Over the past decades marijuana has become more and more common among people, particularly for its recreational use. Unfortunately, this natural substance has been given a bad image; criminalized per say. Even though it is illegal to have possession of marijuana, people still use it, and for some, on a regular basis. Although the use of this substance has become more prominent, the consequences of marijuana use can be said to be quite dire. With that being said, there are many that are fighting to decriminalize this drug as well as fully legalizing it. It isn’t a secret that marijuana, formally known as cannabis, has held its ground in U.S. history. If we reach back in time, one could see that cannabis was used for more than just ‘getting high’ or altering ones state of consciousness. According to Reefer Madness, a book on the history of marijuana, cannabis--which is the scientific term for the plant—or Hemp was one of the earliest crops to be cultivated by early colonial settlers during the 16th century (Sloman). At that time the plant was mainly used for making paper and sturdy garments due to the plant’s tough fibers. Fast forward four centuries and now we have cannabis crossing the border from Mexico to North America. Around the late 1910’s and early 1920’s is when …show more content…
This is where marijuana being criminalized comes into play. Most would ask the question, why has marijuana become criminalized? The substance is illegal of course, but at one point in time so was alcohol and Tabaco. After a while those two things became legalized. However, today’s society chooses to keep marijuana at its low standard. Mainly this is due to the fact that those whom have been caught using the drug are usually pressed with charges that are down right ridiculous. They are almost always charged with drug possession in which the years for that can add up to an astonishing amount