what the opposition says, legalizing marijuana is beneficial to everyone for several reasons: it is a healthier alternative to pharmaceutical drugs, it will free the court system and jails from unnecessary time and expenses, and it will create a substantial source of revenue for the country. For nearly a century, health care personnel and government officials have stressed the potentially dangerous side effects of marijuana usage. Currently marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States. (NIDA, 2010) Marijuana is the dried flowers that come from the hemp plant Cannabis Sativa. The main active chemical in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol which...
Words: 2431 - Pages: 10
...Marijuana Should NOT Be Legal in America All Americans have their ideas on legalizing marijuana, yet they need to make sure they have done substantial research using past experiences the American people have already experienced from using this drug; also they need to take a good look into what the actual outcomes are of smoking marijuana, before making a final decision on whether or not to legalize marijuana for medical purposes or any other reason. Americans will look at health and social issues as well as review money matters concerning legalizing marijuana and realize it is not right for the United States . First, Americans should know what marijuana actually is before they would even consider legalizing it. Marijuana, also known as pot, is a dried out weed that mixes the leaves, stems and even the flower of the cannabis, or the hemp plant and taken into the human body. It can be taken in by either smoking it or it taking it in with food. The main ingredient in marijuana is THC, which is short for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (National Institute on Drug Abuse). THC is the most psychoactive compound found in marijuana (Taylor). “Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug” (Wilbur, J). The ingredients in this plant are very dangerous and unhealthy for the human body. Now that Americans know what marijuana is, and some of the ingredients in it, they should consider the negative effect that marijuanahas in the health of the human body and...
Words: 1997 - Pages: 8
...over-crowding of our penal institutions, the diversion of our tax dollars from more productive areas, the corruption of our law enforcement agencies, and directly and indirectly the erosion of our civil rights? Since I am confining this paper to discussing the laws prohibiting marijuana use, I will concede that it fits the first two categories above; i.e. it is by law, illicit, and by its nature, mood-altering. With the third category we enter upon shaky ground. There is no scientific proof that the prolonged use of marijuana exacts a greater physical toll on the user than the equivalent abuse of nicotine or alcohol. Under the name Extract of Cannabis, marijuana was once widely used medicinally in the United States, and still has minor medicinal uses in other countries. There is only one species - Cannabis Sativa - which yields both a potent drug and a strong fiber long used in the manufacture of fine linen as well as canvas and rope. The seeds are valued as birdseed and the oil, which resembles linseed oil, is valuable because paints made with it dry quickly. A Chinese treatise on pharmacology alleges to date from 2737 B.C. contains what is usually cited as the first reference to marijuana. Through out the history of man in just about every culture the mention of this substance is found used both as a fiber...
Words: 6205 - Pages: 25
...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 those entering the jail system in Washington, D.C. have used heroin (Innabi, 2014). The next year the Controlled Substance Act was passed by Congress to give schedules to regulate drugs by medicinal value and potential to be addictive. This started the War on Drugs with President Nixon. The criminal justice systems are spending huge amounts of $56 billion each year on working to contain...
Words: 1283 - Pages: 6
...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...
Words: 1634 - Pages: 7
...CJS 200 Entire Course For more course tutorials visit www.tutorialrank.com CJS 200 Week 1 Checkpoint Criminal Acts and Choice Theories Response CJS 200 Week 1 DQ 1 and DQ 2 CJS 200 Week 2 Checkpoint Crime Reporting and Rates Response CJS 200 Week 2 Assignment Criminal Justice System Paper CJS 200 Week 2 DQ 1 and DQ 2 CJS 200 Week 3 DQs CJS 200 Week 4 Checkpoint Police and Law Enforcement Response CJS 200 Week 4 Assignment Law Enforcement Today Paper CJS 200 Week 4 DQs CJS 200 Week 5 Checkpoint Historical Development Response CJS 200 Week 6 Checkpoint Courtroom Players Response CJS 200 Week 6 DQs CJS 200 Week 6 Assignment Sentencing Paper CJS 200 Week 7 Checkpoint Jails and Prisons Response CJS 200 Week 7 DQs CJS 200 Week 8 Checkpoint Violent Behavior Response CJS 200 Week 8 Assignment Parole and Truth-in-Sentencing Paper CJS 200 Week 8 DQs CJS 200 Week 9 Capstone Analysis CJS 200 Week 9 DQs CJS 200 Week 9 Final Juvenile Crime Paper ------------------------------------------------------------ CJS 200 Week 1 Checkpoint Criminal Acts and Choice Theories Response For more course tutorials visit www.tutorialrank.com Write a 200- to 300-word response in which you describe choice theories and how they relate to crime. Describe the common models for society to determine which acts are considered criminal. Explain how choice theories of crime affect society. Post your response as an attachment. Click the Assignment Files tab to submit your assignment...
Words: 624 - Pages: 3
...Criminal Justice System The definition of crime can be a conduct in violation of the criminal laws of the state, the federal government, or a local jurisdiction, for which there is no legally acceptable justification or excuse. A type of crime can differ in each state and will not always be persecuted the same way. Marijuana is an example, because in most states it is a crime to smoke marijuana, it is legal in some other states. The criminal justice system has three components, police, courts, and corrections. Each three of them have to work together to ensure the system is performed correctly and fairly. The police enforce the law, investigate crimes and apprehend the offenders. In the counts the jury and judge determinate if the defended is either guilty or innocent. If defended is found guilty, he or she may be incarcerated in correction facilities. These corrections not only help to protect the community from criminals but also rehabilitate criminals. * The criminal justice goals are deterrence, incapacitation, retribution, rehabilitation and restoration. Deterrence seeks to prevent criminal events by creating fear in criminals’ minds through punishments. Incapacitation is to take the offender’s ability to commit a crime; incarceration is one way of incapacitation. When a criminal is punished or pays victim compensation is called retribution. We normally believe that justice prevails only when an offender is punished. Rehabilitation is an important goal in the criminal...
Words: 656 - Pages: 3
...Policing Functions Policing Functions Policing functions are learning from experience, these functions follow current policing functions as well as those from the past. Policing functions at any level, whether it is local, state, or federal can be difficult at times because each level was made by someone or a few individuals carrying out their own ideas and responding to the circumstances that were present at that time. The way the police agencies are functioning now still needs improvement, but it has improved from the way they were functioning in the past. “Law enforcement in the United States is a large and extremely complex enterprise. There are almost 18,000 federal, state, and local agencies, along with a private security industry that employs over a million additional people” (Walker & Katz, 2008). Policing agencies implement many functions in order to protect society. Law enforcement agencies are responsible for maintaining the peace, preventing crime, and to provide the public with a service. These agencies are split up into local, state, and federal levels. These levels can work together, but they mainly work independently from the each other. Even though they may work together, each level has its very own set of responsibilities, techniques, and guidelines. Before society can understand how policing function has changed, society needs to understand what policing function means and how police functions came about. Police functions were identified by Goldstein...
Words: 1373 - Pages: 6
