Khari Mawusi

4/21/16
Dr. Wynne
English 102

Drug Addiction is a serious matter all over the world. It is represented as a chronic, brain
disease that imagine drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences to the addicted
individual and their surroundings. There are at least two ways that drugs cause disruption: The
first is by attacking the brains natural chemical triggers. The second way is by over stimulating
the reward circuit of the brain. Nearly all addictive drugs directly target the brains system by
overriding the circuit with dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter present in regions of the
brain that regulate movement, emotion, cognition, motivation, and being satisfied. Throughout
history there have been patterns of drug and alcohol use. When new drugs are introduced into big
populations, there is a sudden rush of enthusiasm, followed by a learning process as the drug is
assimilated by the community. Substances with the greatest market penetration are the
stimulants; ones such as caffeine and nicotine, contained in coffee, tea and tobacco. The problem
of diversion continues to grow. Teenagers begin to experiment with medicines which results in
addiction and deaths. Non-medical use of medicines is now greater than the abuse of cocaine,
hallucinogens and inhalants. Among adults 26 or older, 6.3 percent reported nonmedical use of
prescription medicines in 2005. In children 12 or older, 2.2 million reported nonmedical use of
prescription medicines, mainly pain relievers and tranquilizing medicines.

Voters in Alaska, Oregon and Washington, D.C., all voted to legalize marijuana for adults
in the 2014 election. They joined Colorado and Washington, which legalized marijuana in 2012.
Five jurisdictions in the United States have changed their laws to legalize small amounts
of marijuana: Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Washington, D.C.
There is more public support for reform than ever before with new polls showing more
than enough people supporting the legalization of
mariju.na.

The

Drug

Policy

Alliance

believes

marijuana should be removed from the criminal justice

system and regulated like alcohol and tobacco.
Legalizing and regulating marijuana will bring the
nation's largest cash crop under the rule of law. This
will create jobs and economic opportunities in the
formal economy instead of the illicit market.
Scarce law enforcement resources that could be better used to ensure public safety would
be preserved while reducing corrections and court costs. State and local governments would
acquire significant new sources of tax revenue from regulating marijuana sales.
The criminalization of marijuana use disproportionately harms young people and people
of color sponsors massive levels of violence and corruption, and fails to curb youth access. The
Drug Policy Alliance is the organization to legalize and regulate marijuana. DPA played a pivotal
role in funding and managing ballot initiatives and legislative campaigns in many of the states
that have medical marijuana laws from 1996 to 2014.
In conclusion I believe that marijuana should be legal everywhere. When legalizing
marijuana their would be less crime charges and less people running around on the streets. This

meaning a better environment for the communities all over the world. Marijuana itself will
improve the world dramatically.

"The History of Prescription Drugs." Good Medicine, Bad Behavior: Drug Diversion in
America.N.p.,n.d.Web.08Mar.2016.