Legalization of Marijuana Essay Example for Free

Legalization of Marijuana Essay Marijuana was first used for medicinal purposes dating back as early as the 1600’s. However, a law was passed in 1930, which banned the substance. Since then we have been fighting a never-ending war on drugs that has estimated to be over a trillion dollar failure, and we have nothing to show for it. There are many different takes on legalizing marijuana nation-wide but some states are not convinced yet. There are two main views on legalizing cannabis. One is the government view, which believes if marijuana was taxed like alcohol and tobacco it could yield close to 50 billion in tax revenue annually. Along with this, legalizing the drug would save the U.S. about $41 billion a year in enforcing the drug laws, and using that for education and health. The other view would be the medicinal use side of it. Proponents of medical marijuana argue that it can be a safe and effective treatment for the symptoms of cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, pain, glaucoma, epilepsy, and other conditions. The government should legalize marijuana for recreational and medical use because it will create tax revenue, help patients, and we will be done fighting an everlasting war. $42 billion dollars is what our current marijuana laws cost American taxpayers each year. If marijuana was legal, the money generated would be able to be used for other things like giving every one of our current teachers a 30 percent raise and use whats left to take a $27 billion whack out of the federal deficit. Or use it towards community or environmental projects to help the natural resources we use every day. â€Å"Marijuana in the U.S. is a $113 billion dollar business† (Gettman). It costs the average prison $40,000 to house an inmate for a year. If you multiply the number of marijuana related prisoners times $40,000 a year that is over $29 billion a year spent on prisoners alone. â€Å"Of the billions of dollars a year we spend to enforce, it has accomplished little or nothing beneficial in terms of economic benefits† (Shen). Despite all that, we now arrest one American every 38 seconds on marijuana charges. And we do so at a staggering cost in law enforcement expenses, lost tax revenues, and staggering profits for criminal gangs.The alternative is clear. Regulate marijuana just as we do beer, wine, and liquor. We will be able to save the government and law enforcement billions. In addition, the government would not only be saving from not having to enforce the laws, they will benefit greatly from tax  revenue that can be created. Researchers assumed that legalized marijuana would be taxed similarly to alcohol and tobacco and that the income earned by pot producers would be subject to standard income and sales tax. But we do know that legalization would lead to a positive revenue impact on the income and sales tax side† (Davis). Right now we have 2 states that have both legalized medical and recreational use, Colorado and Washington. We will be able to study the tax revenue that is created from both and researchers will be able get better information on how much tax will actually be created. So far it has been nothing but a large money source. â€Å"Colorados legal marijuana market is far exceeding tax expectations, according to a budget proposal† (Solomon). The governor of Colorado predicted sales and taxes next fiscal year would produce some $98 million, well above a $70 million annual estimate given to voters when they approved the pot taxes last year. That is just in one state, imagine what would be created nation-wide. There are a variety of estimates, but when you put them all together you get a range of $10 billion to more than $120 billion a year. Either way that is money that the US didnt have before. Legalizing marijuana will create a large tax revenue and in a bad economic time this will, w ithout a doubt, help our economy out. Lastly, medical marijuana is still illegal in many states and that should change. Although many slanderous claims have been made about cannabis in recent history, the truths are slowly starting to surface. Unfortunately, these truths are under heavy criticism due to the stereotypical view of what people view as the typical marijuana user. It has a skewed perception of a lazy and unmotivated America, which is the result of over seventy years of propaganda and misinformation spread by private interests who needed cannabis illegal for their own personal gains. â€Å"Using marijuana for medicinal purposes is not a recent discovery† (Berman). In fact, written references to use medical marijuana date back nearly 5,000 years. Marijuana can be used for a variety of disorders. These disorders include pain relief, nausea, glaucoma, and movement disorders. It is also used as a powerful appetite stimulant which helps patients that had HIV/AIDS or cancer patients going through chemotherapy. â€Å"Painkillers are highly addictive but handed out to patients everyday† (Astaiza). Marijuana has proven to be non addictive and has caused no deaths to this date. Today, thousands of patients are able to use  marijuana as an effective method of treatment for their ailments. This is possible because fourteen state governments across the country have acknowledged cannabis’ effective healing properties and legalized its consumption for medicinal purposes with the consent of a licensed physician. However, these patients are at the mercy of the federal government and its authority. Marijuana should be legal because it can give patients relief other prescriptions cannot. In summary, medical and recreational marijuana should be legalized nationwide. Police could stop wasting money and time trying to fight something theyve been at for over 50 years now. The government will be able to tax it similar to alcohol and tobacco, and we have already witnessed the tax take off in Colorado. Patients will be able to use it to treat many disorders instead of using highly addictive over-the-counter medications. In a down time for our economy we are struggling to fight back. The federal deficit and the revenue created from marijuana may not solve it completely,but it puts a large chunk of money in the governments hands. Even though marijuana sometimes gets a bad name, it is an all natural plant that can create a lot of benefits.

Funny Short Story :: essays research papers

The Scourge Of The Galaxy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The pretty researcher walked up to the shack where he supposedly lived. Wendy had heard many stories about the scourge, but she had never seen him for herself. He was a local legend, and she had decided to do her thesis on this obese male. She knocked on the cheap wood door of the shanty, and the door fell off. Wendy anxiously tried to pick the door up, but before she could pick it up, a high-pitched bark came from the dark corridor of the hut. â€Å"It’s alright, girlie. Just leave it and come inside.† She complied quickly, stepping inside. The stench was almost unbearable, a mixture of rancid sweat, rotten food and flatulence. She tried to hold back a small moan, but failed utterly, as she stepped cautiously across the floor strewn with garbage. The scourge was reclined in a La-Z-Boy, his face cloaked in shadow. He spoke again, and the girlish voice was a shock. â€Å"Have a seat, beautiful. I suppose you’re that girl from the brothel that I called for three months ago. I’d almost given up on you, baby.† Wendy quickly decided not to contradict the huge man. She figured that it’d be more interesting for her paper, if she let him think she was a prostitute. She could always run out, she reasoned. She nodded quickly, and he shifted in his recliner, sending vibrations resounding around the hovel. â€Å"Sweet thing, come closer so Herbie can see you, honey.† Wendy gulped uncomfortably and moved closer to the scourge, which was a bad idea. It was sickening, being this close. The scourge was wearing just a red sequined thong, which was protruding dangerously tight in the front, threatening to split at any moment. He had exactly four long greasy hairs on the top of his bald head, and hair grew in oddly shaped patches on his legs and chest. His nipples were pierced with safety pins, and rolls of fat hung off his body. He weighed three hundred pounds. He had a long sparsely haired goatee in the Fu Manchu style. Bits of moldy food were hanging at various places on the goatee. His eyes were beady and calculating. He had thin wet lips, which he licked constantly. He also wore a pair of shocking pink and dirty brown argyle socks pulled up to his calves. His nose was more of a pig snout than a nose, and he had exactly seven brown, crooked teeth in his mouth.

Core Concepts in Cultural Competence

Core Concepts in Cultural Competence Key Concepts (printable) |Cultural Competence | | | | |Definition: |Cultural Competence is a set of values, behaviors, attitudes and practices within a system, organization, program or among | | |individuals that enables them to work effectively across cultures.Cultural competence refers to the ability to honor and respect | | |the beliefs, language, interpersonal styles and behaviors or children and families receiving medical care, as well as those of the | | |staff who are providing such care. Cultural competence is a dynamic, ongoing developmental process that requires a long term | | |commitment and is achieved over time. | | | |Examples: |Examine Cultural Competence in the following examples: | | |Example 1: Maria Hernandez arrives late for her appointment, and explains that she spent a few hours with her elderly aunt on the | | |way to her appointment.The nurse, Ella, greets Maria warmly and comments on Maria’s devotion to her family. Ella understands that | | |in the Hispanic community, caring for family often comes before an individual need such as an appointment. | | |Example 2: When Gina, the social worker, enters an examining room she is already alert to the fact that the family she is meeting | | |may have views about healthcare that are different than her own.She inquires about the family’s beliefs, drawing on her knowledge | | |of the culture, but primarily interested in what the family tells her about their unique views. | | |Example 3: Fred, the pharmacist, becomes frustrated with an Asian family who has been using herbal remedies. With great authority, | | |he tells them that they are â€Å"doing the wrong thing. † Fred is not behaving in a culturally competent manner. | | | |Application: |When meeting a patient or family for the first time, be aware that their beliefs and practices may differ from your own. Try to | | |learn as much as you can about the family's life and how they view t he world. | | | | | | |Culture | | | | |Definition: |Culture is defined as the sum of one's beliefs, rituals, customs and practices that guide thinking, decisions and actions in a | | |patterned way.They are learned throughout a lifetime and passed on through generations. | | | | |Examples: |Examine Culture in the following examples: | | |Example 1: Among some cultures in India, the occasion on which a child first eats solid foods is celebrated with great ceremony. | |Example 2: â€Å"Family† is defined differently in different cultures: in some cultures, â€Å"family† means primarily parents and children. | | |In other cultures, â€Å"family includes a large number of relatives, loosely related. | | |Example 3: Disabilities are viewed differently in different cultures. In some cultures, people with disabilities are hidden, in | | |others they are believed to be endowed with special gifts.In some cultures, people with disabilities are encouraged to become | | |indepen dent and live independently; in others, it is the family’s wish and responsibility to care for the disabled person. | | | | |Application: |Because of differences between cultures, patients’ behaviors and beliefs may be different from one’s own. | | | | | | |Explanatory Model | | | | |Definition: |The Explanatory Model is the belief system that people from a given culture have about what has caused their illness and what the | | |illness does to them.Patients’ beliefs about what will help cure them depend on their explanatory model. | | | | |Examples: |Examine the Explanatory Model in the following examples: | | |Example 1: A Romani patient may believe that bad luck, bad behavior or contamination has caused his illness. | | |Example 2: An Hispanic mother may believe that her child has Mal d’ojo, or has been cursed with the â€Å"evil eye. | | |Example 3: An Asian patient may believe she is having a difficult birth because of an imbalance between ho t and cold in her body. As| | |pregnancy is a â€Å"cold† condition she may request a drink of hot water, for balance. | | | | |Application: |In order to learn about your patients’ explanatory model, you may want to ask something like: â€Å"I know different people have very | | |different ways of understanding illness†¦Please help me understand how you see things. † | | | | | | | |Health Beliefs | | | | |Definition: |Patients’ beliefs about their health. Health eliefs include cultural beliefs about what causes illness, what will help illness and | | |who is best prepared to help the illness. The â€Å"Health Belief Model† as defined by Becker, postulates that patients weigh more | | |general beliefs such as whether or not they really believe they are ill and whether they believe the treatment offered by the | | |physician will offer relief, against potential disadvantages of the treatment. | | | |Examples: |Examine Health Beliefs in the follo wing examples: | | |Example 1: A mother’s health belief may involve the idea that a particular amulet will protect her daughter. | | |Example 2: Some Native American tribes health beliefs include the idea that taking a photograph of a person will rob the person of | | |his or her soul. | |Example 3: A mother may believe that her daughter doesn’t have asthma, but just coughs occasionally and that the inhaled steroids | | |are dangerous for her daughter. She may therefore decide that the potential risks of the medication outweigh the benefits. | | | | |Application: |A patient whose health belief is that his illness is a punishment for past sins may not believe that biomedical care will help him. | |He may believe that he will only get better when he atones for his sins. | | | | | | | |Social Factors | | | | |Definition: |Social Factors refer to environmental factors which affect how the family functions.These include (but are not limited to) | | |financial factors (such as socioeconomic status or type of – or lack of – insurance), logistical factors (such as transportation or | | |juggling many demands), housing, childcare and accessible health care. Social factors sometimes also include family relationships or| | |family dynamics which affect a child or family member. This often, in turn, influences emotional factors. | | | |Examples: |Some examples of Social Factors are: | | |Example 1: Some families do not buy medications that they need because they do not have insurance or cannot afford the co-pay. | | |Example 2: A child may come to clinic dirty, not because the mother doesn't care about cleanliness but because the water has been | | |off and the landlord refuses to return her phone calls. | |Example 3: A child's divorced parents may be angry at each other, causing tension in the family and interfering with the consistency| | |of his care as he moves between their homes. | | | | |Application: |It is always important to learn as m uch as you can about the social factors that affect a family. This will help you understand the | | |choices they make and the constraints they are under. | | | | | | |Acculturation | | | | |Definition: |The adoption of the behavior patterns of the dominant culture; the process of assimilating new ideas into an existing cognitive | | |structure. Acculturation is the process of acquiring a second culture.Assimilation is the process of replacing one's first culture | | |with a second culture. | | | | |Examples: |Some examples of Acculturation are: | | |Example 1: A first generation Italian who lives in an Italian enclave in he United States may continue to speak just Italian and to| | |follow the norms and mores of his Italian origins. This person will not have become highly acculturated to American culture. | | |Example 2: The granddaughter of a Chinese immigrant has gone to American schools and will now attend an American college. She spends| | |time primarily with her American frie nds, dresses as they do and shares their values and interests.She has become highly | | |acculturated into American culture. | | | | |Application: |The degree to which a patient holds the health beliefs of his country-of-origin will depend in part on how acculturated he has | | |become to American culture. |

Plato s Dialogue The Meno - 2000 Words

Plato’s dialogue the Meno explores the question of whether virtue can be taught. This dialogue provides no contextual setting like other early dialogues do, and instead it begins suddenly with Meno putting forth the question of whether virtue is teachable. Unlike earlier dialogues that mostly revolved around Socrates questioning and refuting an interlocutor who claimed to know something, though the Meno does this to an extent in the beginning, Socrates attempts to offer a potential positive solution to Meno’s paradox; in this dialogue Socrates also introduces a new method of inquiry that he calls hypothesis in an attempt to search for an answer to Meno’s initial question. As stated above the dialogue begins with Meno asking Socrates whether virtue can be taught, and if it is not teachable he inquires as to how one comes to possess it. As in earlier dialogues Socrates initial response to Meno’s question is to claim that he has no knowledge at all of virtue, and therefore he has no knowledge of the qualities it possesses—such as whether it is teachable or not. In addition to this, Socrates claims that he has never encountered anyone who actually knew what virtue is. Meno asserts that Gorgias, a sophist who he seems to revere, knows what virtue is. If this were the case then Gorgias being a sophist, someone who supposedly teaches others, should be able to teach other what virtue is. Following that, Meno—who has interacted with Gorgias should theoretically be able to explainShow MoreRelatedSocrates Vs. Plato : The Essential Themes Of The Meno1633 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Meno, largely because the dialogue sits nearly at the beginning of western philosophy. Socrates and Plato are working not so much in the context of previous philosophies as in the context of the lack of them. Further, this is very probably one of Plato s earliest surviving dialogues, set in about 402 BCE (by extension, we might presume that it represents S ocrates at a relatively early stage in his own thought). Nonetheless, in order to understand the aims and achievements of the dialogue, itRead MoreThe Text Of The Meno By Plato938 Words   |  4 PagesIn the text of the Meno by Plato, the dialogue develops and attempts to answer the question of what virtue is, and whether it is teachable. The paradox explained can be used to discuss merely anything, and we can thus say that either one knows or does not know. If a person knows, then they cannot investigate or question their knowledge. However, if a person does not know, they cannot inquire about it which means a person cannot question for not knowing what they do not know. Plato goes ahead and resolvesRead MorePlato s Meno As A Socratic Discussion On Human Sexuality And Age1686 Words   |  7 PagesPlato s Meno is a Socratic discussion on the definition of human virtues where the main participants are Socrates and Meno. Other speakers in the dialogue include an Athenian politician, one of Meno s slaves, and Socrates’ prosecutor Anytus, who is a friend to Meno. Meno wants to understand the broad definition of human virtues and while visiting Athens he initiates the dialogue on virtues with Socrates. The discussion begins with Meno inquiring from Socrates whether virtues can be learned. MenoRead MoreTry to Persuade Socrates Friends to Save Him Against His Will1191 Words   |  5 PagesTry to persuade the Socrates`s friends to save him, against his will. Socrates Is one of the most colorful figures of the ancient Greek world, who the strangeness of privacy life have always been of special philosophical and political science. He was convict to death because he does not believe in God and corrupted the youth people to do the same. In Plato`s dialogue Crito, Socrates spent his last time in the prison. Crito is coming to save Socrates and have plans how toRead MoreThe Between Socrates And Meno1724 Words   |  7 PagesMeno was a student of Gorgias, and he has a long discussion with Socrates about what virtue is. Socrates and Meno wonder if virtue can be taught, Meno proposes that it may be a result of practice or an inherent trait, but before they can answer that question they first need to agree on what virtue is. Meno makes multiple attempts at a description of virtue and Socrates points out potential problems. A definition of virtue is not settled, which leads to the discussion about the problem of learningRead MoreThe Great Philosopher728 Words   |  3 Pages2017 The Great Philosopher Plato Plato is known as one of ancient Greece’s greatest philosophers. Plato was born in Athens, Greece during 428 BCE. Some people believe that Plato s real name is Aristocles, if in fact this is true he would have received this name from his grandfather. Historians believed that Plato had two full brother, one sister, and one half brother. They are unsure if Plato was the eldest. They believe that he was since he inherited his grandfather s name, and tradition was thatRead MorePlato s The Socratic Method2253 Words   |  10 PagesPlato wrote nearly 30 dialogues, most of which focused on his predecessor, Socrates. His earlier works focused on Socrates Theories, or the Socratic method, while his later works focused on his own laws and Xenophon s Hiero. Some of Plato s dialogues include the Meno, Symposium, Republic, and the Phaedo. The Socratic method is a form of inquiry and discussion between individuals based on asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking and t o generate ideas. This paper is going toRead MoreA Life Sketch of Plato and His Works905 Words   |  4 PagesGreek philosophers, Plato must remain the best known of all the Greeks. The original name of this Athenian aristocrat was Aristiclis, but in his school days he received the nickname Platon (meaning broad) because of his broad shoulders. Plato was born in Athens, Greece to one of the oldest and most distinguished families in the city. He lived with his mother, Perictione, and his father, Ariston (Until Ariston died.) Born in an aristocratic and rich family, Plato s childhood was indulgedRead MoreIs Plato s Theory Of Recollection A Plausible Solution For Meno s Paradox Of Knowledge?960 Words   |  4 Pagesgeneral topic is Plato’s theory of recollection. Is Plato’s Theory of Recollection the plausible solution to Meno’s Paradox of Knowledge? Throughout many of his dialogues Plato often concludes that we cannot know something through our senses. He often concludes that we became acquainted with our knowledge in a previous existence. In Meno, Socrates states that, â€Å"As the soul is immortal, has been born often, and has seen all things here and in the underworld, there is nothing which it has not learned;Read MorePhilosophy1687 Words   |  7 PagesAnthony Charpentier Due Date: 10/7/14 PHI 307 – Ancient Philosophy First Essay Assignment Xenophanes, Socrates, Plato on the possibility of knowledge Skepticism – A skeptical attitude; doubt as to the truth of something. In ordinary skepticism this would mean someone who would doubt the existence of something. A difference between the two is normal skepticism is you try to get it clear in your head. Ordinary doubt - or local skepticism - can usually be tested - and even when it cant