Crime 200 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Crime 200 - Essay Example In fact statistics reveal widespread use of marijuana in the US and across the world. Given that the government has made little success in its efforts to eliminate its use for over 40 years now, pundits predict that the future might compel governments to legalize it. With this prospect in mind, it is prudent to understand the impact such a move would have to the society so as to lay sufficient ground beforehand. In this respect, this paper examines the impact of marijuana with focus on Colorado – which together with Washington have been viewed as experimental labs. Marijuana is a soft drug made from dried leaves, flowers, stem and seeds of the Cannabis sativa plant. Its key component is a psychoactive chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and is used for recreational, medical, religious and spiritual purposes (National Institute on Drug Abuse). This drug is known to have both positive and negative effects to its users and the society at large. To a user, weed, as marijuana is christened, causes memory impairment, distortion of sight, loss of motor coordination and with long term use individuals may develop, testicular cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory complications. On the positive effects, it has been found to be therapeutic helping reduce pain and anxiety (Drugs.com). However, this article does not pursue the health and psychological effects of marijuana use, rather it focuses broadly on the implications that legalization of marijuana has on the society. The fight towards legalization of marijuana in the US began with the 1970 presidential commission that â€Å"called for federal decriminalization and eventual legalization, regulation, and control of marijuana† and recommended that marijuana be decriminalized (McVay, 1991). This move came about consequent of the relaxed attitudes toward marijuana, the apprehension of a significant