.... in the world: Hemp. The first known rope was made from it. The Chinese used it to make the first fish nets 6,500 years ago. The ancient Greeks wore hemp garments. Thomas Jefferson raised hemp on his Virginia farm, and he drafted the Declaration of Independence on hemp paper. Plus, this renewable resource is an environmental Godsend. It requires very little fertilizers or pesticides to raise; it uses very little water; it produces four times as much fiber per-acre as wood does, so it can drastically cut deforestation. Hemp is simply a natural for our country and it can be a terrific cash-crop for America farmers. There is only one problem with this remarkable plant: Our gove ....

.... vicious criminals who have been sentenced to life imprisonment have been set free due to this ever-increasing problem. If capital punishment was used as an alternative to life imprisonment more often, the freeing of convicted criminals could be prevented (Rodriguez). Capital punishment is also cheaper than life imprisonment because it is less expensive to execute a prisoner than to keep him in an institution. Every year, valuable tax dollars go towards keeping prisoners in jail however, if the death penalty was used more often, some of this money could go towards other important causes such as gun control and education (Caldwell 598). Moreover, it is important to keep i ....

.... problems. First, a doctor must prescribe the marijuana in order for a patient to take it. It would be almost impossible for a person to obtain the drug without a prescription. It is up to the doctor whether or not the patient needs it. The D.E.A. also has fears about the possible addiction to the drug and its effects in society. As with any other drug, the possibility of addiction is a concern, but when a doctor prescribes the marijuana, he will have the chance to control and monitor the intake of the patient. There are many other drugs that are legal with the same types of effects such as codeine, cocaine, and morphine. If drugs like those are legal and are under cont ....

.... by criminals using guns. Many people feel that gun control violates the right of the people given in the second amendment the right "to bear arms". Opponents of gun control, including the National Rifle Association, better known as the NRA, argue that the "right To bear arms" is guaranteed in the second amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America and licensing restrictions penalize law-abiding citizens while in no way preventing criminal use of handguns. It is also argued that by making it difficult for guns to be bought and registered for the American public there is a threat to the personal safety of American families everywhere. However controlling ....

.... to more dangerous drugs. Users in economically deprived areas usually go on to heroin, whereas more affluent individuals tend to move from marijuana to more potent hallucinogens such as LSD. There is no established medical use for marijuana or any other cannabis preparation. In the United States, its use is a crime and the laws governing marijuana are similar to those regulating heroin. Many authorities now urge that the laws be modified to mitigate the penalties relating to conviction on marijuana possession charges. The Use: The United States stands apart from many nations in its deep respect for the individual. The strong belief in personal freedom appears early in the n ....

.... example, they sometimes are grouped according to the seriousness of the offense, according to the motives of the offenders. Such crimes may include economic crimes, political crimes, crimes of passion, organized crime, and white collar crime. Crimes are often divided between acts that most people would consider evil and acts that lawmakers decide should be regulated in the interest of the community. The first group includes such major crimes as arson, assault, breach of the peace, burglary, kidnapping, larceny, murder, rape, and robbery. The second group includes crimes of a “rapidly growing urban society.” These crimes include violations of income tax laws, liquor ....

.... comparison to history. Most ancient civilizations agreed that certain crimes should be punishable by death. Most of the civilizations that have existed endorsed the retaliation of the death penalty as well as the fact that some crimes were too heinous and dangerous to society to let the criminal go on living (Winters 15.) The death penalty and support for it remained as prevalent in the Middle Ages as any time in history. Most of the crimes punishable by death were religious crimes such as heresy, sacrilege, and atheism. The American colonies punished crimes like witchcraft, murder, and rape with the death penalty. The debates over did not really begin until the Enlight ....

.... who just wanted a drink, were turned into criminals. Respectable bars became underground speak-easys, and legitimate liquor manufacturers were replaced by criminal bootleggers." Gang warfare, bribery, and criminal activity reached an all-time high. Standards on illegal alcohol were much lower than those on the previously legal alcohol which led to the blinding or death of many consumers. Finally in 1933, politicians buckled and repealed the 18th Amendment. The Prohibition attempt of the early 20th century provides the perfect historical support for the decriminalization of drugs. "Prohibition will work great injury to the cause of temperance. It is a species of intemperance ....