Legalizing Marijuana
It costs significant money for governments to catch buyers and dealers of drugs in the black market, arrest them, file cases against them, and then keep them in jail. Hence, the war on drugs is a long, risky, expensive undertaking. (Boylstein, 2003) This spending is considerably high when talking about the drug marijuana, as it is one amongst largely consumed drugs as it does not cause much harm to health like tobacco or nicotine. Hence, the government was at a loss due to spending a lot of revenues on war on drugs and by not collecting taxes for the illegal drugs. According to the research, a lot of tax revenue can be collected by the governments by legalizing marijuana.

In old times, Americans considered marijuana, as an impecunious type of tobacco. Actually, its name marijuana was suggested by Mexicans, they considered marijuana as the lowest variety of cigarette. When these…...

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References

Anderson, D, M., Hansen, B., and Rees, D, I., (2012) Medical Marijuana Laws and Teen Marijuana Use, Pg 24- 43.

Boylstein, C, A., (2003) Marijuana in America, Red Feather Journal of Graduate Sociology. The Red Feather Institute, 8085 Essex, Weidman, Michigan, 1-5.

Bradford, H., (2012), 14 ways Marijuana could boost the economy, Huff Post Business, 1.

Register, Charles A. And Williams, Donald R. (1992) Labor Market Effects of Marijuana and Cocaine Use Among Young Men, Industrial and Labor Relations Review, pp. 435-448.

Marijuana users are accustomed to consuming the substance even with the fact that they risk greatly from the act. "Few people claim that they would change the amount they used if marijuana were legalized (Johnston, Bachman, & O'Malley, 1981). A poll of 1,400 adults found that over 80% claimed that they would not try the drug even if it were legal (Dennis, 1990)" (Earleywine 232). Numerous people who have not yet used marijuana are nonetheless aware of the fact that it is very easy to procure the substance and are likely to do so if they want to with or without waiting for support from the government. "Every year since 1975, over 80% of high school seniors have reported that marijuana is fairly easy or very easy to purchase (Johnston, Bachman, & O'Malley, 1996). Most teens find beer more difficult to buy than cannabis (Center on Addiction and Substance…...

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Works cited:

Earleywine, Mitch. Understanding Marijuana: A New Look at the Scientific Evidence (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002)

Goode, Erich. The Marijuana Smokers (New York: Basic Books, 1970)

Goode, Erich ed., Marijuana (Chicago: Atherton, 1969)

Gerber, Rudolph J. Legalizing Marijuana: Drug Policy Reform and Prohibition Politics (Westport, CT: Praeger, 2004)

Legalizing Marijuana in Florida
The dividing lines have been drawn once again in the state of Florida with a controversial issue being put forth in the limelight. There is an initiative in the State Legislature to introduce a bill that will decriminalized and legalized the prescription and use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Led by Florida Rep. Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth, who "is introducing a bill that would put legalizing marijuana for medical purposes up for a statewide vote. Rep. Clemens not only considers himself a full 'decriminalization advocate' but would one day like to see marijuana legalized for all Floridians, but that is not his intention with this first effort. (rochu 2011)" As expected, there are pros and cons to the endeavors with those against having the upper hand at the moment. The reason being is that marijuana is still a banned and illegal substance considered as a Schedule 1…...

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Bibliography:

Brochu, Nicole. Florida Lawmaker's Tilting at Windmills with Medical Marijuana Bill. The Palm Beach Post. 09 Mar. 2011. 14 Jun. 2011. .

Jones, Brian. Legalizing Marijuana Makes Fiscal Sense. PanamaCity.com. 10 Apr. 2011. 14 Jun. 2011. .

People United for Medical Marijuana -- Florida (PUFMM). Take Action / The Plan. 2010. 14 Jun. 2011. .

ProCon.org. Medical Marijuana. 2011. 14 Jun. 2011. .

Legalize Marijuana
Legalizing marijuana

In this era of spiraling medical costs, if there is a product that has never caused any deaths, has proven benefits, and is inexpensive, it should not only be legal, but should be aggressively pursued by governmental agencies to aid in the health care crisis. Would you be interested in a substance that could alleviate nausea and vomiting for most cancer and chemotherapy patients? How about a way to stimulate hunger so that AIDS and other immune-suppressed individuals can eat again? How about this same substance that could lower pressure on the eye and treat glaucoma? How about chronic migraines, back pain, or even nausea and vomiting cased with hepatitis? And, would you be excited if you knew that preliminary studies show that this same substance, widely available, prevents the formation of plaque deposits in the brain of Alzheimer's victims? What if you also knew this same substance…...

Miron (qtd in Lazarus 2006) calculated that the legalization of marijuana could yield around $2.4 billion annually, if the substance is taxed at the level of most goods. The revenues could rise to $6.2 billion annually, if marijuana is taxed on the same level as cigarettes and alcohol. Because of the potential economic windfall that could come as a result of repealing this "bad public policy," more than 500 economists have signed an open letter to President Bush, urging him to repeal the repressive marijuana possession laws and to decriminalize its possession (Lazarus 2006).

Placing the distribution of marijuana in the hands of the government has further benefits. Currently, marijuana is the top crop earner in the United States (Bailey 2006). The market value of the marijuana cultivated and produced in the United States totals over $35 billion. This figure far exceeds cash crop staples like soybeans, hay, and corn (Bailey…...

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Works Cited

Bailey, Eric. 2006. "Report stresses marijuana's value as top U.S. cash crop." The Los Angeles Times. December 22: A26.

Federal Bureau of Investigation. 2005. Crime in the United States. Washington: Department of Justice.

Fitzgerald, Robin. 2007. "Homicides on the rise: Gulfport saw most dramatic increase." Knight Ridder Tribune Business News January 1: 1.

Lazarus, David. 2005. "The case for legal pot use." San Francisco Chronicle. November 26: J1.

On the other hand, marijuana is still perceived as an addictive substance under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. It has been historically linked as a gateway drug to more serious substance abuse such as meth, heroin, or cocaine. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says that marijuana is the most widely used and abused illicit drug in the nation among both youth and adults; in fact 42% of high school seniors have tried it. The National Center on Addiction found that rates for marijuana use and dependence for minors has increased 482% between 1992 and 2006 while, at the same time there was a 54% decrease in rates of all other substances combined. The issue most worrisome is the use of marijuana for young people, since 62% of all users began before they were 18. According to NIDA research, marijuana use predominantely affects the prefrontal cortex, the last area of…...

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Works Cited

"Arguments Against Marijuana Legalization and/or Decriminalization from a Prevention

Standpoint." CADCA2008.

Legalizing Marijuana
Marijuana was declared an illegal drug in the U.S.A. with the passing of the Marijuana Tax Act in 1937 under dubious circumstances.

Since that time numerous studies have shown that the drug is less harmful than tobacco and alcohol. Despite the available evidence and the enormous cost of enforcing the marijuana ban, it is hard to understand why this relatively harmless drug continues to remain illegal in the United States. This essay argues why marijuana should be decriminalized without further delay.

Opponents of legalizing marijuana contend that it is a dangerous drug; this is far from the truth. For example, there has not been a single recorded case of death due to marijuana overdose. On the other hand, a legal intoxicant like alcohol results in the death of about 5,000 persons every year due to overdose. The reason for this is that the ratio of cannabinoids necessary for intoxication is 40,000:1…...

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References

"Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Marijuana Use." (2005). Schaffer Library of Drug Policy. Retrieved on October 1, 2005 from  http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/mjfaq1.htm 

Concar, D. (1998). "High Anxieties." New Scientist. February 21, 1998: Issue No. 2122.

'Marijuana Prohibition Facts." (2004) Marijuana Policy Project Foundation. Retrieved on October 1, 2005 from  http://mpp.org/pdf/prohfact.pdf 

'Study Compares Nicotine to Other Drugs." (1994). National Drug Strategy Network. Retrieved on October 1, 2005 from  http://www.ndsn.org/AUGUST94/NICOTINE.html

New research is underway examining the effects of marijuana on multiple sclerosis and stroke victims, which is one of the key reasons why more funding, and fewer obstacles, for research are needed. Already, twenty-one states have opened the door to potential research, but only six states have launched research campaigns into the medicinal benefits of pot: California, Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, and Tennessee ("21 States"). Federal legalization would ensure that more research on marijuana's health benefits will be completed.
Because marijuana is illegal, citizens who want it must turn to criminal avenues of distribution unless they are one of the few living in California who can acquire medical marijuana. Many of the existing illegal avenues of distribution are run by organized crime networks. In order to protect their interests, such criminal organizations will stop at nothing, including murder. The violent crime that is related to the marijuana trade…...

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Works Cited

Costa, Antonio Maria. "Drugs: Cash Flow for Organized Crime." United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. 1 Feb 2005. Retrieved 6 Mar 2005 online at http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/speech_2005-02-1.html.

Hager, Paul. "Marijuana Myths." Online at  http://www.drugtext.org/sub/marmyt1.html .

Joy, Janet E., Watson, Stanley J., and Benson, John a. (eds). Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base. Institute of Medicine. Washington D.C.: National Academy Press, 1999. Online at  http://www.medmjscience.org/Media/pdf/marimed.pdf .

NIDA InfoFacts: Marijuana." National Institute on Drug Abuse. Online at  http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/marijuana.html .

legalizing marijuana for medical use. The writer discusses both sides of the issue and argues that the medicinal used of marijuana should be legalized.
Before one can begin to understand the logic in legalizing marijuana for medicinal use it is important to understand the history of the argument both for and against it as well as the importance that it be legalized for future use. Each year, thousands of people are diagnosed with various medical conditions in which marijuana is believed to make a difference. Cancer patients who are deathly ill with cancer claim that marijuana eases the side effects of chemotherapy. Patients with glaucoma have been shown to benefit from the use of marijuana as have patients with AIDS and other medical conditions. While the medicinal use of marijuana has been proven through studies to be beneficial to certain medical patients, the political, social and moral frowning has kept…...

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References

Marijuana advocates seek legalization for medicinal use

Activists support medicinal joints

Deadly deceit. (legalizing drugs under the banner of medical use)(Editorial)

Marijuana on the Ballot.(medical community divided over therapeutic use of drug)

Legalizing marijuana would actually allow authorities to focus on some of society's most severe problems, as they would no longer have to invest significant resources into punishing petty marijuana users.
Considering the difficulties related to criminalizing marijuana, it only seems natural for the government to want to do everything in its power to have it legalized, as penalizing marijuana offenders costs society enormous resources, particularly given that the number of marijuana-related offenses is on a continuous rise. It is surely difficult to determine whether state authorities are actually interested in penalizing individuals who have no criminal record and who seem to be completely harmless as a result of being caught with the substance. Hundreds of millions of dollars (even billions maybe) can be saved by putting an end to the war against marijuana. It appears the government is unable to tell the difference between real criminals and people who simply…...

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Works cited:

Anelauskas, Valdas Discovering America as It Is (Atlanta, GA: Clarity Press, 1999)

Gerber, Rudolph J. Legalizing Marijuana: Drug Policy Reform and Prohibition Politics (Westport, CT: Praeger, 2004)

Goode, Erich The Marijuana Smokers (New York: Basic Books, 1970)

Mauer, Marc "The Hidden Problem of Time Served in Prison," Social Research Mikos, Robert A. "On the Limits of Supremacy: Medical Marijuana and the States' Overlooked Power to Legalize Federal Crime," Vanderbilt Law Review 62.5 (2009)

Legalize Marijuana
An examination of the arguments about the legalization of marijuana indicates that this substance should be legalized. Quite simply, the benefits of legalizing marijuana outweigh its detriments. ere marijuana legalized, individuals could widely use it as a form of medication. Additionally, they could utilize it as a source of revenue that could potentially improve the economy in the United States. hen considering these boons against the perceived negative effects of legalizing marijuana, it becomes clear that this country should legalize it.

Perhaps the most advantageous benefit of legalizing marijuana is medical utility it serves. Marijuana is prescribed for a number of medical conditions. It helps to calm people and to sooth individuals who otherwise might have tendencies to get nervous or overexcited; it helps with seizures (Klas). Additionally, marijuana helps to stimulate the appetite, which could prove useful to people who have issues with weight and with eating hardily.…...

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Works Cited

De Avila, Joseph. Marijuana is New (Legal) Cash Crop in Connecticut. www.wsj.com. 2014. Web.  http://www.wsj.com/articles/marijuana-is-new-legal-cash-crop-in-connecticut-1401678686 

Klas, Mary Ellen. Florida House to Propose Bill to Legalize Strain of Marijuana for Seizures. www.miamiherald.com 2014. Web.

Klein, Andrew. Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research: For Law Enforcement, Prosecutors, and Judges. www.nij.gov 2009. Web.

Rosenbuam, Sara. "Gonzalez v. Raich: Implications for Public Health Policy." www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. 2005. Web.

Marijuana From the Psychosocial Perspective
Perceived Risk

e know that the concept of perceived risk is demonstrated most clearly by use trends related to marijuana use by adolescents. Use has fallen and risen over the course of modern history based on how dangerous the drug is perceived to be. hat impact will the current attitude of accepting medical and recreational marijuana have on your generation - today's youth and tomorrow's parents, leaders, and change-makers?

Even before the legalization of marijuana, there was a tacit social acceptance of the drug, particularly within many subcultures such as on college campuses, in the music industry, and amongst artists. Legalizing the drug could theoretically reduce the perception of the drug as a kind of 'forbidden fruit' and actually make it less of a rite of passage of teenage rebellion. It also might make the current use of drug tests for various occupations less accepted or at least…...

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Works Cited

Kelland, Kate. "Study finds genetic links between schizophrenia and cannabis use." Reuters.

24 Jun 2014.

"Which is worse, booze or pot? A doctor weighs in." CBS News. 19 Mar 2015. Web.

24 Oct 2015.

Ethics of Legalizing Marijuana
In recent years, there has been a significant amount of debate as to whether or not the possession and usage of marijuana should be legalized. Several issues revolve around this topic, not the least of which are the perceived and actual effects of this particular narcotic in a psychological, physical, economic, and even social sense. Perhaps one of the best methods for determining a prudent choice of action regarding this subject would be to consider it from an ethical perspective, or even better, from two ethical perspectives with traditionally conflict in order to properly gauge which stance would ultimately be more beneficial to marijuana users and the general public at large. The primary purpose of ethics is always to establish and preserve some moral good, and two ethical perspectives which can not be considered synonymous and which have a considerable amount of practical application to the debate…...

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References

Anderson, J.R. (1990) The Adaptive Character of Thought. London: Hove. Collins, H. (1998). "What's wrong with relativism?." Physics World (Bristol, UK: IOP Publishing). Retrieved from  http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/print/1607 

Mill, J. Utilitarianism. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1999. Print.

Parks, J.A., & Wike, V.S. (2010). Bioethics in a changing world. New York: Pearson.

Swoyer, C. (2010) "Relativism," The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Retrieved from  http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2010/entries/relativism/

Marijuana Legalization
I have no doubt in my mind that a majority of Americans hold a stand similar to mine; that the criminalization of marijuana is indeed costing us more than its legalization would. Those sitting on the fence, or holding a contrary opinion have probably not thought of it this way; marijuana is the country's largest cash crop, and legalizing it will do nothing but yield a streak of economic benefits including job creation and economic opportunity expansion in the formal rather than the underground market, the diversion of the scarce resources that go to marijuana-related law enforcement efforts to more productive activities that could better the society's well-being, etc. (uschman, 2004) . It is time marijuana was taken off the system of criminal justice, and brought into the legal arena in a manner similar to tobacco and alcohol.

One may ask; to what extent has the criminalization of marijuana…...

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References

DPA. (2014). Marijuana Legalization and Regulation. Drug Policy Alliance. Retrieved 22 March 2014 from  http://www.drugpolicy.org/marijuana-legalization-and-regulation 

High Times. (2014). 10 Reasons Marijuana should be Legal. High Times. Retrieved 22 March 2014 from  http://www.hightimes.com/read/10-reasons-marijuana-should-be-legal 

Rosenthal, E. & Kubby, S. (2003). Why Marijuana should be Legal. New York: Running Press.

Ruschman, P. (2004). Legalizing Marijuana. New York: Infobase Publishing.

hus, it is not an individual choice issue.
Cost of Drug Use journal article by Roberto a. revino, Alan J. Richard (2002); in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, reveals that the cost of drug use and abuse, especially marijuana, is expensive to the country. "Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug, used by 81% of current illicit drug users. Approximately 60% of current illicit drug users used only marijuana, 21% used marijuana and another illicit drug, and the remaining 19% used an illicit drug but not marijuana in the past month. herefore, about 40% of current illicit drug users in 1998 (an estimated 5.4 million Americans) were current users of illicit drugs other than marijuana and hashish (p. 91)." Considering for a moment the cost associated with policing, rehabbing, educating and all other areas of anti-drug use proactive approaches; this translates into a huge cost to…...

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Trevino, Roberto a., and Alan J. Richard. "Attitudes towards Drug Legalization among Drug Users." American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse 28.1 (2002): 91+. Questia. 4 Dec. 2007  http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5000711797 .

U.N. Report Rebuts Arguments for Legalizing Pot; Puffing for Fun Is Frowned on; Medical Use Merits More Study." The Washington Times 27 Feb. 2002: A12. Questia. 4 Dec. 2007  http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5000710352 .

The War on Drugs; Will Legalizing Drugs Put an End to the Black Market." The Washington Times 15 Apr. 2003: A19. Questia. 4 Dec. 2007  http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5001910274 .

With so many states legalizing marijuana, whether recreational marijuana, medical marijuana, or both, the idea that medical marijuana is still being withheld from many patients, including nursing home residents, who are experiencing pain and could get relief from the treatment is ridiculous.  Marijuana remains illegal on a federal level, however, and this complicates it usage for pain in nursing homes. That is because many people in nursing homes are dependent upon both state and federal aid for their medical care and there could be issues with funding if they were treated with....

Writing a persuasive essay is different from other types of academic writing.  Rather than simply presenting facts, you are trying to convince the reader to agree with your opinion or position on a topic.  The topic of psychology is extremely broad.  There are several different types of psychological theories, and each of these theories have several subtypes.  They also have different degrees of support among psychologists, so you could pick one of those theories or sub-theories and use it as the basis for a persuasive essay. 

To help you with writing your persuasive....

1. The Legalization Debate: Examining the Benefits and Risks of Marijuana

2. A Closer Look at the Medical Uses of Marijuana

3. Marijuana Legalization: A Step Towards Social Justice?

4. The Economic Impact of Legalizing Marijuana

5. Marijuana and Public Health: Exploring the Science and Myths

6. The Role of Marijuana in Criminal Justice Reform

7. Marijuana Consumption and Driving: Assessing the Risks

8. The Environmental Impact of Marijuana Production

9. Marijuana Policy in the United States: A Historical Perspective

10. Modifying Marijuana Laws: Finding a Balance Between Regulation and Freedom
11. The Stigma Surrounding Marijuana: Challenging Misconceptions and Stereotypes

12. Exploring the Cultural Significance of Marijuana Use

13. The Role of....

1. The impact of marijuana legalization on crime rates
2. The economic benefits of legalizing marijuana
3. The effects of marijuana legalization on public health and healthcare costs
4. The role of racial and social justice in marijuana legalization efforts
5. The impact of marijuana legalization on drug trafficking and illicit drug markets
6. The potential risks and drawbacks of legalizing marijuana
7. The relationship between marijuana legalization and teen drug use
8. The differences in state-level marijuana legalization policies and their effects
9. The potential implications of federal marijuana legalization in the United States
10. The role of regulation and taxation in marijuana legalization and control efforts.
11. The....