Legalization Of Marijuan The Hot Button Issues Of Todays...

Andrew Sheridan Legalization of marijuana is one of the hot button issues of todays political arena. For the last several decades the federal government has waged its infamous War on Drugs, a war on it’s own citizens which covers all manner of psychoactive substances that have been deemed illegal. Strikingly, thousands upon thousands of citizens have been incarcerated for crimes associated with the production, distribution, and the consumption of marijuana. Marijuana is a plant that has been cultivated for thousands of years for both its psychoactive effects and its industrial applications. The founding fathers of the United States were among those who cultivated marijuana. Grassroots efforts are defined by the text â€Å"We the People: An†¦show more content†¦As these numbers increase the question of legalization in general across the states has become an interesting and pressing issue. Multiple stances on both the pro and con side of the issue exist. Supporting arguments often use studies to back up their claims. In an October 15, 2014 article in The Washington Post, Christopher Ingraham writes of the non-negative aftereffects of the decriminalization of marijuana. In particular he reviews a report from the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, which studied California, where full decriminalization began at the start of 2011. Of interest the report states â€Å"marijuana decriminalization in California has not resulted in harmful consequences for teenagers, such as increased crime, drug overdose, driving under the influence, or school dropout.† (Ingraham). Make no mistake, Ingraham is quick to point out that correlation is not causality. He does however note â€Å"The sky hasn t fallen.† (Ingraham). The naysayers who predicted that California s youth would fall into aimless lifestyles were incorrect. In addition to studies, other arguments cite documentaries. In his article released today, 20 April 2015, Zachary Wener-Fligner writing for Qua rtz reviews the CNN documentary â€Å"Weed 3: The Marijuana Revolution†. In it Dr. Sanjay Gupta interviews President Obama, and Gupta asks the President if he supported the