Briefing Paper Marking Guide - Big Data

Introduction In this briefing paper, the ICT topic Big Data will be reviewed from literatures. Big data is the new IT buzzword that refers to the voluminous data processed in different business processes in different industries around us. There is explosive growth of the volume of structured and unstructured data in last decades. In the early days of implementation of information technology in different kind of organizations had implemented databases for working with data related to their business processes, but in last few years, emergence of social media and ecommerce have accelerated the growth of data outside organization and from individuals. For example, over social media like Facebook, people uploads and shares heavy volumes of images, texts, videos from different parts of the world at the same time their location details, machine details etc. are also being circulated. Analysis of these type of data reveals several interesting information about peoples lifestyles, choices etc. and busines ses are very interesting for these type of information. Working with these kind of data using typical database management software and information technologies is difficult. Big data and technologies have given rise of a new dimension in this case. It covers all technologies that helps to address the volume and complexities of these voluminous data. (Madden, 2012) In this briefing paper, it will discuss about the technology, current research and trends on big data in details. The Problem As, it has been already told that, processing of volumes of structured and unstructured data, using traditional database management systems or data processing systems were difficult. This was the problem that led to the invention of big data concept and related technologies. (Madden, 2012) There is common confusion around the term big data, that is, whether it refers to technology or volume of data. When vendors use the term big data they generally refers to the technologies like processes and tools that helps in working with volumes of data efficiently. So, the term encompasses any collection of complex and larger data set that is difficult to handle by typical database management or data processing applications. It also covers up the collection of tools to support processing of such data through different kind of operations like searching, curation, sharing, transfer, storage, visualization etc. (Zikopoulos, 2011) Bid Data: Characteristics There are some characteristics of a dataset that makes it a Big data data set. Those characteristics are, A. Volume Volume refers to the quantity of data, generated from a process or system. The potential and value of a dataset is directly proportional to its volume. This characteristic is the first criteria to classify a dataset as big data or not. Even this concept has been reflected on the term Big data itself. (Marz Warren, 2014) B. Velocity This characteristic is related to the rate of generation of data or how fast data is getting generated or processed to provide desired outcome. C. Variety Big data takes data from heterogeneous sources into consideration while processing the same. Variety in data sets helps to analyze it from different aspects and in deriving different outcomes. D. Veracity Veracity of data sets refers to the captured quality of those. Veracity of a dataset plays significant role in the accuracy of the outcomes from analysis of the data sets. (Zikopoulos, 2011) E. Variability Variability refers to the levels on inconsistencies present in the data and that show up any time during processing. This may be problematic for data analysts. F. Complexity Managing the processing of big data, is a complex process by itself. It becomes more complex when data comes from heterogeneous sources and larger in volume. These kind of data is needed to be interlinked, correlated and connected. Otherwise it is difficult to work on these data. Big Data: Technologies Computation power and storage for larger datasets are not a serious problem now a days. Advancement in electronics and digital technologies have made these solutions more efficient, easily available and cheaper. This has helped in emergence of big data. There is a paradigm shift from computer architecture to the mechanisms in data processing. There is a growing demand for data mining and analysis applications for big data. (Barlow, 2013) There are wide range of tools and technologies that supports the concept of big data and analysis, processing of the same. There are technologies like crowdsourcing, A/B testing, data fusion etc. along with machine learning, natural language processing, time series analysis, integration, simulation, genetic algorithms, signal processing, visualization etc. Tensors are the representative of multidimensional big data. Tensor based technologies and computation methods like multi- linear sub space learning helps in this case. Other than that there are database related technologies, parallel processing support, search based application, distributed file systems and databases, data mining, cloud computing etc. and Internet that supports big data revolution. There are big data analytics that processes the big data and helps in finding out different patters out of it. These patterns gives critical insights into data sets. Storage is an important issue for big data. A proposed solution is distributed and shared storage. Storage area network or SANs, Networked Area storage or NAS etc. come into these categories. However, big data practitioners are not quite interested in these solutions. There are RDBMS based storage solutions for big data that is capable of storing petabytes of data. (Madden, 2012) All these technologies supports big data in analysis of data from web, analysis of network monitoring logs, click stream analysis etc. There are data science applications like simulations for massive scale analysis of data, deployment of sensors etc. Parallel database systems like Vertica, Teradta, Greenplum etc. are powerful but expensive and hard to administer. There are lack of fault tolerance levels in case of longer queries. Hadoop is a popular big data technology accepted worldwide. (Roebuck, 2011) Big Data: Process There are number of phases in data processing in big data. Those are explained as, 1. Data Acquisition Big data takes data that are evolving from different industries and scientific researches, demographics, social media and ecommerce. However, all data is not equally important for a particular goal so after collecting data, it will be filtered. Data are collected from systems, social media and numerous sources. There can be operational or transactional data, structured and unstructured data. When it comes to big data them all types of data irrespective or format and type are collected. Later on these data are filtered and compressed before processing. The most challenging part of data acquisition is, filtering out the unnecessary data. It must be done in a way so that useful information dont get discarded. Data science deals with numerous issues that helps to define different filters to ensure, accuracy and relevancy of collected data. (Marz Warren, 2014) For streaming data from online sources, it is not always possible to store and process those data to filter those later on. Rather it needs an on the fly approach to work on such streamlines of data from web. There are online data analytics applications and systems that helps in filtering and collected data from online streaming data. Next big challenge in to create metadata from acquired data. This is not easy. Meta data should give details about the sources and structure of data. There are metadata acquisition systems that can automatically record metadata without any human intervention. However, there are lots of things to do with metadata after recording those correctly. There is a pipeline for analysis of big data. Metadata is required in every stage of the pipeline. Thus acquisition of data refers to the collection of technologies, tools and processes of collecting data, filtering it and recording metadata of data at the same time without storing and processing data every time. 2. Cleaning and Extraction of information Data analysis needs some level of uniformity of data. Thus, after acquiring data, it is needed to be cleaned and ready for processing. Data analysis will require data in correct formant otherwise the results of the analysis will not be accurate and effective. It needs an information extraction process that will bring out the required information from the piles of data from heterogeneous sources. Then it should present the extracted data in a structured form. The process is technically challenging. For example, there are data like images and videos. Extracting information from these formats of data and presenting the same in structured format are really hard. A common misconception is, big data always provides truth. This is not the case all the time. The truthfulness of big data and analysis depends on these extraction steps. It depends on how effectively truth is getting extracted from raw data. There are different constraints on valid data and error models that are well recognized. However, till now there are many domain of big data where these constraints are still not available. 3. Integration, Aggregation and Representation of Data It has been already discussed that data comes from different heterogeneous sources. Those are no structured and in right format even. It is not possible to acquire and clean data then store the same in data repositories. There are processes like integration, aggregation of those data and then representing those in the right format to sore and process in future. Data analysis is a complex process. For large scale data analysis it is needed to have effective analysis and the process should be automated. In data analysis process, different semantics and data structures are needed to be expressed in correct formats that are readable by computers and can be resolved by robots. Data integration is important and there are additional works for making the data error free using automated system. There are different alternative solutions for storing data other than databases. Each of these alternatives have its own advantages and disadvantages. Designing database or correct storage solution is needed to be done very carefully. There are many decision making tools to provide assistance in designing databases. 4. Processing of Query, data modeling and analysis of data Making query in traditional databases and processing of query in big data, are fundamentally different. Big data contain volumes of dynamic, interrelated, heterogeneous data. These forms larger networks of interrelated data. There are higher level of data redundancy. These redundancies can be explored through validation, crosschecking etc. There are inherent clusters and these clusters reveals relationships among collections of data. (Roebuck, 2011) Data mining is a related topic here. It required, cleaned, integrated, trustworthy, easily accessible and effective data that can help in declarative query through data mining interfaces and computing environments. Big data supports provisions of interactive data analysis in real time applications. Scaling of complex queries is also supported. However, there is a problem with analysis of big data. That is lack of co- ordination in the systems that stores data, support SQL queries and analytics for performing non-SQL data processing, for example statistical analysis, data mining etc. 5. Interpretation Obtaining only results from analysis is not enough. It needs to explain or provide enough explanatory details about those results so that someone can interpret the results from analysis. There are visualizations used in this case. (Marz Warren, 2014) Challenges in Big data There are number of challenges in big data. Some of those are already explained in related contexts. Still, most prevailing challenges are, Heterogeneous sources and nature of data. Incompleteness in data. Problem with effective cleaning and extraction of data. Scale and volume of data. Timeliness of data. Privacy of data. (ene Polonetsky, 2013) Human collaboration needed in certain phases and lack of it in some cases. Lack of suitable and effective system architecture for big data only. Conclusion In this briefing paper, there is a discussion on an emerging topic in ICT, called big data. After the introduction, there is the problem statement that had given rise to the concept of big data. In the sub sequent sections there are discussions on different characteristics, technology etc. related to big data, finally a detailed description of processes in processing of big data. In the end there is a summary of challenges in big data. References Barlow, M., 2013. Real-Time Big Data Analytics: Emerging Architecture. s.l.:O'Reilly Media, Inc.. Boyd, D. Crawford, K., 2011. Six Provocations for Big Data, s.l.: SSRN. ene, O. Polonetsky, J., 2013. Big Data for All: Privacy and User Control in the Age of Analytics. Northwestern Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property , XI(5). Leskovec, J., Rajaraman, A. Ullman, J. D., 2014. Mining of Massive Datasets. s.l.:Cambridge University Press. Madden, S., 2012. From Databases to Big Data. IEEE Computer Society, 16(3), pp. 4-6. Marz, N. Warren, J., 2014. Big Data: Principles and Best Practices of Scalable Realtime Data Systems. s.l.:Manning Publications Company. Roebuck, K., 2011. Storing and Managing Big Data - NoSQL, Hadoop and More: High-impact Strategies - What You Need to Know: Definitions, Adoptions, Impact, Benefits, Maturity, Vendors. s.l.:Emereo Pty Limited. Zikopoulos, P., 2011. Understanding Big Data: Analytics for Enterprise Class Hadoop and Streaming Data. s.l.:McGraw Hill Professional.

Humanities Final Flashcard

Humanities Final

The US Federal Minimum Wage

The US Federal Minimum Wage What is the current U.S. federal minimum wage? The answer to that question can be trickier than you might think.While the current US federal minimum wage was last set at $7.25 per hour on July 24, 2009, your age, type of employment, even where you live can alter the legal minimum hourly wage your employer is required to pay. What is the  Federal Minimum Wage Law? The federal minimum wage is established by and regulated under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (the FLSA). In its final form, the act applied to industries whose combined employment represented only about one-fifth of the US labor force. In these industries, it banned oppressive child labor and set the minimum hourly wage at 25 cents, and the maximum workweek at 44 hours. Who Must Pay the Federal Minimum Wage? Today, the minimum wage law (the FLSA) applies to employees of enterprises that do at least $500,000 in business a year. It also applies to employees of smaller firms if the employees are engaged in interstate commerce or in the production of goods for commerce, such as employees who work in transportation or communications or who regularly use the mails or telephones for interstate communications. It also applies to employees of federal, state or local government agencies, hospitals and schools, and it generally applies to domestic workers. Details of the Federal Minimum Wage The following details apply only to the the federal minimum wage, your state may have its own minimum wage rates and laws. In cases where state minimum wage rates differ with the federal rate, the higher minimum wage rate always applies.Current Federal Minimum Wage: $7.25 per hour (as of July 24, 2009) may vary under the following conditions: Younger Workers: If you are under 20 years of age, you may be paid as little as $4.25 per hour during your first 90 consecutive calendar days of employment. Students, Apprentices and the Disabled: Certain full-time students, student learners, apprentices, and workers with disabilities may be paid less than the minimum wage under special certificates issued by the US Department of Labor. Workers Who Earn Tips: Employers who allow workers to keep tips must pay a cash minimum wage of at least $2.13 per hour IF they claim a tip credit against their federal minimum wage obligation of $7.25 per hour. In other words, if your tips plus cash wages do not equal at least $7.25 per hour, your employer must make up the difference. Overtime Pay: Federal law requires payment of at least 1-and-1/2 times your regular rate of pay for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek. Child Labor: An employee must be at least 16 years old to work in most non-farm jobs and at least 18 to work in non-farm jobs declared hazardous by the Secretary of Labor.Persons 14 and 15 years old are allowed to work before or after school in some non-manufacturing, non-mining and non-hazardous jobs IF: They work no more than - 3 hours on a school day or 18 hours in a school week; 8 hours on a non-school day or 40 hours in a non-school week. Work may not begin before 7 a.m. or end after 7 p.m., except from June 1 through Labor Day, when evening hours are extended to 9 p.m. Different rules apply in agricultural employment. Other Special Exemptions: Under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA), executive, administrative, professional, and outside sales employees are exempted from the minimum wage and overtime requirements of the FLSA, provided they meet certain tests regarding job duties and responsibilities and are compensated on a salary basis. Minimum Wages in the States By law, states are allowed to establish their own minimum wages and regulations. However, anytime the state minimum wage differs from the federal minimum wage, the higher rate applies. For specifics and updates on the minimum wages and regulations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, see: Minimum Wage Laws in the States from the U.S. Department of Labor. Enforcement of the Federal Minimum Wage Law The Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor administers and enforces the Fair Labor Standards Act and, thus, the minimum wage with respect to private employment, State and local government employment, and Federal employees of the Library of Congress, U.S. Postal Service, Postal Rate Commission, and the Tennessee Valley Authority. The FLSA is enforced by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management for employees of other Executive Branch agencies, and by the U.S. Congress for covered employees of the Legislative Branch.Special rules apply to state and local government employment involving fire protection and law enforcement activities, volunteer services, and compensatory time off instead of cash overtime pay.For information on enforcement of state minimum wages and other state labor laws, see: State Labor Offices/State Laws, from the US Department of Labor. To Report Suspected Violations Suspected violations are abuses of federal or state minimum wage laws should be reported directly to District Office of the U.S. Wage and Hour Division nearest you. For addresses and phone numbers, see: Wage and Hour Division District Office LocationsFederal law prohibits discriminating against or discharging workers who file a complaint or participate in any proceedings under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Travel the World - Letter to a Friend - Assignment

Travel the World - Letter to a Friend - - Assignment Example nding money and time traveling to the City was, therefore, to experience the culture and art of London, to learn the various kinds of art within the city that may have influenced Albert in his career. In his painting, Albert depicts ambient photographic-like scenery of a lake amidst rocky mountain cliffs with grazing deer on the shore in the foreground. The cheap means of travelling to London from Huston Texas was through the Turkish airlines that cost $610 to and fro. The great London atmosphere also extends its hotels with varying affordable rates. Within the city of London, I am staying at the Central Park Hotel, a three star hotel located at the heart of the city that costs  £43 per night (FareCompare.com). London is the capital city of the England in Europe popularly known for its monarchy system under the rule of a queen. There are nearly over 300 languages spoken in the city, however, its main culture mainly ties around the arts, museums and various festivals. In particular, as for architecture, London prides itself of a number of landmarks and cultural iconic objects that are globally associated with the city such as the Big Ben, as well as the Buckingham Palace. The city is also popular for the fast foods vendors that specialize in making the burgers, pies and pizza that forms one of the main popular foods among most city dwellers and workers. In terms of entertainment, the city is best recognized for its particular preference for rock music dating from the 1960s and is the home for various globally renowned rock bands and musicians. The city is also home for some of the globally recognized teams in the game of soccer. Like other major cities across Europe, London has an oceanic t emperate climate with the four climatic seasons like most of Europe (The Guardian). Albert made his iconic photograph-like painting using oil-based paints and soft brush to make the portrait on canvas measuring approximately six and ten feet in size. Albert gracefully employs

How are convergence and interactivity defined in new media studies Essay

How are convergence and interactivity defined in new media studies Using examples, critically evaluate these concepts in relation to those of remediation and intra-activity - Essay Example product of convergence between â€Å"old† and â€Å"new† media through â€Å"remediation,† which they examined in their book, Remediation: Understanding New Media. This essay aims to study how convergence and interactivity are defined in new media studies. Through several examples and definitions, it critically evaluates these concepts in relation to remediation and intra-activity. According to new media scholars, convergence is defined through technological convergence, the lens of consumer agency (Lister et al., 2009: 48; Suchman, 2007), cultural/system/corporate convergences (Jenkins, 2008; Murdoch, 2000), and remediation (Bolter and Grusin, 2000), while interactivity has been defined as a cause, enabler, and result of convergence (Murdoch, 2000; Manovich, 2001); however, the â€Å"myth of interactivity† (Manovich, 2001: 74) and the process of inter-activity (Barad, 2007) criticise the intuitive and interactive notions of new media interactivity and con vergence (Hay and Couldry, 2011). Before convergence is further understood, the meaning of new media must be explored first because it shapes the philosophical conceptualisation of convergence. One of the common definitions of new media is the interaction between old and modern media, especially computers, mobile information and telecommunication devices, and the Internet. New media is more complex and varied than the use of current web and mobile technology interfaces, nonetheless. In the article, â€Å"How Should We Read New Media and New Technologies?† Gà ¶kà §ek (2011) cautioned people in seeing new media as a single and homogenous object, when it is composed of a â€Å"...collection of objects which should be analysed economically, socially, culturally, politically, philosophically, theoretically and technologically† (71). He resisted separating new media from its social context, as well as bundling it into a simplistic view of networked and interactive modern technological systems. Manovich (20 01), in The Language

Pancreatitis: Causes and Symptoms

Pancreatitis: Causes and Symptoms Acute Pancreatitis Introduction Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. It is widely accepted that it is caused by pancreatic enzymes digesting their own gland. This leads to inflammation of the pancreas. There are two main forms of pancreatitis, acute and chronic. In acute pancreatitis the pancreas can usually heal itself without any lasting changes to function or structure of the gland. If the pancreas heals but then inflammation reoccurs intermittently and causes irreversible changes to structure and function then it is known as chronic pancreatitis (1). Pathophysiology The exact mechanism is not fully understood however it is believed that the initial events take place within the acinar cells of the pancreas. Injury of the acinar cells leads to an inflammatory reaction localized within the cells. If this inflammation is excessive it can lead to a systemic inflammatory response. The inflammatory process can cause systemic effects because of the presence of cytokines, such as bradykinins and phospholipase A. These cytokines may cause vasodilation, increase in vascular permeability, pain, and leukocyte accumulation in the vessel walls all leading to inflammation. Fat necrosis may also occur causing hypocalcaemia; and pancreatic B-cell injury leading to hyperglycemia (2). A marked systemic inflammatory reaction can lead to ‘distant organ damage and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) (1). This is the primary cause of morbidity and mortality in acute pancreatitis. The disease progression can be seen in the following three steps: 1) Local inï ¬â€šammation of the pancreas, 2) A generalized inï ¬â€šammatory response, 3) Multi-organ dysfunction (1) When there is injury or disruption of the pancreatic acini pancreatic enzymes namely trypsin, chymotrypsin and elastase leak into the pancreatic tissue. These enzymes become activated and initiate autodigestion and lead to acute pancreatitis. The activated enzymes break down the pancreatic tissue and cell membranes which leads to oedema, and vascular damage which leads to hemorrhage and necrosis. Some patients who have had a severe attack of pancreatitis who survive through the initial event die following a rather minor insult that would not be life threatening normally. It is said that the two hit hypothesis comes in to play here. The initial excessive systemic inflammatory response primes the immune system so that if another event takes place (a small insult in comparison) for example a chest infection, the immune system is overwhelmed leading to an exaggerated inflammatory response which can lead to death (1). History and examination The main presentation of acute pancreatitis is epigastric pain or right upper quadrant pain radiating through to the back. In many patients sitting forward can relieve the pain a little. The patient would usually also complain of nausea, vomiting and fever. It is important to note a history of previous biliary colic and binge alcohol consumption. The patient may also be tachycardic, tachypneic, hypotensive and mildly jaundiced (2). Abdominal tenderness, distension, guarding, and rigidity are quite common as are diminished or absent bowel sounds. If the inflammation should spread to the lungs then basilar rales may be noted on auscultation of the lung. In severe cases Grey Turner or Cullens sign may also be noted (2). Aetiology There are many causes of pancreatitis. The most common causes being habitual chronic alcohol consumption and biliary stones. In western countries including the UK alcohol abuse is the most common cause of acute pancreatitis. A recent study showed that 44% of patients have alcohol as the primary risk factor for acute or chronic pancreatitis (3). Gall stones can cause pancreatitis as they may become wedged in the pancreatic duct or ampulla of Vater and obstruct the pancreatic duct, leading to release of enzymes into the parenchyma. Other less common causes include: injury (e.g. post ERCP), drugs (such as NSAIDS, azathioprine), viruses (e.g. mumps), autoimmune conditions (e.g. SLE), hyperlipidaemia, malignancy and Scorpion and snake bites (4). Investigations to be done if pancreatitis is suspected 1) Serum enzyme levels: Serum amylase in pancreatitis is more than four times the normal value and lipase is twice the normal and this is diagnostic as there is no other source other than the pancreas, but this test is not always available (5). 2) Full blood count, U+E, glucose, CRP: the CRP value is significantly lower in drug-induced acute pancreatitis and a raised bilirubin and serum aminotransferase is suggestive of gall stones. Low serum calcium levels are quite common in acute pancreatitis and hypocalcaemia is also relatively common. 3) Plain erect abdominal x-ray: this is done to exclude other causes of the symptoms such as intestinal obstruction or perforation. 4) Chest x-ray: this can show if there is a rise in one hemidiaphragm, acute respiratory distress syndrome or pleural effusions which can occur in severe cases of acute pancreatitis. 5) CT with contrast enhancement: this can be diagnostic if clinical results were inconclusive. CT may show swelling, fluid collection and change in the density of the gland. 6) Ultrasound: this is useful to see if the pancreas is swollen and if the common bile duct is dilated. It can also detect gallstones (5). Management In mild cases management is on a general medical ward. Analgesia is given to relieve the pain, usually with pethidine. Morphine is not usually used as it can have a spastic effect on the sphincter of Oddi (4). The patient is given intravenous fluids and not allowed to take anything my mouth. If the patient is vomiting severely then a nasogastic tube is considered. Oral fluids and solids can be taken once symptoms have cleared and blood tests are normal. The cause must then be treated, for example if gallstones were the cause then they must be removed. The severity of pancreatitis is determined by the Glasgow score or Ranson criteria which looks at patient demographics, electrolytes and enzyme levels on admission and 48 hours later (see 1) Glasgow prognostic score Ransons criteria * Age >55 years * WBC >15 x109/l * Urea >16mmol/l * Glucose >10mmol/l * pO2 * Albumin * Calcium * LDH >600 units/l * AST/ALT >200 units Present on admission: * Age >55 years * WBC >15 x109/l * Glucose >10mmol/l * LDH >600 units/l * SGOT >250 units/l Developing during first 48 hours: * Haematocrit fall 10% * Urea increase >8mg/dl * Serum Ca * Arterial O2 saturation * Base deficit >4meq/l * Estimated fluid sequestration >600ml In Severe cases the patent is treated in ITU. There is a high chance of multiple organ failure and infected pancreatic necrosis in these patients so if there is evidence to suggest this then intravenous antibiotics should be administered straight away. The patient should be fed via a nasogastric tube and where there are gallstones present and a high probability of a severe attack early ERCP should be done. Local Complications Pancreatic necrosis is likely if the CRP is rising and is confirmed by a CT scan. Infection occurs in 30-70% of cases of necrosis and this trebles the mortality risk. Fluid collections occurs in 30-50% of patients with acute pancreatitis but in most cases resolves spontaneously. Pancreatic abscess, acute pseudocysts and pancreatic ascites can also occur (6). Systemic complications These include pulmonary oedema, pleural effusions and ARDS with regards to the respiratory system and hypovolamenia and shock with regards to the cardiovascular system. Other complications include: disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, renal dysfunction, hypocalcaemia, hypomagnesaemia, hyperglycaemia and GI haemorrhage (6). Summary Acute pancreatitis is a disease in which there is inflammation of the pancreas. Acute abdominal pain and vomiting are the most common symptoms and increased serum concentrations of the enzymes amylase and lipase can confirm the diagnosis. Injury to the pancreas is mild in 80% of patients who recover well without complications. The rest have a more severe disease and present with local and systemic complications. Alcohol abuse and gall stones are the two most common causes of acute pancreatitis in adults and treatment of mild pancreatitis is supportive and more serious disease needs intervention from quite a few members of the multidisciplinary team (5). Improving the understanding of the pathophysiology and better investigation of the disease severity should improve the management and outcome of this compound disease (5). References Bhatia M,Wong FL, Cao Y, Lau HY, Huang J, Puneet P, Chevali L. Pathophysiology of acute pancreatitis. Pancreatology [online]. 2005; 5(2-3):132-44. [cited 2009 Dec 4] Available from: URL:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15849484 Ghattas K, Samer S Deeba. Pancreatitis. E medicine [online]. 2009; [cited 2009 Nov 21]. Avalable from: URL: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/775867-overview Whitcomb DC, Yadav D, Adam S, Hawes RH, Brand RE, Anderson MA, et al.Multicenter approach to recurrent acute and chronic pancreatitis in the United States: the North American Pancreatitis Study 2 (NAPS2).Pancreatology [online]. 2008; 8(4-5):520-31. [cited 2009 Dec 1] Available from: URL:http://www.medscape.com/medline/abstract/18765957 Longmore M, Wilkinson I, Turmezei T, Cheung CK. Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine (Oxford Handbooks Series) 6th edition. Oxford university press; 2008 Frossard JL, Steer ML, Pastor CM. Acute pancreatitis. The Lancet [online]. 2008; 12;371(9607):143-52. [ cited 2009 Nov 23] available from: URL: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(08)60107-5/abstract Willacy H, Kavanagh S. Acute Pancreatitis. Patient Plus UK [online]. 2008. [cited2009 Nov 29] Available from: URL: http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/Acute-Pancreatitis.htm

Legalization of Marijuana

Marijuana Background and Use in U.S. Marijuana is by far the most commonly used illegal drug in the United States and in most other countries as well. More than seventy million Americans have tried marijuana, and more than twenty million have smoked it in the last year, but does marijuana really affect people and their thinking process, and should pot be legal in the United States. I believe that marijuana should be legal because people should live life how they want, even though it could lead to harm. Marijuana hit the United States big in the 60’s and 70’s. (Wikman) Through this time period many people thought this drug was harmless. Today we know that pot is much more dangerous than previously believed. There are many slang terms used for marijuana, some are pot, weed, cannabis, Mary Jane, hash, dope, bud, green, smoke, to name a few. (Zimmer, Morgan) Pros and Cons to the Use of Marijuana There are many pros and cons to the use of marijuana. Many people use this drug for medical use, and others use it for entertainment. In the United States, using marijuana for medical purposes is illegal. Since the 1970’s thirty-five state legislatures have passed laws supporting marijuana’s use as a medicine. (â€Å"Legalizing Marijuana-The Pros and Cons.†) People suffering from nausea and vomiting, who are unable to swallow and hold down a pill, smoking marijuana is often the only reliable way to deliver THC. Another pro to the use of marijuana is diminishing glaucoma; it also can be affective in stimulating appetite in AIDS patients. There is also evidence that smoked marijuana and THC reduce muscle spasms from spinal cord injuries and multiple sclerosis. Physicians have reported that smoked marijuana provides relief from migraine headaches, depression, seizures, insomnia, and chronic pain. (â€Å"Medical Marijuana Truth and Lies†) I think marijuana should be legal because if people sold pot in their stores, pot smokers would buy it, and it would boost the economy. I also think some drug crimes and innocent killings would go down an enormous amount. Effects of Marijuana on Health and Activity Even though I think pot should be legal, it does cause harm to your lungs. The effects of one marijuana joint on the lungs are equivalent to four tobacco cigarettes, placing the user at increased risk of bronchitis, emphysema, and bronchial asthma. A single joint contains the same amount of tar and other noxious substances as approximately fourteen to sixteen filtered cigarettes. Marijuana smokers typically inhale more deeply and retain smoke in their lungs longer than tobacco smokers. As a result, marijuana smokers get more dangerous material in the lungs each time they smoke. Smoking pot is very harmful to your health, family, and friends. Some myths of marijuana and highway safety are marijuana-like alcohol- seriously impairs driving in some respects; pot is even more impairing than alcohol. (â€Å"The Effects of Marijuana.†)   I think this is true because marijuana does affect perception and driving ability. I believe that pot makes many people drive different, and it makes you a dangerous person at the wheel, while on this drug. Conclusion There are very little problems associated with the legalization and there is no mad scramble for the drug since it is legalized.   In conclusion, marijuana has very little harmful effects, and the effects it does have are very similar to tobacco and alcohol.   It also has medicinal uses where people can have significant benefits by using marijuana for their illnesses.   By prohibiting marijuana billions of dollars are being spent and people’s lives have been ruined. Legalization of Marijuana. In the year 1937, the United States government made the drug marijuana illegal.   This ban had little effect on people until the mid 60’s and 70’s.   This was a time where many mind altering drugs where experimented with and widely used.   During this time was also when marijuana research took place.   Early researches was vague and bias, but in the years after many legitimate studies have been conducted, and both sides of the issues have been revealed.   While looking at these studies with an open mind, one can conclude that marijuana should be legalized.   Even though there are some health risks associated with marijuana, it is no different than legal drugs like alcohol and tobacco. (Wikman) Ever since marijuana has become illegal, enforcing it has been an issue.   The federal government of America spends millions of dollars each year trying to keep it off the streets and into dealer’s hands, but their tactics barely do a thing.   The amount of money the federal Drug Enforcement Agency spends each year is $1.3 billion a year.   Overall, federal anti-marijuana efforts have cost taxpayers $30 billion (Zimmer, Morgan).   All of this money can be easily saved if the federal government can just legalize marijuana and regulate it.   Also, the government would be making money off taxes, as they do with alcohol and tobacco. Moreover, this would allow for farmers to grow marijuana and sell it to the government or individual buyers.   By allowing the cultivation of marijuana, farmers who grow tobacco would be helped because tobacco farmers these days are struggling because of the high taxes put on cigarettes.   The climate for growing tobacco is the same climate needed to grow marijuana, so this would help their incomes.   (â€Å"Legalizing Marijuana-The Pros and Cons.†) I think people that get caught with marijuana should not be punished as hard as they do. Marijuana arrest in the United States has doubled last 10 years. Tens of thousands of people are now in prison for marijuana offenses. An even greater number are punished with probation, fines, and civil sanctions, including having their property seized, their driver’s licenses revoked, and their employment terminated. Under federal law, possessing a single joint (or less) of marijuana is punishable by a fine from $1,000 to $10,000 and up to a year in prison . (Wikman) For people on probation or parole for any criminal offense, a marijuana arrest can result in their immediate incarceration. For people who live in public housing, the arrest of any family member for a drug offense can cause eviction of the entire family. Under state and federal law, mere investigation for a marijuana offense can result in the forfeiture of property, including cash, cars, boats, land, and houses. Despite these civil and criminal acts, pot continues to be readily available and widely used. (Wikman) Another reason legalizing marijuana would help the economy is the fact that there would no longer be dealers.   The use of dealers makes the price of marijuana much higher than it should be.   Mainly this is only due to the fact that marijuana is currently illegal, and dealers can set high prices.   By legalizing marijuana the price would drop to a more reasonable price, and the people who use to strain their money to buy the drug will no longer have to.   Legalizing marijuana would help the economy as a whole and for the individual. In 1996 voters in both California and Arizona approved ballot measures exempting physicians and patients from criminal prosecution when marijuana is prescribed for medicinal purposes in the relief of pain or other symptoms caused by cancer, AIDS, glaucoma, arthritis, and other illnesses and chronic conditions.  Ã‚   Four other states passed similar ballot initiative that year, including Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and Nevada, and legislatures in 37 states have passed bills in support of medical marijuana.   Medicinal purposes for marijuana give people who have tried all different types of drugs for their illnesses hope for relief. (Wikman) In order for marijuana to be legal, the government would have to regulate it as they do with alcohol and tobacco.   First the government should set an age limit on the purchasing of the drug.   This age should start off at eighteen, like tobacco, and if there seems to be a problem with the age then raising the age limit should be considered.   Overall, the government should first look at countries in the world where marijuana is currently legal.   In the Netherlands, the city of Amsterdam allows the usage of marijuana.   (Zimmer, Morgan)   The usage comes with many regulations though.   For example smoking marijuana can be only smoked in coffee shops administrated all over the city.   Also people can only buy a certain amount at one time, so the distribution of it illegally can be reduced. Marijuana is still the most commonly used drug in the United States and probably will be for years to come. Marijuana is on the rise and will increase in popularity throughout the United States. I’m sure that our government will eventually legalize marijuana, but not soon. Many people argue the pros and cons of pot. I think our government should at least try to see what would happen to the economy if pot was legal, even though it is a huge risk to take. This problem is argued as much as should the alcohol age be lowered again, many teenagers argue this because if there old enough to go to fight in a war, then you should be able to drink. Many younger kids smoke pot without a care and they don’t realize the affects of the drug. America needs to start taking a larger action, and try to get the point across to the youth of America. This will always be a huge argument throughout the world. The question that everyone asks, should pot be legal in the United States. Bibliography: Zimmer, L., Morgan, J. Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts: A Review of the Scientific Evidence. New York: The Lindesmith Center, 1997 â€Å"Medical Marijuana Truth and Lies.† Drug Watch International. Atlanta: DWI, 1995 â€Å"Legalizing Marijuana-The Pros and Cons.† Growing Marijuana Seeds. 2002.    Legalization of Marijuana Legalization Of Marijuana By: Sam Montgomery Research Paper Emily Rodgers Legalization of Marijuana Why shouldn’t marijuana legalized? Are there actually good reasons for making it legal? Critics say marijuana is a gateway drug, but honestly, everything could be considered a gateway drug. People get high off of all kinds of things, and as soon as the high is over, they look for additional things that might give them the same effect. This includes common household products such as cough medicine, bleach, air dusters, and even permanent markers (Borba, 2012).Alcohol is legal and caused 24,518 deaths as recent as 2009; while in comparison marijuana is illegal and no one has died from overdosing on marijuana. A lot of people drink alcohol to get that â€Å"buzz† or good feeling alcohol gives in drinking large amounts, especially when one’s life might be full of problems. They think it will help them feel better, but this is only a temporary solution to their problems . There is really nothing good about drinking alcohol and it is legal, but then on the other hand, marijuana does have some good aspects and is illegal!This really doesn’t make much sense at all. Drinking alcohol is a choice made by us, and that is what marijuana should be. Similar to alcohol, the government needs to leave the responsibility for using marijuana to us. In this essay one will see that legalizing marijuana will optimize our liberty by limiting corruption, eliminate the cost to keep it illegal with the added bonus of monetary gains of making it legal, and will take out the failure to keep it illegal along with helping our country and government out for the better.The first and most basic reason that marijuana should be legal is that there is no good reason for it not to be legal. Some people ask â€Å"Why should marijuana be legalized? † when the question should be â€Å"Why should marijuana be illegal? † From a philosophical point of view, individu als deserve the right to make choices for themselves. The government only has a right to limit those choices if the individual's actions endanger someone else. This does not apply to marijuana, since the individual who chooses to use marijuana does so according to his or her own free will.The government also may have a right to limit individual actions if the actions pose a significant threat to the individual, but this argument does not logically apply to marijuana because marijuana is far less dangerous than some drugs which are legal, such as alcohol and tobacco (Keeler, 2009). Legalizing marijuana would make free all those people in jail for possessing or smoking marijuana. Prison overcrowding is a serious, expensive, and persistent problem in our country. It makes the prison environment, violent and faceless to begin with, even more dangerous and dehumanizing.Governments at all levels keep building more prisons, but the number of prisoners keeps outpacing the capacity to hold t hem. Those in prison for marijuana law violations are the largest single category (â€Å"Earth protector,†). Marijuana-related police corruption takes one of two major forms. Police officers either offer marijuana dealers protection in their districts for a share of the profits (or demand a share under threat of exposure) or they seize the dealer's merchandise for sell for themselves.There are known cases where police officers were indicted on charges of falsifying records of money and marijuana confiscated from dealers. Legalizing marijuana would eliminate this inducement to corruption, and help to clean up the police's image. Eliminating marijuana law violation and corruption cases would further reduce the strain on the courts, freeing judges, and investigators to handle other cases more thoroughly and expeditiously (â€Å"Earth protector,†). Legalizing marijuana would immediately relieve the pressure on the prison system, and optimize the people’s liberty by cutting out the corruption.Now, if you are diagnosed with cancer or something that causes so much pain it’s intolerable, would you want to be taking all kinds of pills that could hurt your body even further in the long run or smoke marijuana with really mild side effects? Researchers from Tel Aviv University say that smoking a little marijuana could help provide dramatic relief for the elderly who suffer from a variety of chronic ailments. The scientists tested the effects of marijuana treatment on 19 residents of the Hadarim nursing home in Israel.During the study, the participants reported dramatic physical results, including healthy weight gain and the reduction of pain and tremors. According to the study authors, the elderly participants also experienced an immediate improvement in their moods and communication skills after smoking cannabis. Zach Klein, a graduate of Tel Aviv University’s Department of Film and Television Studies, said that the use of prescription medications was also significantly reduced as a result of using medical marijuana (Rannals).The answer to the question is evident here, and that is why marijuana should have been legal for decades now. The second important reason that marijuana should be legal is that it would save our government more money than it would to keep it illegal. In the United States, all levels of government (federal, state, and local authorities) participate in the â€Å"War on Drugs. † The cost to interdict the marijuana traffic and the cost of incarcerating users and traffickers runs into billions of dollars.The crisis in inmate housing would disappear, saving taxpayers the expense of building more prisons in the future (â€Å"Earth protector,†). These people get locked up in prison, and the taxpayers have to foot the bill. We have to pay for food, housing, health care, attorney fees, court costs, and other expenses to lock these people up. This is extremely expensive! The savings would be redirected toward better police protection and speedier judicial service, or it could be converted into savings for taxpayers. For a change, it's a happy problem to ponder, but it takes legalization to make it possible.In addition, if marijuana were made legal, the government would be able to collect taxes on it, and would have a lot more money to pay for effective drug education programs and other important causes. Two states, Colorado and Washington, became the first to legalize marijuana, sparking celebrations, distinct, but not mutually exclusive from those rooting for Barack Obama. The states could see a major economic boost because of the legalization. The new measure is expected to bring the two states more than $550 million combined, with more than 300 economists previously estimating that legalizing pot could save the U.S. up to $14 billion a year (Bradford, 2012). The market for marijuana is already large and will almost certainly grow substantially. Large profits await savvy and successful growers, sellers, and entrepreneurs in associated enterprises such as fertilizer and grow-light vendors; pipe, bong, and vaporizer manufacturers and dealers; banks and other financial-service providers; not to mention munchie selling convenience stores and all-night diners (Worthington, 2012). In addition, a once-thriving hemp industry could again produce high-quality cloth, paper, nutritious oil, and biodiesel fuel.Obviously, all of these businesses will need employees, providing another boost to the economy. There is nothing but gains for legalizing marijuana; so, we should hop on the train sometime soon, and it will be beneficial. The third major reason that marijuana should be legal is because prohibition does not help the country in any way, it just causes many problems. There is no good evidence that prohibition decreases drug use, and there are several theories that suggest prohibition might actually increase drug use (the â€Å"forbidden fruit† e ffect, and easier accessibility for youth).One unintended effect of marijuana prohibition is that marijuana is very popular in American high schools; because marijuana is available to everyone that has friends. You don't have to be 21 to buy marijuana. Marijuana dealers usually don't care how old you are as long as you have money. It is actually easier for many high school students to obtain marijuana than it is for them to obtain alcohol, because alcohol is legal and therefore regulated to keep it away from kids (Pope,2011).If our goal is to reduce drug consumption, then we should focus on open and honest programs to educate the youth, good regulations to keep drugs to protect underage persons, and continue to improve treatment programs for people with drug problems. The current prohibition scheme does not allow such reasonable approaches to marijuana; instead we are stuck with ‘DARE' in which police officers are not telling the truth about drugs in schools, and policies that result in jail time rather than treatment for people with drug problems.The considerable police efforts now expended against marijuana activity; marijuana related crimes could be redirected toward protecting people from those who commit real crimes. The police could protect us more effectively by focusing resources on catching murderers, rapists, and the other perpetrators of crimes against people and property. Our country tried prohibition with alcohol, and that had failed miserably. We should be able to learn our lesson and stop repeating the same mistakes. If you are accused of a crime, it takes months to bring you to trial.Guilty or innocent, you must live with the anxiety of the impending trial until the trial finally begins. The process is even more sluggish for civil proceedings. There simply aren't enough judges and staff to handle the skyrocketing caseload. Since it would cut crime and eliminate marijuana use as a type of crime, legalization would wipe thousands of cases o ff the court dockets across the country, permitting the rest of the court cases to move sooner and faster. Prosecutors would have more time to handle each case and judges would make more considered decisions.Improved efficiency at the lower levels would have a ripple effect on higher courts. Better decisions in the lower courts would yield fewer grounds for appeals, reducing the caseloads of appeals courts; and in any event, there would be fewer cases to review in the first place. Next discussion is about how traffickers are well prepared to defend their crops against intruding government forces. Legalizing marijuana would affect organized crime and subversion abroad as much as it would in the United States.A major source for guerrilla funding would disappear. So would the motive for kidnapping or assassinating officials and private individuals. Once again people could walk the streets and travel the roads without fear of marijuana-related violence. Countries would no longer be para lyzed by smugglers. The United States continued pressure on foreign governments to fight their domestic marijuana industries has clearly reinforced the image of America as an imperialist bully, indifferent to the concerns of other peoples. To marijuana farmers, the U. S. overnment is not a beacon of freedom, but a threat to their livelihoods (â€Å"Earth protector,†). Legalizing and regulating marijuana would remove some of the reasons to hate America, and deprive local politicians of the chance to exploit them. The U. S would have a new opportunity to repair its reputation in an atmosphere of mutual respect. In summary, all of these factors related to legalizing marijuana would help our government and our country in dealing with a very difficult problem for our society while providing many benefits during this time in history.In conclusion, the information provided proves how legalizing marijuana would solve many of our current problems associated with enforcing the marijuan a laws. Legalizing marijuana will optimize our liberty by improving the justice system through removal of the numerous court cases involving marijuana and to allow the courts to better focus on the hard crimes, increase the efficiency of the prison system by providing much needed space for the real criminals in the overcrowded prison system, remove the difficult task of law enforcement agencies to enforce marijuana laws hile reducing the potential for corruption. Each of these changes would produce a major cost savings to the government while opening a brand new business market with taxable revenue which would create substantial monetary gains for the government and business. There would some costs involved in regulating this new business market, but the gains would clearly outweigh the costs.Legalizing marijuana would also eliminate one component of the drug market that is very difficult for the government to enforce the laws and has been an epic failure in the past. In addition, c hanging the United States stance on marijuana to match that of neighboring countries would most likely benefit foreign relations with those countries. Ultimately, legalizing marijuana would improve our government and our country. All of these pieces of evidence provide a strong argument for why marijuana should be legal.I don’t even smoke marijuana, and I still think our country is wrong for not having legalized marijuana by now, when you consider all of the facts. The United States needs to change its old-fashioned thinking and stop being close-minded about issues like this and start looking at solving these problems from outside the box. It is time for a real change, Obama, and one that actually will benefit all of us American citizens! Reference Page Adams, J. (2008, August 18). latimes. com. Retrieved from http://www. atimes. com/features/health/la-he-marijuanapro18-2008aug18,0,3084928. story Bradford, H. (2012, November 07). 14 ways marijuana legalization could boost the economy. Retrieved from http://www. huffingtonpost. com/2012/11/07/marijuana-economy-14-reasons_n_2089107. html Borba, M. (2012, May 31). 13 dangerous (and stupid) ways teens get high. Retrieved from http://www. micheleborba. com/blog/2012/05/31/dangerous-and-stupid-ways-teens-get-high/ Earth protector. (n. d. ). Retrieved from Legalization of Marijuana Legalization Of Marijuana By: Sam Montgomery Research Paper Emily Rodgers Legalization of Marijuana Why shouldn’t marijuana legalized? Are there actually good reasons for making it legal? Critics say marijuana is a gateway drug, but honestly, everything could be considered a gateway drug. People get high off of all kinds of things, and as soon as the high is over, they look for additional things that might give them the same effect. This includes common household products such as cough medicine, bleach, air dusters, and even permanent markers (Borba, 2012).Alcohol is legal and caused 24,518 deaths as recent as 2009; while in comparison marijuana is illegal and no one has died from overdosing on marijuana. A lot of people drink alcohol to get that â€Å"buzz† or good feeling alcohol gives in drinking large amounts, especially when one’s life might be full of problems. They think it will help them feel better, but this is only a temporary solution to their problems . There is really nothing good about drinking alcohol and it is legal, but then on the other hand, marijuana does have some good aspects and is illegal!This really doesn’t make much sense at all. Drinking alcohol is a choice made by us, and that is what marijuana should be. Similar to alcohol, the government needs to leave the responsibility for using marijuana to us. In this essay one will see that legalizing marijuana will optimize our liberty by limiting corruption, eliminate the cost to keep it illegal with the added bonus of monetary gains of making it legal, and will take out the failure to keep it illegal along with helping our country and government out for the better.The first and most basic reason that marijuana should be legal is that there is no good reason for it not to be legal. Some people ask â€Å"Why should marijuana be legalized? † when the question should be â€Å"Why should marijuana be illegal? † From a philosophical point of view, individu als deserve the right to make choices for themselves. The government only has a right to limit those choices if the individual's actions endanger someone else. This does not apply to marijuana, since the individual who chooses to use marijuana does so according to his or her own free will.The government also may have a right to limit individual actions if the actions pose a significant threat to the individual, but this argument does not logically apply to marijuana because marijuana is far less dangerous than some drugs which are legal, such as alcohol and tobacco (Keeler, 2009). Legalizing marijuana would make free all those people in jail for possessing or smoking marijuana. Prison overcrowding is a serious, expensive, and persistent problem in our country. It makes the prison environment, violent and faceless to begin with, even more dangerous and dehumanizing.Governments at all levels keep building more prisons, but the number of prisoners keeps outpacing the capacity to hold t hem. Those in prison for marijuana law violations are the largest single category (â€Å"Earth protector,†). Marijuana-related police corruption takes one of two major forms. Police officers either offer marijuana dealers protection in their districts for a share of the profits (or demand a share under threat of exposure) or they seize the dealer's merchandise for sell for themselves.There are known cases where police officers were indicted on charges of falsifying records of money and marijuana confiscated from dealers. Legalizing marijuana would eliminate this inducement to corruption, and help to clean up the police's image. Eliminating marijuana law violation and corruption cases would further reduce the strain on the courts, freeing judges, and investigators to handle other cases more thoroughly and expeditiously (â€Å"Earth protector,†). Legalizing marijuana would immediately relieve the pressure on the prison system, and optimize the people’s liberty by cutting out the corruption.Now, if you are diagnosed with cancer or something that causes so much pain it’s intolerable, would you want to be taking all kinds of pills that could hurt your body even further in the long run or smoke marijuana with really mild side effects? Researchers from Tel Aviv University say that smoking a little marijuana could help provide dramatic relief for the elderly who suffer from a variety of chronic ailments. The scientists tested the effects of marijuana treatment on 19 residents of the Hadarim nursing home in Israel.During the study, the participants reported dramatic physical results, including healthy weight gain and the reduction of pain and tremors. According to the study authors, the elderly participants also experienced an immediate improvement in their moods and communication skills after smoking cannabis. Zach Klein, a graduate of Tel Aviv University’s Department of Film and Television Studies, said that the use of prescription medications was also significantly reduced as a result of using medical marijuana (Rannals).The answer to the question is evident here, and that is why marijuana should have been legal for decades now. The second important reason that marijuana should be legal is that it would save our government more money than it would to keep it illegal. In the United States, all levels of government (federal, state, and local authorities) participate in the â€Å"War on Drugs. † The cost to interdict the marijuana traffic and the cost of incarcerating users and traffickers runs into billions of dollars.The crisis in inmate housing would disappear, saving taxpayers the expense of building more prisons in the future (â€Å"Earth protector,†). These people get locked up in prison, and the taxpayers have to foot the bill. We have to pay for food, housing, health care, attorney fees, court costs, and other expenses to lock these people up. This is extremely expensive! The savings would be redirected toward better police protection and speedier judicial service, or it could be converted into savings for taxpayers. For a change, it's a happy problem to ponder, but it takes legalization to make it possible.In addition, if marijuana were made legal, the government would be able to collect taxes on it, and would have a lot more money to pay for effective drug education programs and other important causes. Two states, Colorado and Washington, became the first to legalize marijuana, sparking celebrations, distinct, but not mutually exclusive from those rooting for Barack Obama. The states could see a major economic boost because of the legalization. The new measure is expected to bring the two states more than $550 million combined, with more than 300 economists previously estimating that legalizing pot could save the U.S. up to $14 billion a year (Bradford, 2012). The market for marijuana is already large and will almost certainly grow substantially. Large profits await savvy and successful growers, sellers, and entrepreneurs in associated enterprises such as fertilizer and grow-light vendors; pipe, bong, and vaporizer manufacturers and dealers; banks and other financial-service providers; not to mention munchie selling convenience stores and all-night diners (Worthington, 2012). In addition, a once-thriving hemp industry could again produce high-quality cloth, paper, nutritious oil, and biodiesel fuel.Obviously, all of these businesses will need employees, providing another boost to the economy. There is nothing but gains for legalizing marijuana; so, we should hop on the train sometime soon, and it will be beneficial. The third major reason that marijuana should be legal is because prohibition does not help the country in any way, it just causes many problems. There is no good evidence that prohibition decreases drug use, and there are several theories that suggest prohibition might actually increase drug use (the â€Å"forbidden fruit† e ffect, and easier accessibility for youth).One unintended effect of marijuana prohibition is that marijuana is very popular in American high schools; because marijuana is available to everyone that has friends. You don't have to be 21 to buy marijuana. Marijuana dealers usually don't care how old you are as long as you have money. It is actually easier for many high school students to obtain marijuana than it is for them to obtain alcohol, because alcohol is legal and therefore regulated to keep it away from kids (Pope,2011).If our goal is to reduce drug consumption, then we should focus on open and honest programs to educate the youth, good regulations to keep drugs to protect underage persons, and continue to improve treatment programs for people with drug problems. The current prohibition scheme does not allow such reasonable approaches to marijuana; instead we are stuck with ‘DARE' in which police officers are not telling the truth about drugs in schools, and policies that result in jail time rather than treatment for people with drug problems.The considerable police efforts now expended against marijuana activity; marijuana related crimes could be redirected toward protecting people from those who commit real crimes. The police could protect us more effectively by focusing resources on catching murderers, rapists, and the other perpetrators of crimes against people and property. Our country tried prohibition with alcohol, and that had failed miserably. We should be able to learn our lesson and stop repeating the same mistakes. If you are accused of a crime, it takes months to bring you to trial.Guilty or innocent, you must live with the anxiety of the impending trial until the trial finally begins. The process is even more sluggish for civil proceedings. There simply aren't enough judges and staff to handle the skyrocketing caseload. Since it would cut crime and eliminate marijuana use as a type of crime, legalization would wipe thousands of cases o ff the court dockets across the country, permitting the rest of the court cases to move sooner and faster. Prosecutors would have more time to handle each case and judges would make more considered decisions.Improved efficiency at the lower levels would have a ripple effect on higher courts. Better decisions in the lower courts would yield fewer grounds for appeals, reducing the caseloads of appeals courts; and in any event, there would be fewer cases to review in the first place. Next discussion is about how traffickers are well prepared to defend their crops against intruding government forces. Legalizing marijuana would affect organized crime and subversion abroad as much as it would in the United States.A major source for guerrilla funding would disappear. So would the motive for kidnapping or assassinating officials and private individuals. Once again people could walk the streets and travel the roads without fear of marijuana-related violence. Countries would no longer be para lyzed by smugglers. The United States continued pressure on foreign governments to fight their domestic marijuana industries has clearly reinforced the image of America as an imperialist bully, indifferent to the concerns of other peoples. To marijuana farmers, the U. S. overnment is not a beacon of freedom, but a threat to their livelihoods (â€Å"Earth protector,†). Legalizing and regulating marijuana would remove some of the reasons to hate America, and deprive local politicians of the chance to exploit them. The U. S would have a new opportunity to repair its reputation in an atmosphere of mutual respect. In summary, all of these factors related to legalizing marijuana would help our government and our country in dealing with a very difficult problem for our society while providing many benefits during this time in history.In conclusion, the information provided proves how legalizing marijuana would solve many of our current problems associated with enforcing the marijuan a laws. Legalizing marijuana will optimize our liberty by improving the justice system through removal of the numerous court cases involving marijuana and to allow the courts to better focus on the hard crimes, increase the efficiency of the prison system by providing much needed space for the real criminals in the overcrowded prison system, remove the difficult task of law enforcement agencies to enforce marijuana laws hile reducing the potential for corruption. Each of these changes would produce a major cost savings to the government while opening a brand new business market with taxable revenue which would create substantial monetary gains for the government and business. There would some costs involved in regulating this new business market, but the gains would clearly outweigh the costs.Legalizing marijuana would also eliminate one component of the drug market that is very difficult for the government to enforce the laws and has been an epic failure in the past. In addition, c hanging the United States stance on marijuana to match that of neighboring countries would most likely benefit foreign relations with those countries. Ultimately, legalizing marijuana would improve our government and our country. All of these pieces of evidence provide a strong argument for why marijuana should be legal.I don’t even smoke marijuana, and I still think our country is wrong for not having legalized marijuana by now, when you consider all of the facts. The United States needs to change its old-fashioned thinking and stop being close-minded about issues like this and start looking at solving these problems from outside the box. It is time for a real change, Obama, and one that actually will benefit all of us American citizens! Reference Page Adams, J. (2008, August 18). latimes. com. Retrieved from http://www. atimes. com/features/health/la-he-marijuanapro18-2008aug18,0,3084928. story Bradford, H. (2012, November 07). 14 ways marijuana legalization could boost the economy. Retrieved from http://www. huffingtonpost. com/2012/11/07/marijuana-economy-14-reasons_n_2089107. html Borba, M. (2012, May 31). 13 dangerous (and stupid) ways teens get high. Retrieved from http://www. micheleborba. com/blog/2012/05/31/dangerous-and-stupid-ways-teens-get-high/ Earth protector. (n. d. ). Retrieved from