Currently, drugs remain high on the agenda's of politicians, and drugs are considered one of the major problems affecting our country. I believe that the negative effects associated with drugs would be reduced greatly if the United States adopted a policy towards the total legalization of marijuana. By this I mean completely legalizing marijuana for recreational, medical, and other uses. The current drug policy of our government is obviously failing. Drugs are quite present in our society, and the United States drug policy has not stopped drug trafficking to the point where it is beneficial. Drug laws have created corruption, violence, increased street crime, and disrespect for the justice system. Besides that the American people should be allowed to enjoy what they like to do while law enforcement focuses their attention on other more serious crimes. Therefore I plan to cite a brief history of marijuana's early uses before and after its prohibition in 1937, myths about marijuana, and why it should be legalized.
             Marijuana comes from the hemp plant, which can be grown on fields across the nation and was cultivated heavily in the colonial period. After 130 years of being able to grow and consume marijuana, the potential problems of marijuana were brought into the public eye in 1932. Harry J Anslinger, the commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, wrote the book Marijuana: Assassin of Youth (Goldman). In the book, Anslinger portrayed images of criminals and young men who became killers under the influence of marijuana. Anslinger's book put public pressure on President Franklin Roosevelt to sign the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937. This law made the use and sale of marijuana federal offenses. Marijuana didn't reappear in the public eye again until the mid-1960's when the "hippy" emerged. Still, widespread objection to the use of marijuana remained. Marijuana then became part of the culture of college students and middle-class yout...