America’s Unjust Drug War Essay

It has been give tongue to that the description of insanity is doing the corresponding thing all over and over, expecting a different chair this statement fairly sums up the War on Drugs. Let us imagine a scenario of two men, one of them has bulgeed 4 new-made women in cold blood, for sport as he likes to say the other musical composition was caught with a large core of an contraband drug. In prison it would not be impertinently for these two to share a cell, hardly my interrogative mood is why? Why are these drastic all toldy different crimes seen as being worthy of the same punishment? According to a pro- ganja web site, studies stage that in Dallas, Texas Possession of two ounces or less of marihuana is penal by up to 180 days in confine and a amercement up to $2,000. Possession of greater than two ounces is punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine up to $4,000 (We Be High). It seems to defy logic, and upon observation of the accompaniments, it does.The Wa r on Drugs, specifically the bulwark of hemp, is an unnecessary drain on our coun exertions tax dollars and law enforcement agencies. Some would even say that these agencies subscribe to no right to tell us what we as US Citizens end set apart into our bodies in the first place. Not notwithstanding that, but the skepticism and prohibition of marihuana is keeping tribe from exploring the amazing potential that it has in the medicinal field. If marijuana were legalized properly, not only would these problems begin to work themselves go forth, but the unratified market and the problems and dangers caused by the prohibition of marijuana would cease to exist. cardinal fact that few in our country would refute is that our prison system is over-crowded and has been stretched in recent years to accommodate all the recent criminals. Along with all those which have committed true crimes against society such as slaying and robbery, in that respect are now citizens that have been fou nd guilty of self-will or distribution of drugs. In 2003, there were a record 755,186 marijuana arrests in the US greater than the number of arrests for all violent crimes have (Miron).In 1998, 65% of those were convicted of drug possession in state appeal and 71% of those convicted of drug trafficking were sentenced to incarceration (Chin 10). Not only is being arrested and incarcerated for unanalyzable possession of marijuana a set-back in ones life, but finding a decent job for an ex-con is very thorny (Rachels and Rachels). It is hard to believe that violent criminals and foul upijuana dealers belong in the same facility it is a waste of money to feed and clothe them. A popular philosophical argument for the legalization of drugs, such as marijuana, is that the political relation does not have the right to tell us what we can and cannot coiffe in into our own bodies. Nowhere in the constitution does it state that all drugs should be illegal and should result in major fines or even jail time if one was caught in possession of the drug. In fact, it seems to be implied that people should be able to have the freedom to self medicate as they want to.From the utilitarian perspective, people tend to be happier when they have freedom, and the legitimate drug laws reduce that livelinessing of freedom and happiness. Therefore, the administration should not put restrictions on drug use (Rachels and Rachels). If any(prenominal)one were to make the choice to wad cannabis, that would be their choice and doing so would not directly harm anyone else. after all, isnt America the Land of the Free? Our country is filled with propagandists who mold the facts and percentages of drugs that they want to be illegal just so the drug seems more(prenominal) dangerous than it actually is. In fact, some peoples any day activities are proven to be more harmful than marijuana such as smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, obesity, having unprotected sex, and riding mo torcycles (Rachels and Rachels).A popular argument prohibitionists use for this is that illegal drug use harms the plaza ab drug user in a different substance (Rachels and Rachels). However, all of these activities listed harm the user in some sort of way and isnt that what really matters in the end? There are some people out there that truly believe (and try to convince others) that marijuana is a devilish substance when in reality there have been no deaths some(prenominal) from marijuana use (Herer). However, there are around 106,000 deaths from legal drugs that you can acquire at any convenience store, including aspirin. Studies show that aspirin is creditworthy for anywhere from 108-1,000 deaths per year. Animal studies have shown that it is virtually impossible to overdose on marijuana (Hager). This has led scientists to conclude that the ratio of the amount of cannabinoids necessary to beat back a mortal intoxicated (i.e., stoned) relative to the amount necessary to kil l them is 1 to 40,000 (Hager).So in other words, in order to over dose on marijuana, someone would have to ingest 40,000 times withal much one would have to smoke in order to take a leak the high feeling. If legal drugs and every day activities pose a bigger threat on society than marijuana, then why is cannabis illegal while these things remain legal? Rather than criminalizing those who possess and sell marijuana, some have proposed a radical reversal in policy that the government actually legalize marijuana and tax it. By allowing the illegal consequence of drugs into the United States (a multi-billion dollar a year industry), we are allowing all of the cyberspace to go to people who do not deserve it such as criminals, killers, and dangerous organizations (The Economic Benefits). ratifiedizing marijuana in the US would save some $7.7 billion per year in enforcement costs, and it would generate between $2.4 and $6.2 billion in tax revenue, depending on whether pot was taxed commonly or at the high rate at which alcohol and tobacco and are now taxed (Rachels and Rachels). every last(predicate) of this can be accomplished by simply repealing the prohibition laws in effect. Along with preventing prison over-population and creating another form of tax revenue, the legalization of marijuana could create a new and simpler class of analgesic, which by definition is a medicine used to relieve pain. In an experiment conducted at the University of atomic number 20 Davis, there were three different conferences granted three different substances. One was given 7% marijuana, the second was given 3.5% marijuana, and the last was the keep group, which was given a placebo. The results showed that both the 3.5% group and the 7% group both see equal amounts of analgesic produced.While the people in the study did feel a type of high in using the marijuana as a medicinal aid, the fact that both levels used created an equal amount of analgesic federal agency that t here may be a way around the high feeling. Further testing might be a good idea to see if an even lower dose could unsounded create an analgesic without the side effects of the high feeling ( diary of Pain). The study also explains that marijuana does not tranquilize the pain, but seconds to create an emotional distance from it. In other words the person can still feel the pain but just does not care as much as he or she normally would. Making marijuana a legalized drug would also mean that it would break a more controlled and regulated drug as well. However, one major concern of making marijuana a legalized substance is the possibility of young adults in society being exposed to it.While this is a reasoned argument against legalizing marijuana, people must realize that the fact that marijuana is soon illegal actually provides teens more opportunities to make money by interchange it to their friends (Top Ten Reasons). However, making marijuana a legalized, controlled, and regu lated substance would make it much harder for teens to get a hold of the drug. Miron expresses this fact, saying that unlike drug dealers, licensed vendors would ensure that teens could not bargain for marijuana, just as states that have implemented strict controls on underage tobacco purchases have seen sales of tobacco to minors fall dramatically (Miron). A group of 12th grade high school students were asked how legalizing marijuana would affect them personally. 61% said they would not use the drug even if it were legal to buy and use. 15% stated they would use it as often as they do now, and 1.5% say they would use it less often.Only 5.5% say they would use it more often than they do currently while nine percent said they would try it. Though these percentages may seem like large numbers, it only amounts to around 14% (about one in seven) of the students surveyed who stated they would either try marijuana or increase their use if marijuana were to become legalized (Johnston, OMa lley, Bachman, Schulenberg). Another problem with people having to resort to the black market for the purchase of cannabis is the danger that accompanies it. The illegal market that has been established because of the combination of the hire and illegality of marijuana brings much violence along with it. It is common for drug dealers at this day and age to carry around and use guns and knives as means of protection.This results in the possibility of something bad happening to the buyer or stark bystanders. If cannabis were to become legalized and controlled, innocent people would not have to worry about the dangers that they are currently faced with in the purchasing of marijuana on the black market. This flawed policy should have been thrown out years ago like the failed Prohibition was in 1933, but societal propaganda and a more weary population has kept it securely in its place as one of the priorities of conservative Americans. Hopefully with time and a more intense barrage o f facts and logic, this failed war can end and help usher in a new age of understanding and control over the substances we now outlaw. Until then the United States Government will expand to burn money and lock away undeserving citizens.Work CitedBarth Wilsey, doubting Thomas Marcotte, Alexander Tsodikov, Jeanna Millman, Heather Bentley, Ben Gouaux and Scott Fishman. A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Trial of Cannabis Cigarettes in Neuropathic Pain. The ledger of Pain. Web. 28 April 2010. Chin, Gabriel J. Race, the War on Drugs, and the Collateral Consequences of Criminal Conviction. Journal of Gender, Race & Justice, Vol. 6, p. 253, 2002. University of Arizona. Web. 1 May 2010. Hager, Paul. cannabis Myths. Web. 3 May 2010.Herer, Jack. hemp Fuel Food Fiber Medicine Industry. HempCar. Web. 3 May 2010. Johnston, L. D., OMalley, P. M., Bachman, J. G., & Schulenberg, J. E. (2009). Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use, 19752008 loudness I, Secondary Sch ool Students. The University of Michigan Institute for Social Research. PDF file. 30 April 2010. Miron, Jeffrey A. The budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibition. Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibition in the United States. Mar 28, 2008. Web. 1 May 2010. Rachels, mob and Stuart Rachels. The Elements of Moral Philosophy. New York Mcgraw-Hill, 2010. Print Rachels, James and Stuart Rachels. The Right Thing to Do. New York Mcgraw-Hill, 2010. Print The Economic Benefits of a Legal Regulated Marijuana Industry. 2005. Web. 3 May 2010.The Top Ten Reasons Marijuana Should be Legal. AlterNet. High Times. Web. 3 May 2010. WeBeHigh A Travelers Guide to Getting High. Web. 2 May 2010.