Prohibition Past and Present: Comparing Alcohol and Marijuana Bans

Abstract

Discussion Three: Prohibition in History and Present There are similarities between the Progressive Era prohibition of alcohol in the United States and the ban on planting, selling, and using marijuana. Both incidents have been associated with the American culture and the attempts to retain the countries heritage. During the prohibition era of the 1920s, religious movements played a critical role in supporting the ban of alcohol. They advocated through political leaders to have laws passed that would make it harder to purchase and use alcohol (Room and Örnberg 225). Similarly, the use of marijuana has been viewed to support unfashionable lifestyles and associated with historical racism. The word marijuana is derived from the Spanish language and the introduction of marijuana ban occurred at the same time with the extreme racism against the Chicanos. Consequently, the support for the ban on the drug has decreased as perceptions on its use changes among the American people. On the other hand, there are significant differences between the ban on alcohol and that of marijuana. The support for the ban decreased significantly and the national prohibition ended only after thirteen years of implementation. Additionally, the ban for alcohol lacked support from economic and social perspectives since it only affected the poor who could not afford hard liquor. Therefore, it took barely more than a decade for the nation to end the prohibition and continue the sale and the distribution of alcohol in the United States (Room and Örnberg 225). The ban on marijuana has existed since 1937 with the federal and state governments reluctant to allow full legalization. The support for the legal use of the drug has lacked support through evidence of benefits to consumers. The addictive properties of marijuana have contributed to the existing reluctance by...