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Essay On Decriminalization

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Cannabis is an illegal drug at the forefront of the next great social movement towards legalization, more so than heroin, cocaine, or meth. Desire for decriminalization is no longer a fringe, taboo opinion, rather a common one, with 53% of Americans supporting the cause, according to a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center (Pew.) Yet, the administration of America in 2018 seems to have a burning hatred towards the plant, as it has for decades. Little has changed since Nixon started the War on Drugs in 1971 (DPA.) Tens of thousands are jailed yearly for non-violent drug offenses. The issues made by strict drug laws are apparent. Enforcing marijuana criminalization as harshly as America does creates more problems than it fixes; ergo, the …show more content…

The population of prisoners exceeds two million, and while it is unknown how many are there for drug offenses, we can estimate. The DPA claims that one million people are arrested yearly for drug possession, and while not all of those arrested are sent to prison, a good portion of them likely are (DPA.) Clearly, there needs to be a change in the heart of America. Or does there? The Pew Research Center has a sample of polls about opinions towards marijuana, taken in 2015. The data from these polls suggests that national opinion is drifting towards legalization. In fact, data extrapolated from the results suggests that the main opposition to legal weed are those from the Silent Generation and Baby Boomers, both of whom are aging rapidly, while millennials and Generation X’ers are not only in support of legalization, but are still being born. They will eventually outnumber those against. Despite all the evidence and vast arguments, marijuana still has not been legalized in all fifty states. While there are a few, namely Colorado, Maine, and Washington, we are still a far cry from nationwide legalization. With the GOP back in the White House, it seems less likely than ever. Jeff Sessions continues to lead his crusade on drugs. There is hope, in my eyes, as state governments are warming up to the idea of legal marijuana. It needs to be legalized as soon

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