LEGALIZING CANNABIS 2
Cannabis, usually referred to as marijuana, is a prohibited drug in the United States, but
some states have legalized it for medical use. According to Christianson (2010), between the
year 2001 and 2010, the arrests for marijuana possession in the US was approximately 7 million.
Most reports indicate that law enforcers in the country detain someone every minute due to drug
possession and use. The United States is losing the war on drugs and over the last 40 years, the
country spent over 1 trillion dollars to fight drugs. Law enforcers arrest the drug dealers with the
aim of maintaining order in the country. Law enforcers have exhausted most of their resources
with the aim of fighting the war on drugs in the country. Most of the arrests made for the
possession of marijuana are directed towards one race. They are racial biased with the black
people in the society being charged than the whites.
Like any drug, abuse of cannabis is harmful to human health. Misuse of the drug has had
adverse effects on the human body. Those convicted of the possession and use of the drug find it
hard to start a new life after the jail term. When applying for new jobs, the application form has a
section where one is asked if they have been convicted. Most people do not employ ex-convicts
as they some misjudge them and do not trust them. The law, however, does not permit employers
to discriminate, but most of them still do. Families have been destroyed due conviction and
incarceration cases. In most African-American homes, the fathers and sons are in most cases
convicted over drug issues. Most of those arrested are in most cases caught using marijuana.
However, the government should consider legalizing the drug as it has some useful value in
medicine. People in America are pushing for the legalization of the drug as it not only has
adverse effects on the users it also has some useful value. The consequences of those caught in
possession or use of the drug are less severe than it was ten years ago.
