It is generally assumed that Marijuana is an evil drug that creates menaces of society and ruins the lives of poor innocent children. Some believe it to cause cancer, breathing problems, and make people do crazy and unnatural things while under the influence of the drug. Evidently there is a high degree of confusion and ignorance surrounding the drug and the true facts about it. This sort of sheep-like behavior where people base their beliefs on the beliefs of others instead of the actuality of the subject is foolish and has grave repercussions on those who educate themselves about the drug and fight for its legalization. Now, more than ever, propositions to legalize the drug have risen, which is causing a stir between people who want it to be regulated just as tobacco and alcohol is, and people who want it to be a crime with severe punishments. With this paper, I will show you the true facts behind marijuana; the facts that are misconstrued and altered by older generations of people who want nothing more than to abolish the drug. In the first section of my paper, I will explain the science of the drug and how it actually affects a persons mind as well as debunking many of the popular myths among people. In the second section I will look into the current laws and policies about the drug and explain how it is a flawed system and how it harms the user more than the drug does. In my third and final section, I will explain my proposed policy about the drug and explain how it should be regulated in our country.
The Science Behind the Drug
Background
First and foremost, what is marijuana? “Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the world; various forms of the drug have been used for thousands of years for their medicinal, social, and aesthetic effects” (Marijuana Legalization 3). For those who don’t know, “cannabis, or marijuana, is an annual flowering plant of the botanical order Rosales, which today occurs across large
Cited: “How Did Reefer Madness Get Started” Washington-drug-defense.com. Web. 24 April 2013. Brownlee, Nick. This is Cannabis. London: Sanction Publishing, 2002. Print. Emmett, David, and Graeme Nice. What You Need to Know About Cannabis: Understanding the Facts. Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2009. Print. Caulkins, Jonathan P., Angela Hawken, Beau Kilmer, and Mark A. R. Kleiman. Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know. New York: Oxford University, 2012. Print. Fox, Steve, Paul Armentano, and Mason Tvert. Marijuana is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink? Chelsea Green Publishing, 2009. Print. Seamon, Matthew J., Jennifer A. Fass, Maria Maniscalco-Feichtl, and Nada A. Abu-Shiraie. “Medical Marijuana: and the Developing Role of the Pharmacist.” American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy (15 May 2007): p1037-1044. Web. 7 Apr. 2013. Bourgois, Phillipe. “The Mystery of Marijuana: Science and the U.S. War on Drugs.” Substance Use and Misuse. (2008): p581-583. Web. 7 Apr. 2013. Frosch, Dan. “States push to get the most out of marijuana taxes.” New York Times. New York Times, 24 April 2013. Web. 26 April 2013.