Research Paper

English 110 Freshmen Composition

17 November 2013

Research Paper

To Smoke or Not to Smoke

George Washington once said, "Make the most of the Indian hemp seed, and sow it everywhere!" (1). There are many different types of drugs that are being used in contemporary society. People look to gain physical, mental, and/or emotional relief by taking drugs. Marijuana, also known as cannabis, is one type of drug that can be ingested or smoked. It is a mild hallucinogen that is commonly used by millions of Americans. It intensifies sensory activity and makes a person have short-term memory loss. Although, it is a very commonly used drug, marijuana is still illegal to possess or distribute under federal law. The legalization of marijuana will benefit society by lowering crime and murder rates, as well as making the United States more financially stable.

People do not want to be deemed criminals just because they are using a small amount of marijuana.

United States

United States

United States

In fact, the number of people being arrested for a small possession of marijuana is significantly high. According to Dan Riffle, "We arrest three-quarters of a million adults every year, 87% for simple possession rather than production or sales of marijuana" (1). Many people are needlessly being arrested for possessing a small amount of marijuana for their personal use. The individuals who are released from jail are treated differently by society due to this drug offense. Michelle Alexander, a writer for the New York Times,she said, "Once you've acquired a criminal record, you can be discriminated against legally in employment, housing and access to education and public benefits" (1). Clearly, three-quarters of a million adults may be struggling to find employment, housing, and other necessitiesdue to marijuana being illegal. They are not hurting anyone or anything, yet they are...