happens is the person spends a night in jail. Everyone knows
marijuana’s presence and it is totally accepted but if a person is
caught growing it, consuming it, or possessing it; it is only then
illegal. Marijuana use is glorified in movies like Dazed and
Confused and Half Baked and by music groups like Cypress Hill
and Busta Rhymes.
Increasing public support and media attention will slowly force the
legalization issue into the forefront of the political arena. If the
widespread acceptance and consumption continues among the
powerful new voting block, college students, the policy towards
marijuana could change in the near future. Weighing both the
costs and the benefits, the legalization of marijuana seems
inevitable. Many of the purported myths about its harmful effects
have been proven false. The current war on drugs is clearly
failing, and costing too many lives and too much money. There are
many benefits to be gained from the Cannabis plant: increased tax
revenue, safety due to governmental regulation, decreased crime
and use of hard drugs, and the environmental benefits of hemp to
name a few. With all these reasons taken into consideration the
legalization of marijuana seems like the best idea for America.
messageboard
The Legalization of Marijuana
Cauchon, Dennis. “Marijuana: Medical Enigma.” USA Today 1 Oct.
1996, national ed.: 4A.
Courtwright David T. “NO!” American Heritage Feb. – March
1995: 43, 50-56.
Goldman, Albert. Grass Roots. New York: Harper & Row 1979.
Hager, Paul. “Marijuana Myths.” ICLU drug task force literature.
Internet.
http://www.parinoia.com/drugs/mariijuana/facts/marijuana-myths.
(22 Jan. 99)
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(25 Jan 99)
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