Data Bases • Custom Term Papers • Free Term Papers • Free Research Papers • Free Essays • Free Book Reports • Plagiarism? Links • Top 100 Term Paper Sites • Top 25 Essay Sites • Top 50 Essay Sites • Search 97,000 Papers @ DirectEssays.com • Search 101,000 Papers @ ExampleEssays.com • Search 90,000 Papers @ MegaEssays.com Free Essays • Term Paper Sites • Chuck III's Free Essays • Free College Essays • TermPaperSites.com • My Term Papers • Get Free Essays • Essay World • Planet Papers	Search Lots of Essays Back to Subjects - Legal Issues Legaization of Marijuana Legaization of Marijuana On many different levels, one of the largest and most controversial issues of today is the legalization of marijuana. Marijuana has played an immense role in the transformation of our nation. The conflicting issue of marijuana legalization spans a large majority of our country’s citizens, from America’s government all the way down to the common man. Marijuana has been purposely brushed out of the picture by our government to promote other products such as nylon and paper, products that are manufactured by large industries with the ability to grease our leader’s palms. Personally, I disagree with the idea of making a substance illegal on the basis of promoting other products in competition or simply because of personal preference without consulting the majority of a democracy. Conveyed to me by my Uncle G. in south Florida, the issue of making marijuana illegal all began with one newspaper publisher’s thought of losing money. According to Oxford University Press, Randolph Hearst, considered to be “the newspaper publisher of the early twentieth century,” had just purchased four hundred thousand acres of limber land in the Mexican forest for trees to use in the production of his newspapers. Finding that hemp was easier to grow and that it grew much faster without the necessity of commercial fertilizers or pesticides, Mr. Hearst was forced to reassess his assets. He knew that he had to find a way of taking hemp off the market so it wouldn’t interfere with his production of paper. This task was easy for Mr. Hearst; being one in a position to control the media, he simply told the government and public of an “evil drug” called marijuana being imported from Mexico, saying that it was corrupting and killing America’s youth. The term “marijuana” in the Spanish dialect means as the Americans call it, “hemp”, but at the time Americans were led to believe marijuana was a different substance than hemp and also thought it best to ban. I don’t think what Mr. Hearst did was fair to the people at the time, and it should have dealt with the problem in a different manner. Hemp is an important factor in many other industries besides the paper industry. Petroleum, chemical, and pharmaceuticals companies have all had reason to shun the use of hemp and its by-products in America. The Du Pont Company, of the petroleum industry, invented a revolutionary product called nylon in 1935; named after the two places of origin, New York and London, this substance could be used in rope, which would be stronger and much more versatile than hemp, but at the same time would cost more to make, forcing it to still yield to the production of hemp. Chemical companies had even more reason than did Du Pont to ostracize the hemp industry. Finding that hemp could grow in almost any climate and that it required no pesticides for protection nor fertilizers to aid its growth, the chemical companies were in danger of being completely cut out of the picture and would have had no market for their products. Pharmaceutical companies also had reason for wanting hemp excluded from the market. Since hemp was considered a natural substance, untainted by humans, they were unable to place a patent on it. On the other hand though, the pharmaceutical companies were able to make a profit from criminals enrolled in rehabilitation centers to be counseled by physicians, sometimes made mandatory by the courts under the United States Code, title 21, chapter 16 of Drug Abuse Prevention, Treatment, and Rehabilitation. I also disagree with these company’s unjust decisions. With powerful industries behind the illegalization of marijuana, swimming against their current would have been impossible. Two other areas that marijuana has influenced greatly are the alcohol industry and the government. During the days of Prohibition, drinking alcohol was considered dignified and smoking marijuana was considered unseemly. This relationship of alcohol to dignity relates directly to the government because much of our government is made up of older citizens who experienced this segregation of drinkers and smokers. The alcohol company’s great lobbying power is very important to them, for if marijuana were to be legalized, a predicted decrease in alcohol sales would ensue, because of its preferred use over alcohol. Australia has already experienced such an event. According to surveys taken by the A.E.P.A (Australian Economic Preservation Association), alcohol sales decreased a record sixty to seventy percent. Also, as many have probably noticed, the government easily and heavily taxes alcohol. With these two branches as combined forces to benefit one another, valid reasons for marijuana’s current state don’t seem to be approaching. Marijuana has played, and yet still does play, an important role in our society since being outlawed in 1967,more so now as a basis from which to spout free spirited and un-uniformed ideas. After realizing the reasons for marijuana’s being illegal, the effect marijuana has on the body is dwarfed by the effects it would have on America’s industrial system. The issue is no longer about the health consequences, but of the political consequences. Though I disagree with the criminalization and the government’s validity of marijuana, I am, however, still forced to conform to the idea that marijuana is the root of all-evil, as stated by our fascist leaders. Bibliography: (Oxford University Press) (Australian Economic Preservation Association) Word Count: 880
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