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Essay / Legalization of Marijuana - 1979
The legalization of marijuana in the United States is a long and historically debated topic. Proponents of legalization offer many reasons for decriminalizing marijuana; Some of the reasons include the lack of deaths from direct use, wasting taxpayer dollars prosecuting non-violent offenders, and prohibition favoring organized crime. Anti-legalization organizers condemn legalization due to marijuana being considered a gateway drug, moral and religious opposition, legalization that could lead to legalization of harder drugs, and fear that legalization would make the drug more accessible to children. Legalization has many positive and negative aspects, but personally, I support legalization and taxation of this non-lethal drug. In this article, I will highlight the pros and cons of legalization and explore whether legalization would benefit America and society as a whole. The history of marijuana in the United States dates back to early colonial times. “In 1619, America's first marijuana law was enacted in Jamestown Colony, Virginia, “ordering” all farmers to “test” (grow) Indian hemp seeds. (Tribune) A byproduct of the cannabis plant is hemp. Today, hemp can be used to make fabrics, building products, paper, medicines, oils, personal care products and molded plastics. During colonial times, hemp was used to make various textile products, and in the 1800s, hemp was discovered to have medicinal benefits. Herer says in his book The Emperor Wears No Clothes, "various marijuana and hashish extracts were the first, second, or third most prescribed drugs in the United States from 1842 to the 1890s. (Herer) For centuries, people recognize the medicinal properties of cannabis; "According to middle of paper... for industrial purposes, but because of greed, misinformation, fear-mongering and moral objections, society has turned its back on this wonderful plant. Through advocacy and the dissemination of factual information, prohibition is slowly failing and people are beginning to realize that the dangers and harms of marijuana are not as severe as they would be. With this information, we can improve society, raise tax revenue, release non-violent offenders, and alleviate the constant fear caused by authoritative figures. Personally, based on the information researched, I believe that legalization would benefit society and allow law enforcement to focus on other crimes, such as murder, rape, robbery and other violent crimes . Times are changing, and as time goes by, more and more American citizens are in favor of legalizing marijuana..