Argument Essay: The Legalization Of Marijuana
Holly Semma
Mrs. Denomme
AP Language and Composition
20 May 2011
Free Mary Jane
Our Declaration of Independence grants every citizen to the rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” A person has the right to do anything his heart desires as long as he does not threaten the rights of another individual. A person is free to smoke a cigarette and drink on celebrations. His fundamental right to indulge in pleasure by smoking and drinking is tolerated, as long as he does not threaten the rights of another individual. What makes marijuana any different? The legalization of marijuana has been a controversial topic for decades, as its popularity has increased over the years. While many people believe marijuana should remain illegal …show more content…
since it is commonly viewed as a harmful substance, research and statistics prove that marijuana has medical advantages, marijuana will stimulate economic growth, and marijuana is safer through government regulation, rather than prohibition.
Marijuana dates back further than 7000 B.C. and has been illegal for less than 1% of the time it has been used by man (“Why is Marijuana Illegal?”). Marijuana originated in central Asia and has been used as a source of fiber, cloth, paper, and medicine. Americans originally used marijuana fibers to construct ropes and sails. George Washington encouraged Americans to “make most of the hemp seed, and sow it everywhere.” (Schleichert 5, 9). Thus, the American government promoted growth of the hemp plant by enacting laws that demanded all farmers to grow it. Farmers’ failure to grow the plant resulted in imprisonment (“Why is Marijuana Illegal?”).
Although marijuana was a critical crop in early America, its value subsided over the decades. Marijuana’s value decreased in 1890 when cotton became the new cash crop in southern states (“Marijuana History”). Also, that same year, the hypodermic needle was invented, which caused a decline of doctors prescribing marijuana as a remedy. The hypodermic needle allowed morphine to be to be injected into the body, which provided more consistent pain relief than marijuana. In 1941, marijuana was removed from United States drug directories. Henry J. Anslinger, head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, convinced the American public of marijuana being an addictive substance and the reason behind violent crimes and insanity. (Schleichert 13, 16). Anslinger targeted African Americans, Mexicans, and musicians as he states:
There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz, and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers, and any others.” (“Why is Marijuana Illegal?”)
Misconceptions about marijuana and prejudice against certain ethnic groups caused its prohibition in the 1930s (Schleichert 16).A notorious misconception is marijuana having no medicinal value.
Marijuana has been used since the 1800s, as a remedy to many ailments including migraine headaches, epilepsy, insomnia, chronic bronchitis, and gonorrhea. People opposed to marijuana legalization note that it is classified as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and LSD, by the Drug Enforcement Administration. A Schedule I drug indicates that the users are at high risk for abuse and the drug has no medical value. Cocaine and morphine are highly addictive drugs, yet they are classified as Schedule II drugs. Schedule II drugs indicate that the users are at high risk for abuse, but the drugs are medically beneficial and can be prescribed (Schleichert 9, 55). Marijuana was classified as a Schedule I drug when little research was conducted on the substance. Marijuana’s properties do not compare to heroin, since it does not cause physical withdrawals. Also, there have been no deaths related to marijuana (Schleichert 50-52).Marijuana should be reclassified as a Schedule II drug because of its effectiveness as medicine. Regardless of the classification of the drug, medical marijuana is legal in fourteen states (St. Pierre 75). Medical marijuana alleviates the pains associated with schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, ADHD, AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis, and glaucoma. People with schizophrenia have a dopamine dysfunction and amphetamine-based drugs that trigger a “reward pathway,” may result in a high potential for abuse. In a clinical study, “three of the four [patients] showed significant improvement in core psychotic symptoms” (Holland 286-287). In addition, marijuana is a powerful appetite stimulant for people with AIDS and eases their common pains of severe leg cramps, nausea, and headaches. According to a Canadian AIDS survey, 90 percent used cannabis to fuel their appetite, 68.7 percent used it to relieve their pain, and 67 percent used cannabis to decrease nausea and vomiting (Ware and Lynn Belle-Isle 311-315). Furthermore, investigators at the London Institute of Neurology discovered that patients who ingest cannabis will not only reduce the pains associated with multiple sclerosis, but it may slow down the progression of the disease (Aggarwal and Carter 300). Marijuana should be legalized since the plant continues to have a future in medicine, as well as a future in our economy.
Our economy will prosper with the legalization of marijuana by profiting from tax revenue and reducing enforcements costs. Some critics argue that the marijuana tax will be too steep, much like the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937. The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 's inflation ended the production and legal sale of marijuana in the United States (Schleichert 16). Marijuana is the country’s largest cash crop with a net worth of an estimated $14 billion a year in the United States alone (Geluardi 146). If standard regulations and moderate taxes are applied to marijuana, like they are on alcohol, then tax revenues would generate $6.2 billion annually (Miron 449). Also, the production and cultivation of marijuana will provide thousands of jobs nation-wide, which may be a solution to our current recession. Furthermore, if marijuana was legalized, our nation would save billions of dollars that are spent on enforcement laws. Enforcement laws drain our government of police, courts, jails, prosecutors, and public defenders. Research shows that marijuana legalization will decrease government spending by an estimated $8 billion annually. In the United States, a person is arrested for a marijuana-related charge every thirty-eight seconds. In Michigan, fines for marijuana possession vary from $100 to $10,000,000, depending on the amount of marijuana in possession (St. Pierre 73,75, 99). Marijuana users are considered “criminals” and serve time in prison, which breaks apart their families, causes them to lose their jobs, and risks their academic scholarships. Furthermore, The United States and the black market of marijuana is “a case of cat-and-mouse in which the mouse seems to be winning.” The United States spends billions of dollars on drug trafficking, while sellers of the illegal plant make millions in profit. An estimated $300 million a year is spent on drug education, treatment, and research. An additional $1.3 billion is spent on drug trafficking (Schleichert 46).The world of black markets is created by prohibition. Legalizing marijuana will not put the black market to a complete end, but it will put the majority of marijuana drug dealers out of business. Therefore, the cost of legalization outweighs the cost of prohibition.
History has demonstrated how prohibition fails.
Critics may argue that prohibition protects society from marijuana’s harmful effects. On the contrary, prohibition appeals to the public as the temptation to try the "forbidden fruit." In a similar case, the prohibition of alcohol in the 1920s was a failed experiment. In the early 20s, prohibition led to a 30% decrease in alcohol consumption. Towards the end of the decade, however, a new generation disregarded the law and began to involve themselves with an underground social network of bootleggers, gangsters, and speakeasies to obtain alcohol. Since alcohol was socially accepted and difficult to regulate, the ban on alcohol was lifted in 1933 ("The United States Prohibition of Alcohol - 1920-1933"). The prohibition of alcohol is an analogy to the prohibition of marijuana. The theory behind prohibition is to reduce organized crime, improve productivity, and increase health (Miron 447). Ironically, the black market and prohibition has increased crime and corruption. Analyzed data reasons that “pot possession arrests took officers off the streets and distracted them from other crime-fighting activities,” which allows the rate of organized crime to increase (Levine 203). Advocates of prohibiting marijuana may argue that the law has been around for too long to be changed. They believe that it would be unfair to legalize marijuana, since numerous citizens have already been arrested and prosecuted for possession. This argument is an example of the logical fallacy, "argumentum ad antiquitatem", or "appeal to tradition" (Walker), because you cannot keep a law for the sake of it being kept without acknowledging the facts. For example, slavery was legal for thousands of years, but after realizing the injustice of dehumanizing African Americans because of the color of their skin, slavery was abolished. In this case, marijuana 's facts and benefits overcome the upholding traditions of
laws.
To ensure public safety, the government must regulate the distribution of legalized marijuana. Opponents argue that marijuana is dangerous since it potency has increased since the 1960s, with higher concentrations of THC and other chemicals (Rosenbaum 349). Due to the potency of marijuana, the black market of marijuana cannot always be trusted and government regulations are essential. Drug dealers may sprinkle the marijuana nugget with cocaine or lace the blunt with PCP. The consumer will experience a more euphoric experience than usual, and the addictive properties of the other intoxicants will have him begging for more. Drugs are proven to be safer in the hands of the government, rather than the black market. In January 1944 the Swiss did the unthinkable: Switzerland conducted an experiment in which addicted citizens were prescribed heroin, morphine, and injectable methadone and concluded that Switzerland saved money and despair with decreasing crime, disease, and death. The costs were returned indirectly to non-users through increased health care, justice, and law-enforcement expenditures. Modeling a marijuana experiment after Switzerland could save this country billions of dollars (Nadelmann 89). The government should invest its revenue on the public education of marijuana, as they do with sex education. They should further educate young adults of the pros and cons of marijuana, so the decision is ultimately in their hands. If they choose to smoke marijuana, safety precautions, such as vaporizers, will be available; just as if a person makes the decision to have sex, condoms and birth control are available.
A proposal to control the purity and restrictions of marijuana is the Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010. If the proposal is approved, similar restrictions applied to cigarettes and alcohol will apply to marijuana. Citizens across the nation will have safe access to marijuana at a reasonable price. The proposal suggests twenty-one as the minimum age to possess up to one ounce of cannabis. Permitted stores will grow marijuana in a twenty-five-square foot area and will be able to sell a person up to one ounce of marijuana. Smoking marijuana in public will be prohibited, since the smoke fumes can intoxicate others. A minor in possession (MIP) will be issued to any minor held accountable for the possession of marijuana. Driving under the influence of marijuana impairs judgment and will not be tolerated. If the legalization took place, no multi-million advertising companies or celebrity endorsements will promote the propaganda of marijuana on billboards, as seen with tobacco and alcohol (Geluardi 132-150). The opposition argues that legalized marijuana will cause a rise in the number of users among adolescents, despite the government controls. Amsterdam, Netherlands is infamous for its legalization of prostitution and "soft drugs," which include marijuana. According to a 2001 Dutch study, 17 percent of children at least twelve years of age have tried marijuana. In contrast, 40.1 of twelve-year-old children or older have experimented with the drug in the United States (Mirken 457). Amsterdam 's lower drug and crime rates are signs that legalization is effective.
The intent of laws is to protect us. One may infer from the data that our current marijuana laws have caused more harm than good. Despite the viewpoint of marijuana as a harmful drug, statistics and research justify marijuana as a herbal medicine, marijuana will expand our economy, and government regulations on marijuana will contribute to our safety. Marijuana has been used in history as medicine and as a source of fiber. Racism was a driving factor to its prohibition. Medical marijuana is a new turn point in medicine, with its efficiency in schizophrenia, AIDS, and multiple sclerosis. If marijuana is legalized, the economy will flourish from tax revenues and the marijuana black market will stifle. Prohibition will continue to fail, while government regulations will encourage safety. Government restrictions associated with the proposal of the Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010 will endorse public health precautions. Let freedom ring from our future marijuana farms to our neighborhoods and grant every citizen to the rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of marijuana.”
Works Cited
Aggarwal, Sunil and Carter, Gregory. “Cannabinoids and Neuroprotection.” The Pot Book. Holland 300.
Geluardi, John. Cannabiz. Sausalito: PoliPointPress, LLC, 2010. Medium.
Holland, Julie. The Pot Book. Rochester: Park Street Press, 2010. Medium.
Levine, Harry. “Arrest Statistics and Racism.” The Pot Book. Holland 203.
"Marijuana." Drug Policy Alliance. 2011. Drug Policy Alliance. Web. 4 Apr. 2011 .
“Marijuana History” Narconon International. 2010. Narconon International. Web. 10 Apr. 2011. .
Miron, Jeffery. “A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Legalizing Marijuana” The Pot Book. Holland 449
Mirken, Bruce. “The Marijuana Policy Project.” Holland 457.
Nadelmann, Ethan. “Switzerland’s Heroin Experiment.” The Practical Stylist. Baker, Sheridan. New York: Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers Inc., 1998. 86-90. Medium.
Rosenbaum, Marsha. “What to Tell the Children.” The Pot Book. Holland 349.
Schleichert, Elizabeth. Marijuana. Springfield: Enslow Publishers, Inc., 1996. Medium.
St. Pierre, Allen. “Cannabis Laws in the United States.” The Pot Book. Holland 73,75, 99.
"The United States Prohibition of Alcohol - 1920-1933" About.com. 2011. About.com. Web. 8 Apr. 2011 .
Ware, Mark and Belle-Isle, Lynne. “Cannabis and HIV/AIDS.” The Pot Book. Holland 311-315.
Walker, Jim. “List of Common Fallacies” NoBeliefs.com. 01 Dec. 2009. Medium. 25 Apr.2011.
"Why is Marijuana Illegal?" DrugWarRant.com. 2011. Drug WarRant. 5 Apr. 2011 .
Mrs. Denomme
AP Language and Composition
20 May 2011
Free Mary Jane
Our Declaration of Independence grants every citizen to the rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” A person has the right to do anything his heart desires as long as he does not threaten the rights of another individual. A person is free to smoke a cigarette and drink on celebrations. His fundamental right to indulge in pleasure by smoking and drinking is tolerated, as long as he does not threaten the rights of another individual. What makes marijuana any different? The legalization of marijuana has been a controversial topic for decades, as its popularity has increased over the years. While many people believe marijuana should remain illegal …show more content…
since it is commonly viewed as a harmful substance, research and statistics prove that marijuana has medical advantages, marijuana will stimulate economic growth, and marijuana is safer through government regulation, rather than prohibition.
Marijuana dates back further than 7000 B.C. and has been illegal for less than 1% of the time it has been used by man (“Why is Marijuana Illegal?”). Marijuana originated in central Asia and has been used as a source of fiber, cloth, paper, and medicine. Americans originally used marijuana fibers to construct ropes and sails. George Washington encouraged Americans to “make most of the hemp seed, and sow it everywhere.” (Schleichert 5, 9). Thus, the American government promoted growth of the hemp plant by enacting laws that demanded all farmers to grow it. Farmers’ failure to grow the plant resulted in imprisonment (“Why is Marijuana Illegal?”).
Although marijuana was a critical crop in early America, its value subsided over the decades. Marijuana’s value decreased in 1890 when cotton became the new cash crop in southern states (“Marijuana History”). Also, that same year, the hypodermic needle was invented, which caused a decline of doctors prescribing marijuana as a remedy. The hypodermic needle allowed morphine to be to be injected into the body, which provided more consistent pain relief than marijuana. In 1941, marijuana was removed from United States drug directories. Henry J. Anslinger, head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, convinced the American public of marijuana being an addictive substance and the reason behind violent crimes and insanity. (Schleichert 13, 16). Anslinger targeted African Americans, Mexicans, and musicians as he states:
There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz, and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers, and any others.” (“Why is Marijuana Illegal?”)
Misconceptions about marijuana and prejudice against certain ethnic groups caused its prohibition in the 1930s (Schleichert 16).A notorious misconception is marijuana having no medicinal value.
Marijuana has been used since the 1800s, as a remedy to many ailments including migraine headaches, epilepsy, insomnia, chronic bronchitis, and gonorrhea. People opposed to marijuana legalization note that it is classified as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and LSD, by the Drug Enforcement Administration. A Schedule I drug indicates that the users are at high risk for abuse and the drug has no medical value. Cocaine and morphine are highly addictive drugs, yet they are classified as Schedule II drugs. Schedule II drugs indicate that the users are at high risk for abuse, but the drugs are medically beneficial and can be prescribed (Schleichert 9, 55). Marijuana was classified as a Schedule I drug when little research was conducted on the substance. Marijuana’s properties do not compare to heroin, since it does not cause physical withdrawals. Also, there have been no deaths related to marijuana (Schleichert 50-52).Marijuana should be reclassified as a Schedule II drug because of its effectiveness as medicine. Regardless of the classification of the drug, medical marijuana is legal in fourteen states (St. Pierre 75). Medical marijuana alleviates the pains associated with schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, ADHD, AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis, and glaucoma. People with schizophrenia have a dopamine dysfunction and amphetamine-based drugs that trigger a “reward pathway,” may result in a high potential for abuse. In a clinical study, “three of the four [patients] showed significant improvement in core psychotic symptoms” (Holland 286-287). In addition, marijuana is a powerful appetite stimulant for people with AIDS and eases their common pains of severe leg cramps, nausea, and headaches. According to a Canadian AIDS survey, 90 percent used cannabis to fuel their appetite, 68.7 percent used it to relieve their pain, and 67 percent used cannabis to decrease nausea and vomiting (Ware and Lynn Belle-Isle 311-315). Furthermore, investigators at the London Institute of Neurology discovered that patients who ingest cannabis will not only reduce the pains associated with multiple sclerosis, but it may slow down the progression of the disease (Aggarwal and Carter 300). Marijuana should be legalized since the plant continues to have a future in medicine, as well as a future in our economy.
Our economy will prosper with the legalization of marijuana by profiting from tax revenue and reducing enforcements costs. Some critics argue that the marijuana tax will be too steep, much like the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937. The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 's inflation ended the production and legal sale of marijuana in the United States (Schleichert 16). Marijuana is the country’s largest cash crop with a net worth of an estimated $14 billion a year in the United States alone (Geluardi 146). If standard regulations and moderate taxes are applied to marijuana, like they are on alcohol, then tax revenues would generate $6.2 billion annually (Miron 449). Also, the production and cultivation of marijuana will provide thousands of jobs nation-wide, which may be a solution to our current recession. Furthermore, if marijuana was legalized, our nation would save billions of dollars that are spent on enforcement laws. Enforcement laws drain our government of police, courts, jails, prosecutors, and public defenders. Research shows that marijuana legalization will decrease government spending by an estimated $8 billion annually. In the United States, a person is arrested for a marijuana-related charge every thirty-eight seconds. In Michigan, fines for marijuana possession vary from $100 to $10,000,000, depending on the amount of marijuana in possession (St. Pierre 73,75, 99). Marijuana users are considered “criminals” and serve time in prison, which breaks apart their families, causes them to lose their jobs, and risks their academic scholarships. Furthermore, The United States and the black market of marijuana is “a case of cat-and-mouse in which the mouse seems to be winning.” The United States spends billions of dollars on drug trafficking, while sellers of the illegal plant make millions in profit. An estimated $300 million a year is spent on drug education, treatment, and research. An additional $1.3 billion is spent on drug trafficking (Schleichert 46).The world of black markets is created by prohibition. Legalizing marijuana will not put the black market to a complete end, but it will put the majority of marijuana drug dealers out of business. Therefore, the cost of legalization outweighs the cost of prohibition.
History has demonstrated how prohibition fails.
Critics may argue that prohibition protects society from marijuana’s harmful effects. On the contrary, prohibition appeals to the public as the temptation to try the "forbidden fruit." In a similar case, the prohibition of alcohol in the 1920s was a failed experiment. In the early 20s, prohibition led to a 30% decrease in alcohol consumption. Towards the end of the decade, however, a new generation disregarded the law and began to involve themselves with an underground social network of bootleggers, gangsters, and speakeasies to obtain alcohol. Since alcohol was socially accepted and difficult to regulate, the ban on alcohol was lifted in 1933 ("The United States Prohibition of Alcohol - 1920-1933"). The prohibition of alcohol is an analogy to the prohibition of marijuana. The theory behind prohibition is to reduce organized crime, improve productivity, and increase health (Miron 447). Ironically, the black market and prohibition has increased crime and corruption. Analyzed data reasons that “pot possession arrests took officers off the streets and distracted them from other crime-fighting activities,” which allows the rate of organized crime to increase (Levine 203). Advocates of prohibiting marijuana may argue that the law has been around for too long to be changed. They believe that it would be unfair to legalize marijuana, since numerous citizens have already been arrested and prosecuted for possession. This argument is an example of the logical fallacy, "argumentum ad antiquitatem", or "appeal to tradition" (Walker), because you cannot keep a law for the sake of it being kept without acknowledging the facts. For example, slavery was legal for thousands of years, but after realizing the injustice of dehumanizing African Americans because of the color of their skin, slavery was abolished. In this case, marijuana 's facts and benefits overcome the upholding traditions of
laws.
To ensure public safety, the government must regulate the distribution of legalized marijuana. Opponents argue that marijuana is dangerous since it potency has increased since the 1960s, with higher concentrations of THC and other chemicals (Rosenbaum 349). Due to the potency of marijuana, the black market of marijuana cannot always be trusted and government regulations are essential. Drug dealers may sprinkle the marijuana nugget with cocaine or lace the blunt with PCP. The consumer will experience a more euphoric experience than usual, and the addictive properties of the other intoxicants will have him begging for more. Drugs are proven to be safer in the hands of the government, rather than the black market. In January 1944 the Swiss did the unthinkable: Switzerland conducted an experiment in which addicted citizens were prescribed heroin, morphine, and injectable methadone and concluded that Switzerland saved money and despair with decreasing crime, disease, and death. The costs were returned indirectly to non-users through increased health care, justice, and law-enforcement expenditures. Modeling a marijuana experiment after Switzerland could save this country billions of dollars (Nadelmann 89). The government should invest its revenue on the public education of marijuana, as they do with sex education. They should further educate young adults of the pros and cons of marijuana, so the decision is ultimately in their hands. If they choose to smoke marijuana, safety precautions, such as vaporizers, will be available; just as if a person makes the decision to have sex, condoms and birth control are available.
A proposal to control the purity and restrictions of marijuana is the Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010. If the proposal is approved, similar restrictions applied to cigarettes and alcohol will apply to marijuana. Citizens across the nation will have safe access to marijuana at a reasonable price. The proposal suggests twenty-one as the minimum age to possess up to one ounce of cannabis. Permitted stores will grow marijuana in a twenty-five-square foot area and will be able to sell a person up to one ounce of marijuana. Smoking marijuana in public will be prohibited, since the smoke fumes can intoxicate others. A minor in possession (MIP) will be issued to any minor held accountable for the possession of marijuana. Driving under the influence of marijuana impairs judgment and will not be tolerated. If the legalization took place, no multi-million advertising companies or celebrity endorsements will promote the propaganda of marijuana on billboards, as seen with tobacco and alcohol (Geluardi 132-150). The opposition argues that legalized marijuana will cause a rise in the number of users among adolescents, despite the government controls. Amsterdam, Netherlands is infamous for its legalization of prostitution and "soft drugs," which include marijuana. According to a 2001 Dutch study, 17 percent of children at least twelve years of age have tried marijuana. In contrast, 40.1 of twelve-year-old children or older have experimented with the drug in the United States (Mirken 457). Amsterdam 's lower drug and crime rates are signs that legalization is effective.
The intent of laws is to protect us. One may infer from the data that our current marijuana laws have caused more harm than good. Despite the viewpoint of marijuana as a harmful drug, statistics and research justify marijuana as a herbal medicine, marijuana will expand our economy, and government regulations on marijuana will contribute to our safety. Marijuana has been used in history as medicine and as a source of fiber. Racism was a driving factor to its prohibition. Medical marijuana is a new turn point in medicine, with its efficiency in schizophrenia, AIDS, and multiple sclerosis. If marijuana is legalized, the economy will flourish from tax revenues and the marijuana black market will stifle. Prohibition will continue to fail, while government regulations will encourage safety. Government restrictions associated with the proposal of the Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010 will endorse public health precautions. Let freedom ring from our future marijuana farms to our neighborhoods and grant every citizen to the rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of marijuana.”
Works Cited
Aggarwal, Sunil and Carter, Gregory. “Cannabinoids and Neuroprotection.” The Pot Book. Holland 300.
Geluardi, John. Cannabiz. Sausalito: PoliPointPress, LLC, 2010. Medium.
Holland, Julie. The Pot Book. Rochester: Park Street Press, 2010. Medium.
Levine, Harry. “Arrest Statistics and Racism.” The Pot Book. Holland 203.
"Marijuana." Drug Policy Alliance. 2011. Drug Policy Alliance. Web. 4 Apr. 2011 .
“Marijuana History” Narconon International. 2010. Narconon International. Web. 10 Apr. 2011. .
Miron, Jeffery. “A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Legalizing Marijuana” The Pot Book. Holland 449
Mirken, Bruce. “The Marijuana Policy Project.” Holland 457.
Nadelmann, Ethan. “Switzerland’s Heroin Experiment.” The Practical Stylist. Baker, Sheridan. New York: Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers Inc., 1998. 86-90. Medium.
Rosenbaum, Marsha. “What to Tell the Children.” The Pot Book. Holland 349.
Schleichert, Elizabeth. Marijuana. Springfield: Enslow Publishers, Inc., 1996. Medium.
St. Pierre, Allen. “Cannabis Laws in the United States.” The Pot Book. Holland 73,75, 99.
"The United States Prohibition of Alcohol - 1920-1933" About.com. 2011. About.com. Web. 8 Apr. 2011 .
Ware, Mark and Belle-Isle, Lynne. “Cannabis and HIV/AIDS.” The Pot Book. Holland 311-315.
Walker, Jim. “List of Common Fallacies” NoBeliefs.com. 01 Dec. 2009. Medium. 25 Apr.2011.
"Why is Marijuana Illegal?" DrugWarRant.com. 2011. Drug WarRant. 5 Apr. 2011 .