Albert Einstein once said that there is nothing more destructive of respect for the government and its laws of the land than prohibition. This statement is particularly true for the American environment. We have seen it with the prohibition of abortion, alcohol and we are experiencing it with marijuana. Marijuana, though controversial and illegal has been used by many, including top officials in American Government, for example Bill Clinton, a U.S. President who publicly stated, “...I experimented with marijuana a time or two...” Barack Obama, another U.S. President confessed, "When I was a kid I inhaled frequently. That was the point." Jimmy Carter, yet another U.S. President announced officially, “I support legislation amending Federal …show more content…
population over twelve years of age has tried it at least once. According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, as recently as 2003, 25.2 million people, one in ten Americans reported using the drug at least once that year. In my paper I will give a brief history of marijuana; the conflict between the two sides, the problem with prohibition, my argument for marijuana, and my closing statement.
Part 1: Brief History
The first documented use of marijuana or cannabis was dated around 2500 B.C., in the ancient Chinese cultures, where the plant was discovered to produce a mild euphoria when ingested, and to be an effective general pain reliever. Since that time, the marijuana plant has spread to cultures in various parts of the world, however during the establishment of British colonies in North America, the plant arrived in the present-day United States. Marijuana was a common substance among Americans during colonial and early Union times, used by doctors for pain relief and appetite inducement, and by citizens as a recreational substance. However, in the years between the first and second World Wars, the United States Federal Government completed several studies which concluded that marijuana
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Though neither side has an entirely effective solution at present and it can be pointed out that each side has some flaws in their arguments, upon examination people who are thrown in jail for marijuana use are usually non-violent, petty criminals. Studies have shown that these individuals who only used marijuana before their jail time, often come out of jail using more dangerous substances and sometimes move on to other criminal behaviors as well. Thus, jailing these users could be construed as a waste of federal funds; it also causes the problem of over-crowding in the nation's prisons. The pro-marijuana camp suggests that marijuana is a part of our culture, and should be accepted as such so it can be brought under control as was accomplished with