Legalize It The Necessity For Marijuana Law Reform Essay

Legalize It: The Necessity For Marijuana Law Reform When I think about social issues that should be discussed more often than they are, I think about the topic of legalization of marijuana. As a person that has consumed marijuana both in legal settings, and illegal settings, I can say that the title â€Å"illegal drug† should not apply to cannabis. The reason that I believe this is because I do not feel that marijuana is a threat to my personal safety, nor is it a threat to the safety of people that are around me if I was to be smoking it in their vicinity. I am not a violent person, and do not consider myself to be a criminal based on what plants I have smoked. While I believe that cannabis should be legalized in every†¦show more content†¦Because of this, I will focus primarily on the use of marijuana as an intoxicant because when used as an intoxicant is when the law is the harshest on marijuana law offenders. The use of marijuana as an intoxicant was first documented in India around the time of 1000 B.C. and w as used mostly as a part of Hindu culture (Snyder, 125). Reasons for why the plant was used are unclear from the texts that are left behind. I would guess that it was first introduced because of the somewhat euphoric state that cannabis can induce. The marijuana was consumed in three different forms in ancient India (27). The first was called bhang, which was made from hemp and was consumed in a drink form. This was mostly consumed by the lower classes and was ingested to relieve one from the stresses of a long days work (Grinspoon, 173). The first of the other two forms was called ganja and was taken from the tops, or bud, of the plants and smoked. The last and most potent form of the marijuana was called charas and is similar to hash. The plant quickly spread from India to other areas of Asia. In China marijuana was called the â€Å"Liberator of Sin† (Fort, 15). The plant soon spread into Middle Eastern areas and permeated into the Muslim religion, most likely be cause the prophetShow MoreRelatedShould Marijuana Be Legalized?988 Words   |  4 PagesMarijuana is the most frequently used illicit drug and has been used by nearly 100 million Americans. According to the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, about 19.8 millions Americans have smoked marijuana in the past year (NSDUH). The debate about whether or not it should be legalization has resulted in passionate and well-funded organizations on both sides of the argument working to advance their position. Among those organizations, we have NORML (National Organization for theRead MoreMedical Marijuana Should Be Legal1545 Words   |  7 Pagesmedicinal utility of marijuana. However, the federal government opposes passing legislation that would legalize medical marijuana because of its potential to be abused or unregulated. 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