This subject was brought in one of my classes at Tennessee State University, when a doctoral student informed me that he had been arrested in his younger years for having possession of marijuana, which is still on his record as a felony crime.
I do not participate in the use of alcohol,tobacco nor marijuana, but I do strongly believe in the Constitution for equal treatment, in each and every situation. At one time alcohol and tobacco was considered to be illegal and was classified to be a criminal offense as well, but has been socially accepted. Several medical authoritians have concluded that marijuana has a medical purpose and it is available to some individuals. The same authoritians have taken the position that marijuana has no more effect on a person than alcohol and cannot be compared with the hard core drugs. Because I believe in equal treatment, I will support and encourage the state legislature to decriminalize the use of marijuana and focus more on the use of the hard core drugs. Many adults experimented with marijuaua in their earlier years and some have a criminal record as a result. The criminal stigma will remain on their record, which I believe to be unfair. Twenty or thirty years ago, the penalty for possession of marijuana was much greater, but as time goes on, the seriousness is getting to be lesser. De-criminalize the use of marijuana, but make everyone take responsibility for their actions, as done with alcolhol. Many of our young people who are in college, have or will be arrested and this is a stigma that should not remain on their record. Let us concentrate on keeping the hard core drugs away from our young people.
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