Legalization Against Marijuana essays

Legalization Against Marijuana essays -1914 marked the year that the States first began to strictly prohibit substance use. - 1915 to 1937: Early state laws. In this time period, there was no strict tax of prohibition on marijuana. Fear of Mexicans: a large immigration of Mexicans to the southwest prompted white officials to question the culture and customs of the newcomers. One habit that the Mexicans brought over the border was their taste for herbs. Common white folk everywhere latched on the idea that Mexicans are crazy because they smoke pot. Thusly many states passed anti-Marijuana laws in order to curb the influx of strange Mexicans and their funky plants. The cause is clearly a derivative of racism and fear. This accounts for anti-Marijuana laws throughout the southwest in the -Fear of Polygamous Mormons: the one state in the southwest that did not experience much of the Mexican influx was Utah. -Fear of Substitution: few eastern states paid much attention to dope. Caution was used as deemed necessary by the interested public-many thought that since many drugs were becoming illegal in the 20s, weed might be used in place of other drugs. The problem of hard substance addiction would have only been sidestepped. -1937: Marijuana becomes illegal. Many seem to assume that pot has always been considered a bad drug. Not in the states until such a late date was it strictly criminal. In order to get the Marijuana Tax Act passed the Senate held a hearing to determine the legitimacy of the claim that pot should be illegal. The representative of the Government on this bill was a man named Mr. Aslinger. -The history of cannabis products and their use has been very varied. To the agriculturist, marijuana is a fiber crop; to a doctor it is an enigma, to the user a euphoriant to the police, a menace, and to the convict or parolee and family a source of sorrow. Marijuana has been used therapeutically nearly 500 ...