Eric Schlossers 1994 article Reefer Madness essays

Eric Schlosser's 1994 article Reefer Madness essays Eric Schlosser's 1994 article "Reefer Madness" outlines the history and ideology behind marijuana criminalization laws. The author attempts to point out the flaws in America's anti-drug policies by criticizing heavy- handed sentencing and the lack of scientific evidence against the dangers of marijuana use. Tracing the origins of marijuana cultivation in the United States, Schlosser shows that pot was not always the "evil weed" that many assume it is; it was once used in an innocuous manner by the Founding Fathers as a sturdy fiber and even as legal tender. What began the campaign against cannabis sativa was actually rooted in racism and class discrimination, according to Schlosser. Citing evidence that Mexican migrant farm laborers, black New Orleans jazz musicians, and underground groups used marijuana recreationally, the author connects anti-marijuana laws to the era of the Great Depression. Consequently, drug laws began politically charged and remain so until this day. Ronald Reagan's "War on Drugs" further exacerbated the problem of overcrowding prisons with nonviolent drug offenders, many of whom receive stricter sentences than murderers or rapists. The purpose of Schlosser's article is to point out the problems inherent in America's strict drug laws. The article is divided into seven main sections. The first is a comprehensive introduction and the remaining six deal with specific historical and geographical issues relevant to the discussion of the topic. The introductory section of "Reefer madness" grabs the reader's attention though the story of Mark Young, who was sentenced to life in prison without parole for being a "middleman." Young was not found in possession of the plant; he simply acted as a go-between for the seller and the buyer. Schlosser wonders how a society comes to slap stiffer sentences on a man such as Young while those who commit violent crimes f...