Should Marijuana Be Legalized - 943 Words

With progressive advances in technology, advances in medicine and an understanding of the human body have also consistently increased. New drugs are available for safe consumption to combat a plethora of illnesses and disorders ranging from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to chronic depression. As a result of the growing options for prescribed remedies to health complications, there has been a blur on the line distinguishing beneficial medicine to recreational drug use. The growing call in the United States for a legalization of recreational marijuana has led to much criticism of apparent double standards between medications and marijuana. Critics of the current ban in most U.S. states claim that there is no substantial difference to medical pills and smoking marijuana for some sort of health benefit, but the primary use of marijuana is for leisure only and has copious negative health effects as a result. Medications legal in the U.S. all have a medical purpose that r ecreational weed falls short on in addition to chances of addiction without proper guidance from medical professionals that often come with many legalized pills; over the counter, or prescribed. The satirical cartoon does not effective describe any contradiction in the thinking of those that do not support marijuana. Many critics of the prohibition on marijuana argue that the difference between weed and prescribed, or over the counter drugs is extremely miniscule. Millions of Americans takeShow MoreRelatedShould Marijuana Be Legalized?849 Words   |  4 Pageswhether marijuana should be legalized. Around 23 states have legalized marijuana for medical and recreational use. In the state of Illinois, medicinal use of marijuana has been passed on April 17, 2013. Since January 2014, patients are able to obtain marijuana with a doctor s recommendation. The new debate is whether marijuana should be legalized for the general public as a recreational drug. Although some believe that marijua na is harmless, and that it has beneficial medicinal uses, marijuana shouldRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1715 Words   |  7 PagesMarijuana in Society Cannabis, formally known as marijuana is a drug obtained from the tops, stems and leaves of the hemp plant cannabis. The drug is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world. Only substances like caffeine, nicotine and alcohol are used more (â€Å"Marijuana† 1). In the U. S. where some use it to feel â€Å"high† or get an escape from reality. The drug is referred to in many ways; weed, grass, pot, and or reefer are some common names used to describe the drug (â€Å"Marijuana† 1). Like mostRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1489 Words   |  6 Pagescannabis plant or marijuana is intended for use of a psychoactive drug or medicine. It is used for recreational or medical uses. In some religions, marijuana is predominantly used for spiritual purposes. Cannabis is indigenous to central and south Asia. Cannabis has been scientifically proven that you can not die from smoking marijuana. Marijuana should be legalized to help people with medical benefits, econo mic benefits, and criminal benefits. In eight states, marijuana was legalized for recreationalRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1245 Words   |  5 PagesMarijuana is a highly debatable topic that is rapidly gaining attention in society today.   Legalizing marijuana can benefit the economy of this nation through the creation of jobs, increased tax revenue, and a decrease in taxpayer money spent on law enforcement.   Ã‚  Many people would outlaw alcohol, cigarettes, fast food, gambling, and tanning beds because of the harmful effects they have on members of a society, but this is the United States of America; the land of the free and we should give peopleRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1010 Words   |  5 PagesThe legalization of marijuana became a heated political subject in the last few years. Twenty-one states in America have legalized medical marijuana. Colorado and Washington are the only states where marijuana can be purchased recreationally. Marijuana is the high THC level part of the cannabis plant, which gives users the â€Å"high† feeling. There is ample evidence that supports the argument that marijuana is beneficial. The government should legalize marijuana recreationally for three main reasonsRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1350 Words   |  6 Pagespolitics in the past decade would have to be the legalization of marijuana. The sale and production of marijuana have been legalized for medicinal uses in over twenty states and has been legalized for recreational uses in seven states. Despite the ongoing support for marijuana, it has yet to be fully legalized in the federal level due to cultural bias against â€Å"pot† smoking and the focus over its negative effects. However, legalizing marijuana has been proven to decrease the rate of incrimination in AmericaRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1231 Words   |  5 Pagesshows the positive benefits of marijuana, it remains illegal under federal law. In recent years, numerous states have defied federal law and legalized marijuana for both recreational and medicinal use. Arizona has legalized marijuana for medical use, but it still remains illegal to use recreationally. This is absurd, as the evidence gathered over the last few decades strongly supports the notion that it is safer than alcohol, a widely available substance. Marijuana being listed as a Schedule I drugRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized? Essay1457 Words   |  6 PagesSHOULD MARIJUANA BE LEGALIZED? Marijuana is a drug that has sparked much controversy over the past decade as to whether or not it should be legalized. People once thought of marijuana as a bad, mind-altering drug which changes a person’s personality which can lead to crime and violence through selling and buying it. In the past, the majority of citizens believed that marijuana is a harmful drug that should be kept off the market and out of the hands of the public. However, a recent study conductedRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1596 Words   |  7 Pages But what needs to be known before a user can safely and completely make the decision if trying Marijuana is a good idea? Many do not want the drug to be legalized because they claim that Cannabis is a â€Å"gateway drug†, meaning it will cause people to try harder drugs once their body builds up a resistance to Marijuana, because a stronger drug will be needed to reach a high state. This argument is often falsely related to the medical si de of the debate over legalization. It is claimed that this wouldRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?985 Words   |  4 PagesLegalize Marijuana Despite what people believe about marijuana, it hasn’t once proved to be the cause of any real issue. It makes you wonder what the reason as to why there is a war on drugs. Why is marijuana the main concern? Since the time that alcohol and tobacco became legal, people wonder why marijuana isn’t legal yet. The fact that marijuana is illegal is mainly caused by the amount of money, jobs, and pride invested in the drug war. Once the government starts anything, they stick to it. At

Reflection on Ethnicity Essay - 567 Words

Our increased mobility has given us greater access to the world and the diverse people that inhabit it. With that mobility comes the shared responsibility to negotiate with people who may initially seem unfamiliar and learn to express the experience. The word â€Å"ethnicity† is used to describe a specific population’s characteristics of fundamental aspects that all humans share. When applied loosely, ethnicity becomes a blanket term to define large populations, undermining the worth and the diversity within that group and emphasizing the differences between cultures. Yet those differences come down to matters of preference and socialization within each culture. The dominant themes that rule human nature persist in every society – wondering†¦show more content†¦When the knowledge that humans belong to one race becomes more widely known and accepted, our interpretation of other ethnic groups may change. The differences between cultures may not be as prono unced as our similarities. America is a recognized melting pot, integrating immigrants and their children, folding generations into a wider network of compromised values where traditional culture is abandoned for a watered down commercial version that valued only what would sell. The mass media in the United States is a powerful socialization tool especially for young people, proving to be an overriding adversary of traditional cultural ideals. Subsequent generations raised with such a forceful media influence scrape meaning where they are able, often forming counter and sub-cultures in attempt to renew grounds for interpersonal connectivity. They find significance in recycled icons of cultural relics, without the foundation for understanding or appreciating the history. Or create new relics and traditions out of what they have to work with. In an attempt to self-define upon superficial grounds, the value of niche identification, material goods, and commercial events cannot fill the void created by a lack in s ocial capital and cultural accountability. People still seek meaning for their lives. With the advance of globalization and an inter-dependent worldwide market, consumerism threatens to homogenize culture into income brackets. Within aShow MoreRelatedReflection On Culture, Ethnicity, And Race909 Words   |  4 PagesReflection on Culture, Ethnicity, and Race No one can deny the fact that the United States is rapidly becoming a more culturally and ethnically diverse nation. If the information from The Census Bureau, which projects that by the year 2100, the U.S. minority population will become the majority with non-Hispanic whites making up only 40% of the U.S. population is anything to go by, it is clear beyond any reasonable doubt that we need to prepare the coming generations to comfortably embrace this changeRead MoreReflection On Culture, Ethnicity, And Race905 Words   |  4 PagesREFLECTION ON CULTURE, ETHNICITY, AND RACE No one can deny the fact that United States is rapidly becoming a more culturally and ethnically diverse nation. If the information from The Census Bureau which projects that by the year 2100, the U.S. minority population will become the majority with non-Hispanic whites making up only 40% of the U.S. population is anything to go by, it is clear beyond any reasonable doubt that we need to prepare the coming generations to comfortably embrace this changeRead MoreReflection Paper On Religion And Ethnicity1012 Words   |  5 Pagesparents were born in the Philippines and believe in religion, they have never bothered to teach me anything about religion or my ethnicity. They have made many references to traditions and religion, but have never outright taught me. It’s because of this, that I believe from my friends and my relatives, that they seem to have a stronger connection to their religion and ethnicity than I do. Throughout my childhood, I have faced many events that make me question myself if I am truly religious. When peopleRead MoreCulture Is A Way Of Learning Things1065 Words   |  5 PagesCulture is a way of learning things essentially through the way we’ve been brought up, therefore everyone’s â€Å"born into a culture but not born with culture†. Culture is our identity of ethnicity, gender, education and race etc. Culture, in our everyday of life, outlines the style of life in conjunction with the values, beliefs and attitudes we’ve grown up with. In addition, culture can be described as art, religion, eating habits, rituals, humour, science, law, spirits ceremonies and etc. HoweverRead MoreCultural Safety And Nursing Practice1699 Words   |  7 Pagesnursing station that would be experienced by the patients on the floor. Reflection Personal privilege To understand personal privilege, we must come to an understanding of the context of our own lives. As a young white woman in the nursing profession, I must realize that I am privileged and in specific situations, at an advantage. This is not because of something that I have earned, but is simply present due to my ethnicity. Rothenberg (2005) writes about the importance of realizing that for everyRead MoreEthics And Standards For Professional Psychology1264 Words   |  6 Pagesindividual, and role differences, including those based on age, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, language, and socioeconomic status and consider these factors when working with members of such groups.† ( APA, 2002, p. 4)† (Plante, Four Steps to Improve Religious/Spiritual Cultural Competence in Professional Psychology / REFLECTIONS, 2014, pp. 288-292) Religion and Spiritual concepts are more frequentlyRead More Multiracial Students1044 Words   |  5 Pagesfood, or eating a meal from south of the border. Around her could also be people from various cultural backgrounds, who she has no problem calling her friends. As perplexing as it seems, this is not an example of an identity crisis, but merely a reflection of the various cultures that can lie within one individual. â€Å"I love the fact that I’m of mixed heritage,† Corbett said. â€Å"I feel like I can relate to so many people, and not have to care about their color,† the 18-year-old child development majorRead MoreThe Importance Of Cultural Safety For Nursing Practice Essay1552 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Practicing cultural safety requires nurses to have undertaken personal reflection of their own cultural identity. This enables them to recognise the impact that their personal culture has on their professional practice (Cox Taua, 2013). This personal reflection should allow the nurse to provide effective care to an individual or family from a different culture (Cox Taua, 2013). In this essay I will reflect upon two of my own cultural groupings, discuss the concept of â€Å"other†, theRead MoreCultural Diversity And A Multicultural Society1371 Words   |  6 Pagesis a broad term that according to Lynn (2015), â€Å"Culture, ethnicity, and race- is an integral component of both health and illness,† (p. 74). The term ‘culture’ which according to Silvestri (2014) means, â€Å"Dynamic network of knowledge, beliefs, patterns of behavior, ideas, attitudes, values and norms that are unique to particular group of people† (p.38). Furthermore, ethnicity and race are exchangeable. A person belongs to certain ethnicity by birth or adoption. Race is focused more towards physicalRead MoreReflection981 Words   |  4 Pagesmannerism, and clothing are all evaluated. This snap judgement shapes your social groups, the way you are treated, whether or not you are considered good enough, et cetera. Through my experience, I’ve become more aware of the judgements regarding my ethnicity and it’s come to my understanding that in order to be accepted, you must meet the standards built by those around you. These standards obviously include how you body itself looks, however on further examination the root of such judgements on the

Sweet Rain free essay sample

The rain dusts my face with tiny pearls and bathes me with a silkiness now. The drops are mystical; they wash through the branches that grasp for the galaxy, and then melt into the damp earth. The twelve of us sit in a small circle outside the weathered barn back at base camp. We receive our dime-sized pins, symbols of our accomplishments, and I weep. Im not quite sure what I cry for. Perhaps it is because I am about to leave these people with whom I have shared the greatest experience of my life. Perhaps it is triggered by the reality that I will never be exactly as I had been before the trip. I somehow know that I will live with a greater sense of self, with unlimited expectations for myself and the direction of my life. The rain hurled down upon us with a ghoulish whine to pierce our cheeks. The winds wailed: Wake up chumps! Say hello to Mother Nature! I heard the subdued din of birds on land begin to roar with devilish twitters, and clouds of black flies thicken and hover like vultures over our twelve weary bodies. For fourteen days we hiked and canoed, and lived out of a sixty-pound pack, removed from all conveniences and personal amenities (soap). Mind-weary and with little but collective will to push on, I recalled the Outward Bound motto like a skipping record: To serve, to strive, and not to yield. Endurance is the key and the challenge I fastened our flashlight onto the canoes bow. My paddle partner, Toni, kneeled in the back, her breath sugary against the moonlight. We loved our canoe. Disco was its name; it allowed us to absorb the lurches and bends of the lake and become one with the waters. I turned on the flashlight, casting a honeyed glow against the dark stretch of Moosehead Lake. It was day nine of the trip, two-thirty a.m. We pushed off from our makeshi ft camp in a parking lot and headed into our twenty-mile stretch. Dipping and pulling, we made our way through the silky water of the night like a funeral procession. Hours later, over the horizon in the distance behind black silhouettes of mountains. a peachy foam of color blended into navy sky, and we turned off our flashlights. The sun rose behind us as a breeze created the first ripples across the glassy lake. The sky seemed to melt into the lake, and our six canoes washed into the vast universe of blue. My paddle dunked in and out of the water effortlessly, and with each pull of the lean shaft we slid closer toward our destination 15 miles away: Farm Island. It was not the thought of the community service project there that pushed us onward, but rather the thought of sleep. The day wore on slowly, and by lunch the water had lost its morning freshness. Small crests rose and fell as the waters darkened. The tender sun-born breeze pressed into our faces and gradually transformed itself into a fierce fan of relentless intensity. Swollen clouds invaded the sky unnoticed as I pulled my plastic paddle harder against the water. The canoes became a measure of the effort of those in them, as the weaker ones lagged and fragmented the single-file procession. Panic rose quickly in my chest as I realized we were in the middle of a lake with a storm encroaching; we were sitting ducks. The first splinters of the storm came down upon us in waves as the winds shifted. The waters of Moosehead slapped viciously against the sides of Disco, as if taking stern orders from Mother Nature herself. I could faintly hear Tonis voice behind me yelling out to move faster. Helplessly, I plunged the paddle deeper into the turbulent darkness below. I frantically ripped my rainsuit from my pack, and pulled it on as Toni strained against the waters alone. The rainsuits sweaty sliminess squeaked in my ears. In the distance the brilliant yellow suits bobbed fluorescent against the distraught surroundings. The rain and sky loomed black above us; the lake rose and threatened the fragile canoes that bucked over every crest. I held on tightly to my paddle and breathed deeply, trying to deter the rising fear. I squinted against the sharp rain, and felt the hot teardrops swell in my eyes, and then blend into the rest of my drenched face. What was I doing, paddling a canoe in the middle of nowhere with a group of strangers trying to fight whatever nature hurled at us? A bending wave of icy water, broad and massive, washed over the length of our canoe. My hands were numb, but for some reason they clung to the paddle that I abhorred. The winds cried out with me, as I struggled to summon my remaining strength within my jaded bones And then we suddenly landed with a hard nudge against the saturated beach of Farm Island. Everything became rhythmical during those two weeks that we were lost in the wild: our synchronized steps, our plunging canoe paddles, our singing, our breathing, our pulses, our lighting flash counts. After wearily setting up camp in the belting rain, we sat cramped within a musty soaked tent. One one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand we murmured against the howling winds. Five miles away someone would calculate the position of the storm as thunder grumbled somewhere in the heavens. Time passed slowly, and after an hour, the patter of the pelting rain on the tents weak frame became a slight sprinkle. The thunderstorm murmured in the clouded distance, whispering across the rest of the land. And I lay there, listening to the soft hum of the crickets as they returned from hiding. I thought of myself, then, and smiled. Whenever it rains now, I think of my experience on Outward Bound. The rain now beckons me, consumes me with a host of fragrances. That pocket of time holds all I remember of the honeyed warmth of summer by which I was tested, of the food that fed and blossomed my inner strength. I find myself yearning for a tent to sleep in when the first lucent, flowing rain of summer christens that time of childhood wonder. The sweet rain of summertime and its ruffles of wind shower dreamily upon my life now, as it once did when I ran searching for adventure among the dampened grasses of my childhood. Im glad Im able to taste it again.

Ragtime Essays - Ragtime, Harry Houdini, Makers, Escapology

Ragtime In the classic E.L. Doctorow novel, Ragtime, we see the juxtaposition of many motifs to represent Doctorow's view of the early century. By combining history and fiction Doctorow allows himself to write a semi-accurate interpretation of the early 1900's while also being able to strongly express his own biases and opinions of the era. The biggest, and perhaps most important theme Doctorow applies in the novel is social tension, or the battle of the rich versus the poor. Other important themes include rebirth, racial tension, and high randomness of events. By using these themes and others, movie makers created a film, which they believe best represents Doctorow's views. It is apparent that Doctorow clearly favors the poor, lower class, in their struggle for economic and social mobility against the few, rich, upper class citizens. Doctorow's thoughts are best depicted through the novel's characters. Tateh, Coalhouse Walker and Sarah are all characters who are portrayed as ?good'. These characters, while representing a wide range of economic success, all symbolize socially challenged individuals. Throughout the novel, Doctorow always chooses these or similar types of characters to be the protagonists. Doctorow wants the reader to feel for Coalhouse's situation. He wants the reader to hope that Willie Conklin is harmed and the Model T Ford is repaired. On the other hand, Doctorow tells a different tale for the economic elite, upper echelon of society, represented by J.P. Morgan and Henry Ford. Morgan is presented as a snobbish old man, who always gets his way, and we are supposed to feel no remorse for him when his museum is broken int! o. We, the readers, are inclined to agree with Doctorow's opinion only because that is the way he planned it. Doctorow did not touch on any negative aspects of Coalhouse Walker's actions, such as innocent firemen that he killed, and their families, perhaps, because this might sway the reader's belief as to Coalhouse's innocence. The film, Ragtime, does support Doctorow's social tension beliefs, however it leaves more things open for the reader to decide. For example the book gives the impression that Coalhouse is killing the racist bad firemen. The movie shows him shooting and blowing up firemen, who perhaps could be ?good' people. The concept of rebirth is used liberally by Doctorow. Doctorow commonly has a character go through a major transmogrification, or rebirth. This rebirth ordinarily happens when moving from one social class to another. Tateh, Houdini, Coalhouse, and mother's younger brother and clearly are examples of these rebirths. When Tateh goes from being a poor street peddler to a rich movie maker, he goes through a transformation. Tateh starts dressing and acting a lot differently, perhaps also forgetting his Jewish heritage and 5000 years of oppression. Houdini's alteration is greater than Tateh's. Houdini goes from a not so well off family to a rich and famous escape artist. Through this social change, Houdini changes his Jewish name Erich Weiss to a more appropriate Christian name of Harry Houdini. As well as changing his name, Houdini also seemed to forget his background. However, later in the novel we find out that Houdini did in fact not forget his heritage. He just cha! nged his name as a career move. Coalhouse Walker's rebirth is much more dramatic and swift than Tateh's or Houdini's. Coalhouse goes from a fine upstanding citizen to a disgruntled man, caught at the end of a racist prank, and out for revenge. At one point, "He sat down with a sheet over his shoulder and permitted one of the young men to shave his head and his neat mustache. The change in him was striking," (). This symbolic and actual rebirth occurs as Coalhouse moves from being a wealthy prominent musician to a fugitive on the run. Mother's younger brother also goes through a rebirth. His rebirth involves going from a wealthy family to a fugitive gang. Because of this social change, Doctorow has mother's younger brother go through a rebirth as well. This was in the form of him putting black makeup on his face to fit in with Coalhouse's black gang. All four of these examples express Doctorow's opinion that in order to go through a social change, one must go