The Criminalization of Marijuana

Paper Summary:

The paper argues persuasively against the government's attempt to thwart the freedom of having marijuana and contends that marijuana poses no threat to us or our community. The paper discusses the flaws in the famous experiment touted as proving the harmful effects of marijuana use and relates the positive effects marijuana can have on cognitive well-being. The paper also looks at benefits for cancer patients and sufferers of chronic pain. The paper asserts that if the earth produces something naturally that could benefit us, then what right does the government have to keep it under lock, key and gun?

From the Paper:

"It has been said that the freedom of my fist ends where your face begins. This means basically that we do not have the right to infringe on the rights of others, particularly in the event we attempt to thwart freedoms that pose no threat to us or our community. This means that we should not expect to be legislated against on the basis of anything but where our actions infringe on the freedom of others. Marijuana laws seem to violate this basic right and have been passed under misleading and patently falsified information. In general, we don't bother making laws against punching yourself in the face and, as we'll establish by looking at clinical studies, the harm posed by cannabis is much less than a face pummeling. What reason could justify the incarceration of millions of Americans (using taxpayer dollars) on the basis of their possession of a plant that causes no physical harm or addiction? Is there any interest being served by the prosecution of medical marijuana growers by the Federal government who have been authorized by their state?"

Sample of Sources Used:

• B. ZIMMERBERG, S. D. GLICK & M. E. JARVIK "Impairment of Recent Memory by Marihuana and THC in Rhesus Monkeys" Nature 233, 343 - 345 (01 October 1971
• Carter, William E., ed., 1980, "Cannabis in Costa Rica: A Study of Chronic Marijuana Use," Institute for the Study of Human Issues, Philadelphia.
• Cannabinoids and cancer. Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry. 2005 | Anti-tumor effects of cannabidiol, a non-psychotropic cannabinoid, on human glioma cell lines. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. 2003

More papers on The Criminalization of Marijuana:

• Essay # 9573 : "The Criminalization of Marijuana"
• Analytical Essay # 118685 : "The Legalization of Marijuana"
• Argumentative Essay # 65683 : "The Legalization of Marijuana"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: