Marijuana Prohibition Policy In The Criminal Justice System

There are many policies in the criminal justice system which, over time, have proven to be ineffective. The effectiveness of a policy is based on quantitative data that analyzes the trends before and after policies are enacted. One policy that has proven to be ineffective is the prohibition of Marijuana. The interesting fact about the marijuana prohibition policy is that not only is it ineffective but by over turning it we could generate lots of revenue from the sales and taxation of the substance. The prohibition of marijuana came from public fear that was sparked by anti-drug crusaders who painted an inaccurate portrayal of the drug. Instead of using facts they claimed the drug was dangerous and had the ability to ruin lives. The drug began to be regulated in1906. In 1936 the cult classic film Reefer Madness came out which depicted the drug as a substance that could turn good kids into dope-smoking fiends. Since then advocates of the legalization of marijuana have had a lot of difficulty changing the minds of the public. Some myths about marijuana have been passed around to enforce the belief that it is best we keep the drug out of the hands of the public. One myth is that it is a gateway drug for more serious substances. This is probably the most popular argument against the end to marijuana prohibition. Though there is a …show more content…
Marijuana has been proven to help with numerous ailments. From mental disorders to physical disorders the drug not only has a place in the internal medicine field but can also help with depression, schizophrenia as well as pain symptoms caused by other illness. Currently pain medications are being perscribed for chronic pain suffers. unlike marijuana, opiate pain medications are highly addictive and account for more deaths per years than car