Preview

The Role of Hipsters in the Legalization of Marijuana in the United States

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2830 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Role of Hipsters in the Legalization of Marijuana in the United States
The Hipsters Role in the Legalization of
Marijuana in the United States

I. Introduction a. Revolution b. Three theories

II. What is a Hipster c. Stereotype d. Counter-culture

III. History of Prohibition e. Before 1900s f. 1910-30s g. Contemporary Prohibition

IV. Legalization h. Benefits i. Economic ii. Health i. Negative iii. Health

V. Conclusion

After being in college for three years, and attending three different universities, it is safe to say that I have done my personal hands on research dealing in the subject matter of the legalization of marijuana in the United States. The internet is full of facts and statistics of how many college students are really smoking the herb these days, but it’s hard to believe that a pot smoker would be willing to tell a statistician or doctor they are partaking in illegal activities. Time News claims that 42% surveyed claimed to had tried marijuana. I would argue this percentage is much higher, especially among the younger generations. If the number is in fact much higher, then why do Americans continue to be punished for smoking weed if so many people aren’t even following the laws?
On top of the obvious disregard of the general consensus, the government continues to throw “criminals” into jail cells for participating in these scandalous crimes. Instead of American tax dollars going toward after-school programs, we are paying for these petty crimes. If marijuana was legalized and regulated by the government, this cash crop alone could provide over $10 billion tax dollars to Americans annually. Not to mention the medicinal benefits it can provide to millions of sick people. There is no reason marijuana should be illegal any longer, and it is time for people to stand up for what they believe and know is fair.
Every revolution must begin somewhere. The word revolution comes from the Latin root



Cited: Cloud, John. "Questions About Marijuana: Is Pot Good For You? - TIME." TIME.com. 4 Nov. 2002. Web. 21 Apr. 2010. <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1003570-1,00.html>. Guither, Pete. "Why Is Marijuana Illegal?" Drug WarRant. Web. 21 Apr. 2010. <http://www.drugwarrant.com/articles/why-is-marijuana-illegal/>. Klein, Joe. "Why Legalizing Marijuana Makes Sense - TIME." TIME.com. 2 Apr. 2009. Web. 21 Apr. 2010. <http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1889021,00.html>. Miron, Jeffrey A. "The Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibition in the United States." Costs of Marijuana Prohibition: Economic Analysis. Marijuana Policy Project, June 2005. Web. 20 Apr. 2010. <http://www.prohibitioncosts.org/>. Plevin, Julia. "Who 's a Hipster?" Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. 8 Aug. 2008. Web. 20 Apr. 2010. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/julia-plevin/whos-a-hipster_b_117383.html>. Stein, Joel. "Medical Marijuana in California: Clinics Beat Dealers - TIME." TIME.com. 16 Nov. 2009. Web. 20 Apr. 2010. <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1935092,00.html>. Thompson, Elise. "Why Does Everyone Hate Hipsters Assholes? - LAist." LAist: Los Angeles News, Food, Arts & Events. 20 Feb. 2008. Web. 20 Apr. 2010. <http://laist.com/2008/02/20/why_does_everyo.php>.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    C. 2012. “The Long And Winding Road To Cannabis Legalization.” Addiction 107, no. 5: 872-873. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.…

    • 2054 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cohen, P. J. (2010). Medical Marijuana 2010: It 's Time to Fix the Regulatory Vacuum. Journal Of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 38…

    • 778 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Weed We Trust

    • 1669 Words
    • 7 Pages

    "Marijuana: Milton Friedman and 500 Economists Call for Debate on Prohibition as New Study Suggests Regulation Could Save Billions." Sober College 3 Jun. 2005: 1. Web. 18 Dec 2009. .…

    • 1669 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Marijuana legalization, is an issue that can be dated back to the late ninetieth century (PBS). This issue continues to be a controversial topic in today’s world. State and federal laws still collide on the issue of marijuana legalization. On November 2, 2010, California voters voted on a ballot called the Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis 2010. Prior to this date, Charles Stimson wrote an article, “Legalizing Marijuana: Why Citizens Just Say No,” in order to persuade California voters to not vote in favor of the ballot. He made various claims such as; marijuana is bad for one’s health, that it is linked to crime, and that the legalization of marijuana will not help the economy. He also poses the questions: who would distribute the drug and…

    • 1334 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Shohov, T. (2003). Medical Use of Marijuana: Policy, Regulatory, and Legal Issues. New York: Nova Publishers.…

    • 1464 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Proposition 19

    • 2264 Words
    • 10 Pages

    McKinley, Jesse (October 27, 2009). "Push to Legalize Marijuana Gains Ground in California". The New York Times (The New York Times Company).…

    • 2264 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    I don't understand why cannabis is still illegal in this country. To this day, I have not heard an intelligent argument against the legalization and regulation of cannabis. There is so much negative controversy that we get from supports. The fact is, many people would outlaw fast food, cigarettes, and tanning beds because of the harm that they cause America. But this is America and there is about their freedom and this is about their choice. Give the people in our states the choice to enjoy…

    • 574 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    MICHAEL , M. (1997, January 31). A medical opinion on marijuana. New York Times, p.…

    • 1051 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Legalization of marijuana is highly heated and controversial issue that we have in this world today. Data shows that fifty five percent of American believe that marijuana should continue to be illegal, while forty five percent of American believe that marijuana should be legal in the United States. When marijuana is legal, two million to ten million dollars of tax payer’s money on law enforcement would be saved. Legalization of marijuana would reduce amount of terrorism and corruption that we have in the world today. The legalization of Marijuana is a highly heated and controversial issue in America today. Data shows that over 55% of Americans believe marijuana should continue to be illegal and the remaining 45% believe the pot‘s legal status should be altered. But why? Prohibitionist policies based on eradication, interdiction and criminalization of consumption of the drug simply haven’t worked. It has simply just places a burden on tax payer’s money and has been a wasteful usage of police enforcement. The prohibition of weed is also a direct infringement of our personal liberties, President Abraham Lincoln once stated that, “…Prohibition goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man’s appetite by legislation and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes…” Marijuana prohibition laws strikes a fatal blow at the very ideologies and principles of freedom upon which our republic was founded and to the very civil liberties which government was set up to defend.…

    • 433 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Rosenthal, Ed, and Steve Kubby. "Marijuana Should Be Legalized for Medical Use." The War on Drugs, edited by Tamara L. Roleff, Greenhaven Press, 2004. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010172266/OVIC?u=pub_ovrc&xid=d44eb5e7. Accessed 15 Mar. 2017. Originally published in Why Marijuana Should Be Legal, Thunder's Mouth Press, 2003.…

    • 1026 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Marijuana

    • 370 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Marijuana laws waste billions of taxpayer dollars to lock up non-violent americans. [1 in 3 adult americans have tried marijuana] and [federal marijuana laws can arrest or imprison everyone one of them just for simple possession.] [These laws are unfair and abuse our criminal justice system.] [Prosecuting and jailing these Americans wastes valuable resources better spent keeping violent criminals off our streets.] As it is, [hundreds of thousands of citizens have already been imprisoned - many of them non-violent, otherwise law-abiding, and many of them stripped of their right to vote, their property, their jobs and their college grants.] Let’s adopt common sense and fairness and enact more realistic marijuana laws. And let’s save the jails for reals criminals..…

    • 370 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Bibliography: Alan Bock, Waiting to Inhale: The Politics of Medical Marijuana. Santa Ana, CA: Seven Locks Press, 2000.…

    • 2426 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Legalization of Marijuana

    • 1557 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Westphal, Kelsey. “Marijuana: Times Are A ‘Changing’”. Cannabis Now Magazine. 19 Feb. 2013. Web. July 18, 2013. www.cannabisnowmagazine.com…

    • 1557 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Legalization of Marijuana

    • 871 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Marijuana has a history dating back many years, and has been used in various cultures in different ways. In recent years, marijuana has become a forefront topic in the world of American politics whether or not it should be legalized. Marijuana has been adapted to fit our lifestyles and our social environment. A vast amount of the world’s population smoke marijuana for various purposes. Thus, the drug should be legalized because it has many medical beneficial uses, the ability to generate billions of dollars in tax revenue, and would lower the cost to imprison individuals arrested for crimes related to marijuana.…

    • 871 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Marijuana Legalization

    • 1409 Words
    • 6 Pages

    According to the United Nations 162 million people, about 4.0% of the world population uses marijuana annually. 0.6% of the world population, or roughly 22.5 million people, use the drug daily. In the United States, this translates to 1% of our population, a relatively small number of people at 1.4 million, using marijuana every day. Even though it’s a small percentage of Americans that use marijuana, it’s caused a very heated debate about the legality of the drug. Currently in America, there are federal and state laws regarding marijuana, with federal laws carrying harsh punishments. For example, possession of any amount of marijuana is punishable by one year in prison and a $1000 fine. The punishments after that go up exponentially. But why is marijuana illegal? What about it causes lawmakers to pass such harsh laws on a substance while alcohol punishments are much less? Are there economic benefits to legalizing marijuana? In John Rawls’s “A Theory of Justice”, Rawls argues that “justice is fairness” (237). Are the penalties put on marijuana use truly fair? These questions are the questions that lawmakers and the American public should consider when deciding the legality of marijuana. This paper will discuss the pros and cons of legalizing marijuana and will conclude that marijuana should be legalized in the United States.…

    • 1409 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays

Related Topics