Legalizing Marijuana a Bibliographic Essay

Legalizing Marijuana a Bibliographic Essay

Jennifer Jenkins

South University Online

Composition III ENG2001 S06

Professor Sara Hinton

Legalizing Marijuana a Bibliographic Essay

Cannabis Sativa also known as weed, ganja, Mary Jane, herb, and Marijuana has had a long history of providing a wide range of industrial, medical, and environmental benefits to whomever cultivates the natural growing herb. It is also in the forefront as one of the greatest controversial debates to ever face the American public. The American government banned the cultivation and personal use of the cannabis plant in 1937. With the help of several informed research papers and studies, the goal is to persuade not only conservative Americans, but the Federal Government that they are infringing on our freedom of choice, enabling economical progression, and depleting our raw materials, devastating our environment.

According to the research paper titled “The effects of cannabis and alcohol on simulated arterial driving: Influences of driving experience and task demand” the effects that alcohol displays in a person driving is far more dangerous than the effects of marijuana. Dr. Tashkin a professor at UCLA conducted research on the effects of tobacco smoke versus the effects of marijuana smoke, concluding that tobacco smoke is more dangerous; as marijuana has a chemical that kills off the cancerous cells it produces (Targeted News Service, 2013, par. 3). Perhaps the most influential piece of evidence comes from the website of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving). According to their findings in the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) FARS data report for 2012/2013 in 2011, 226 children died as a result of drunk driving, and 9,878 people perished in alcohol related traffic accidents, they averaged it out to be one person every 53 minutes (MADD, 2013, par. 10 & 34). MADD continues to report that according to the CDC ARDI (Alcohol Related Disease Impact) report “teen...