Result of an Obsessive Fan

Stan- Eminem Feat. Dido


Short Version of Music Video Stan-Eminem Feat. Dido


Dido:
My tea's gone cold I'm wondering why I?
Got out of bed at all
The morning rain clouds up my window
And I can't see at all
And even if I could it'd all be gray
But your picture on my wall
It reminds me that it's not so bad
It's not so bad


Chorusx2


Eminem [As "Stan"]
Dear Slim, I wrote you but you still ain't callin'
I left my cell, my pager

Cover of "Stan" released in November of 2000

And my home phone at the bottom

I sent two letters back in autumn

You must not have got 'em

It probably was a problem

At the post office or somethin'


Sometimes I scribble addresses
Too sloppy when I jot 'em
But anyways fuck it
What's been up man, how's your daughter?
My girlfriend's pregnant too
I'm out to be a father
If I have a daughter, guess what I'm a call her?
I'm a name her Bonnie


I read about your Uncle Ronnie too, I'm sorry
I had a friend kill himself over some bitch
Who didn't want him
I know you probably hear this everyday
But I'm your biggest fan
I even got the underground shit that you did with scam


I got a room full of your posters
And your pictures man
I like the shit you did with Ruckus too
That shit was fat
Anyways I hope you get this, man
Hit me back just to chat
Truly yours, your biggest fan
This is Stan


Chorus


Eminem [As "Stan"]
Dear Slim, you still ain't called or wrote
I hope you have the chance, I ain't mad
I just think it's fucked up, you don't answer fans
If you didn't want to talk to me
Outside the concert you didn't have to
But you could've signed an autograph for Matthew
That's my little brother man


He's only 6 years old
We waited in the blistering cold for you
For 4 hours and you just said "No"
That's pretty shitty man
You're like his fuckin' idol
He wants to be just like you man
He likes you more than I do


I ain't that mad though I just don't like bein' lied to
Remember when we met in Denver
You said if I write to you, you would write back
See I'm just like you in a way
I never knew my father neither
He used to always cheat on my mom and beat her


I can relate to what you're sayin' in your songs

Eminem and Elton John performing "Stan" at the 2001 Grammys

So when I have a shitty day

I drift away and put 'em on
Cause I don't really got shit else
So that shit helps when I'm depressed
I even got a tattoo
With your name across the chest


Sometimes I even cut myself
To see how much it bleeds?
It's like Adrenaline
The pain is such a sudden rush for me
See everything you say is real
And I respect you 'cause you tell it
My girlfriend's jealous
'Cause I talk about you 24/7


But she don't know you like
I know you Slim, no one does
She don't know what it was like?
For people like us growing up
You've gotta call me man
I'll be the biggest fan you'll ever lose
Sincerely yours, Stan
P.S. We should be together too


Chorus


Eminem [As "Stan"]
Dear Mister, I'm too good to call or write my fans
This'll be the last package I ever send your ass
It's been six months and still no word
I don't deserve it?
I know you got my last two letters
I wrote the addresses on 'em perfect

"Stan" in his Eminem shrine composing one of his letters.

So this is my cassette I'm sending you
I hope you hear it
I'm in the car right now
I'm doing 90 on the freeway
Hey Slim, I drink a fifth of vodka
Ya dare me to drive?


You know this song by Phil Collins
'From the air in the night'
About that guy who could have saved
That other guy from drowning?
But didn't, then Phil saw it all
Then at his show he found him


That's kinda how this is
You could have rescued me from drowning
Now it's too late
I'm on a thousand downers, now I'm drowsy


And all I wanted was a lousy letter or a call
I hope you know
I ripped all your pictures off the wall
I loved you Slim, we could have been together
Think about it, you ruined it now
I hope you can't sleep and you dream about it
And when you dream, I hope you can't sleep
And you scream about it
I hope your conscious eats at you
And you can't breathe without me


See Slim, "Shut up bitch!
I'm trying to talk"
Hey Slim, that's my girlfriend screaming in the trunk
But I didn't slit her throat I just tied her up
See I ain't like you
'Cause if she suffocates she'll suffer more
And then she'll die too

Well gotta go
I'm almost at the bridge now
Oh shit! I forgot!
How am I supposed to send this shit out?
Chorus


Eminem [As himself]
Dear Stan, I meant to write you sooner
But I've just been busy
You said your girlfriend's pregnant now
How far along is she?
Look I'm really flattered
You would call your daughter that
And here's an autograph for your brother
I wrote it on your starter cap


I'm sorry I didn't see you at the show
I must have missed you
Don't think I did that shit intentionally
Just to diss you
And what's this shit you said about
You like to cut your wrist too?
I say that shit just clownin' dawg
C'mon, how fucked up is you?


You got some issues Stan

Eminem responding to Stan too late

I think you need some counselin''
To help your ass from bouncin' off the walls
When you get down some
And what's this shit about us
Meant to be together?
That type of shit'll make me not want us
To meet each other


I really think you and your girlfriend
Need each other
Or maybe you just need to treat her better
I hope you get to read this letter
I just hope it reaches you in time
Before you hurt yourself
I think that you'll be doin' just fine
If you'd relax a little


I'm glad I inspire you
But Stan, why are you so mad?
Try to understand
That I do want you as a fan
I just don't want you to do some crazy shit
I seen this one shit on the news
A couple weeks ago that made me sick


Some dude was drunk and drove his car over a bridge

And had his girlfriend in the trunk

And she was pregnant with his kid

And in the car they found a tape

But it didn't say who it was to?

Come to think about it

His name was... it was you! Damn!

Lyrics attributed to: Metro Lyrics

Essay 4 Revision-The Need for Calories and Nutritional Information on Menus in Restaurants

The Need for Nutrition Facts and Calories on Restaurant Menus

By

Kristen Roberts

EN 101-H1

Dr. Kerr

6 December 2010

The Need for Nutrition Facts and Calories on Restaurant Menus

                A taste worth dying for, the Heart Attack Grill is located in Arizona and comes with a warning posted outside: “Caution this place is bad for your health.” (Schneider). The single, double, triple, and quadruple bypass burgers are the most popular on the menu which come with a side of unlimited Flatliner Fries soaked in lard (Schneider). The quadruple bypass burger itself contains 8,000 calories (Schneider). A 30 year old man weighing 250 pounds and standing 75 inches tall needs 3,212 calories each day to maintain his weight; eating this burger and almost 5,000 calories over the recommendation in one sitting could prove fatal or damaging to his health (“Calorie Calculator Results”). Customers may read the sign outside that cautions unhealthy food inside, but they do not know how many calories or what ingredients are in the food item. Not knowing what food consists of in a restaurant can trigger several serious health issues (Carmona). However, this can be prevented.  Restaurants should provide calories and nutrition facts on their menus to help prevent obesity in America, aid customers with diabetes, and avoid food allergies and other food-related reactions.

                Obesity is a whale of a problem in the United States. Around two thirds of Americans are overweight or suffer from obesity (Carmona).  An additional one in every eight American deaths stem from a direct overweight or obesity illness (Carmona). To further monitor caloric intake, Americans need assistance in knowing what is in their food when they go out to eat. If calories were placed next to selections on a menu, smarter choices could be made, and therefore American obesity rates could drop. Some who oppose the posting of calories and nutrition facts may say that the calories are already required to be posted online (Mora). However, not every American has access to a computer; one fourth of Americans have no internet access (“75% of Americans Have Internet Access”). If the information was posted on the menu everyone who ate there would have easy access. Posting the nutrition information and calories will hopefully deter consumers from unhealthy choices. For example, if one were to go to Burger King and order the large Triple Whopper with Cheese Value Meal with large French Fries and a medium BK Strawberry Sundae Shake, they would be consuming 2770 calories (“Burger King”). Not to mention the unhealthy amount of sodium one would be consuming, 3040 mg, and fat, 145 g (“Burger King”). Foods in restaurants like Burger King have hidden nutritional dangers. Over 15 million Burger King customers in 50 states and 58 countries are served daily ("Burger King Corporation"). Therefore, 15 million customers do not know what they are eating each day because of the lack of nutritional and caloric labels on menus. The unsuspecting consumer then becomes another potential victim of obesity. Posting certain information on menus would also fight obesity by aiding Americans trying to diet, watch their cholesterol, or fat intake (Lehrer). Opposing views of releasing this nutritional information on menus may say that if people are on a diet they should not eat out, especially at fast food restaurants. However, healthy choices can be made at restaurants as long as the nutritional information is readily available (Mora). At Burger King, one could order a BK Hamburger for 260 calories, 490 mg of sodium, and only 10 g of fat (“Burger King”). If the correct information was placed on menus the good choices on a menu would be separated from the bad choices. Customers would naturally be deterred from the bad choices. Therefore, placing nutritional information on the menus would increase the chance that a consumer would choose the good choice, and in the long run, avoid being overweight or obese. Also, some choices on a menu that appear healthy may not be (Rogers). A customer may see a salad on the menu and assume it is healthy (Rogers). However, they may be unaware that the high fat dressing and other toppings the salad is served with make the salad an unhealthy choice (Rogers). For example, if one were to go to Bob Evans and order the Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad they would be consuming a whopping 1,108 calories (“Bob Evans”). American restaurant patrons deserve a fair warning for these hidden dangers. Opposing views may state that restaurants will lose business once people see how many calories are in their food and what it is made of (Mora). The American people and their health should be more important than a restaurant having a booming business. With the declining amount of American health, because of obesity, fewer patrons will be visiting restaurants because they will become one of the many Americans that die because of obesity. Posting calories and nutritional information on restaurant menus would help fight obesity by making Americans aware of what their consuming, aiding dieters, and generally deterring bad food choices.

                In 2006, diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. (“Diabetes Statistics”). As of 2007 there were 17.9 million Americans diagnosed with diabetes (“Diabetes Statistics”). Obviously, this is a colossal problem in the United States and the disease affects an enormous portion of Americans. Diabetics, especially ones diagnosed with type two diabetes, need to watch what they eat because it directly affects their blood sugar (Hill). Eating the wrong thing could send them into diabetic shock or cause discomfort with other symptoms (Hill). If diabetics go out to eat, it must be very difficult for them to begin with. They are supposed to avoid consuming things such as refined and processed food, sugary drinks, caffeine, bad fats, and large amounts of alcohol (Hill). If they eat too much of these foods and others they could die (Wool). Posting nutritional information is important for the safety of American diabetics. They cannot help their condition and it is in the governments hands to assist them. Opposing views may argue that the cost of putting all this information of a menu will cost the government and restaurants a lot of money (Rogers). However, the government assists Americans with other disabilities. For example, handicapped citizens get special parking spaces. America’s diabetics should also be aided by the government by requiring restaurants to post nutrition information on their menus. It is not right tend to one disadvantaged group of American’s and not another. Other opposing views may say that diabetics should know what they can and cannot eat when going out to restaurants (Mora). However, how will they know if they do not know what is in the food they are ordering. Posting the correct information on menus could potentially save a diabetics life. For example, at Panera Bread if a diabetic were to order a Caesar salad they would be consuming 250 calories from fat (“Panera Bread”). Diabetics are supposed to avoid bad fats with calories from fat being one of those dangerous fats (Hill). Restaurants should provide nutritional information on their menus to aid diabetics in the ongoing fight for their life.

                Besides diabetes, there are many other food-related allergies and reactions. Eight foods make up ninety percent of all allergies to food (“Allergens”). Those foods are milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and fish (“Allergens”). All of these allergies can be fatal depending on the seriousness of the allergy and the amount of the food ingested (“Allergens”). Some opposing the requirement of nutritional information on menus may argue that people with such reactions and allergies have been seen by a doctor and know what they cannot eat. However, there are hidden ingredients in foods that one would never suspect (“Allergens”). For example, tree nuts could be found in barbeque sauce and eggs can be found in toppings on specialty coffee drinks (“Allergens”). People with these allergies cannot be expected to know every single food item that contains the substance they are allergic too. Also, restaurants cook their foods differently and could add an uncommon ingredient in an unsuspecting food (“Allergens”).  For example, there could be milk in a steak dinner because the cook melted butter on top of the steak (“Allergens”). The butter is not visible after it is melted and a person with an allergy to milk would not know until they took a bite and had a reaction. This could easily be avoided by posting nutritional facts on restaurant menus so people with allergies could avoid potentially dangerous foods. Another reaction to foods that could be avoided with labeling menus is lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance is trouble digesting foods that contain lactose; lactose is a type of sugar found in dairy products such as milk and cheese (Gavin). Once again, many unsuspecting foods such as bread and cereal contain lactose, and people affected with this disorder should be given a fair warning on appropriate menu labels (Gavin). One could form an argument that posting this information on menus would not be worth it because it is only benefitting a few people with food allergies. However, 7.8 million people have food allergies in America (Bradley). The other complication involving food, lactose intolerance, affects 30 to 50 million Americans on different levels of severity (Gavin). So basically around 60 million Americans are affected by food allergies and reactions; this does not even include diabetes or other food complications. Therefore, adding this information to menus would aid over 60 million Americans and would be well worth the money spent. Nutritional information on menus would benefit and assist Americans with food-related illnesses or reactions because they would be able to conveniently see all of the ingredients in the food that they were eating; they could avoid having a severe reaction to the food if the information were readily available.

                Several cities, such as New York City, have attempted to enforce this law (Lehrer). The city passed a law requiring nutritional information to be posted on menus in March but it was overturned on a technicality (Lehrer). Eighteen other cities and states have menu laws in the works (Lehrer). 900 million dollars are spent every year on restaurant food and the number is increasing with time (Lehrer). As of now, almost all Americans that spend this money and go out to eat are not eating at restaurants with calories and nutritional information posted on their menus. Therefore, all Americans are at risk for obesity or food-related reactions related to an illness or allergy. In fact, most food allergic reactions occur in restaurants (Taylor). Also, foods in restaurants have proven to be unhealthier than homemade food (Lehrer). Diabetics also have an increased chance of complications when dining out, most likely because they do not know what they are eating (“Diabetes Basics”). A simple redesigning of the menu could provide calories and nutrition facts to help prevent obesity in America, aid customers with diabetes, and avoid food allergies and other food-related reactions.

Works Cited

"75% of Americans Have Internet Access | Rethink IT | Find Articles at BNET." Find Articles at BNET | News Articles, Magazine Back Issues & Reference Articles on All Topics. May 2004. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0PAT/is_2004_May/ai_n6039051/>.

"Allergens - FAAN." Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. 09 Nov. 2009. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://www.foodallergy.org/section/allergens>.

"Bob Evans Restaurants Calorie Counter (CalorieLab)." Calorie Counter (CalorieLab). Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://calorielab.com/restaurants/bob-evans/38>.

Bradley, Jeanette. "7.8 Million People in U.S. Have Food Allergies." Food Allergies About.com. 21 Oct. 2010. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://foodallergies.about.com/b/2010/10/21/7-8-million-people-in-u-s-have-food-allergies.htm>.

"BURGER KING® – Menu and Nutrition." BURGER KING® – HAVE IT YOUR WAY®. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://www.bk.com/en/us/menu-nutrition/index.html>.

"Burger King Corporation." View Jobs by Company & Research Company Information | Monster.com. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://company.monster.com/bking.aspx>.

"Calorie Calculator Results - Calorie Guide Results for Men." Nutrition - About Nutrition and Diet. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://nutrition.about.com/library/bl_nutrition_need_results_men.htm?start=1&pounds_100=200&pounds_10=50&pounds=0&dpounds_100=200&dpounds_10=50&dpounds=0&years=NaN&inches=75&years=30&page=4>.

Carmona, Richard H. "The Obesity Crisis in America." Office of the Surgeon General (OSG). 16 July 2003. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/news/testimony/obesity07162003.htm>.

"Diabetes Basics - American Diabetes Association." American Diabetes Association Home Page - American Diabetes Association. Web. 05 Dec. 2010. <http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/?utm_source=WWW&utm_medium=GlobalNavDB&utm_campaign=CON>.

"Diabetes Statistics - American Diabetes Association." American Diabetes Association Home Page - American Diabetes Association. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diabetes-statistics/>.

Gavin, Mary L. "Lactose Intolerance." KidsHealth - the Web's Most Visited Site about Children's Health. Nov. 2008. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/allergiesimmune/lactose.html#>.

Hill, Stephanie Crumley. "Bad Foods For Diabetics | LIVESTRONG.COM." LIVESTRONG.COM - Health, Fitness, Lifestyle | LIVESTRONG.COM. 26 Feb. 2010. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://www.livestrong.com/article/87524-bad-foods-diabetics/>.

Lehrer, Jim. "Online NewsHour: Report | New Menu Laws Spark Debate | January 14, 2008 | PBS." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. 14 Jan. 2008. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/business/jan-june08/food_01-14.html>.

Mora, Edwin. "Health Care Bill Mandates That Restaurants Display Nutrition Information on Menus | CNSnews.com." CNS News | CNSnews.com. 22 Aug. 2009. Web. 04 Dec. 2010. <http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/52905>.

Panera Bread - Nutrition Calculator. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://www.paneranutrition.com/>.

Rogers, Chris Dinesen. "Nutritional Restaurant Menus | LIVESTRONG.COM." LIVESTRONG.COM - Health, Fitness, Lifestyle | LIVESTRONG.COM. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://www.livestrong.com/article/257730-nutritional-facts-on-restaurant-menus/>.

Schneider, Katie. "Heart Attack Grill 'a Taste worth Dying For' | News.com.au." News.com.au | News Online from Australia & the World | NewsComAu. 19 June 2009. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://www.news.com.au/heart-attack-grill-a-taste-worth-dying-for/story-0-1225737474132>.

Taylor, Melissa. "Eating Out and About with Food Allergies." Angelfire: Welcome to Angelfire. Web. 05 Dec. 2010. <http://www.angelfire.com/mi/FAST/restaurants.html>.

Wool, Louise. "Food for Diabetics - Good and Bad Food for Diabetics." EzineArticles Submission - Submit Your Best Quality Original Articles For Massive Exposure, Ezine Publishers Get 25 Free Article Reprints. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://ezinearticles.com/?Food-for-Diabetics---Good-and-Bad-Food-for-Diabetics&id=730988>.

Legalization of Marijuana-Honors Project Video

Essay 4 First Draft Legalization of Marijuana

Legalization of Marijuana

By

Kristen Roberts

EN 101-H1

Dr. Kerr

22 November 2010

Legalization of Marijuana

Marijuana is a green, brown or grey, mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant ("Marijuana - What Is Marijuana?”). Marijuana has several nicknames including pot, hash, and most commonly, weed (Schmalleger). It is an illegal drug that can be smoked, eaten, brewed in tea, or cooked into foods (Schmalleger). When taken into the bloodstream, THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, goes into your lungs, heart, bloodstream, and then your brain ("What Is”). The THC targets receptor cells in one’s brain and creates a high ("What Is”). According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, in 2009, this high was experienced by approximately 16.7 million Americans aged 12 or older at least once in the month prior to being surveyed ("Marijuana - InfoFacts - NIDA"). This number is steadily increasing as the years progress ("Marijuana - InfoFacts - NIDA"). Marijuana is the most common illegal drug for recreational use ("Marijuana - InfoFacts - NIDA"). Marijuana should be legalized because it is less harmful than cigarettes, it has many positive attributes, and citizens arrested on Marijuana charges take up space in our incarceration facilities.

                Marijuana, an illegal substance, is less dangerous and addictive than cigarettes and scientists have not been able to link it definitively to cancers like they have with tobacco (Edell). Marijuana is not addictive; the majorities of users quit early in their adult lives and use Marijuana as a recreational drug (Edell). Less than 1% of Americans smoke Marijuana on a daily basis. (“Myths and Facts About Marijuana.”)  Cigarettes are known to be highly addictive and contain nicotine (“Smoking and Tobacco Use”). This means that a person who smokes cigarettes will smoke everyday multiple times. Cigarettes are not only addictive but deadly. Smoking cigarettes and secondhand smoke kills around 443,000 people each year in the United States (“Smoking and Tobacco Use”). The total deaths from Marijuana usage alone is zero (“Smoking and Tobacco Use”). Marijuana has not been traced back to any kind of diseases or cancers unlike cigarettes and other tobacco products (Edell). Studies have not shown any link between cannabis and heart disease (Edell).  Cannabis does not contain nicotine which is found in cigarettes and is associated with heart disease (Edell). Recently, the largest study looking for a link between cancer and Marijuana was done at the University of California at Los Angeles by Dr. Donald Tashkin (Kaufman). The study showed no connection between the two even when users smoked heavily and everyday; heavily meaning lighting up around 22,000 times (Kaufman). Marijuana does not cause lung cancer and there was no increase in cancer incidents for those who used the drug (Kaufman). Tashkin expected to find a positive correlation between lung cancer and Marijuana but instead found only positive outcomes from using Marijuana. Tashkin found that smoking Marijuana may even have a protective effect on the lungs such as a protective cover (Kaufman). THC, the active chemical in Marijuana, may kill aging cells and actually prevent cancer (Kaufman). Cigarettes, on the other hand, were found to have a 20-fold increase in lung cancer for people who smoked two or more packs a day (Kaufman). A legal drug on the market in the United States, tobacco, causes more deaths, more cancers, and more diseases than an illegal drug, Marijuana.

                Marijuana is not just a drug; the drug itself and other forms of the cannabis plant are useful. Marijuana use has positive attributes, such as its medical value and use as a recreational drug with relatively mild side effects ("The Top Ten Reasons Marijuana Should Be Legal”). This drug can be used as a pain killer or treatment for medical reasons including glaucoma, side-effects of cancer chemotherapy, syndromes associated with AIDS, epilepsy, and many more ("Marijuana as Medicine-FAQ."). Some who oppose the legalization of Marijuana claim that other prescription drugs are sufficient when it comes to these illnesses ("Is Medical Marijuana More Dangerous than Legal Drugs?”). However, Marijuana is not addictive like other prescription drugs (G.). Any addiction to it is socially addictive; it does not cause chemical dependency (G.). Marijuana as a drug treatment is something natural while prescription drugs are something created in laboratories and it does not have fatal side affects like some prescription drugs (G.).  It seems absurd that a natural plant involved in medicinal practices for ages is illegal when expensive man-made drugs can damage the kidneys, liver, heart, or even cause death and addiction (G.). Marijuana also has positive attributes when it comes to recreational drug use. Those who are against the legalization of Marijuana maybe believe that Marijuana is dangerous or toxic ("Marijuana Dangers.”). Scientific studies prove that Marijuana is not toxic to humans at all (G.). However, legal forms of recreational drugs like alcohol and tobacco are both more addictive and dangerous than marijuana and you can essentially overdose or die from both (G.). It is physically impossible to overdose on Marijuana. One would have to smoke 1,500 lbs. of Marijuana in 15 minutes (G.).  85,000 people die from alcohol every year whether it is from alcohol overdose in one night or over time because of an addiction ("Annual Causes of Death in the United States”). 435,000 people died annual from tobacco use ("Annual Causes of Death in the United States”).  As mentioned earlier, there are zero reported deaths for Marijuana use. Marijuana is a much safer and overall better medical treatment and recreational drug with less risk than prescription drugs, milder effects than alcohol, and less long term life threatening side affects like cigarettes.

                Another benefit of legalizing Marijuana would be the increase in space in prisons. People convicted with possession or distribution of marijuana and are sent to jail crowd these facilities when more dangerous people should be locked up. According U.S. Department of Justice statistics 33,655 state inmates and 10,785 federal inmates were behind bars for Marijuana charges ("Pot Prisoners Cost Americans $1 Billion a Year”).  The report did not even include Marijuana arrests for county or local facilities ("Pot Prisoners Cost Americans $1 Billion a Year”). Basically 1 in every 8 drug prisoners in United States facilities are locked up on Marijuana related charges ("Pot Prisoners Cost Americans $1 Billion a Year”). There would be space for dangerous criminals who commit homicides or other violent crimes rather than someone who uses a harmless drug. Opposing views of Marijuana legalization may believe that a law is a law and if someone breaks it they suffer the consequences. However, according to the Bureau of Justice, American taxpayers pay more than a billion dollars each year to jail people who violate Marijuana laws ("Pot Prisoners Cost Americans $1 Billion a Year”). This unnecessary taxing could easily be solved with the legalization of Marijuana because it would decrease the amount of inmates by quite a large number. Not only that, but taxpayers pay another $8 billion dollars for arrested relating to Marijuana possession and distribution annually in criminal justice costs ("Pot Prisoners Cost Americans $1 Billion a Year”). America’s incarceration facilities and taxpayers would greatly benefit from the legalization of marijuana.

                Legalizing Marijuana has worked well for other places such as Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Any form of Marijuana is legal in the Netherlands with certain restrictions (“Amsterdam Drugs, Drug Laws in Amsterdam."). The Dutch think that citizens should be able to use Marijuana as a natural right of personal use (“Amsterdam Drugs, Drug Laws in Amsterdam.").  Marijuana can be smoked or sold in public (“Amsterdam Drugs, Drug Laws in Amsterdam."). However, one is only allowed to possess 5 grams of Marijuana at one time, even in coffee shops where smoking is allowed inside (“Amsterdam Drugs, Drug Laws in Amsterdam."). There are still restrictions on Marijuana in the Netherlands as there are with alcohol and tobacco in the United States but the Dutch are very tolerant of the drug and their system works well (“Amsterdam Drugs, Drug Laws in Amsterdam."). I believe that the United States should follow in the footsteps of Amsterdam and the Netherlands and legalize Marijuana because it is a safer drug than tobacco, can be used for medical purposes, and violators of the law crowds our countries jails.

 

Works Cited

"Amsterdam.info - Amsterdam Drugs, Drug Laws in Amsterdam." Amsterdam.info - Amsterdam Hotels. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. <http://www.amsterdam.info/drugs/>.

"Annual Causes of Death in the United States | Drug War Facts." Welcome | Drug War Facts. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. <http://drugwarfacts.org/cms/?q=node/30>.

Edell, Dean. "Marijuana vs. Tobacco: Which Is Worse." HealthCentral.com - Trusted, Reliable and Up To Date Health Information. 22 Sept. 2003. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. <http://www.healthcentral.com/drdean/408/60640.html>.

G., Jerry. "Why Legalize Marijuana?" HubPages. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. <http://hubpages.com/hub/Why-Legalize-Marijuana>.

"Is Medical Marijuana More Dangerous than Legal Drugs? - Medical Marijuana - ProCon.org." Medical Marijuana ProCon.org. 30 May 2008. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. <http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=000230>.

Kaufman, Marc. "Study Finds No Cancer-Marijuana Connection - Washingtonpost.com." Washington Post - Politics, National, World & D.C. Area News and Headlines - Washingtonpost.com. 26 May 2006. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/25/AR2006052501729.html>.

"Marijuana - InfoFacts - NIDA." National Institutes of Health-NIDA. 10 Nov. 2010. Web. 21 Nov. 2010. <http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/marijuana.html>.

"Marijuana - What Is Marijuana?" Alcoholism - The Alcoholism Home Page. 15 Aug. 2009. Web. 21 Nov. 2010. <http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/pot/f/mjkids_faq01.htm>.

"Marijuana as Medicine-FAQ." Marijuana Medical Use. 02 Dec. 1999. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. <http://marijuana-as-medicine.org/Alliance/faq.htm#illnesses>.

"Marijuana Dangers." Marijuana Addiction. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. <http://www.marijuana-addiction.net/marijuana-dangers.htm>.

"Myths and Facts About Marijuana." Drug Policy Alliance: Alternatives to Marijuana Prohibition and the Drug War. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. <http://www.drugpolicy.org/marijuana/factsmyths/>.

"Pot Prisoners Cost Americans $1 Billion a Year | NowPublic News Coverage." NowPublic.com | The News Is NowPublic. 14 Feb. 2007. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. <http://www.nowpublic.com/pot_prisoners_cost_americans_1_billion_a_year>.

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