... diminishes the standard morals and ethics of a society with the beneficiaries being crime syndicates and drug dealers. Even with billions of dollars spent to destroy the influx of drugs, the government continues to make little progress. Perhaps the spending should shift from law enforcement and penalization to prevention, education, and treatment. Drugs first appeared in the United States in the ... address to Congress on June 1971, he elaborated on supply and demand, as well as the obvious impossible eradication of drugs and drug users. In 1973 Nixon dispatched an enormous interdiction...

• Word Count: 1432
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... than if we made both possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages illegal. Social drinkers and alcoholics alike would suddenly be criminalized (Eldredge, 1998). Illegal drug deaths are outnumbered in thousands by the deaths of people who used legal drugs. In a typical US year, tobacco kills about 390,000 people ... because they more than likely have a preexisting psychosis. The illegal drugs that do result in violence more often than not are commonly related with drug marketing. One dealer walks on to another dealers "turf" and they get into it, guns fly, tempers flare, someone ends...

• Word Count: 1388
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... potential for profitability. The commodification of drugs, both illicit and licit, follows the principles of capitalism and supply-and-demand. David Courtwright has summarized drug use throughout world history in his book, Forces of Habit. Courtwright described the "big three" and the "little three" drugs of all time. ... ). Especially when tobacco began mass production in the American colonies and tobacco became cheaper, worldwide consumption was reached. Tobacco was the first drug that reached across all social classes, making it highly profitable. It overcame its side effects of foul b...

• Word Count: 1853
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... (NORML), says that legalization will wipe out the already 60-billion dollar black market by placing marijuana in the open market (NORML information pack 3). It is the enforcement of the laws criminalizing the possession, use, manufacture, and distribution of marijuana that are causing the violent crime. This war on drugs is wasting the money, as ... from the consequences of their own autonomous choices or to impose upon those individuals a majoritarian conception of morality and responsibility.....Enforcement of laws criminalizing possession, use, manufacture of distribution of drugs enge...

• Word Count: 2436
• Approx Pages: 10
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... . Then in 1989 president George Bush announced a four-part plan to fight illegal drugs. The presidents" 1993 budget allocated about $15.8 billion for all law enforcement programs, which included hiring more drug agents for The Drug Enforcement (Bender). Many feel that we should stop spending tax dollars on fighting against people that smoke or sell marijuana. There have been many arguments on why ... thing people think of when they hear marijuana is "getting high". Marijuana has been proven to help AIDS victims stimulate their appetites so they can fight off dangerous emaciation. The Drug...

• Word Count: 1704
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... 1). Ecstasy was legal until 1985. In 1985, MDMA/Ecstasy received massive media attention when a group of people sued the United States Drug Enforcement Agency to try to prevent them from outlawing the drug by placing it on Schedule I (Narconan 2). The Drug Enforcement Agency utilized a law, recently passed in Congress, to put an emergency ban on MDMA while the hearing and deliberation occurred. After ... the hearing Judge Young, the residing judge, suggested the Drug Enforcement Agency place MDMA under Schedule III. Schedule III means: less potential for abuse the level I or II : is a cu...

• Word Count: 1264
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... 30,000 people are arrested each year on charges of possession and/or distribution of marijuana. According to the Auditor General's report, this translates to $500 million for annual enforcement of drug laws, another $500 million for legal fees, and another conservative estimate of $50,000 per year for each incarcerated offender. This totals another $1.5 billion per year spent by ... Prohibition. Founded on March 16, 2002, LEAP is a non-profit organization made up of current and former members of the law enforcement and criminal justice communities who are speaking out about the failures...

• Word Count: 2108
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... (NORML), says that legalization will wipe out the already 60-billion dollar black market by placing marijuana in the open market (NORML information pack 3). It is the enforcement of the laws criminalizing the possession, use, manufacture, and distribution of marijuana that are causing the violent crime. This war on drugs is wasting the money, as ... from the consequences of their own autonomous choices or to impose upon those individuals a majoritarian conception of morality and responsibility.....Enforcement of laws criminalizing possession, use, manufacture of distribution of drugs enge...

• Word Count: 2252
• Approx Pages: 9
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... legalization of marijuana would greatly reduce drug violence in cities and reduce spending by law enforcement, as well as helping the American economy. Many United States citizens who were once adamantly opposed to legalizing marijuana pessimistic are beginning to see the probable benefits of changing these laws. A study conducted by the Office of National Drug Control Policy indicates "perception of ... million registered patients in the United States.(Green) Marijuana legalization would bring many benefits to the United States and its residents. Law enforcement costs would be greatly r...

• Word Count: 1578
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... the coffee house atmosphere at the Cannabis Buyers" Club marijuana remains illegal. Although some chronically ill people and their physicians argue that the drug eases their pain and suffering, the question still is fiercely debated by law enforcement and the medical community (Donnelly 1-2).4 Modeled after underground pharmacies that provide AIDS patients with unapproved drugs, Buyer's Clubs have existed informally for ... its legal title passes instantly to the government. The proceeds from an asset for features are divided among the law enforcement involved in the case, a policy that ...

• Word Count: 2295
• Approx Pages: 9
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... the best way to curb abuse of drugs. These programs cost less then paying for law enforcement efforts to fight the drug war. The RAND Corporation conducted a study that found that additional law enforcement efforts cost 15 times as much as treatment to achieve the same reduction in societal costs. ... were for possession. This shows that as long as we deem marijuana an illegal substance, our police are spending a disproportionate share of law enforcement resources hunting for marijuana. These resources, as stated earlier could be devoted to fighting property and violent crimes. In this ...

• Word Count: 2125
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... it on a regular basis. Based upon these figures, our government's spending nine billion dollars a year to enforce marijuana laws is a waste. ("Prohibition"). This amount includes money spent for law enforcement, as well as the cost of housing those arrested and jailed. Judge Richard Posner, Senior U.S. Appeals Court Judge, agrees. He has argued that "it is nonsense that we should be ... devoting so many law enforcement resources to marijuana" ("Senior"). Many people feel that the government's efforts in drug control should be directed at those drugs that are addictive such as heroin and...

• Word Count: 1944
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

... recreational use in some states. Do we not see the concern? Opponents to legalization are usually law enforcement and government officials. But this must be for good reason. Law enforcement is here to make sure things continue flowing. They look for the issues and correct them. They ... legalization as a panacea that will make crime go away. They see a clear connection between drug use and crime and, perhaps more importantly, between drug use and violence"" (Hartnett 2). Reports from the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) have shown that six times as many homicides happen by people und...

• Word Count: 1902
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

... is currently the largest cash crop in the United States.   9. Arrests for marijuana possession affect blacks and Hispanics, reinforcing the perception that law enforcement is biased and prejudice against minorities.   8. A regulated, legal market would reduce pot sales and use among teenagers, as well as other illicit ... as tobacco or drinking,   3. Marijuana is too expensive to our justice system, and it should be taxed to support various programs. Law enforcement is responsible for arresting 750,000 people a year for simple possession. These arrests make justice more expensive and l...

• Word Count: 2020
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• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... , but really should be given one. Although many people feel that legalizing marijuana would increase the amount of drug use, marijuana should be legalized because it will reduce the great amount of money spent on enforcement, and will therefore increase our countries revenue and lessen drug related crimes. There are rarely any deaths caused by the smoking of marijuana, however cigarettes, which are ... legal, cause millions of deaths per year. Alcohol, another legal drug, also causes millions of deaths per year, either from overdosing or driving ... . Marijuana is also said to help relie...

• Word Count: 1414
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... might be to propose federal legislation that removes federal government oversight of an individual state's determination of its own legalization issues. The federal government could continue to target drug trafficking issues between states, concentrate drug enforcement resources on the more detrimental drugs, like meth, Heroin, Ecstasy, LSD, PCP, etc., and increase public awareness of the "harsher" drugs. An Additional ... less these past four years. Prior to 2008, approximately 25 to 30 percent of all medical Marijuana dispensaries were raided and/or closed annually (Porter, 2012); and ...

• Word Count: 2339
• Approx Pages: 9
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Graduate

... marijuana would also benefit the federal budget in many ways. First of all, there would be a reduction in the amount of money spent on law enforcement efforts to apprehend and prosecute users and sellers of marijuana. The drug enforcement authorities would reduce their budget requests, or most likely, focus more intensely on harder drugs and violent crimes. According to the book, America's Longest ... War, there would be savings of about 200 billion dollars or more per year with the legalization of drugs. Federal, state and local governments spend about 100 billion dollars a year on law...

• Word Count: 1572
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... controlled. Later, between the 1960's and 1970s, the United States found itself in another period of drug intolerance. From then on the government started to crack down and began to embrace drug enforcement. Marijuana is the product of the hemp plant, which also produces the fiber used to make hemp ... greater in today's marijuana than hundreds of years ago. This tremendous increase in potency is an unintended consequence of the efforts of law enforcement. Marijuana is very bulky when compared to other drugs, which increases the difficulty and risk of smuggling the product from the field ...

• Word Count: 2489
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... crime as well. According to proponents, half of all law enforcement and prison costs are spent on drug related crime (Unknown, 186). However, the majority of those arrested for drug related crimes are not the violent gun toting drug dealers we see in movies. No, they are simply those caught with possession of the drug. According to reports, almost half of New York's 23,140 ... that legalization would only bring more dangers to our already impressionable youth. By condoning such behavior as the allowance of drug use, it could lead use of drugs by the youth themselves as well as increased...

• Word Count: 1914
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... allows them to eat when their body still tells them "no". III. How much do we spend a year in Drug enforcement? According to the DEA, the national government spends around $30 billion dollars annually. The current drug-war strategy is; 75% for "interaction" and enforcement, 15% for education and prevention, 10% for treatment. Propositional Statement: Outlawing marijuana is a severe problem in the ... cost so much. 1. Imprisoning 458,000 people costs our government $9 billion annually. 2. $10 billion a year in prosecutions 3. $10 billion a year in local and federal law enforcement 4. $19 ...

• Word Count: 1324
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... allows them to eat when their body still tells them "no". III. How much do we spend a year in Drug enforcement? According to the DEA, the national government spends around $30 billion dollars annually. The current drug-war strategy is; 75% for "interaction" and enforcement, 15% for education and prevention, 10% for treatment. Propositional Statement: Outlawing marijuana is a severe problem in the ... cost so much. 1. Imprisoning 458,000 people costs our government $9 billion annually. 2. $10 billion a year in prosecutions 3. $10 billion a year in local and federal law enforcement 4. $19 ...

• Word Count: 1332
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... if it is used recreationally. All medicinal drugs on the market today have their own respective side effects, so it seems quite unordinary that a drug would not have them. Proper warnings are used, and people use the medicine responsibly. One such side effect of marijuana is perceptual changes. ... the case of marijuana, there is no risk of a lethal overdose. (Stempsey 1998) Stempsey stated that: "According to testimony given to the Drug Enforcement Agency, one would have to consume 20,000 to 40,000 times as much marijuana as is contained in one marijuana cigarette "that ... high enough...

• Word Count: 1466
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... number one reason for it's restriction. These effects, however, are disputable. As early as 1972, President Nixon's "National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse" concluded that, "There is little proven danger of physical or psychological harm from the experimental or intermittent use of natural preparation of cannabis ... has been proven to be less toxic and less expensive than conventional medication and in many cases more effective than commercially available drugs ("Against Drug Prohibition" 13). It is in this that the prohibition of marijuana is most harmful to the American public...

• Word Count: 1707
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... Hawaii should not legalize marijuana. First, marijuana poses health risks. It contains many toxic chemicals including some of the cancer causing agents found in tobacco. According to the National Drug Information Center of Families in Action they point out various health risks that marijuana poses. The harmful effects of marijuana on the Endocrine System that include the damages the network ... methamphetamine users and found users reported eradication had increased the price of marijuana. The users said they then tried ice, which was available to them. Law enforcement officials described...

• Word Count: 1430
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... General; National Association of People with AIDS; National Nurses Society on Addictions; New Mexico Nurses Association; New York State Nurses Association; New England Journal of Medicine; and Virginia Nurses Association.(Drug war facts) I don't know, but that's an awful lot of national and international organizations that support the medical values of marijuana in one way or another. There must be ... nationwide for marijuana offenses in 1980. By 1999, a record 704,812 were nabbed, 88 percent of them for possession rather than trafficking. Since cannabis arrests constitute 44 percent o...

• Word Count: 2154
• Approx Pages: 9
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate