Can Animals Create A Culture Essays - Monkey, Animal Culture

Can Animals Create A Culture yvonne Can Animals Create a Culture? Many animals, such as a group of monkeys in Japan, were observed and proved that a development of animal culture is indeed possible. Culture, unlike instinctive behavior, is usually learned or taught. The unusual behavior that was specifically observed was a group of monkeys who developed a strange habit of washing their food before eating them. When a group of scientists observed them, they realized that it all began in 1952. One young female found potatoes on the beach and washed it before eating. Then, she demonstrated this technique to all her babies and friends. After 10 years, every monkey in the troop had picked up this habit also. This an example of a developed culture within a group of monkeys. Science Essays

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buy custom Illegal Drugs essay Most serious terrorist crimes are funded by illegal drugs like marijuana. However, its prohibition does not reduce this risk. In fact, prohibition acts as a catalyst to the growth of these cartels. This is because the cartels are not afraid of the war on marijuana. The prohibition leads to better prices and elimination of the smaller and inefficient cartels. The U.S interdiction efforts are therefore laughable since the prohibition only led to elimination of the obligation to pay tax. To the cartels, the only thr4eta to their business is guidance and counseling efforts aimed at dissuading people from taking marijuana. This can also be affirmed by the fact that lifting of alcohol ban in 1933 led to reduced murders and robberies. This implies that legalization of marijuana can lead to reduced crime incidences associated with it. Lifting of the ban on marijuana would give the cartel owners a legal way of solving business disagreements hence reducing murder and violent crimes. In the pre sent scenario, marijuana traders do not have a legal mechanism for settling their disputes and hence crime and murder remains their only alternatives. Prohibition of marijuana can only serve to increase corruption since police are tempted to take bribes in order to allow the trade to go on. Moreover, illegalization of the drug only serves to increase its price. This makes its users to commit more crimes in order to obtain the drug (Swlearning.com) According to a report from white house office of drug control policy, anti-marijuana efforts have not had any significant results on the reduction of the drug in the streets. Therefore, children are continually exposed to marijuana. Moreover, the dealers show off to children making the children to have the urge to get rich quickly. The children affected hence chose marijuana trade as opposed to legitimate jobs or even continuing with their education. Decriminalization of the drug would eliminate the drug traffickers who act as role models to young children. Lack of regulation in marijuana trade has resulted to many unregulated marijuana cartels .the cartels lure children into the trade. A study conducted in 2006 by national drug use and health (NSDUH) indicated that over 800000 adolescents are involved in the trade. The survey also indicated thatthe prevalence of a student having been given or offered marijuana at school ranges from 15.5- 38.7 percent. In 2005, the governments spent around 7 billion dollars to arrest and prosecute individuals for marijuana offences. However, the efforts did not bear fruits as studies show that more than 80 percent of high school students find obtain marijuana easily (Studyworld.com). Prohibition of marijuana does not work. Although a lot of money is spent in this effort, marijuana only becomes more available, less expensive and more potent. Studies have indicated that 81 percent of people aged 45 years in the US have used marijuana. Prohibition efforts have failed to reduce its consumption, violent crimes associated with its consumption and its distribution in the streets. The efforts have also not reduced its availability to its potential users nor has it reduced the profits obtained by the underground cartels through its trade. The current policy of prohibition only serves to marginalize and stigmatize marijuana users. This in turn inhibits their efforts to be productive or become gainfully employed. The policy also prohibits such people from seeking treatment against marijuana abuse for fear of being arrested. The users therefore continue suffering in darkness until they die out of its abuse (Frank 456). The government should not have a right to regulate what people do in private. People should be free to do what they want with their lives even if it is taking recreational drugs as long as this causes no harm to others. The government has no right to prevent or impose punishment on marijuana consumers since drug use is a victimless crime. Otherwise the government should also forbid overreacting since it causes more deaths than marijuana use annually. People who support the ban on the use of marijuana cite the public opinion. The current marijuana prohibition was imposed due to strong public support for political measures against irresponsible use of marijuana which presented unacceptable levels of harm to the users. The burden was eventually being transferred to the society. The public also sees marijuana use as a vice .it is a sign of weakness. The community therefore argues that it has a right to protect itself from the harm tthat can be caused by ma4rijuana users. Hence, the society sees continued prohibition as the only way to guard itself from the threat posed by the users. Gallup conducted a research in 2009 that indicated that 54 percent of the US population was against legalization of marijuana. Similar results were obtained in Australia where 79 percent of the population was found to be against its legalization (James 42). Organizations have also argued that marijuana should continue being prohibited since it poses health risks to the users. The government purports that marijuana is more dangerous than alcohol by up to six times. Marijuana has also been found to be more powerful than ever before. In the year 2000 the number of cases that were in need of emergency treatment for use of marijuana was more than six times higher than that of 1990 despite the fact that the number of users had not increased significantly. In 1999, 2500000 Americans were enrolled for drug abuse treatment against marijuana. Furthermore, marijuana also exposes its users to the threat of cancer. Marijuana has been found to contain 400 harmful chemicals including those found in cigars. Marijuanas short term effects are equally harmful. It results to loss of memory, low perception, the users find it hard to think and make decisions. Marijuana use also leads to loss of memory strength, increase in heart rate and anxiety. It is for t his reason that organizations have advocated for its continued prohibition (Hanford 16). It is true that the usage of marijuana poses a lot of threat both to the users and the society. It is a great health risk. The individuals who consume marijuana cannot be allowed to harm themselves or the members of the society. However, this cannot be done through prohibiting its use. Prohibiting its use only serves to0 complicate the problem. Besides, marijuana has some medicinal value. Therefore, the solution lies in legalizing its use and coming up with necessary legislations to control its usage. This will enable research on the drug to go on and hence ensure the users of its quality. Furthermore, legalizing it will enable it to be used in hospitals .this will be a great stride towards alleviating some of the problems faced by certain kinds of patients as explained above. Buy custom Illegal Drugs essay