Legalization of marijuana is one of most hotly debated topics in America today. With so much controversy surrounding marijuana use, it is going to continue to be a debated topic. But the question that should be answered is how bad would legalizing marijuana be? Already the use of marijuana is becoming more and more common, even in the places that it is banned. With special medical products developed from the active ingredient in marijuana, THC, medical marijuana is becoming more popular because it can take the place of expensive pain killers and other medications. Unfortunately though the line between medical and recreational use can get a little hazy. Even with recreational legalization, there are many benefits to it. Although marijuana has
…show more content…
Often this fear of marijuana use is combined with fear of certain immigrant or minority groups who may use marijuana as part of their cultural practices. After the Mexican Revolution in 1910, Mexicans immigrated into the United States in larger numbers and introduced Americans to the recreational use of marijuana. There was a growing movement against intoxicating substances at this time according to Stephen Siff in “Legalization of Marijuana: A Brief History” “between 1914 and 1925, twenty-six states passed laws prohibiting the plant. The anti-marijuana laws were uncontroversial and passed, for the most part, with an absence of public outcry or even legislative debate.”(Siff) Part of the reason there no debate was because “The association of murder, torture, and mindless violence with marijuana was that it was not borne out by evidence or actual events but blossomed thanks to the vivid imaginations of the journalists charged with sensationalizing the tired story of drug use and addiction.”(Siff) The journalists who wrote these stories helped spread the fear of marijuana which led to Hollywood joining in the fray by creating the movie Reefer Madness in 1936. Reefer Madness is a melodramatic propaganda film that supposedly shows how teenagers act when high on marijuana. The teenagers get into all sorts of trouble including manslaughter and suicide. This film is a great example on how marijuana was viewed during that time period and it shows how these kinds of views are still held
Often this fear of marijuana use is combined with fear of certain immigrant or minority groups who may use marijuana as part of their cultural practices. After the Mexican Revolution in 1910, Mexicans immigrated into the United States in larger numbers and introduced Americans to the recreational use of marijuana. There was a growing movement against intoxicating substances at this time according to Stephen Siff in “Legalization of Marijuana: A Brief History” “between 1914 and 1925, twenty-six states passed laws prohibiting the plant. The anti-marijuana laws were uncontroversial and passed, for the most part, with an absence of public outcry or even legislative debate.”(Siff) Part of the reason there no debate was because “The association of murder, torture, and mindless violence with marijuana was that it was not borne out by evidence or actual events but blossomed thanks to the vivid imaginations of the journalists charged with sensationalizing the tired story of drug use and addiction.”(Siff) The journalists who wrote these stories helped spread the fear of marijuana which led to Hollywood joining in the fray by creating the movie Reefer Madness in 1936. Reefer Madness is a melodramatic propaganda film that supposedly shows how teenagers act when high on marijuana. The teenagers get into all sorts of trouble including manslaughter and suicide. This film is a great example on how marijuana was viewed during that time period and it shows how these kinds of views are still held