Decriminalizing some classes of Drugs

Hemp, the basic plant that is marijuana, was at one time America's leading cash crop (and still is a major cash crop). George Washington farmed hemp on his plantation in the 1700s, as did much of the nation's farm population. Hemp was used for rope, fabric and paper as well as for recreational and medicinal purposes. In fact, hemp was a commonly used medicinal plant as early as 2700 B.C. for treatment of everything from rheumatism to constipation by the Chinese. The 17th century English clergyman Robert Burton recommended marijuana for depression. Even Queen Victoria was a frequent user of marijuana (Robinson, 1994, p. E1).

In post-colonial United States, hemp began to lose its attractiveness for economic purposes as cotton and synthetic materials

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first offenders with no other criminal record. Of the 4,244 people convicted in 1993 of violating federal marijuana laws, 56 percent had no criminal record. State correctional facilities are also being overwhelmed by drug offenders. The prison systems in 40 states are currently facing court orders to reduce over-crowding, frequently resulting in the release of violent criminals in order to incarcerate non-violent marijuana smokers and other drug offenders. The United States now imprisons a larger percentage of its citizens than any other nation in the world (Schlosser, 1994, pp. 85-86). The cost of all this is staggering. Roughly $30 billion has been spent since 1982 at the federal, state and local levels to enforce marijuana laws. Nearly 4 million Americans have been arrested for smoking or growing marijuana. Nearly a quarter million Americans have been incarcerated for at least one year for marijuana offenses. And at least 13 individuals thus far are serving life sentences for marijuana violations, some as simple as possession (Schlosser, 1994, pp. 85-86). Who are some of these prisoners that American taxpayers spend an average of $30,000 a year per person to incarcerate? One is Joanna McKee of Bainbridge Island, Washington.
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Approximate Word count = 1657
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)