In 1999 there were more arrests for marijuana crimes in the U.S. than for all violent crimes combined (FBI). With marijuana laws being so ardently enforced, one would assume these laws would be factually sound, and pertinent to today's world. Unfortunately this is not the case. Marijuana is illegal today due to outdated laws that were enacted due to racism and greed.
The first marijuana law was enacted in Jamestown, Virginia in 1619. Ironically, this law ordered all farmers to grow hemp, as the government wished to stimulate the cultivation of a plant that was proven to have many different purposes (Guither). Hemp plantations sprung up all over the young nation, providing materials for the production of cloth, rope, and canvas. Marijuana was accepted as part of American agriculture for its many uses for most of American history, but drastic change would occur around 1900.
Following the influx of Mexican immigrants after the Mexican revolution, the American west was flooded with......
Join Now or Login to view the rest of this paper.
Approximate Word Count: 487
Approximate Pages: 2 (260 words per double-spaced page) |