Baby Boom Generation Has Been Plagued for Essay

baby boom generation has been plagued for several years with the dilemma of how to handle the issue of marijuana. The issue has been an acrimonious one for several decades and it is one that has been attached to the baby boom generation and as said generation begins to reach retirement age the issue is no closer to a resolution than it was in the early 60's as the baby boomers were first reaching their teenage years.

The baby boomer generation is identified with many social issues that changed American society forever. The Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement come immediately to mind but the use of drugs such as LSD and marijuana are also identified with this generation. The Vietnam War ended; the Civil Rights Movement was successful; the dangers of LSD were exposed; and all that remains is the issue of marijuana.

Throughout the past several decades there have been on again and off again discussions relative to the legalization of marijuana and, in certain communities it actually has, but, for the most part marijuana remains illegal and the generation that argued so strongly for its legalization when they were younger has essentially adopted a stance of nonchalance (Dennis, 1999).For whatever reason, the baby boomers have expressed little or no interest in the legalization of marijuana and have actually allowed the federal and state governments to actively pursue the enforcement of strict laws against the sale and use of said substance. This position of strict enforcement has resulted in an official War on Drugs that has resulted in the expenditure of millions of dollars, the loss of human life, and the imprisonment of millions of society's young adults.

The position of the baby boomer generation on the issue of the legalization of marijuana is difficult to understand. Living in a society where alcohol is a routine part of the socialization process and where the use of drugs for nearly every condition imaginable is promoted it is hard to fathom how marijuana remains illegal. In the media marijuana usage is still characterized by the image of a long-haired, constantly stoned individual who cannot hold a job and spends most of the….....