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Keona Holden

Instructor: Malcolm Campbell

English 1102

March 27, 2014

Should the use of Marijuana be Legal in all 50 States for Recreational Use?

I have a friend back in my hometown Baltimore, Maryland, named Ashley, who is a

devoted recreational marijuana smoker. We worked together over the summer, and everyday

before work she would roll a blunt and smoke it in some secluded area away from everyone, so

that she would not get caught. In Maryland, the use, and possession of marijuana is illegal, for all

purposes. My co-workers and I thought Ashley was addicted, but when asked Ashley always said

that she could stop if she wanted to, she would frequently refer to when she stopped smoking for

several months while she was searching for a job, and when she stopped because she didn’t have

sufficient funds to support it. The more Ashley went on to explain her use of marijuana, the more

I thought if marijuana should be legal for recreational use? I wondered if smoking or consuming

marijuana was addictive? I also wanted to know how marijuana affected one’s body internally

and long term.

People have known about marijuana for a very long time in the United States. In 1619,

the Virginia Assembly passed a legislation requiring every farmer to grow hemp. Hemp is a

cannabis plant, much like marijuana. Hemp or marijuana was not used for smoking in the 1600’s

it had many other uses such as industrial textiles, consumer textiles, paper, building materials,

food, animal feed - just to name a few. Much time passes before the government starts to get

involved with marijuana again. Hemp is a protein; it contains all 10 essential amino acids. Hemp

flour is gluten-free, which is beneficial for those who are allergic to gluten. Hemp also has high

Comment [LHG1]: I like how you started off with a personal experience; I would consider maybe adding a little bit more of your own personal

thoughts and less about what she says only – that

might be a stronger paragraph.

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levels of Omega 3, Omega 6, vitamins B and E, calcium potassium and fiber. Because hemp has

a high nutritional value, many people cooked with it and used it as flavor for many drinks. But in

1906, the Pure Food and Drug Act was passed, which required labeling on food or drinks that

contained cannabis. During the 1920’s, immigrants from Mexico introduced a recreational use of

marijuana. The drug then became associated with immigrants and crimes. In 1937 the Marijuana

Tax Act was passed. This criminalized marijuana and restricted possession, except for people

who paid tax for medical reasons; that quickly ceased. In 1951, the sentencing laws for

possession of marijuana became stricter. In 1996 Medical use was legalized in California. This

motion was followed by 20 other states.

Many students on campus have come in an encounter with the police involving

marijuana. Zach, my classmate who lives down the hall from me, was recently caught with

marijuana in his room and he now has a misdemeanor on his record. In North Carolina it is a

misdemeanor to possess 1.5 ounces of weed or less with a maximum fine of $1,000 and a

maximum of 45 days in jail. Possessing 1.5 or more ounces with intent to distribute is a felony

with a maximum of 18 years of incarceration and a maximum fine of $200,000. Sale, cultivation

and miscellaneous acts such as involving a minor are all felonies, with a maximum of 18 years in

jail. Paraphernalia, such as bongs are considered misdemeanors with the maximum of 45 days in

jail. NORML, National Organization for the reform of Marijuana, is a nonprofit public-interest

lobby that provides voices for Americans who oppose marijuana prohibition, reports that 86

people were being arrested per hour for marijuana. NORML feels that these laws for the use of

marijuana are too harsh. But, other groups such as MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the

nations largest non-profit working to prevent underage drinking and drunk drivers, feels that

strict laws will prevent people who are intoxicated in any way from hurting others, and even

Comment [LHG2]: Maybe find some way to transition from the last statement to this statement. I

know what you are going for, but I feel like it could be moved around to fit better and flow better.

Comment [LHG3]: Maybe find some other information about this so that it can become a new paragraph about the movement from no marijuana to

medical to recreational use in some states.

Comment [LHG4R3]: Don’t forget your internal citations. They are a big deal in this paper!

Comment [LHG5]: I would move this statement around to make the paragraph more about the consequences of smoking marijuana in most states in

general.

Comment [LHG6]: Reword this sentence – it’s awkwardly phrased and you get lost in all of the

commas.

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themselves. MADD constructed a study in December of 2013 that shows that marijuana and

hashish was used by fewer than 40 percent of high school seniors. MADD believes that if the

laws were stricter or more enforced, it would prevent drugs and alcohol from getting into the

hands of teenagers.

There are 111 million people in America who have admitted to trying marijuana once and

there are only 19 million people who admit to using marijuana frequently according to Dr. Oz, a

MD graduate of University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and a well renowned surgeon

and television personality. Dr. Carl Hart, a psychologist and author, who has been studying

marijuana for 15 years, says that it is true that marijuana can be addictive. Dr. Hart says that

marijuana addiction is not as serious as other addictions like alcohol addictions. 1 in 11 adults

who try marijuana become addicted, and 1 in 6 adolescents who try marijuana become addicted

to it as well says Dr. Paula Riggs, MD Director of Division of Substance Dependence at the

University of Colorado. Dr. Oz says that marijuana can play a valuable therapeutic role with very

careful control. In other words, marijuana is addictive, just like caffeine, and nicotine, it just is

not as harmful as addiction to alcohol and other hard drugs.

Marijuana is legal for medical uses in 20 states and the District of Columbia. Doctors

may prescribe marijuana to treat muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis, nausea from cancer

treatment, Chron’s disease and many other chronic illnesses. Medical marijuana cannot be

prescribed to anyone under 18 years old. If your primary care physician thinks that marijuana

will help you, a medical marijuana card is issued and you are able to legally purchase marijuana

from a dispensary. “Pain is the main reason people ask for a prescription,” says Barth Wilsey,

MD, pain medicine specialist at University of California Davis Medical Center. But although

marijuana can be used to treat pain, marijuana also has some harmful effects. According to

Comment [LHG7]: This kind of contradicts what was said in your opening paragraph because the girl says that she can quit anytime she wants – idk if that

is a big deal or not, but just something I noticed.

Comment [LHG8]: I would also say that

marijuana is thought to be a gateway drug – while it may not be as “addictive” as some other drugs, it still

puts people in the mindset of drugs and could

possibly lead to the use of harder drugs such as meth and cocaine (just one of the many

Comment [LHG9R8]: Sides to the argument)

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countless scientific studies THC, the affective ingredient in marijuana, stays in the body for

weeks, even months. Dr. Oz reports that marijuana can cause an increase heart rate as well as

many effects on the brain such as reward, memory, concentration, coordination and time

perception. Marijuana has not yet been successfully linked to cancer.

Countries such as Netherlands, and Uruguay do not prosecute against the use of

marijuana recreationally. In the Netherlands, marijuana and hash are commonly sold in

establishments called coffee shops. In the Netherlands, drugs that are commonly known as illegal

drugs to American citizens are divided up in to 2 categories, List I, hard drugs or List II, soft

drugs. Marijuana is categorized as a soft drug; there is no active prosecution against the use of

any soft drug although the drug itself remains illegal. The Dutch have created a Policy of

Tolerance for marijuana. It states that one cannot possess more than 5 grams in public or 50

grams in any private area. It also states that one may not be able to grow more than 5 plants.

When these limits of tolerance are ignored legal charges will be filled. On the other hand,

Uruguayan President José Mujica signed a law on the regulation of marijuana on December 23.

Although it won’t go into effect until April, Uruguay is going to become the first country in the

world to legalize marijuana. In order to obtain marijuana citizens of Uruguay must signed up for

a federal registry, and they will only be allowed 40 grams. Citizens will also be allowed to grow

up to 6 plants, or 480 grams per year. The price of the legal marijuana would be the same price

as illegal marijuana in this country, $1 to $1.50. This is to eliminate the black market sale of

marijuana. If the price of legal marijuana is the same as black market, then consumers will be

more driven to buy marijuana legally. Although these countries have allowed marijuana use,

there are strict guidelines for the consuming citizens to follow.

Comment [LHG10]: I would also talk about the other side effects to marijuana, such as the lung damage. I’m not sure if this is true, but I’ve heard it

burns in your lungs at a higher temperature than

cigarettes.

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Many people in the United States would like to follow in the steps of the Netherlands,

Uruguay, Colorado, and Washington. Colorado has just about 160 legal marijuana stores. A lot

of people were excited when Colorado first legalized recreational marijuana. In January, the first

month marijuana was legally sold for recreational use; $14.02 million dollars worth of

recreational marijuana was sold. This translated to about $2.01 million dollars in taxes. Colorado

has already budgeted out the first $40 million of the excise tax to go towards school construction.

There are many different ideas on how the tax revenue should be spent. Colorado’s governor

John Hickenlooper has already the legislature a densely detailed $134 million dollar tax proposal

of how he thinks the money should be spent. Most importantly, Governor Hickenlooper added

spending on anti-drug messages to kids, and additional advertisement that would discourage

driving while under the influence of marijuana. Richard M. Nixon, US senator from California

says that “Federal laws should be changed to lo longer make it a crime to posses marijuana for

private use”. People who are pro-recreational marijuana use feel that the US could benefit from

it. The amount of revenue though marijuana taxes would help bring the national debt down.

Others who disagree with the legalization of marijuana think that it will harm the nation.

Although not yet proven, many scientists think that marijuana use can be linked to other drug use

such as cocaine or heroin. They feel that once someone tries marijuana they would be more

likely to try other illegal drugs.

Many people have different opinions across the United Stated on the legalization of

marijuana. Ultimately, it is up to the government to make an executive decision on the legalizing

weed. All we can do as the public is wait.

Comment [LHG11]: I would add more about the

opposition to the drugs. I feel like you have good information but it’s very spaced out and it doesn’t

have a lot of structure. Maybe adding some structure

would help. Make an outline and organize you information accordingly.

Comment [LHG12]: Add more to this – talk about how there are good things and bad things about the drug and possible outcomes in the future.

Comment [LHG13]: Good start to the paper. I would definitely add more benefits from marijuana

or the plant it comes from and the benefits it can have for the USA in the years to come and also talk

about horrible side effects that can happen because

of the drugs. I feel like adding more of the benefits and the setbacks will help your paper to show depth

and why it matters as well.

We are at the point in history where most people

want weed to be legalized and I feel like giving more

information, good and bad, will help people to make their own decision about it.

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Works Cited

"COLORADO GETS $2M IN MARIJUANA TAXES IN FIRST MONTH OF

LEGALIZATION." N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2014.

<http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/3/10/colorado-

collects2minrecreationalpottaxes.html>.

"The Daily Smoker." Is Cannabis Legal in The Netherlands? N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2014.

<http://www.dailysmoker.com/various/amsterdam/drug-policy/cannabis-legal-

netherlands>.

"History of Marihuana Legislation*." History of Marihuana Legislation. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar.

2014. <http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/studies/nc/nc2_7.htm>.

"Marijuana - Marijuana Use and Effects of Marijuana." WebMD. WebMD, 02 Mar. 0001. Web.

22 Mar. 2014. <http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/marijuana-use-and-its-effects>.

"NORML.org - Working to Reform Marijuana Laws." About Marijuana. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar.

2014. <http://norml.org/marijuana>.