Summary: Sociological Analysis Of Marijuana
During a time when it was legal:
Sociological analysis of Marijuana
Mia Mogavero
Sociology 442
Professor Poole
Intro: Before the age of technology, World War I, The Constitution and the Pyramids there was Marijuana or also known as Cannabis or Hemp. This resourceful, medicinal, and overall popular plant has been used as far back as 2900 BC by the ancient Chinese and later by Egyptians and survived more than 4,913 years to continue to be one of the longest and most profitable crop in history. The Cannabis plant has some of the most versatile usage’s amongst any other plant that has lived even half its life, ranging from: creation of oils from the seeds, extract of THC for medicinal use and now most commonly known as a recreational …show more content…
In 37 states, offenses are punishable by imprisonment (Blumenson and Nilsen, 2010). Federal and many state laws have resulted in more than 700,000 Americans annually arrested and that almost 100 million Americans have committed (Blumenson and Nilsen, 2010). According to Norml.org, Marijuana possession to the sale and cultivation can range from 15 days in jail and $1,000 as a misdemeanor to a felony, from 10 year sentence to life in prison. The Harrison Act of 1914 which resulted with our nation’s first “federal antidrug law” (Reinarman and Levine, 1997) although this law was created to regulate and prohibit the use of cocaine and opiates, it was a catalyst for many states to outlaw the use or possession of Marijuana. Than in 1937, the “Marihuana Tax Act” denounced effects that Marijuana does to the body (although incorrect) and criminalized the possession and use of it both medicinal and recreationally. 33 years later the Control Substances Act of 1970 that gave way for even more power to groups like the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to control and enforce the laws already in place. Finally in a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled for the usage of Marijuana for the medicinal use only in the case U.S. v. Randall in 1976. The relevance of the historical background of Marijuana is the basic key to how it has grown to …show more content…
These new crusaders did not view marijuana as the ‘killer weed,’ but rather as the ‘dropout drug’ They claimed that marijuana was causing youth to lose the achievement ethic and to become "un-American” (Reinarman and Levine, 1997). Not only was marijuana considered all the above connotations, but it was racialized to Mexicans and Native Americans which made the dominant white class fear for its youth and culture. Marijuana received the label of illicit during the 1930’s according to the national government. Illicit also known as criminal, the public identified this drug that was considered helpful not harmful for so many years, so thus a paradigm shift from the use of a negative drug to the individual using it not for its culturally acceptable use. One of the original theorists Becker discussed how a label is stigmatizing and that people will no longer associate positive thoughts when society has changed the identity of that person, and in this case an item. In regards to the label of the individuals that use cannabis during the 1930’s through the 1960’s and even now, without a medicinal card, are considered deviant. The label’s placed on individuals that use the drug illegally are known as pot heads, stoners, hippie just to name a few; these negative labels have
Sociological analysis of Marijuana
Mia Mogavero
Sociology 442
Professor Poole
Intro: Before the age of technology, World War I, The Constitution and the Pyramids there was Marijuana or also known as Cannabis or Hemp. This resourceful, medicinal, and overall popular plant has been used as far back as 2900 BC by the ancient Chinese and later by Egyptians and survived more than 4,913 years to continue to be one of the longest and most profitable crop in history. The Cannabis plant has some of the most versatile usage’s amongst any other plant that has lived even half its life, ranging from: creation of oils from the seeds, extract of THC for medicinal use and now most commonly known as a recreational …show more content…
In 37 states, offenses are punishable by imprisonment (Blumenson and Nilsen, 2010). Federal and many state laws have resulted in more than 700,000 Americans annually arrested and that almost 100 million Americans have committed (Blumenson and Nilsen, 2010). According to Norml.org, Marijuana possession to the sale and cultivation can range from 15 days in jail and $1,000 as a misdemeanor to a felony, from 10 year sentence to life in prison. The Harrison Act of 1914 which resulted with our nation’s first “federal antidrug law” (Reinarman and Levine, 1997) although this law was created to regulate and prohibit the use of cocaine and opiates, it was a catalyst for many states to outlaw the use or possession of Marijuana. Than in 1937, the “Marihuana Tax Act” denounced effects that Marijuana does to the body (although incorrect) and criminalized the possession and use of it both medicinal and recreationally. 33 years later the Control Substances Act of 1970 that gave way for even more power to groups like the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to control and enforce the laws already in place. Finally in a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled for the usage of Marijuana for the medicinal use only in the case U.S. v. Randall in 1976. The relevance of the historical background of Marijuana is the basic key to how it has grown to …show more content…
These new crusaders did not view marijuana as the ‘killer weed,’ but rather as the ‘dropout drug’ They claimed that marijuana was causing youth to lose the achievement ethic and to become "un-American” (Reinarman and Levine, 1997). Not only was marijuana considered all the above connotations, but it was racialized to Mexicans and Native Americans which made the dominant white class fear for its youth and culture. Marijuana received the label of illicit during the 1930’s according to the national government. Illicit also known as criminal, the public identified this drug that was considered helpful not harmful for so many years, so thus a paradigm shift from the use of a negative drug to the individual using it not for its culturally acceptable use. One of the original theorists Becker discussed how a label is stigmatizing and that people will no longer associate positive thoughts when society has changed the identity of that person, and in this case an item. In regards to the label of the individuals that use cannabis during the 1930’s through the 1960’s and even now, without a medicinal card, are considered deviant. The label’s placed on individuals that use the drug illegally are known as pot heads, stoners, hippie just to name a few; these negative labels have