Areez Awan Mr.

Spoth
Should Marijuana be Legalized? Grade 12
 Marijuana has had a long and complicated history over the years. There has

been too much controversy over the topic already. I believe that either way, marijuana is

the 1st most commonly used recreational drug used in all of the United States. It will

always be used for medical and recreational use, even if its still illegal. Although some

people believe that marijuana shouldnt be legalized due to potential hazards, there are

others who believe that legalizing marijuana could actually benefit a lot of people.

When hemp was first discovered during the 1600s, the government encouraged

it excessively. In 1617, Virginias government passed legislations requiring every farmer

to grow hemp. Hemp was used for rope, sails, and clothing. During the late 19th

century, marijuana was being used in many medicinal products and was sold openly in

public pharmacies. Then in 1906, the Pure Food and Drug Act was established. It

basically stated that any cannabis sold over-the-counter had to be labeled. Recreational

use of marijuana was established by the Mexicans after the Mexican Revolution in

1910. When the mexicans started flooding into america, they introduced recreational

use of marijuana to the American Culture. The drug became associated with the

immigrants, and the fear and prejudice about the Spanish-speaking newcomers became

associated with marijuana. Then the Great Depression hit, people were way more

intimidated by the mexican-immigrants. This started a lot of research which connected

marijuana with violence, crime, and other socially deviant behaviors, primarily

committed by underclass communities. The mexicans were loud, unethical, and very

rude, their actions were one of the main reason why marijuana was seen as a drug and

was illegalized. By 1931, 29 states had outlawed marijuana.

 In 1937 Congress, passed the Marijuana Tax Act, which effectively criminalized

marijuana. In 1944, the New York academy of medicine, again researched marijuana

declaring that, marijuana did not induce violence, insanity, sex crimes, or lead to

addiction or other drug use. During World War II, imports of hemp and other materials

crucial for producing parachutes, and other military necessities became scarce. In

response the, U.S. Department of Agriculture launched its Hemp for Victory program.

Which basically encouraged farmers to grow hemp, by giving out seeds and granting

deferments to those who would stay home and grow hemp, by 1943, American farmers

had harvested over 375,000 acres of hemp.

In 1951, Congress established the Narcotics Control Act, which set mandatory

sentences for marijuana possession, which was up to 2-10 years in prison and a

$20,000 fine. Then in the early 1970s they realized that the imprisonment did not affect

the use of marijuana and that the sentences did not alter the drug abuse rates. The

Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Acts, categorized marijuana

separate from other narcotics and eliminated federal sentences for possession of small

amounts. Then in 1972, bipartisan Shafer Commission, appointed by president Richard

Nixon, at the direction of congress, believed that the personal use of marijuana and

laws regarding marijuana should be decriminalized. Nixon rejected the offer but 11

states decriminalized it and most others reduced their penalties. Then in 1976, a

nationwide movement emerged, where parents demanded stricter regulations on

marijuana and the restriction of drug use by teenagers. Some of these groups became

quite powerful and, with the support of the DEA and the National Institute on Drug
Abuse (NIDA), they were successful in affecting public attitudes which led to the 1980s

War on Drugs. The War on Drugs, was basically a prohibition for drugs, which was

brought up by president Nixon, during the 1980s. Matters are on the brinks of settlement

until, the early 1990s, where president George Bush declares a new War on Drugs.

Finally, in 1996, California voters allowed for the sale of medical marijuana for patients

with AIDS, cancer, and other serious and painful disease.

Although 158.8 million people around the world use marijuanamore than 3.8%

of the planets population(The Foundation for a Drug-Free World), there are people who

believe that marijuana should not be legalized. According to Dr.Drew Pinsky, critics

argue that marijuana is an addictive drug and how there is this small group of people

that have a genetical potential for addiction (Hawkins). Critics also believe that if

marijuana was legalized than injuries and deaths from impaired driving would increase.

According to 1 , A recent meta-analysis of nine epidemiological studies concluded that

drivers who test positive for marijuana are more than twice as likely as other drivers to

be involved in a crash. Also 5 years after, California legalized medical marijuana, they

seen a near 100% increase in fatal crashes where drivers were tested positive for

marijuana.

Everyone is different and has a unique understanding to different things but, facts

are what do the talking. Marijuana started as hemp, but throughout the years people

recognized it for what it truly is, a medicinal product. As stated by Dr. Sanjay Gupta,

1
"Ten Reasons Why Marijuana Should Not Be Legalized! | NR Focus." 8 Aug. 2014,
http://nrfocus.org/latest_topics/ten-reasons-why-marijuana-should-not-be-legalized/.
Accessed 13 Dec. 2016.
"Scientific research has shown that CBD, or cannabidiol, a component of the marijuana

plant, may be therapeutic for many conditions, including chronic pain, cancer, anxiety,

diabetes, epilepsy, rheumatoid arthritis, PTSD, sleep disorders, alcoholism,

cardiovascular disease, antibiotic-resistant infections, and various neurological

ailments. For people who have health conditions and are not being treated by

pharmaceutical drugs, or for those who simply don't want the side effects of the

pharmaceuticals, this is great news, because now people can get cured from disease in

a way where they can enjoy and live a long normal life. Also according to 2 , Ever since

marijuana has been known to mankind, not one single account of death from overdose

has been recorded. On the other hand, in 2010, 38,329 people died from drug

overdoses. Sixty percent of those were related to prescription drugs. In that same year,

25,692 people died from alcohol-related causes. There has never been a recorded

death from overdose on marijuana use since marijuana has been known. During the

1980s military doctors experimented on rats, they concluded that the rats who were

exposed to marijuana, were 70% less likely to experience seizures and brain damage

after exposure to nerve gas. Marijuana can benefits humans and animals in severe

conditions of life and death.

I believe that marijuana should be legalized because there are hundreds of

people that have already admitted to smoking marijuana, it won't be long until more

people start supporting it. If they have allowed cigarettes and alcohol to be legal than i

don't see a problem with having marijuana legalized, there are more deaths recorded

2
"This Is Why Marijuana Should Be Legal Everywhere | The Huffington ...." 24 Oct. 2013,
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/24/marijuana-legalization_n_4151423.html. Accessed 13 Dec. 2016.
with alcohol than with marijuana. Marijuana was always a medical product used to

benefit and improve others, I think that no matter what anyone does or says, it will

always be that.

Bibliography
"Cannabis, Coca, & Poppy: Nature's Addictive Plants." Cannabis: Effects. DEA

Museum, n.d. Web. 19 Dec. 2016.

Edge, Dan. "Marijuana Timeline." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 19 Dec. 2016.

Fairy, Bud. "How Marijuana Became Illegal." How Marijuana Became Illegal. SF

Net, n.d. Web. 19 Dec. 2016.

Ingraham, Christopher. "The Case for Marijuana Legalization Just Got Stronger."

The Washington Post. WP Company, Dec.-Jan. 2015. Web. 19 Dec. 2016.

Jacques, Renee. "This Is Why Marijuana Should Be Legal Everywhere." The

Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 19 Dec. 2016.

"Marijuana Statistics." Foundation for a Drug-Free World. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Dec.

2016.

"Medical Cannabis: The REAL Reason the Government Wants to Keep It

Banned." Health Impact News. N.p., 17 Mar. 2016. Web. 19 Dec. 2016.

"Medical Marijuana ProCon.org." ProConorg Headlines. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Dec.

2016.
 "Ten Reasons Why Marijuana Should Not Be Legalized!" NR Focus. N.p., n.d.

Web. 19 Dec. 2016.

World, Disabled. "Use of Marijuana for Epilepsy Control." Disabled World. N.p.,

21 Nov. 2013. Web. 19 Dec. 2016.