The Marijuana Of The United States - 954 Words

In that same year, Congress heard testimony asserting the same notion from the Vice President of the Pharmaceutical Examining Board of Pennsylvania, Dr. Christopher Koch. Dr. Koch warned about â€Å"Chinks† who keep white women as their â€Å"concubines† in their opium dens. In addition, he said, â€Å"The colored people seem to have a weakness for it (cocaine)†¦It produces a kind of temporary insanity. They would just as leave rape a woman as anything else, and a great many of the Southern rape cases have been traced to cocaine.† Whereas, just minutes later in his testimony he rationalized that white professionals â€Å"take morphine to quiet them, and they take cocaine to brace them up.† The first marijuana laws weren’t directed at blacks and Mexicans by statute, but they were sponsored by law enforcement and an extension of Jim Crow tactics. Historians Richard J. Bonnie and Charles H. Whitebread, authors of The Marijuana Conviction: A History of Marijuana Prohibition in the United States, documented a pervasive racial bias that motivated the formation of these laws. Only a few press clippings were necessary to drum up enough fear to pass those early marijuana laws. â€Å"All Mexicans are crazy, and this (marijuana) makes them crazy,† was a quote from the floor of the Texas Senate which passed the first state marijuana law in 1914. From 1915 to 1937, 27 states passed laws against marijuana. The first state marijuana laws weren’t actually addressing an existing marijuana problem; instead, mostShow MoreRelatedThe Legalization of Marijuana in the United States900 Words   |  4 PagesMarijuana is illegal in 48 of the 50 states, but the drug will most likely be legal in the near future. The heated debate on whether the â€Å"illicit drug† should be legalized in all 50 states keeps resurfacing. The most popular recreational drug in the United States today is marijuana. The formal name for marijuana is Cannabis but it also goes by a number of other street names including bud, grass, weed, reefer, ganja, hemp, and herb. â€Å"In 2011, more than 18 million Americans aged 12 and older reportedRead MoreThe Prohibition Of Marijuana And The United States1559 Words   |  7 PagesCannabis began being outlawed all across the U.S. during the 1900’s and has remained illegal ever since, until recent years when states began legalizing it (huffpost.com). Althou gh many people believe that the reason behind the prohibition of cannabis was based on genuine concern for the possible consequences it may have on the well-being of people if it remained accessible to all, the truth is that the drive behind the U.S.’s prohibition of cannabis was founded on racism. During the early 1900’sRead MoreThe Marijuana Of The United States Government1280 Words   |  6 PagesThe history of marijuana in the United States government date back to the origins of the United States government itself. During the 16th century, the mass production of hemp was encouraged by the British government for its fibrous content, which was used for making fabric, ropes, cords, and other items (â€Å"Marijuana Timeline† 2014). By 1619, the Virginia assembly passed legislation requiring each household in the colony to cultivate hemp, praising its variety of beneficial uses. Even after theRead MoreLegalization of Marijuana in the United States729 Words   |  3 PagesIntroduction Marijuana use should be legalized throughout the United States. Marijuana legalization is becoming a highly popular argument among the country. Marijuana has been used for a very long time throughout the country for many medical uses. Starting in the 1900’s marijuana as well as other drugs such as cocaine and opium were not considered drugs and were in fact very commonly used. Not much later in 1914 the U.S. made cocaine illegal for non-medical purposes, 56 years later in 1970 cocaineRead MoreLegalization Of Marijuana For The United States1416 Words   |  6 Pages The use of recreational marijuana is illegal in the United States. Although cannabinoids--the active compounds in marijuana may have the potential to help manage certain symptoms. Researchers around the world, including some in the United States, are continuing to explore the potential of the marijuana drug in use to help patients who benefit from the drug. According to our class notes, marijuana and Tabaco contain almost the same amount of chemical’s at over 500. The side effects include healthRead MoreThe Legalization Of Marijuana And The United States1709 Words   |  7 PagesThe Legalization of Cannabis The legalization of Cannabis in the United States is an extremely hot topic in the current media. Currently, 23 states and D.C. have laws to legalize use of Cannabis (NORML). Cannabis is also known as marijuana, dope, pot, grass, weed, head, Maryjane, doobie, bud, ganja, hashish, hash, bhang (Cannabis). Cannabis is now the third most popular recreational drug in America, this is behind alcohol and tobacco. It has been used by 100 million Americans (Cannabis). SinceRead MoreLegalizing Marijuana in the United States Essay1700 Words   |  7 PagesLegalizing Marijuana Debate Marijuana, also known as Cannabis is the third most well-liked recreational drug, which only falls behind alcohol and tobacco, in the United States (The Whitehouse, n.d.). Marijuana is made up of dried leaves, plants, stalks, and pits from the hemp plant Cannabis Sativa, which comprises of the mind-altering compound delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), in addition to other associated compounds. This plant substance can correspondingly be converged in a resin called hashishRead MoreShould the United States Legalize Marijuana? Essay1339 Words   |  6 Pagesmarijuana’s introduction to the United States of America in 1611, controversy of the use and legalization of the claimed-to-be Schedule I drug spread around the nation. While few selective states currently allow marijuana’s production and distribution, the remaining states still skepticize the harmlessness and usefulness of this particular drug; therefore, it remains illegal in the majority of the nation. The governm ent officials and citizens of the opposing states believe the drug creates a threatRead MoreMarijuana vs. Alcohol in the United States Essay843 Words   |  4 PagesMarijuana vs. Alcohol In The United States Marijuana and alcohol are the two most threatening drugs used in America today. Marijuana is the most illicit drug while alcohol is the most abused. Both were illegal during the prohibition but when the constitution was ratified in 1933 alcohol was made legal while marijuana remained illegal. It does not mean that because alcohol is still legal it’s less dangerous than marijuana. Both drugs lead to serious risks and should be taken with caution if usedRead MoreOrigins of Marijuana Laws in The United States Essay1125 Words   |  5 Pagesbelieve that the criminalization of marijuana came into effect as a result of research conducted with due diligence by trained scientists and physicians. The true reasons behind the criminalization of marijuana had little to do with the supposed harmful effects from its use as a recreational drug and much more to do with the financial bottom line of the entrenched industrial complex of this country. The leading advocates of the campaign to ba n the use of marijuana were influential businessmen which