War On Drugs :: essays research papers

Have you ever heard the expression â€Å"War on drugs†?. That was first used in 1972 when Richard Nixon described a series of govern-mental programs intended to suppress the consumption of certain recreational drugs. Marijuana was one of them. However the first attack on Marijuana occurred not in 1972 but in1937 when the Marijuana TaxAct was passed. According to Legalizationofmarijuna.com Harry Anslinger (bureau of narcotics commissioner) testified in hearings on The subject that the hemp plant needed to be banned because it had a violent â€Å"effect on the degenerate races.† This referred specifically to Mexican immigrants who had entered the country, seeking jobs during The Great Depression. The law passed quickly and with little debate. Making possession of marijuana a criminal offense has only increased crime rates. As more and more people find it enjoyable to smoke. By legalizing marijuana law enforcement will be utilized somewhere of more importance. Because possession of marijuana is a common criminal offense, jails are over crowded and court rooms are cluttered with marijuana cases instead of real problems. In Amsterdam marijuana was made legal and the result was that Crime rates dropped by 60% and the amount of drug users did not Increase. Now you may be thinking that marijuana is dangerous, you may Be thinking of all the things you’ve heard about marijuana, like it Causes hallucinations, impairs your vision and judgment, and gives you paranoia. Those are in fact things that smoking marijuana can cause. But they are all short term. Do you want to know how many people a year are killed by marijuana and marijuana related deaths? ZERO. There have been no credible reports of death from marijuna. However, 430,000 deaths a year are caused by Tobacco making it The nations leading cause of death. 116,113 total alcohol related Deaths. And 200,000 deaths from prescription drugs. Now with all the illegal drugs combined there (excluding marijuana) there have been14,218 deaths. And remember there have been zero deaths even remotely related to marijuana. Cigarettes are legal although, according to health.com they are more addictive, cause cancer, damage the respiratory system, raise blood pressure, decrease oxygen to the brain and body, and cigarette smoking is a significant risk factor to the cause of emphysema, chronic bronchitis, stroke, high blood pressure and osteoporosis.