Medical Marijuana
- Submitted by: asalvione
- Views: 502
- Category: Politics: Crime and Drugs
- Date Submitted: 12/01/2013 12:16 PM
- Pages: 6
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Justification Introduction:
“The federal crackdown imperils the medical care of the estimated 730,000 patients nationwide – many of them seriously ill or dying – who rely on state-sanctioned marijuana recommended by their doctors. In addition, drug experts warn, the White House's war on law-abiding providers of medical marijuana will only drum up business for real criminals.”
The above quote is from an interview of President Obama by Rolling Stone Magazine in February 16, 2012. In the interview President Obama’s actions of busting marijuana related activity that is legal at a state level are compared to that of former President Bush. When taking office, Obama stated he would not use Justice Department resources to interfere with state laws on marijuana related issues.
However, Obama as of the 2012 article was tracking to exceed the number of dispensaries dismantled during the Bush Administration. These actions are significant because the people affected are operating legally within their state, but still subject to criminal penalties federally. The issue is that the conflict between state and federal laws is turning citizens into criminals when they think they are operating within their state’s laws.
Justification Topic Identification:
This paper will explore the legality of marijuana at a state level verse its illegality at the federal level and how that impacts the industry of growing, distributing, and purchasing medical marijuana. This topic is important to me because almost half of the United States has passed pro medical marijuana legislation, but yet the federal government continues to keep marijuana classified as a Schedule I controlled substance. The affect on people is that when doing what is legal within the state they live they are still a criminal at the federal level.
Paper Preview:
Under the Controlled Substance Act of 1970, marijuana is listed as a Schedule I controlled substance. Thus, it “has no currently accepted medical use...
“The federal crackdown imperils the medical care of the estimated 730,000 patients nationwide – many of them seriously ill or dying – who rely on state-sanctioned marijuana recommended by their doctors. In addition, drug experts warn, the White House's war on law-abiding providers of medical marijuana will only drum up business for real criminals.”
The above quote is from an interview of President Obama by Rolling Stone Magazine in February 16, 2012. In the interview President Obama’s actions of busting marijuana related activity that is legal at a state level are compared to that of former President Bush. When taking office, Obama stated he would not use Justice Department resources to interfere with state laws on marijuana related issues.
However, Obama as of the 2012 article was tracking to exceed the number of dispensaries dismantled during the Bush Administration. These actions are significant because the people affected are operating legally within their state, but still subject to criminal penalties federally. The issue is that the conflict between state and federal laws is turning citizens into criminals when they think they are operating within their state’s laws.
Justification Topic Identification:
This paper will explore the legality of marijuana at a state level verse its illegality at the federal level and how that impacts the industry of growing, distributing, and purchasing medical marijuana. This topic is important to me because almost half of the United States has passed pro medical marijuana legislation, but yet the federal government continues to keep marijuana classified as a Schedule I controlled substance. The affect on people is that when doing what is legal within the state they live they are still a criminal at the federal level.
Paper Preview:
Under the Controlled Substance Act of 1970, marijuana is listed as a Schedule I controlled substance. Thus, it “has no currently accepted medical use...