Decriminalize Marijuana For The Good Of America

Decriminalize Marijuana for the Good of America


     Currently, drugs remain high on the lists of concerns of Americans and

are considered one of the major problems facing our country today.  We see

stories on the news about people being killed on the street every day over drugs.

To many people drugs are only an inner-city problem, but in reality they affect

all of us - users and non-users.  I believe that the negative affects we

associate with drugs would be greatly reduced if the United States adopted a

policy towards the total decriminalization of marijuana.  The current drug

policy of our government is obviously failing.  Drug laws have created

corruption, violence, increased street crime, and disrespect for the criminal

justice system.  Current drug legislation has failed to reduce demand.  It's

just too hard to monitor illegal substances when a significant portion of the

population is committed to using drugs. (Inciardi and McBride 260)

     Marijuana comes from the hemp plant, which can readily be grown on

fields across the nation and was cultivated heavily in colonial period.  After

130 years of being legal, the potential problems of marijuana were brought into

the public eye by Harry J. Anslingler, the commissioner of the Federal Bureau of

Narcotics and author of Marijuana: Assassin of Youth (Goldman 88).  In his book,

Anslinger portrayed images of Mexican and Negro criminals, as well as young boys,

who became killers while under the influence of marijuana.  With the added

public pressure,  President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed into law the

Marijuana Tax Act of 1937.  This law made the use and dale of marijuana federal

offenses.  At this point marijuana was removed from the public eye, and heavy

users included poor Negroes, migrant Mexicans, and Jazz Musicians (Himmelstein

3).

     Marijuana reappeared in the mid 1960's with the emergence of the

"Hippie."  Widespread objection to the use of marijuana remained because of the

set of valued and lifestyles associated with it, but use appeared in colleges

and among middle-class youths in the suburbs (Himmelstein 103).  Marijuana

became a symbol of a counter-culture, and youthful rebellion.  As a consequence,

marijuana use rose for the next ten years.  Marijuana was becoming more accepted

across the nation.  As the users of Marijuana changed, the attitudes about the

danger of  Marijuana broke down.  In 1970, the Comprehensive Drug Abuse

Prevention and Control Act reduced the classification of simple possession and

non-profit distribution from felonies to misdemeanors (Himmelstein 104).  This

was a good start.

     However, President Richard Nixon declared a war on drugs in 1973 and

over the next 20 years, each succeeding president continued to escalate the drug

war.  This policy has obviously done nothing to stop the recreational use of

drugs in this country, on the contrary it is causing great harm.  It's time to

try something new.

     When most people imagine the legalization of marijuana, they fear a

marijuana free-for-all with everybody constantly getting high.  Legalization

would be a burdensome task for the U.S. Government.  In fact, the legal process

would include a law passed by Congress allowing the government to control the

content, quality, and distribution of marijuana.  The laws would be similar to

the current laws regulating alcohol, including laws governing age, limits for

driving, and distribution ("Bring" 13).  A thorough investigation of the costs

and benefits of legalization must be examined before any policy is implemented ,

but I believe it will show that the benefits far outweigh the detriments.

     The three general areas where people are opposed to  legalization of

marijuana center their arguments on:  health care, increased crime, and social

aspects.  Marijuana is more dangerous than cigarette smoking.  Two Marijuana

joints create more airway impairment than do an entire pack of cigarette (Miner

44).  One joint contains three times more tar than do cigarettes and is

considered fou
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