Archeologists in Taiwan uncovered clay pots from 8000 B.C. that were decorated with strands of hemp (Earleywine 4)
John). Thus, based on the Court's ruling, the federal government can prosecute anyone who possesses marijuana for medicinal purposes, even in states where such use is legal (Henderson)
Drug czar Barry McCaffrey and other federal officials oppose leniency on the question of medical marijuana stating that it "sends the wrong message" and undermines government efforts to suppress marijuana's recreational use (Zimmer). In May 2006, the Washington Post revealed: "The largest study of its kind has unexpectedly concluded that smoking marijuana, even regularly and heavily, does not lead to lung cancer" (Kaufman A03)
C., the Chinese Emperor Sheng Nun declared cannabis as a "superior herb"(Merrett)
On June 6, 2005, the United States Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision in Gonzales vs. Raich, that it is within the constitutional powers of Congress "to prohibit the local cultivation and use of marijuana in compliance with California law" (St. John)
By any measure of rational analysis marijuana can be safely used within the supervised routine of medical care" (Medical). Opponents to the legalization of medical marijuana generally refer to the fact that the FDA has approved the only psychoactive ingredient of marijuana, THC, that has been found useful for pain relief, as Marinol, in pill form through a prescription (Zimmer)
The recent trends have demonstrated crystal clearly that the tighter controls have helped in the increasing emergence of a black market and the war on drugs is not a success as it was hoped to be. Therefore, the countries that are highly affected by the drug mafia activities have concluded that as far as drug prohibition is concerned, the consequences of entire embargo is more harmful as compared to the outcomes of a program of extremely restricted accessibility (Cooper, 1993)
Why Marijuana should not be Prohibited and Made Legalized? There are a number of people that advocate the alleviation or elimination of the prohibition of marijuana use. There are some who even support the idea that sanctions against the marijuana distributors must be eased out or totally eliminated (Duke, 2013)
Moreover, unlike alcohol that offers a number of considerable benefits, marijuana consumption increases the risk of heart attack along with respiratory and brain damage. Legalizing marijuana will result in a multitude of involuntary but unsurprising consequences such as increased usage by teenagers, further practice of drug trafficking by criminal organizations, and amplification in crime rates (Stimson, 2010)
9 million could be generated in tax revenues if marijuana was taxed at a non-prohibitive rate. In Alaska, it is estimated that $25-$30 million is spent on marijuana prohibition enforcement and that $10-$12 million could be generated if Alaska taxed marijuana at a non-prohibitive rate similar to alcohol and tobacco (Bates, 2004)
In Massachusetts alone, it is estimated that $120.6 million a year would be saved that would otherwise be allocated towards marijuana prohibition enforcement (Miron
In Massachusetts alone, it is estimated that $120.6 million a year would be saved that would otherwise be allocated towards marijuana prohibition enforcement (Miron
Secondly, because the law does not differentiate between hemp and marijuana, I believe that the legalization of marijuana would provide a major industrial and agricultural opportunity for hemp farmers and manufacturers. Hemp can be used in a variety of applications from specialty pulp, composites for autos, construction and thermal insulation, and geotextiles (Small & Marcus, 2002)
America in particular is losing a great deal without allowing marijuana to be maximized to its full potential. "The marijuana plant is one of the great unused economic resources in America today," as "prior to the twentieth century, the marijuana plant was the single most important industrial, or non-food producing crop in America" (Gettman 1986)
However, someone sitting inside their own home smoking marijuana for pleasure is an important use in itself and one which should not be ignored. "Like sex, alcohol, or cigarettes, marijuana is one of life's little pleasures for some people," and although it can be a vice, the recreational uses are a definite reason for legalization (Messerli 2006)
In fact, there are many more uses for medicinal marijuana than is currently recognized. For instance, "cannabis presentations were widely used in Western medicine from 1839 to the 1940's" across a broad range of categories such as being used as a muscle relaxant, an anti-convulsant, an anti-depressant, anti-asthmatic, as an aide to fight alcoholism, and others (Mikuriya 239-241)
The recreational uses are ignored in their significance, and the legalization of marijuana would be to the delight of people throughout America. A poem by Matty Wanna suggests the recreational value of marijuana (which also boarders on a medicinal purpose): "Mind in a mess? / Suffering stress? Roll up a round one and give it a rest" (Wanna 1994)
It does not engage the law in forbidding people from making willingness and exposure of their bodies and harm from drug use more than by bungee jumping or overeating. Obesity has been a national epidemic that has killed millions of people each year even though the government does not have a right of regulating the eating habits of citizens (Ditchfield & Thomas, 2014)
Most legal prohibition does not stop the consumers from making drastic consumption of drugs without having to stop traffickers from selling and producing it. The prices of final products continue to increase abnormally and at very high values due to black market channels (Johnson, 2009)
Many nations uphold the responsibility of respecting an individual's free will and self-determination rights. Immorality was resulting from marijuana use six mostly based on individual sets of moral beliefs (Martin, Rosenthal & Carter, 2011)