MY FUCKIN SENIOR ESSAY IS FINALY DONE!
finaly finished this bullshit report - here it is read it if u want.
Banned by federal law in 1937, Marijuana has taken an ever growing role in society; taken in by many, and shunned by others. Legal or not, it has became a part of American culture, which has raised much controversy about its legality. Many supporters argue that marijuana is no more harmful or addictive than alcohol, and that legalization would make its use safer, and it would reduce costs incurred in arrests, trials, and incarcerations of many non-violent criminals, and also allow for new revenue from a tax like that on cigarettes. Others who oppose the drug argue that legalization of the drug would only lead to more deaths, crime, violence, harder drugs, and health problems for users. Society’s negative connotation with the drug has direct contrasts to the views of society in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World.
Marijuana, common name for a drug made from the dried leaves and flowering tops of the Indian hemp plant Cannabis sativa. People smoke, chew, or eat marijuana for its hallucinogenic and intoxicating effects. The flowering tops of the Cannabis plant secrete a sticky resin that contains the active ingredient of marijuana, known as THC. The plant has both male and female forms, however the sticky flowers of the female plant are the most potent. Hashish is a similar drug made from the same plant. It differs from marijuana in that it is made up of only the resin from the plant, whereas marijuana is made up of flowering tops and leaves.
Known in India, Central Asia, and China as early as 3000 BC, marijuana has long been used as both a medicine and an intoxicant, but The Marihuana Tax Stamp Act of 1937 attached a heavy fine with possession of the drug. Within a few years Marijuana, as an intoxicant, cannabis, as a medicine, and hemp, as an industrial crop, had become illegal in the United States. However its prohibition was not a success. Despite its illegality, marijuana gained widespread use in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s, becoming the second most popular drug after alcohol, and its popularity continued through the end of the 20th century, mostly among American teens. According to a survey done in 1998 by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency, marijuana use among teenagers increased almost 300 percent from 1992 to 1998.
Many users describe two phases of marijuana intoxication: initial stimulation, which includes happiness and excitement, followed by sedation and pleasant tranquility. Mood changes are often accompanied by altered views of time and space. Thinking processes are disturbed by incomplete ideas and memories. Many users report increased appetite, heightened sensory awareness, and general feelings of pleasure.
Negative effects of marijuana use can include confusion, acute panic reactions, anxiety attacks, fear, a sense of helplessness, and loss of self-control, although not common. Chronic marijuana users may develop a motivational syndrome characterized by passivity, decreased motivation, and preoccupation with taking drugs. Like alcohol intoxication, marijuana intoxication may impair judgment, comprehension, memory, speech, problem-solving ability, reaction time, and driving skills.
The effects of long-term marijuana use on the intellect have not been established, and there is no evidence that marijuana causes brain damage. Smoking marijuana can damage the lungs, however, and long-term use may increase the risk of lung cancer. Although marijuana is not physically addicting and no physical withdrawal symptoms occur when use is discontinued, psychological dependence develops in some 10 to 20 percent of long-term regular users.
Some people find that marijuana fights the unpleasant symptoms associated with medical conditions. But the potential medical uses of marijuana are hard to assess, as there have been few clinical trials. Pure THC has been shown to improve appetite and prevent the severe weight loss associated with AIDS, and it also reduces the nausea caused by cancer chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Pure THC sold under the brand name Marinol is available in capsule form as a prescription medicine in the United States for these uses. Compared to smoked marijuana, however, this drug is slower to provide symptom relief due to the time required for the drug to be absorbed into the bloodstream. Marijuana is also reported to have beneficial effects in treating pain and muscle spasms in patients with multiple sclerosis. Many people who suffer from chronic diseases report that marijuana provides symptom relief when all other medications fail.
In the United States, the potential medical benefits of marijuana have sparked a debate about the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Since 1986 nine states-Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington-have passed legislation that permits patients to possess and grow marijuana for medicinal purposes with their doctor’s approval. These state laws are not in agreement with federal laws, which prohibit the use, possession, growth, or distribution of marijuana for any purpose. In 2001 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in United States v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative that marijuana distributors cannot offer a medical-necessity defense to avoid a federal conviction for marijuana growth, distribution, and possession. Some supporters of medical marijuana fear that this ruling may eventually make it more difficult for individuals to claim a medical-necessity defense in state courts. In the United Kingdom large-scale medical trials of cannabis-based medicines for pain and multiple sclerosis were started in 2000. If successful these trials could lead to the approval of such medicines in Europe.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Using marijuana puts children and teens in contact with people who are users and sellers of other drugs. So there is more of a risk that a marijuana user will be exposed to and urged to try more drugs.” This more than anything, is what makes marijuana a gateway drug. Legalists say control, regulate, and tax the drug and we can do away with the gateway theory.
Many people falsely associate marijuana with violence and criminal acts without truly knowing the connection between the two. In 1972, Richard Nixon’s National Commission on Marijuana Abuse concluded, “Marijuana does not lead to criminal, violent or aggressive behavior. The effects observed suggest that it may be more likely to neutralize aggressive and criminal acts. If its use is to be discouraged, it must be discouraged on grounds other than its role in the commission of criminal or violent acts.”
While it is impossible to predict exactly how drug use patterns would change under a system of regulated manufacture and distribution, the iron rules of prohibition are that 1) illegal markets are controlled by producers, not consumers, and 2) prohibition fosters the sale and consumption of more potent and dangerous forms of drugs. Based on this, it would seem that governmental control of the drug could potentially make its use safer.
Another factor to consider is the lure of forbidden fruit. For young people, who are often attracted to taboos, legal drugs might be less tempting than they are now. That has been the experience of The Netherlands: After the Dutch government decriminalized marijuana in 1976, allowing it to be sold and consumed openly in small amounts, usage steadily declined, particularly among teenagers and young adults.
Would drugs be more available once prohibition is repealed? It is hard to imagine drugs being more available than they are today. Despite efforts to stem their flow, drugs are accessible to anyone who wants them. In a recent government-sponsored survey of high school seniors, 55 percent said it would be "easy" for them to obtain cocaine, and 85 percent said it would be "easy" for them to obtain marijuana.
Some people hear the word “legalization” and imagine pushers on street corners passing out drugs to anyone, even children. But that is what exists today under prohibition. Consider the legal drugs, alcohol and tobacco: Their potency, time and place of sale and purchasing age limits are set by law. Similarly, warning labels are required on medicinal drugs, and some of these are available by prescription only. After federal alcohol prohibition was repealed, each state developed its own system for regulating the distribution and sale of alcoholic beverages. The same could occur with marijuana, and each state would be able create their own regulations, and they would be set by law.
Legalizing marijuana is not a panacea. It will not by itself end drug abuse or eliminate violence. Nor will it bring about the social and economic revival of our inner cities. However, in the long run, it could foster the redirection of public resources toward social development, legitimate economic opportunities and effective treatment, thus enhancing the safety, health and well-being of the entire society.
THERE I DID IT! I FUCKING DID IT. tell me what u think, yes?
Banned by federal law in 1937, Marijuana has taken an ever growing role in society; taken in by many, and shunned by others. Legal or not, it has became a part of American culture, which has raised much controversy about its legality. Many supporters argue that marijuana is no more harmful or addictive than alcohol, and that legalization would make its use safer, and it would reduce costs incurred in arrests, trials, and incarcerations of many non-violent criminals, and also allow for new revenue from a tax like that on cigarettes. Others who oppose the drug argue that legalization of the drug would only lead to more deaths, crime, violence, harder drugs, and health problems for users. Society’s negative connotation with the drug has direct contrasts to the views of society in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World.
Marijuana, common name for a drug made from the dried leaves and flowering tops of the Indian hemp plant Cannabis sativa. People smoke, chew, or eat marijuana for its hallucinogenic and intoxicating effects. The flowering tops of the Cannabis plant secrete a sticky resin that contains the active ingredient of marijuana, known as THC. The plant has both male and female forms, however the sticky flowers of the female plant are the most potent. Hashish is a similar drug made from the same plant. It differs from marijuana in that it is made up of only the resin from the plant, whereas marijuana is made up of flowering tops and leaves.
Known in India, Central Asia, and China as early as 3000 BC, marijuana has long been used as both a medicine and an intoxicant, but The Marihuana Tax Stamp Act of 1937 attached a heavy fine with possession of the drug. Within a few years Marijuana, as an intoxicant, cannabis, as a medicine, and hemp, as an industrial crop, had become illegal in the United States. However its prohibition was not a success. Despite its illegality, marijuana gained widespread use in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s, becoming the second most popular drug after alcohol, and its popularity continued through the end of the 20th century, mostly among American teens. According to a survey done in 1998 by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency, marijuana use among teenagers increased almost 300 percent from 1992 to 1998.
Many users describe two phases of marijuana intoxication: initial stimulation, which includes happiness and excitement, followed by sedation and pleasant tranquility. Mood changes are often accompanied by altered views of time and space. Thinking processes are disturbed by incomplete ideas and memories. Many users report increased appetite, heightened sensory awareness, and general feelings of pleasure.
Negative effects of marijuana use can include confusion, acute panic reactions, anxiety attacks, fear, a sense of helplessness, and loss of self-control, although not common. Chronic marijuana users may develop a motivational syndrome characterized by passivity, decreased motivation, and preoccupation with taking drugs. Like alcohol intoxication, marijuana intoxication may impair judgment, comprehension, memory, speech, problem-solving ability, reaction time, and driving skills.
The effects of long-term marijuana use on the intellect have not been established, and there is no evidence that marijuana causes brain damage. Smoking marijuana can damage the lungs, however, and long-term use may increase the risk of lung cancer. Although marijuana is not physically addicting and no physical withdrawal symptoms occur when use is discontinued, psychological dependence develops in some 10 to 20 percent of long-term regular users.
Some people find that marijuana fights the unpleasant symptoms associated with medical conditions. But the potential medical uses of marijuana are hard to assess, as there have been few clinical trials. Pure THC has been shown to improve appetite and prevent the severe weight loss associated with AIDS, and it also reduces the nausea caused by cancer chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Pure THC sold under the brand name Marinol is available in capsule form as a prescription medicine in the United States for these uses. Compared to smoked marijuana, however, this drug is slower to provide symptom relief due to the time required for the drug to be absorbed into the bloodstream. Marijuana is also reported to have beneficial effects in treating pain and muscle spasms in patients with multiple sclerosis. Many people who suffer from chronic diseases report that marijuana provides symptom relief when all other medications fail.
In the United States, the potential medical benefits of marijuana have sparked a debate about the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Since 1986 nine states-Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington-have passed legislation that permits patients to possess and grow marijuana for medicinal purposes with their doctor’s approval. These state laws are not in agreement with federal laws, which prohibit the use, possession, growth, or distribution of marijuana for any purpose. In 2001 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in United States v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative that marijuana distributors cannot offer a medical-necessity defense to avoid a federal conviction for marijuana growth, distribution, and possession. Some supporters of medical marijuana fear that this ruling may eventually make it more difficult for individuals to claim a medical-necessity defense in state courts. In the United Kingdom large-scale medical trials of cannabis-based medicines for pain and multiple sclerosis were started in 2000. If successful these trials could lead to the approval of such medicines in Europe.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Using marijuana puts children and teens in contact with people who are users and sellers of other drugs. So there is more of a risk that a marijuana user will be exposed to and urged to try more drugs.” This more than anything, is what makes marijuana a gateway drug. Legalists say control, regulate, and tax the drug and we can do away with the gateway theory.
Many people falsely associate marijuana with violence and criminal acts without truly knowing the connection between the two. In 1972, Richard Nixon’s National Commission on Marijuana Abuse concluded, “Marijuana does not lead to criminal, violent or aggressive behavior. The effects observed suggest that it may be more likely to neutralize aggressive and criminal acts. If its use is to be discouraged, it must be discouraged on grounds other than its role in the commission of criminal or violent acts.”
While it is impossible to predict exactly how drug use patterns would change under a system of regulated manufacture and distribution, the iron rules of prohibition are that 1) illegal markets are controlled by producers, not consumers, and 2) prohibition fosters the sale and consumption of more potent and dangerous forms of drugs. Based on this, it would seem that governmental control of the drug could potentially make its use safer.
Another factor to consider is the lure of forbidden fruit. For young people, who are often attracted to taboos, legal drugs might be less tempting than they are now. That has been the experience of The Netherlands: After the Dutch government decriminalized marijuana in 1976, allowing it to be sold and consumed openly in small amounts, usage steadily declined, particularly among teenagers and young adults.
Would drugs be more available once prohibition is repealed? It is hard to imagine drugs being more available than they are today. Despite efforts to stem their flow, drugs are accessible to anyone who wants them. In a recent government-sponsored survey of high school seniors, 55 percent said it would be "easy" for them to obtain cocaine, and 85 percent said it would be "easy" for them to obtain marijuana.
Some people hear the word “legalization” and imagine pushers on street corners passing out drugs to anyone, even children. But that is what exists today under prohibition. Consider the legal drugs, alcohol and tobacco: Their potency, time and place of sale and purchasing age limits are set by law. Similarly, warning labels are required on medicinal drugs, and some of these are available by prescription only. After federal alcohol prohibition was repealed, each state developed its own system for regulating the distribution and sale of alcoholic beverages. The same could occur with marijuana, and each state would be able create their own regulations, and they would be set by law.
Legalizing marijuana is not a panacea. It will not by itself end drug abuse or eliminate violence. Nor will it bring about the social and economic revival of our inner cities. However, in the long run, it could foster the redirection of public resources toward social development, legitimate economic opportunities and effective treatment, thus enhancing the safety, health and well-being of the entire society.
THERE I DID IT! I FUCKING DID IT. tell me what u think, yes?