Marijuana Taxes
Ursula M. McIntyre
ENG 2001 01
May 15, 2012
Marijuana Legalize and Taxed
In today 's society Americans are suffering from increased destruction due to the never-ending war against drugs. Government officials make promising speeches to advocate tougher drugs laws. This war against drugs has not accomplished anything. Legalization and taxing is an option that should be considered to show how legalizing and taxing marijuana will put end to this cycle.
It is very important to understand the effect of cannabis (marijuana) and its history. Forty-three million American use drugs regularly, despite the federal government efforts to enforce the law, destroy illegal crops, seize illegal drugs, make arrests, and educate people about the harmful effect of the drugs. Many people feel that crime would be reduced if drugs were legalized. A conversation of how legalization might affect crime is followed by a look at the over-burdened criminal and judicial systems charged with enforcing the law in the face of overwhelming drug-related criminal activity. Marijuana has been used as an agent for achieving euphoria since ancient times; it was described in a Chinese medical reference traditionally considered to date from 2737 B.C. Its use spread from china to India and then to N Africa and reached Europe at least as early as A.D. 500. The first direct reference to a cannabis product as a psychoactive agent dates from 2737 B.C, in the writing of the Chinese emperor Shen Nung. The focus was on its powers as a medication for rheumatism, gout, malaria, and oddly enough, absent-mindedness. Mention was made of the intoxication properties, but the medicinal value was considered more important. (Boire, 1998, p. 105)
In other countries marijuana is being used for recreational purposes, Muslims also was using marijuana until it was banned by the Koran. (Boire, 1998, p. 24) Marijuana has been used for many centuries. 2 The earliest known documentation was
ENG 2001 01
May 15, 2012
Marijuana Legalize and Taxed
In today 's society Americans are suffering from increased destruction due to the never-ending war against drugs. Government officials make promising speeches to advocate tougher drugs laws. This war against drugs has not accomplished anything. Legalization and taxing is an option that should be considered to show how legalizing and taxing marijuana will put end to this cycle.
It is very important to understand the effect of cannabis (marijuana) and its history. Forty-three million American use drugs regularly, despite the federal government efforts to enforce the law, destroy illegal crops, seize illegal drugs, make arrests, and educate people about the harmful effect of the drugs. Many people feel that crime would be reduced if drugs were legalized. A conversation of how legalization might affect crime is followed by a look at the over-burdened criminal and judicial systems charged with enforcing the law in the face of overwhelming drug-related criminal activity. Marijuana has been used as an agent for achieving euphoria since ancient times; it was described in a Chinese medical reference traditionally considered to date from 2737 B.C. Its use spread from china to India and then to N Africa and reached Europe at least as early as A.D. 500. The first direct reference to a cannabis product as a psychoactive agent dates from 2737 B.C, in the writing of the Chinese emperor Shen Nung. The focus was on its powers as a medication for rheumatism, gout, malaria, and oddly enough, absent-mindedness. Mention was made of the intoxication properties, but the medicinal value was considered more important. (Boire, 1998, p. 105)
In other countries marijuana is being used for recreational purposes, Muslims also was using marijuana until it was banned by the Koran. (Boire, 1998, p. 24) Marijuana has been used for many centuries. 2 The earliest known documentation was
References: Abrams, D. MD (1988) Marijuana: An International Research Report, Government Publishing Service. pp. 173-82 Boire, R Erlen, J. PhD & Spillane, J. PhD Editors (2000). Federal Drug Control The Evolution of Policy and Practice Miller, C. (1996) Prop.215-Post Election Medical Information Retrieved from http://www.sonomacountryfreepress.com/scrap/scrp.html Nahas, G. MD, Editorial (1997) Marijuana Should Never Be Legalized, Revived from The Wall Street Journal, page A 1 Habib, M. Dr . Personal Interview May 11, 2012 Martin, J http://november.org/razorwire/july-aug-sept2001/page35.html “Rights, Repressions and Reform,” Drug Policy Foundation Conference, 1988:Retrieved from Terkel, S (1988). Should Drug Be Legalized?, New York, Franklin Watts. U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, National Household Survey on Drug Abuse: Population Estimates 1988, Washington, D.C., 1989. Table 2-A, 17. Retrieved from http://usdeptofhealthandhumanservices.com/drugabuse.org