Paper Topic:

legalizing weed

Legalizing Weed

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Introduction

History of the marijuana usage

Marijuana benefits

Undesirable effects

Using marijuana for medicinal purposes

Marinol and marijuana comparison

Government view

Survey

Conclusion

Probably the most controversial issue in the marijuana question has to do with legalization . Current views span the spectrum of possibilities - from complete legalization and unrestricted use to the institution of even stricter penalties . Of the three more common views , however , one holds that the present legal

status , with its present penalty structure should be maintained another holds that though illegality should be maintained , the penalties should be lessened . And the third favors legalization with restrictions analogous to those placed on the consumption of liquor

Erich Goode (1969 ) explains the influence of opinions on policy in the following way : Obviously , one 's posture toward legalization is largely , although not solely , shaped by one 's perception of the effects of marijuana . Those who believe that it stimulates violence and leads to heroin addiction will oppose legalization , while those who believe it to be a harmless substance will favor legalization . But there are also those who feel that marijuana , although basically harmless , might , in some people , have a deleterious effect . For this group legalization becomes a question of civil liberties : a question of whether its negative effect on the few would overbalance its neutral effect on the many ' The answer to this can be found in the realm of political values , not in sociology . Two people might agree as to the effects of marijuana , yet one will favor legalization and the other oppose it simply because one is unwilling to restrict civil liberties in any way regardless of the threatened danger , while the other one may feel that the risks are not commensurate with the loss of rights (Goode , 1969 br

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Evidently , cannabis was used in many forms throughout history . For instance , it is believed that back in 600 B .C . Cannabis was used as incense and was a source of good health and long life . After that Cannabis is thought to have been used in Central Asia and then spread to Africa where it was accepted by the tribes . Some have even said that Prophets used it to see the future and tell of many things to come . In China , Cannabis was used as a source of fiber in many foods . Eventually the Spaniards took Cannabis to Mexico and Peru , and the English brought it to North America . Hemp cultivation began with the British in the new world and used in many colonies . Hemp was considered a good source of fiber for the British colonies and was used to make hemp rope and clothing . Hemp has been used widely in many countries . During the Roman Empire it was given to the soldiers as a form of strength . Even today scientists say that this was the reason Rome was a great empire and its forces crushed enemies

In the United States before 1937 Cannabis was used for industrial...

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