Hope for Dope
The United States was founded on the principles of protecting the rights of every citizen; a haven for all people to express themselves freely. These rights extend to all people as long as what they do does not hinder anyone else’s rights. The medical and recreational use of marijuana should be a right of all American citizens, as it does not harm the user or anyone else and it has many benefits to our society. The legalization of marijuana would help people in our country morally, medically, and financially. There are very few cons to the legalization of marijuana, (many less than there are for the smoking of cigarettes or consumption of alcohol), and the only reason that it is not legal is because of the great corrupter that is politics. Respected author Charles Cozic said it best when he stated, “Marijuana prohibition causes far more problems than marijuana itself does” (Cozic).
Marijuana has a major part in the history of our country as well as other civilizations around the world. The marijuana plant was originally used for making rope over 10,000 years ago and it was eventually smoked by ancient peoples for its medicinal value. Marijuana as a drug made its first appearance in the United States in the late 1800’s and it was used primarily by lower-class immigrants. Soon many local authorities banned marijuana and in the early 20th century, the federal government launched an anti-marijuana campaign that was based largely on racism and misinformation. Marijuana was banned in every state by 1937, but did not become a federal crime until 1970, under the Controlled Substances Act. This act classified marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, meaning that it has no medicinal value and has a high potential for addiction, putting marijuana in the same category as heroin and cocaine (Marshall). Since the late 1960’s, marijuana has remained popular with young people despite the government’s “War on Drugs” which has resulted in the arrests of thousands of youth....