Reform Needed

Recently a good friend of mine, a pre-law student with exceptional grades and no criminal record was arrested for marijuana possession in his vehicle. His friend had left it behind and he knew nothing about it, yet currently he faces criminal charges in court and potentially one year in prison. It is a common fact that both the judicial system as well as the correctional system are both overloaded to capacity. Current marijuana laws primarily affect males between the age of 18-25, usually first time offenders and productive members of society. By tainting their record the system creates a situation in which a productive individual finds it hard to seek employment/apply for school.

Marijuana has been found to have medical benefit, yet is scheduled by the d.e.a as a substance similiar to heroin. Schedule 1 narcotics are classified to have no medical benefit and a high addiction potential, yet all medical studies point to the contrary. The AMA has endorsed medical marijuana for patients in need, yet the government continues to waste countless dollars targeting college students and ordinary citizens who turn to a vice no different than alcohol. This is the time for comprehensive marijuana reform, for the sake of the countless American families forced to experience the judicial system with no just cause, as well as to decongest the judicial and correctional process. Possession of marijuana brings no harm to society, and an individual has the right to bring proximate harm upon themselves, without big brother locking them up