Marijuana Abuse
"Marijuana is the second most popular drug after alcohol in the country today. So many people smoke marijuana that the numbers alone seem to legitimize and condone its presence in people's lives. Yet, even in moderation marijuana is not 'safe.' Somehow this information had not filtered down to people who think they are smoking a fairly innocuous drug. Our society perpetuates the myths about pot being a fun, harmless, recreational drug. These myths feed into people's denial of marijuana's problems" (Baum 6). However, the abuse of marijuana is a problem. It is not only a personal problem, but also more importantly a social problem.Throughout history marijuana has been used to serve various purposes in many different cultures. The purposes have changed over time to fit in with the current lifestyles. The cultivation of the marijuana plant in the United States began as far back as the Jamestown settlers around the year 1611. At that time the main focus was on survival rather than for psychoactive purposes. Medicinal uses of marijuana eventually changed to enjoyment manipulation. Beginning in the 1960s marijuana use saw a reemergence with the rebellious youth, and the "hippie movement." This evolved into increased use among the ol
Conflict theorists would most likely solve the problem of marijuana abuse by suggesting legalization. When considering the underlying current of a major power struggle between the groups who control the drug supply and the groups who are in need of the drugs, legalizing marijuana would virtually eliminate this. Control of this illegal substance would no longer be in the hands of the huge drug cartels, but would be readily available to anyone. Additionally, the power struggle between law enforcement agencies and drug users would no longer exist either. All the laws and prisons used against groups of lesser power would be useless. This move would go a long way towards removing the disparity between races, classes, and socioeconomic groups now in prison for drug offenses. Grolier Electronic Encylopedia. Electronic Publishing, Inc., 1995. Conflict theory seems to fit best in examining the issue of marijuana abuse. Conflict theory addresses the many issues surrounding marijuana use. For example, due to the fact that the powerful control the marijuana industry there is a disparity in the criminal prosecution of certain classes, races, and socioeconomic groups. These less powerful groups are victims of discrimination. While the use of marijuana definitely inhibits an individual's life, the abuse of power surrounding marijuana, is far more harmful to society. Conflict theory addresses this on a macro level. Functionalist theory examines the issue from the standpoint that society as a whole feels the same about the problem. It assumes everyone's values are identical. Therefore, marijuana abuse as a social problem is better examined from the conflict perspective because it doesn't take peoples values into consideration. On the other hand functionalist theorists would opt for a more conventional
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Approximate Word count = 1215
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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