ipl-logo

Criminalization Of Marijuana Essay

517 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The use of marijuana as medicine essay

Drug: Marijuana

Historical Usage:
Marijuana, also known as cannabis, has a long history of human usage dating back thousands of years. It is believed to have originated in Central Asia and was cultivated and used for various purposes. In ancient civilizations, marijuana was valued for its fiber, seeds, and medicinal properties. The plant was used for making textiles, ropes, and paper, as well as for its therapeutic effects in treating various ailments.

Popularity and Original Use:
Marijuana's popularity spread across different cultures and regions over time. In the 19th century, it gained popularity in the Western world as a recreational drug and was commonly used for its psychoactive effects. Its consumption was often associated with countercultural movements and artistic communities.

Criminalization: …show more content…

The first significant federal restriction on marijuana came with the passage of the Marihuana Tax Act in 1937. This act imposed heavy taxes and regulations on the cultivation, distribution, and use of cannabis. While it did not explicitly make marijuana illegal, it effectively criminalized its possession and sale due to the burdensome regulations and taxes imposed.

Reasons for Criminalization:
The reasons behind the criminalization of marijuana were multifaceted. The prevailing narratives at the time portrayed marijuana as a dangerous drug that was associated with social and moral degradation. Racial and cultural biases played a significant role, with marijuana being linked to Mexican immigrants and African Americans, thus fueling racial stereotypes and prejudices. There were also concerns about its potential effects on public health and safety, although many of these claims were not backed by substantial scientific evidence.

Legal Uses

Show More
Related
326 Words | 2 Pages

Ferraiolo, K. (2007). From Killer Weed to Popular Medicine: The Evolution of American Drug Control Policy, 1937-2000. Journal of Policy History, 19(2), 147-179 In this article, it discusses the medical use of marijuana, the states that have legalized it and how these states went about doing so. This article also talked about other drugs that are illegal was at one point in time legally used for medical reasons.

Read More
278 Words | 2 Pages

The first federally passed law on marijuana was the, Marijuana Tax Act of 1937. This made it illegal to possess any amount of marijuana without a special stamp from the treasury department. The passing of this law was created from the widespread panic that was created from Anslingers propaganda. The funny thing about this tax act, was one could obtain marijuana legally if they had a stamp from the treasury department, however, what the treasury department did not tell everyone was that they would not give out any stamps after it was passed. This was signed into law by President Roosevelt.

Read More
459 Words | 2 Pages

As for the history of Marijuana, there were 2 kind of species: on one hand, people extract fibers from them which is not important in this chapter; on the other hand, female marijuana can secret one special chemical compound -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)- to cause brain hallucination. People have already grown Marijuana for more than 5,000 years and it was used in different ways in different places during the different time. For example, people used it in some kind of voodoo ritual to make people feel like they can reach God, and use in medical ways these years

Read More
504 Words | 3 Pages

Over many years, the legality of marijuana has been widely debated. Supporters of laws that seek to legalize marijuana argue that it is a drug that is safe and that criminal sanctions against personal use indicate harsh and unwarranted penalties. The proponents also point out that the mortality, economic cost and may more negative impacts associated with alcohol and tobacco are much more grave compared to those associated with marijuana. On the other hand, the opponents of liberalization of current legal status of marijuana counter that marijuana is not mild, especially considering the new psychopharmacologic information indicating that it shares many characteristics with any other illegal drugs.

Read More
1990 Words | 8 Pages

In 1937, cannabis’s first official prohibition in the Unites States was through the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, which was later deemed unconstitutional. This act was quickly replaced by the Controlled Substance Act in the 1970, which was based on the premise of its potential for addiction, which is what finally made the standing law that banned marijuana. (Bonnie and Whitebread 2011). More recently, many states have legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes and in some, recreational use.

Read More
833 Words | 4 Pages

A large target of this drug would be youth (New Health Adviser,6 Oct. 2016.), which will be the next generation to work and teach yet such things would not be achieved with reckless and damaging substance abuse and addiction. This drug -as shown- can cause many damaging effects and those effects, if smoked at a young age, can create different issues in brain development (National Institute of Drugs, Mar. 2016). Not only so, they also lower the IQ of one and could really damage youth in multiple ways. Furthermore, after it becomes more available to the public in any way whatsoever it can certainly damage anyone that abuses such drug. As said, the drug after use can cause violent and dangerous reactions in one's nature and will place many people at risk and add to the total amount of violent and abusive crimes.

Read More
1200 Words | 5 Pages

Although it was ruled unconstitutional later and replaced by the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, the Marijuana Tax Act 197 was introduced effectively banning the sale and use of marijuana. The Controlled Substances Act in the 1970’s held that marijuana was classified as a Schedule I drug which follows the characteristics such as the substance has a high potential for abuse and that there has no currently accepted medical treatment use in the

Read More
1326 Words | 6 Pages

After centuries of worldwide use of cannabis and hemp leaves, the United States government in 1937 declared marijuana illegal with the passing of the Marijuana Tax Act. With most of the prominent users of marijuana

Read More
590 Words | 3 Pages

This mixed with a fear and prejudice that the public had on these newcomers, which in turn gave cannabis a generally negative view in the public eye. During the great depression, public resentment of Mexican immigrants, and all immigrants for that matter, escalated due to the already low employment rates. The general view of marijuana continued to become more negative. Investigators rushed to find reasons to outlaw the drug, and released large amounts of research associating marijuana with violence and crime, “primarily committed by minorities” (Marijuana Timeline Busted NP). Fast forward to 1986, when president Ronald Reagan signed the Anti-Drug Abuse Act, requiring jail sentences for all citizens convicted of drug-related crimes.

Read More
795 Words | 4 Pages

By 1611, it was introduced and it quickly became a staple commercial crop in Jamestown. By the year 1890, marijuana as the major cash crop was replaced by cotton, causing it to effectively fall off the market. In the 1920’s when alcohol was outlawed, there was a big resurgence in marijuana use. At the time, smoking marijuana was legal and not

Read More
769 Words | 4 Pages

Do you have someone in your life whom is suffering from an illness of some sort and just cannot catch a break? Do you know someone who has gotten in trouble with the law due to marijuana? Or is your state in any sort of debt? Most likely, one of these questions pertains to you.

Read More
1461 Words | 6 Pages

Marijuana, morphine, heroin, and cocaine continued to be used when the Prohibition was over in 1933. In 1937, 46 states decided to ban the use of marijuana for the reason that it was dangerous and a potential drug for addiction. Fast forward 60 years, states

Read More
661 Words | 3 Pages

Two states in the US—Washington and Colorado—legalized recreational marijuana use this year. More than half of Americans now support legalizing marijuana, up 20 percentage points in the last decade. But the concept of legalizing drugs is not as radical and modern as it may seem. For thousands of years, most drugs, including marijuana, morphine, and cocaine, were produced, sold and consumed legally. It was not until the early 20th century, under an initiative led by American missionaries and temperance groups, that the concept of a global prohibition of drugs took hold.

Read More
1455 Words | 6 Pages

Marijuana, for instance, is a drug that is most widely used in the United States (Thio, 2013, pg. 301). Society is starting to look at this drug as a useful tool in medication as well as a helpful tool in recreational use. The overall use of marijuana is seen to many in society as deviant, regardless

Read More
896 Words | 4 Pages

Marijuana is considered illegal in many countries. Some countries like the United States (Washington and Colorado) have legalized for medical purposes. Various punishment are imposed for use or possession of cannabis in most countries. The punishments generally range from simple to severe. Possession of low quantities of marijuana is not punished the same way as possession of large quantities.

Read More

More about Criminalization Of Marijuana Essay

Related Topics

Open Document