Marijuana Mediation Jacob Schoneman Background Info First made

Marijuana Mediation Jacob Schoneman

Background Info �First made illegal in 1937 with the Marijuana Stamp Act. �In 1970 the government enacted the Controlled Substance Act. �Schedule one drug �Has been illegal ever since then.

Why It Should Be Illegal �No medicinal use and short term health risks such as distorted sense of time, paranoia, short-term memory loss, anxiety and depression. . �Considered “gateway drug”, meaning users are more likely to go on and try other harder drugs such as meth, heroine, cocaine. �Considered highly addictive, although it is not physically addictive it is just as mentally addictive.

Why It Should Be Legal �Proven medicinal use. Reduced pain in people with HIVrelated peripheral neuropathy (injury to the nerves that supply feelings to your arms and feet) �Could be taxed as if it were tobacco, thus generating thousands of dollars in new revenue. �If legalized, could ease the burden on the taxpayers by reducing the number of people in prison, thus freeing up more room in the budget for other things. According to the U. S Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, a study done in 2006 revealed that 12. 4 percent of federal inmates and 12. 7 percent of state inmate were incarcerated for marijuana related crimes(St. Pierre).

States That Have Medicinal Marijuana �The first state to adopt a medicinal marijuana plan was California in 1996 with Proposition 215. �Since then 15 other states, including Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Arizona and the District of Columbia have adopted medicinal marijuana programs. �Each state varies on the amount one person can legally have and each state varies on the symptoms that can be treated with marijuana.

Common Middle Ground �Impose a set of laws with penalties ranging from the low end of an infraction for possession, to the upper end of a lowest level misdemeanor in said state(because states have different misdemeanor levels) for growing and distributing. �Would stifle recreational use because there are still risks associated with use.

Works Cited � Donald Abrams, . "Cannabis for Treatment of HIV-Related Peripheral Neuropathy. " Cannabis for treatment of hiv-related peripheral neuropathy. (CMCR). , 2007. Web. 1 Apr 2012. <http: //www. cmcr. ucsd. edu/index. php? option=com_content&view=article&id=147: cannabis-fortreatment-of-hiv-related-peripheral-neuropathy&catid=41: research-studies&Itemid=135>. � St. Pierre, A. . "Decriminalizing pot will reduce prison population, have no adverse impact on safety, study says. " NORML News Release. N. p. , 2007. Web. 1 Apr 2012. <http: //norml. org/news/2007/11/21/decriminalizing-pot-will-reduce-prison-population-have-noadverse-impact-on-public-safety-study-says>. � O'Keefe, K. . "16 legal medical marijuana states and dc. "Procon. org. Pro. Con. org, 2012. Web. 2 Apr 2012. <http: //medicalmarijuana. procon. org/view. resource. php? resource. ID=000881>. � Murphy, K. . "How Marijuana Became Illegal. " Washington free press. WAFree. Press. org, 2009. Web. 1 Apr 2012. <http: //wafreepress. org/article/090304 marijuana. shtml>. � "Health Effects of Marijuana. " National institute on drug abuse. Parents: The Anti Drug, 2012. Web. 29 March 2012. <http: //www. theantidrug. com/drug-information/marijuana-facts/health-effects-