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 face far more
             lenient penal...