Should Marijuana Be Legalized - 1436 Words

The legalization of marijuana has always been both a social and political issue. As of currently the direction of most debates about marijuana concern drug liberalization as the nation gets more and more progressive with marijuana. Quite recently, a few states have went forward and legalized marijuana for recreational use, and even Canada has taken its first step towards marijuana legalization. According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan organization that provides information about the issues, attitudes, and trends changing America, as of 2015, the support for marijuana is finally outpacing the opposition. In 2012, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that marijuana is the most commonly used†¦show more content†¦On June 1971 Nixon officially declared a â€Å"war on drugs† calling it a serious national threat. Then on June 1973 Nixon created the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) which is responsible for coordinating and pursuing U.S. drug investigations. As of currently, marijuana is classified as a schedule I substance by the DEA, which makes it a federal crime to grow, possess, or distribute marijuana and to open, rent, or maintain a place of business for any of these purposes. Other substances classified as a schedule I drug include heroin, LSD, and MDMA. However, marijuana is clearly less dangerous and additive as these other drugs, which leads us to ask the question why is it that marijuana is still a schedule I drug. The Shafer Commission was a national committee commissioned by Nixon to perform one of the most comprehensive tests on the negative effects of marijuana. It was acknowledged that at that time, no one knew enough reliable information about marijuana. President Nixon appointed Governor Raymond P. Shafer of Pennsylvania to lead the national commission to report the negative effects of marijuana. Contrary to Nixon’s agenda, the Shafer Commission Report recommended the decriminalization of marijuana. The Shafer Commission Report basically discredited most of the stereotypes associated to Marijuana use. The idea that marijuana users are stupid, violent, and detrimental to society is