Legalization of Marijuana
Several pressing issues have arisen throughout time, such as abortion and capitol punishment. The controversies have been addressed and decisions have been made. A new topic has emerged and demands recognition. It is the legalization of marijuana. Marijuana has many names: weed, green, cheba, pot, chronic, dank, fire, herb, and wood to name a few. In 1994 alone, 1.35 million people were incarcerated because of possession and use of marijuana (Beltrame, [2]). Even though only and estimated ten million Americans use marijuana on a monthly basis, about seventy million have at some time tried it (Beltrame, [2]). The current laws would justify putting all seventy million citizens in jail. Harry Aslinger is responsible for leading the nation in an anti-marijuana movement. He initiated the uproar by publishing false stories of people in Mexico dying and going insane due to the use of hemp, or marijuana, products. Aslinger created a myth of the "killer reefer" and the "assassin of youth", in which he depicted marijuana as the plant of evilness. The public naively presumed his stories were true, and avidly protested the growth of marijuana. The government had no choice but to act on the issue, on A
Marijuana's popularity is thriving. In 1994, marijuana expanded into a ten million dollar industry. It is prevalent in television shows, lyrics of songs, caps, shirts, earrings, and tattoos. Between the years of 1992 and 1994, twenty-six percent of seniors in high school had smoked marijuana at some time (Beltrame [4]). The advantages of legalizing industrial marijuana are evident. The citizens of the United States and their government must decide if such advantages constitute legalizing, or if it would be more beneficial to observe the present laws. Either way, the issue must be faced, and all options weighed accordingly. Marijuana also has many industrial uses. Over the centuries, marijuana has been used to make such things as rope, sails, paper, cloth, oil, birdseed, and other various products. It was a major cash crop in the United States until 1937 when Congress enacted the Marijuana Tax Act. China, France, the United Kingdom, and Spain are large suppliers of hemp products, which the United States imports. Such companies as Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Adidas, and Disney offer hemp commodities to the public. Popular Mechanics has listed over 25000 products which marijuana could be used to make. Daily uses include: clothes, soaps, hair
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Approximate Word count = 849
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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