According to Byrd & Lieberman (2016), The Drug Enforcement Administration Museum (2016), and NORML (2016), marijuana is a drug that is consumed for its physical and mental effects. Typically used either for medicinal or recreational purposes, it is grown globally. One of the largest places that receives marijuana is the United States. The United States receives marijuana from countries such as Nigeria, South Africa and Thailand to name a few. Duke (2013) comments that marijuana legislation on the production, distribution and use has varied over the years. To this end, criminalization has also varied.
Anderson et al. (2012), Garvey & Yeh (2014), Sacco & Finklea (2014), relay that it has been necessary for Congress to enact laws that specifically document and outline how marijuana distribution and production will be treated in the United States, as well as the laws pertaining to medicinal cannabis use. Several initiatives have been proposed according to Gettman (2007), Galston & Dionne Jr. (2013) and Cork (2015) that suggest a considerable shift is taking place in terms of how the United States views marijuana and its overall utilization. This has, however, blurred the lines in terms of what is legal versus illegal.
The purpose of the research will be to examine the literature and laws relating to distribution, production and use of marijuana within the United States. Explicitly, the paper will outline and document the various aspects that have shifted throughout the years and what is currently being done to ensure that the lines are no longer blurred. It will be necessary to conduct a qualitative research in order to effectively understand the legalization of marijuana and its effects. The research will hopefully provide a conclusive discussion on the future of cannabis within the United States as it relates to the mentioned factors.
Works Cited
Anderson et al., D M. "Medical Marijuana Laws and Teen Marijuana Use." Discussion Paper. Study of Labor in Bonn (IZA), May 2012. Web. 12 Mar. 2016. <http://ftp.iza.org/dp6592.pdf>.
Byrd, Jequetta, and Laura Lieberman. "Marijuana in America, 2015: A Survey of Federal And States' Responses to Marijuana Legalization and Taxation." Bloomberg BNA, 13 Nov. 2015. Web. 13 Mar. 2016. <http://www.bna.com/marijuana-america-2015-n57982063540/>.
"Cannabis, Coca, & Poppy: Nature’s Addictive Plants." The Drug Enforcement Administration Museum , 2016. Web. 13 Mar. 2016. <https://www.deamuseum.org/ccp/cannabis/production-distribution.html>.
Cork, Kerry. " Toking, Smoking & Public Health: Lessons from Tobacco Control for Marijuana Regulation." Online posting. The Public Health Law Center, June 2015. Web. 13 Mar. 2016. <http://publichealthlawcenter.org/sites/default/files/resources/tclc-synopsis-marijuana-tobacco-2015_0.pdf>.
Duke, Steven B. "The Future of Marijuana in the United States." Faculty Scholarship Series 4842 Web. 12 Mar. 2016. <http://digitalcommons.law.yale.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5854&context=fss_papers>.
"FEDERAL Laws & Penalties." NORML, 2016. Web. 13 Mar. 2016. <http://norml.org/laws/item/federal-penalties-2>.
Galston, William A, and E J. Dionne, Jr. "The New Politics of Marijuana Legalization." White Paper. Brookings, May 2013. Web. 13 Mar. 2016. <http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/papers/2013/05/29-politics-marijuana-legalization-galston-dionne/dionne-galston_newpoliticsofmjleg_final.pdf>.
Garvey, Todd, and Brian T. Yeh. "State Legalization of Recreational Marijuana: Selected Legal Issues ." Congressional Research Service, 13 Jan. 2014. Web. 12 Mar. 2016. <https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43034.pdf>.
Gettman, John. "Lost Taxes and Other Costs of Marijuana Laws." Online posting. The Bulletin of Cannabis Reform, 5 Sept. 2007. Web. 13 Mar. 2016. <http://www.drugscience.org/Archive/bcr4/Lost%20Taxes%20and%20Other%20Costs%20of%20Marijuana%20Laws.pdf>.
Sacco, Lisa, and Kristin Finklea. "State Marijuana Legalization Initiatives: Implications for Federal Law Enforcement ." Congressional Research Service, 4 Dec. 2014. Web. 13 Mar. 2016. <https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43164.pdf>.
