Smoking History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Smoking History - Essay Example This essay provides a brief summary of the author’s position (James Grehan) on the topic of smoking history, that helps to reveal his primary argument in which he states that tobacco changed the cultural pulse of the Islamic nations and brought them into the modern age. James Grehan gives particular attention to the way in which it has affected the culture and society of the people who live here, how they responded to the new product and how it has managed to open up the society to new ideas and developments. Traditionally suspicious of anything new, tobacco could be said to have caused a tidal wave in the natural flow of Islamic life. Because it was a substance not directly addressed within the Qur’an, it could not easily be accepted by those with the power to interpret the laws, neither was it easily rejected when it proved to be a lucrative cash crop in many areas of the Middle East and almost instantly accessible to the rich and poor. The researcher then concluds hi s study that article ends up being very informative regarding the growth and development of the tobacco industry in the Middle East in terms of the use of the product among the people and the evolving stance of the leaders. It does not sufficiently prove that tobacco was the causal element that brought about change within the Islamic cultural group to enable them to step into the modern age with the rest of the world. As a result, the article fails to convincingly prove its point, but remains interesting through its examination of one potentiality.

Legalization of marijuana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Legalization of marijuana - Essay Example In the United Kingdom, there is a push to have marijuana as Class B drug, legalised. Conversely, there are others such as Steve Rolles who are arguing that Marijuana can be legalised without experiencing the drawbacks that would accompany that move, if the UK marijuana market is regulated with an aid of strict and feasible framework. Steve Rolles is the Transformation Drug Policy Foundation’s Senior Policy Analyst. However, presently, the UK law stands as an impediment to Rolles’ postulation, given that the law criminalises recreational use and possession of marijuana. It is for this reason that many cafes selling marijuana are open, run clandestinely and immediately closed. Indications that the United Kingdom, particularly Britain may review its legal stand on marijuana is underscored by the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg stating in February that the UK would explore viable alternatives to the wholesale proscription of drugs and that Britain was going to be the cen tre of the debate. There is a myriad of reasons being bandied as the reason for the legalisation of marijuana. First of all, there are those who argue that the legalisation of marijuana would help Britain save billions and this would therefore an economic value to the United Kingdom. Behind this argument is the rationale that decriminalising cannabis sativa will open up many marijuana-related businesses. These businesses would make profits which in turn would be taxable by the federal government. The rationale of this argument is upheld by the fact that the state of Colorado announced in March that it had collected more than one million pounds in taxes. This tax revenue was obtained by taxing marijuana businesses that were newly legalised and sold the drug for recreational purposes. According to Danovitch, political expedience also informs the push for the legislation of cannabis sativa. Legalisation of bhang has become a strong issue in Western Australia’s Senate