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Serial killers are some of the most depraved criminals to ever exist, and their killings used to be sensationalized across the country. One would be hard pressed to find a household that had never heard the names Ted Bundy or Charles Manson both of whom are serial killers from the 1970’s. Since then, it seems that the number of Serial killers has dwindled dramatically. Has American law enforcement conquered these reprehensible human beings through advances in technology? No, in fact, the seeming dying out of the serial killer has nothing to do with the advancements in law enforcement, and all to do with the environment they are surrounded in. The serial killers of the 70’s and 80’s were products of the unstable atmosphere in America around that time, and the country is primed to see a huge increase in serial killings in the near future.

Over the last few decades, America has definitely had one thing going for it; serial killers have been declining. James Alan Fox, a criminology professor at Northwestern University, says that America has seen a serious decrease in serial killings in the last couple of decades. Before the 1960’s there were almost none, then they took off, 19 in the 1960’s, followed by 119 in the 70’s and 200 in the 80’s. In the 1990’s America still saw approximately 141 cases, but then in the 2000’s this number has shrunk to 61. In a sense, the 70’s and the 80’s was the “Golden Age of Serial Killers”,  James Alan Fox thinks that this shrink may have something to do with terrorism being the new serial killer of American interest (Slate). That serial killers don’t get covered in the news anymore, because Americans just aren’t interested in them, yet a lack of interest could hardly explain the number of serial killers themselves falling so sharply. Besides, a lack of interest hardly in serial killers hardly seems to be a problem among Americans, just look at what they are watching on television, Dexter, True Detective, Hannibal. Serial Killers still captivate the American mind. Violence is still sensationalized by American news outlets, terrorism has received rampant coverage for the last decade. So it might seem possible that the terrorism of the 2000’s has taken the fear and place in society that serial killings occupied before. Terrorists themselves not technically being serial killers either, under the FBI’s definition which is that “a serial killer is a person who murders three or more people, usually in service of abnormal psychological gratification, with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant break (a "cooling off period") between them.” (FBI) Yet terrorism is not a new phenomena, in fact there was rampant terrorism during the “Golden Age of Serial Killers”. In the 70’s there were actually hundreds of terrorist attacks throughout the country, bombings, shooting, and hijacks, while in the years since 9/11 there have only been about 2 dozen. (CNN) So it’s not interest that has dwindled, but serial killers themselves, along with surprisingly enough domestic terrorists.

The 60’s were not a calm time in American history, the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, the assassination of both Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy, and the sexual revolution. The country went crazy in these years, and it caught up with us, in a big way, in the form of hundreds of serial killers and domestic terrorists. This wasn’t simply a matter of coincidence either, the atmosphere of a society can have a direct effect on the manifestations of an unstable mind. An article in the New Yorker references this occurrence “Grandiose schizophrenics from largely Christian countries often claim to be prophets or gods, but sufferers in Pakistan, a Muslim country, rarely do. In Shanghai, paranoid people report being pricked by poisoned needles; in Taipei, they are possessed by spirits.” (Marantz). The mind manifests delusion from its own environment, in fact this same article from the New Yorker is about a new kind of paranoid delusion; the Truman Show Effect. It’s an occurrence where a person believes they are part of a vast secret reality TV show, and are followed constantly by hidden cameras. Society manifests its events onto people, and this quickly begins to explain just how the 60’s had the impact it did on the country. The subsequent decade’s 119 serial killers were a result of the violent atmosphere of the previous decade, their crimes the result of the delusional manifestations of a country gone crazy.

A parallel can be drawn with the 2000’s. The United States in the last 8 years has bombed Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, Iraq, and Syria, that’s 7 countries in total. (CNN) America is currently going through one of the most politically divisive presidential cycles of all time, with Trump’s infamous race baiting and Hillary Clinton’s blatant corruption scandals. Race relations are deteriorating and as of August 26, 38 police officers had been killed in the line of duty, 58% more than last year, which in of itself is a manifestation of societal problems in the form of violence. (CNN)  The country is once again going through a time of great strife and the repercussions of this are going to be wide reaching, and if history shows anything, violent.

It might be difficult to see the connection between domestic violence and America attacking people in 7 countries across oceans, until one looks at one very telling trend. While serial killings and depraved murders might be on the decline in America in the 2000’s, one kind of violence has been on the rise: Mass shootings. According to a study by the FBI using their definition of an active shooter incident “an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area” there have been 160 such incidents between 2000 and 2013 with a marked trend of increase. The first 7 years showing a rate of 6.4 incidents annually, the next 7 showing a rate of 16.4 annually. War is murder sanctioned by the government, and it is becoming apparent that this violence can not just stay overseas as  had been hoped. While mass shooters are not serial killers, they are a manifestation of a country that is quickly becoming more and more violent. In fact, mass shooters are not only products of larger societal ills in America, but add to the unstable atmosphere becoming prevalent through the country. As the number of mass shooters increases, it’s not unlike a pot slowly rolling to a boil, bringing the country closer and closer to the rebirth of the serial killer.

In modern day America, people have taken to various outlets as their source of both entertainment and pleasure, and that includes recreational drug use. One heavily favored happens to be that of Cannabis, commonly known as Marijuana. The increased use of this drug, and perceived danger by many medical and legal officials, has led to highly contentious marijuana laws throughout the country. In discussion of this issue, different camps focus primarily on the state of the marijuana users, not anybody else involved. However, they are ignoring the larger benefit that the marijuana industry can have on the general public. . Marijuana and more specifically medical marijuana should be legal in the United States because of its health benefits and potential economic impact.

In the United States, marijuana is primarily used recreationally, but  there are copious instances of people utilizing cannabis to aid medical difficulties. According to the Marijuana Policy Project, there are 1,246,170 medical marijuana users in the twenty five states where it is legal. It’s also estimated that there would be an approximate 2,604,079 medical cannabis users if it were legal in all fifty states. Users are those who suffer from various conditions such as: epilepsy, HIV/AIDS, cancer, tourette’s syndrome, schizophrenia, sickle cell anemia, and others. Both the National Institute of Health and Food and Drug Administration are currently researching and putting some support behind cannabis being use to as a medicine, primarily in the case of chronic pain. The support for medical marijuana is increasing, as its impact is being discovered. It has the ability to help a significant amount of people with various illnesses to cope with the side affects that their condition gives them. For example, Charlotte Figi is a 5 year old girl who since the young age of 7 months had been suffering from a rare form of epilepsy, Dravet Syndrome, that caused her to have long uncontrollable seizures. Dravet syndrome could not be controlled by medicine and as Charlotte grew older, her seizures and overall life become much worse. Out of options, her family heard of another boy with Dravet Syndrome who used used marijuana to treat his seizures and the symptoms. They tried this method of extracting the oil from marijuana, giving it to Charlotte and saw an immediate decrease in the amount and frequency of her seizures. Over the last three years Charlotte seizures has stopped with the help of medical marijuana. While there may be relief in other medicine, marijuana is easily accessible, can be taken in various forms, and poses an immediate solution. The government has the responsibility of serving and maintaining the wellbeing of the public, and marijuana showing itself as a viable aid, further proves why it should be legalized.

The industry and selling of marijuana is one that has been embraced by several cities across the United States due to the possible economic growth that could be stimulated. The U.S World and News Report states that the implementation of medical marijuana can save U.S taxpayers approximately 468.1 million dollars every year. According to the California State Board of Equalization, the state took in about $50 million in sales taxes from 1,623 medical marijuana dispensaries across California that registered with the state and filed taxes in 2014. Similarly, in Illinois, medical marijuana dispensaries have generated 23.5 million dollars. For the states where marijuana is legalized, the access money is used to supply different demands within the city. In various cities in Colorado, where both medical and recreational marijuana has became a lucrative business, they are using funds to better the community. For example, In Aurora 12.4 million is being spent to address homelessness, outreach programs for the needy, and to build a new recreation center. Similarly, in Adams County they have earmarked more than 500,000 dollars in scholarships for low-income students, while the rest of the income is used for things like repairing infrastructure, and education efforts. In a time where many cities are struggling to adequately fund themselves, a device such as medical marijuana could prove a great solution. As seen with numerous cities, recreational and medical marijuana are producing large incomes for cities, that can be spread across various counties to assist in different things to better the city. This goes beyond the sick patients to help everyone for the better.

Even though medical marijuana and marijuana as a whole have positive impacts, they are often overlooked by the possible negative aspects that can be had. While there are negative factors that could come along with the legalization of medical marijuana, they all will be outweighed by the benefits. The overall well being of people should always be the most important piece of any governmental decision, and marijuana a proven it has benefits to those suffering with various illnesses, diseases, and disorders. The various economic impacts that can provide relief to many cities, would also allow them to implement different projects to help everyone. Money that could go towards several projects aimed to better society. In conclusion, the legalization of medical cannabis will not hurt, but those who need it as well as the country.

The legalization of medical marijuana is one that is highly debated amongst health and governmental officials for various reasons. These can include the fact that marijuana is indeed a drug, it can have risks to those taking it for health reasons, and there are other already legal alternatives. However, marijuana despite being classified as a drug, does something other banned substances don’t do and that's actually help people and society. It has been proven to help those affected by different illnesses and disabilities cope with side effects. As well as increasing the economy of the individual cities, and the country as a whole, which would benefit people all over as this money would be used to help them. With the potential drawbacks, there’s significant benefits that outweigh any negatives.  In conclusion, medical cannabis should legalized in the United States because of the positive impact it will have on everyone.

Works Cited

"Medical Marijuana Patient Numbers." Medical Marijuana Project, 6 July 2016. Web. 13 Oct. 2016. <https://www.mpp.org/issues/medical-marijuana/state-by-state-medical-marijuana-laws/medical-marijuana-patient-numbers/>.

"PA.gov." Frequently Asked Questions. Pennsylvania Department of Health, n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2016. <http://www.health.pa.gov/My%20Health/Diseases%20and%20Conditions/M-P/MedicalMarijuana/Pages/FAQ.aspx#general>

Leonard, Kimberely. "Study: Medical Marijuana Laws Cut Drug Spending." U.S News and World Report. U.S News and World Report, 27 July 2016. Web. 13 Oct. 2016. <http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-07-07/medical-marijuana-availability-saves-taxpayers-money>.

Cillescas@denverpost.com, By Carlos Illescas |. "Marijuana Sales Tax Revenue Huge Boon for Colorado Cities." The Denver Post. The Denver Post, 02 Oct. 2016. Web. 16 Oct. 2016. <http://www.denverpost.com/2016/05/26/marijuana-sales-tax-revenue-huge-boon-for-colorado-cities/>.