Supplier Rating System Essay Example

Supplier Rating System Essay Supplier Rating System Supplier Rating System Supplier Manual Presented by Admiral Tool Manufacturing Purchasing and Quality WI-PU-06-002 Rev. Lev. 003 Rev. Date 02/06/2003 1 Supplier Rating System Table of Contents Introduction Scoring Criteria Rejected Parts Per Million Scoring Criteria Quality Notices / Written Complaints Scoring Criteria Delivery Scoring Criteria Service / Responsiveness Minimum Expectations Corrective Action Process Scorecard Example Trend, Pareto, and Paynter Charts example 3 4 5 7 9 10 11 13 15 WI-PU-06-002 Rev. Lev. 003 Rev. Date 02/06/2003 2 Supplier Rating System Introduction Admiral Tool Manufacturing has become an independent supplier of automotive steering column systems by dedication to customer satisfaction through continuous improvement as well as the exceptional support and ingenuity from our valued suppliers. The supplier relationship is our key to success, and continued success will rely on effective communication with suppliers to meet and exceed our customer’s expectations. To improve our communication and performance with suppliers, Admiral Tool Manufacturing has established the Supplier Rating System using the Report ard as a vehicle to provide feedback to our suppliers on their performance. This feedback will focus on quality (rejected parts per million), delivery, service, and quality notices/written complaints. Supplier performance will be evaluated each quarter with a maximum of 100 points available. The distribution and calculations of these points are explained in detail in the pages to follo w. The Report cards will be distributed the 2nd week of each quarter evaluating the prior three month’s performance. We will write a custom essay sample on Supplier Rating System specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Supplier Rating System specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Supplier Rating System specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The Report cards will be printed and distributed from our manufacturing facility located in Livonia, MI. As a current supplier to the automotive industry, Admiral Tool Manufacturing believes you are well aware of the efforts to improve supplier performance in these areas and reduce the cost of developing and supplying parts/systems to our customers. We hope that the information provided to you will be beneficial and communicate our expectations for continuous improvements. WI-PU-06-002 Rev. Lev. 003 Rev. Date 02/06/2003 3 Supplier Rating System Scoring Criteria Rejected Parts Per Million (RPPM) The RPPM category accounts for 30 points of the overall Scorecard rating. Supplier RPPM (rejected parts per million) is calculated on the basis of the amount of non-conforming materials versus the total amount of materials received in a given fiscal month. This calculation is then normalized to reflect a constant basis of one million units received. Example: A Supplier ships 100,000 parts to a plant, of those 7 are found to be nonconforming. The Scorecard calculation will be (7/100,000) x 1,000,000 = 70 RPPM’s. The Supplier’s score for this example will be 12 points. The following table outlines parts per million ranges and their respective scores: RPPM Rating 0 – 25 26 – 30 31 – 35 36 – 40 41 – 45 46 – 50 51 – 55 56 – 60 61 – 65 66 – 70 71 – 75 76 – 80 81 – 85 86 – 90 91 – 95 96 100 Score 30 28 26 24 22 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 WI-PU-06-002 Rev. Lev. 003 Rev. Date 02/06/2003 4 Supplier Rating System Scoring Criteria Quality Notices/Written Complaints The Quality Notices/Written Complaint category accounts for 20 points of the overall Scorecard. The system rates Suppliers on the number of formal rejection notices or written complaints and the severity of each complaint with the following formula. The number of occurrences per classification code) x (severity index) Level 0 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Engineering issues Minor issues Repeat Minor issues Major issues Severe issues 0. 00 0. 10 0. 25 0. 50 1. 00 points per occurrence point s per occurrence points per occurrence points per occurrence points per occurrence Example: A Supplier receives one written complaint in Level 1, two written complaints in level 2. The total number of points will be calculated as (1 x 0. 1) + (2 x 0. 25) = 0. 60 total. The Supplier’s score in this example will be 9 points (see table on next page). The following table outlines the quality notice rating ranges and their respective scores: WI-PU-06-002 Rev. Lev. 003 Rev. Date 02/06/2003 5 Supplier Rating System Total Quality Notice Rating Points 0. 00 0. 05 0. 06 0. 10 0. 11 0. 15 0. 16 0. 20 0. 21 0. 25 0. 26 0. 30 0. 31 0. 35 0. 36 0. 40 0. 41 0. 45 0. 46 0. 50 0. 51 0. 55 0. 56 0. 60 0. 61 0. 65 0. 66 0. 70 0. 71 0. 75 0. 76 0. 80 0. 81 0. 85 0. 86 0. 90 0. 91 0. 95 0. 96 1. 00 1. 01 1. 05 Score 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 WI-PU-06-002 Rev. Lev. 003 Rev. Date 02/06/2003 6 Supplier Rating System Scoring Criteria Delivery The Delivery category accounts for 30 points of the overall Scorecard. Delivery ratings are calculated on the basis of the amount of shipments that have errors versus the total amount of shipments in a given fiscal month. This information is then calculated into a percentage. Delivery ratings are determined on the occurrence of the following criteria only when it is determined to be the Supplier’s responsibility: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Late deliveries Premium freight occurrences Damaged parts Over shipment of the quantity ordered Early deliveries Short shipment of the quantity ordered The potential for more than one occurrence per shipment does exist. If no shipments are received in the given month, a notation will appear on your Scorecard in the comment section. The system automatically calculates the delivery percentage and associated points based on the following formula: Delivery % = [(total shipments number of occurrences) / total shipments] x 100 Example: A Supplier sends 36 shipments for the month, of those 36 shipments, 1 shipment is late, and 1 shipment is short of the quantity ordered. This counts as 2 occurrences. The delivery percentage calculation will be [(36-2) / 36] x 100 = 94. 4 %. The Supplier’s score for this example will be 18 points. WI-PU-06-002 7 Supplier Rating System The following table outlines the delivery percentages and their respective scores: Delivery Occurrence Percentage 100 99. 6 – 99. 9 98. 6 – 99. 5 97. 6 – 98. 5 96. 6 – 97. 5 95. 6 – 96. 5 94. 6 – 95. 5 93. 6 – 94. 4 92. 6 – 93. 5 91. 6 – 92. 5 90. 6 – 91. 5 89. 6 – 90. 5 88. 6 – 89. 5 87. 6 – 88. 5 86. 6 – 87. 5 85. 6 – 86. 5 85. 5 Or less Score 30 29 28 26 24 22 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 WI-PU-06-002 8 Supplier Rating System Scoring Criteria Service/Responsiveness The Service/Responsiveness category accounts for 20 points of the overall Scorecard. Service ratings are determined on the basis of the following criteria: †¢ †¢ †¢ On time and accurate Production Part Approval Process (PPAP), as required On time and accurate response to quality issues, including corrective action reports (8D) On time and accurate documentation, as required by each location. (Including, but not limited to; SPC, certifications, invoices, packing slips, etc. Example: A Supplier fails to submit on time for the latest engineering level in the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP). The Supplier’s score for this example is 16 points. The following table outlines the service/responsiveness occurrences and their respective scores: Service Incidences 0 1 2 3 4 5 or greater Score 20 16 12 8 4 0 Note: This category can be used at the discretion of the manufacturing facility to cover situations of severe nature. (i. e. shutting the manufacturing or customer plant down). WI-PU-06-002 9 Supplier Rating System Minimum Expectations In the Delivery category: The minimum expectation is 98 % (26 points out of the 30 possible. ) In the combined categories of Delivery and RPPM’s: The minimum expectation is 85 %, (combined total of 51 points out of 60 possible). Corrective Actions The following will apply to Suppliers who do not meet these minimum expectations. First month Notification letters will be sent to Suppliers stating the minimum score has not been met and why. A corrective action plan may be required. Second consecutive month A second notification letter will be sent stating that the minimum score has not been met and why. A corrective action plan will be required. You will receive a follow up phone call from STA to obtain the corrective action plan. Third consecutive month The Supplier’s Senior Management will either be visited or called to Admiral Tool for a meeting regarding their performance. STA may perform an on site Quality Systems Assessment. The Supplier may be placed on probation at this time. Corrective Action plans will require the following charts: Trend, Pareto, Painter, 8-D’s and an action plan matrix. (See The Corrective Action Process on the following page. In the Competitiveness Category: Due to the uniqueness of our supply base and the products they manufacture, Admiral Tools Purchasing Manager and Quality Manager will handle each Supplier falling below the minimum expectation on a case-by-case basis. Falling below the minimum requirements may lead to the following actions: Letters indicating you are below our Competitiveness requirements Attendance at a Purchasing m eeting with upper management to discuss steps to be taken Not being awarded any future or replacement business Current work being resourced WI-PU-06-002 10 Supplier Rating System Corrective Action Process Anytime a supplier falls below the Minimum Performance levels or has trended toward performance degradation of a particular concern to Admiral Tool, the Supplier Corrective Action Process will be implemented. 1) The Supplier’s management will be contacted by either Admiral Tool’s Quality Manager or STA. 2) The Supplier will be expected to identify the nature of the failing performance verbally when contacted. This verbal response should be formally answered with a Disciplined Problem Solving Methods (i. e. 8-D), Open Issues Matrix and a Supplier letter of explanation. In the letter of explanation he supplier will be expected to clarify any discrepancies between the Problem Solving Form and the Open Issues Matrix and establish a level of commitment to resolving the poor performance. 3) The supplier will be expected to establish and maintain Management Operating System (MOS) measurable. The reporting format will consist of Trend, Pareto and Paynt er charts. These charts should be maintained weekly to record positive trends from corrective or continuous improvement activity. It will be mandatory to maintain the charts covering a minimum performance history of six months to facilitate discussion with Admiral Tool. All three charts need to be placed on a single page, as in the example attached. Formatted disks are also available from Admiral Tool STA. 4) Trend, Pareto, and Paynter charts are expected to be kept on various levels of data as described below: Internal Indicators Supplier data collected at: a) End of line inspection b) Containment inspection when applicable External Indicators Supplier data collected from the Customer: a) Rejects and defects from the Admiral facility receiving product b) Rejects and defects by a third party containment activity Data must not be mixed or combined from these different levels. Reject and defect data collection must exist on its own separate sheet, used for comparisons, analysis, and decisionmaking. 5) Suppliers will be expected to establish, maintain and provide a Systematic Problem Solving Form and Open Issues Matrices in addition to the Trend, Pareto, and Paynter charts to support and expedite any discussion with Admiral Tool. WI-PU-06-002 11 Supplier Rating System 6) In early stages of the Corrective Actions Process, the supplier must support the immediate resolution and closure of concerns with informed middle management who is empowered to make decisions. In the event of issues requiring further attention, Senior Supplier Management will be invited to meet with Purchasing and Quality to present and address all concerns. 7) Failure to meet Minimum Performance levels, or when performance trends have shown serious degradation, the supplier may be placed on probation. While on probation, restricted sourcing may apply and the need to re-source considered. 8) Data collected from the Supplier Rating System and the Corrective Action Process will be shared with Senior Management across Admiral Tool via our Worst Supplier Report, published monthly. Supplier Recognition It is the intent of Admiral Tool Manufacturing to recognize and reward our very best Suppliers. The Supplier Rating System and the Best Supplier Report provides the means to analyze and identify our very best performers within a system driven by data. Currently several recognition proposals are under review, though not available at this time of publishing. A separate addendum will follow describing in detail the Admiral Too Manufacturing Performance Recognition Program. Supplier Rating System Essay Example Supplier Rating System Essay Supplier Rating System Supplier Rating System Supplier Manual Presented by Admiral Tool Manufacturing Purchasing and Quality WI-PU-06-002 Rev. Lev. 003 Rev. Date 02/06/2003 1 Supplier Rating System Table of Contents Introduction Scoring Criteria Rejected Parts Per Million Scoring Criteria Quality Notices / Written Complaints Scoring Criteria Delivery Scoring Criteria Service / Responsiveness Minimum Expectations Corrective Action Process Scorecard Example Trend, Pareto, and Paynter Charts example 3 4 5 7 9 10 11 13 15 WI-PU-06-002 Rev. Lev. 003 Rev. Date 02/06/2003 2 Supplier Rating System Introduction Admiral Tool Manufacturing has become an independent supplier of automotive steering column systems by dedication to customer satisfaction through continuous improvement as well as the exceptional support and ingenuity from our valued suppliers. The supplier relationship is our key to success, and continued success will rely on effective communication with suppliers to meet and exceed our customer’s expectations. To improve our communication and performance with suppliers, Admiral Tool Manufacturing has established the Supplier Rating System using the Report ard as a vehicle to provide feedback to our suppliers on their performance. This feedback will focus on quality (rejected parts per million), delivery, service, and quality notices/written complaints. Supplier performance will be evaluated each quarter with a maximum of 100 points available. The distribution and calculations of these points are explained in detail in the pages to follo w. The Report cards will be distributed the 2nd week of each quarter evaluating the prior three month’s performance. We will write a custom essay sample on Supplier Rating System specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Supplier Rating System specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Supplier Rating System specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The Report cards will be printed and distributed from our manufacturing facility located in Livonia, MI. As a current supplier to the automotive industry, Admiral Tool Manufacturing believes you are well aware of the efforts to improve supplier performance in these areas and reduce the cost of developing and supplying parts/systems to our customers. We hope that the information provided to you will be beneficial and communicate our expectations for continuous improvements. WI-PU-06-002 Rev. Lev. 003 Rev. Date 02/06/2003 3 Supplier Rating System Scoring Criteria Rejected Parts Per Million (RPPM) The RPPM category accounts for 30 points of the overall Scorecard rating. Supplier RPPM (rejected parts per million) is calculated on the basis of the amount of non-conforming materials versus the total amount of materials received in a given fiscal month. This calculation is then normalized to reflect a constant basis of one million units received. Example: A Supplier ships 100,000 parts to a plant, of those 7 are found to be nonconforming. The Scorecard calculation will be (7/100,000) x 1,000,000 = 70 RPPM’s. The Supplier’s score for this example will be 12 points. The following table outlines parts per million ranges and their respective scores: RPPM Rating 0 – 25 26 – 30 31 – 35 36 – 40 41 – 45 46 – 50 51 – 55 56 – 60 61 – 65 66 – 70 71 – 75 76 – 80 81 – 85 86 – 90 91 – 95 96 100 Score 30 28 26 24 22 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 WI-PU-06-002 Rev. Lev. 003 Rev. Date 02/06/2003 4 Supplier Rating System Scoring Criteria Quality Notices/Written Complaints The Quality Notices/Written Complaint category accounts for 20 points of the overall Scorecard. The system rates Suppliers on the number of formal rejection notices or written complaints and the severity of each complaint with the following formula. The number of occurrences per classification code) x (severity index) Level 0 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Engineering issues Minor issues Repeat Minor issues Major issues Severe issues 0. 00 0. 10 0. 25 0. 50 1. 00 points per occurrence point s per occurrence points per occurrence points per occurrence points per occurrence Example: A Supplier receives one written complaint in Level 1, two written complaints in level 2. The total number of points will be calculated as (1 x 0. 1) + (2 x 0. 25) = 0. 60 total. The Supplier’s score in this example will be 9 points (see table on next page). The following table outlines the quality notice rating ranges and their respective scores: WI-PU-06-002 Rev. Lev. 003 Rev. Date 02/06/2003 5 Supplier Rating System Total Quality Notice Rating Points 0. 00 0. 05 0. 06 0. 10 0. 11 0. 15 0. 16 0. 20 0. 21 0. 25 0. 26 0. 30 0. 31 0. 35 0. 36 0. 40 0. 41 0. 45 0. 46 0. 50 0. 51 0. 55 0. 56 0. 60 0. 61 0. 65 0. 66 0. 70 0. 71 0. 75 0. 76 0. 80 0. 81 0. 85 0. 86 0. 90 0. 91 0. 95 0. 96 1. 00 1. 01 1. 05 Score 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 WI-PU-06-002 Rev. Lev. 003 Rev. Date 02/06/2003 6 Supplier Rating System Scoring Criteria Delivery The Delivery category accounts for 30 points of the overall Scorecard. Delivery ratings are calculated on the basis of the amount of shipments that have errors versus the total amount of shipments in a given fiscal month. This information is then calculated into a percentage. Delivery ratings are determined on the occurrence of the following criteria only when it is determined to be the Supplier’s responsibility: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Late deliveries Premium freight occurrences Damaged parts Over shipment of the quantity ordered Early deliveries Short shipment of the quantity ordered The potential for more than one occurrence per shipment does exist. If no shipments are received in the given month, a notation will appear on your Scorecard in the comment section. The system automatically calculates the delivery percentage and associated points based on the following formula: Delivery % = [(total shipments number of occurrences) / total shipments] x 100 Example: A Supplier sends 36 shipments for the month, of those 36 shipments, 1 shipment is late, and 1 shipment is short of the quantity ordered. This counts as 2 occurrences. The delivery percentage calculation will be [(36-2) / 36] x 100 = 94. 4 %. The Supplier’s score for this example will be 18 points. WI-PU-06-002 7 Supplier Rating System The following table outlines the delivery percentages and their respective scores: Delivery Occurrence Percentage 100 99. 6 – 99. 9 98. 6 – 99. 5 97. 6 – 98. 5 96. 6 – 97. 5 95. 6 – 96. 5 94. 6 – 95. 5 93. 6 – 94. 4 92. 6 – 93. 5 91. 6 – 92. 5 90. 6 – 91. 5 89. 6 – 90. 5 88. 6 – 89. 5 87. 6 – 88. 5 86. 6 – 87. 5 85. 6 – 86. 5 85. 5 Or less Score 30 29 28 26 24 22 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 WI-PU-06-002 8 Supplier Rating System Scoring Criteria Service/Responsiveness The Service/Responsiveness category accounts for 20 points of the overall Scorecard. Service ratings are determined on the basis of the following criteria: †¢ †¢ †¢ On time and accurate Production Part Approval Process (PPAP), as required On time and accurate response to quality issues, including corrective action reports (8D) On time and accurate documentation, as required by each location. (Including, but not limited to; SPC, certifications, invoices, packing slips, etc. Example: A Supplier fails to submit on time for the latest engineering level in the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP). The Supplier’s score for this example is 16 points. The following table outlines the service/responsiveness occurrences and their respective scores: Service Incidences 0 1 2 3 4 5 or greater Score 20 16 12 8 4 0 Note: This category can be used at the discretion of the manufacturing facility to cover situations of severe nature. (i. e. shutting the manufacturing or customer plant down). WI-PU-06-002 9 Supplier Rating System Minimum Expectations In the Delivery category: The minimum expectation is 98 % (26 points out of the 30 possible. ) In the combined categories of Delivery and RPPM’s: The minimum expectation is 85 %, (combined total of 51 points out of 60 possible). Corrective Actions The following will apply to Suppliers who do not meet these minimum expectations. First month Notification letters will be sent to Suppliers stating the minimum score has not been met and why. A corrective action plan may be required. Second consecutive month A second notification letter will be sent stating that the minimum score has not been met and why. A corrective action plan will be required. You will receive a follow up phone call from STA to obtain the corrective action plan. Third consecutive month The Supplier’s Senior Management will either be visited or called to Admiral Tool for a meeting regarding their performance. STA may perform an on site Quality Systems Assessment. The Supplier may be placed on probation at this time. Corrective Action plans will require the following charts: Trend, Pareto, Painter, 8-D’s and an action plan matrix. (See The Corrective Action Process on the following page. In the Competitiveness Category: Due to the uniqueness of our supply base and the products they manufacture, Admiral Tools Purchasing Manager and Quality Manager will handle each Supplier falling below the minimum expectation on a case-by-case basis. Falling below the minimum requirements may lead to the following actions: Letters indicating you are below our Competitiveness requirements Attendance at a Purchasing m eeting with upper management to discuss steps to be taken Not being awarded any future or replacement business Current work being resourced WI-PU-06-002 10 Supplier Rating System Corrective Action Process Anytime a supplier falls below the Minimum Performance levels or has trended toward performance degradation of a particular concern to Admiral Tool, the Supplier Corrective Action Process will be implemented. 1) The Supplier’s management will be contacted by either Admiral Tool’s Quality Manager or STA. 2) The Supplier will be expected to identify the nature of the failing performance verbally when contacted. This verbal response should be formally answered with a Disciplined Problem Solving Methods (i. e. 8-D), Open Issues Matrix and a Supplier letter of explanation. In the letter of explanation he supplier will be expected to clarify any discrepancies between the Problem Solving Form and the Open Issues Matrix and establish a level of commitment to resolving the poor performance. 3) The supplier will be expected to establish and maintain Management Operating System (MOS) measurable. The reporting format will consist of Trend, Pareto and Paynt er charts. These charts should be maintained weekly to record positive trends from corrective or continuous improvement activity. It will be mandatory to maintain the charts covering a minimum performance history of six months to facilitate discussion with Admiral Tool. All three charts need to be placed on a single page, as in the example attached. Formatted disks are also available from Admiral Tool STA. 4) Trend, Pareto, and Paynter charts are expected to be kept on various levels of data as described below: Internal Indicators Supplier data collected at: a) End of line inspection b) Containment inspection when applicable External Indicators Supplier data collected from the Customer: a) Rejects and defects from the Admiral facility receiving product b) Rejects and defects by a third party containment activity Data must not be mixed or combined from these different levels. Reject and defect data collection must exist on its own separate sheet, used for comparisons, analysis, and decisionmaking. 5) Suppliers will be expected to establish, maintain and provide a Systematic Problem Solving Form and Open Issues Matrices in addition to the Trend, Pareto, and Paynter charts to support and expedite any discussion with Admiral Tool. WI-PU-06-002 11 Supplier Rating System 6) In early stages of the Corrective Actions Process, the supplier must support the immediate resolution and closure of concerns with informed middle management who is empowered to make decisions. In the event of issues requiring further attention, Senior Supplier Management will be invited to meet with Purchasing and Quality to present and address all concerns. 7) Failure to meet Minimum Performance levels, or when performance trends have shown serious degradation, the supplier may be placed on probation. While on probation, restricted sourcing may apply and the need to re-source considered. 8) Data collected from the Supplier Rating System and the Corrective Action Process will be shared with Senior Management across Admiral Tool via our Worst Supplier Report, published monthly. Supplier Recognition It is the intent of Admiral Tool Manufacturing to recognize and reward our very best Suppliers. The Supplier Rating System and the Best Supplier Report provides the means to analyze and identify our very best performers within a system driven by data. Currently several recognition proposals are under review, though not available at this time of publishing. A separate addendum will follow describing in detail the Admiral Too Manufacturing Performance Recognition Program.

20 Division Essay Topics Hot Ideas about the Area of Remote Sensing

20 Division Essay Topics Hot Ideas about the Area of Remote Sensing Previously, we discussed 10 facts for a division essay on remote sensing and earth science. We are certain that those facts helped you understand what remote sensing really is, and you are in a position to use them to come up with your essay on the topic. To make things easier, we have also covered 20 relevant topics which you can choose and start writing on. These topics are correlated with facts so it would be easier for you to compose an essay quickly and effortlessly. We also recommend you to read our final guide i.e. how to write a division essay on remote sensing and earth science before you start composing the essay yourself. This final guide will help you pinpoint the techniques and methodologies that will help you beautify your essay and make it exemplary. We assure you that if you read and follow all the guides we have written for you, your professor will be very pleased with your work. With that being said, here are the 20 topics on remote sensing and earth science: An Overview on the History of Remote Sensing Technology The Correlation between Remote Sensing and Earth Science The Reader’s Advantage to Understanding Remote Sensing and Earth Science Differentiation between Active and Passive Remote Sensing System The Dynamic Upsurge of Remote Sensing along with GPS, GIS and Photogrammetry The Principles of Remote Sensing – A Short Division Essay on Earth Science The Variety of Contemporary Mapping Technologies i.e. Remote Sensors What’s Digital Video Imagery and is it Utilized in Remote Sensing Technology? How Remote Scanners Operate to Capture Information in Digital Form A Division Essay on the Variety of Active/Passive Remote Sensors Used Today How a Video Camera Can Be Used as a Passive Remote Sensor in an Aircraft Passive Sensors that Capture the Reflected or Emitted Energy Intensity The Reflectance Characteristics of Earth’s Cover Types The Interaction of the Atmosphere with Remote Sensors and its Effects A Division Essay on the Physical Processes of Solar Energy Modification The Use of Remote Sensing for the Treaty Verification Guidance Penetration A Division Essay on LIDAR Systems, its Operations and its Interfaced Systems The Forward Looking Infrared Remote Sensor and its Uses in Earth Science The Interaction of EMR (a Remote Sensor) with Earth Surface The Principal Divisions of Electromagnetic System and its Utilization in Earth Science and Remote Sensing Technology Now you have the topics from which you can choose and start writing immediately. Oh, but don’t forget to have a look at the sample essay we’ve written below. This essay would hint you on how to write a short essay. Of course, you can lengthen it as much as you want but taking a look into this essay would make it easier for you to write. Sample Essay: The History of Remote Sensing Technology A multi-disciplinary science is basically what we call remote sensing technology. It has a combination of disciplines that include but are not limited to: photography, electronics, computer, optics, spectroscopy, satellite launching, telecommunication etc. These technologies work as a system in whole, which is known as remote sensing system. But when did it all start? How did it progress and what kind of categories were divided to make this technology what it is today? All of these questions are answered below. Firstly, you should know that it all started in 1859, when Gaspard Tournachon shot a photograph, an oblique one, of a small village adjacent to Paris. But this photograph was not taken by hands, instead, it was taken from the view of a balloon giving it   different perspective. This picture is what led to the era of observing earth which then later divided into subsections remote sensing being one of the main aspects of earth science. People, from all over the world, then started to follow what Tournachon did. In fact, the U.S. Army utilized this balloon photography in 1983, during the Civil War. The oblique photography played a large role in revealing the defensive positions that took place in Virginia. The revelation of defensive position, before this kind of methodology, was very difficult as a number of army spies had to go through the enemy territory to get details, then come back to provide those details to their team. Due to the success of this method that Gaspard T. invented, the development and the use of aerial photography started to grow rapidly. This was then applied in airborne vehicles, such as aircrafts etc. The development rapidly grew larger and large. It dominated the United States and then later, it was also being developed in Europe. During the World War I, aeroplanes were used as a means of scanning the enemy territory by photo reconnaissance. These aircrafts proved to be more reliable and more stable than balloons providing armies a chance to observe neatly. Once the World War I ended, civilians started to take aerial photos. They used it in the field of forestry, agriculture, geology and cartography. Due to the developments between World War I and World War II, the cameras improved drastically. Variety of films as well as interpretation equipment was improved to the next level. However, the most significant development process took place during World War II especially aerial photography and photo interpretation. During these times, new technologies such as near-infrared photography, thermal-infrared photography and imaging radar etc., were developed and utilized in nighttime bombing. They were also used to reveal camouflaged soldiers, changing the landscape of how wars were progressed. Once the World War II ended, the development of these technologies continued and for far more better purposes. For example, CIR (Color Infrared Radar) photography was a great tool which was utilized in plant sciences and it is still used today, with major improvements of course. In 1956, Cowell used CIR and classified the vegetation types. It also helped reveal which vegetation was damaged, stress or infected.   It also proved to be useful in the recognition of vegetation types. After the 1950s, more significant progress in the development of radar technology was achieved. Now, remote sensing has become a big part of space exploration, underwater discoveries and so on and so forth. By reading this essay, we’re sure that you must have realized how easy division essay writing can be if you know how it’s composed and outlined. To make things more easier, we have stated the methodologies in our final guide, which is how to write an on remote sensing and earth science. Be sure to check that out. If you haven’t read our first guide, which is; 10 facts for division essay on remote sensing and earth science, you should go read that first. It’s highly recommend you do that before you start writing. References: Joseph, G. 1996. Imaging Sensors. Remote Sensing Reviews, 13: 257-342. Campbell, J.B. 1996. Introduction to Remote Sensing. Taylor Francis, London. Sabins, F.F. 1997. Remote Sensing and Principles and Image Interpretation. WH Freeman, NY. Lillesand, T., Kiefer, R. W., Chipman, J. (2014). Remote sensing and image interpretation. John Wiley Sons. Jensen, J. R. (2009). Remote sensing of the environment: An earth resource perspective 2/e. Pearson Education India. Blaschke, T. (2010). Object based image analysis for remote sensing. ISPRS journal of photogrammetry and remote sensing, 65(1), 2-16. Lefsky, M. A., Cohen, W. B., Parker, G. G., Harding, D. J. (2002). Lidar Remote Sensing for Ecosystem Studies Lidar, an emerging remote sensing technology that directly measures the three-dimensional distribution of plant canopies, can accurately estimate vegetation structural attributes and should be of particular interest to forest, landscape, and global ecologists. BioScience, 52(1), 19-30.

8th Grade History Observation

I was very excited about this assignment. I enjoy going into the classroom and being able to observe what is going on and how everyone interacts with each other. I decided to attend a classroom at an expulsion school that has 4th- 12th grade students. Every student has a different story of why they are they at this school, some students made a mistake and want to earn their way back to their school site and some do not care about school and to not try to work towards anything positive. The staff explained that working there is a challenge and takes a special type of person that can adjust to a variety of challenging students and still try to accomplish a positive learning environment. I decided to observe the 8th grade history class for an entire chapter. I wanted to get the full experience from the start of the lesson to testing and see how the whole lesson is presented, delivered and received from start to finish. The text book used is United States History: Independence to 1914. I sat in when the students were learning about the Constitution and Bill of Rights. The book seemed difficult for some students to read and comprehend. There was an aide in the classroom at all times. I sat in a class with 31 students in it and 12 of them had an IEP, 504 plan or BSP. The teacher and aide were constantly walking around and helping the students with a diverse set of challenges. Some students I could see clearly could not read the book. The level of reading was considerably lower that what the textbook was. I could see there were students with a 2nd grade reading level trying to read a 8th grade textbook. There was also one student who caught my eye because he had a one on one aide. The first day of class the teacher passes out a page that is front and back. This has a few vocabulary words that are in the text and has sentences from the text with blanks within the sentences. The student is to read through the text and fill in the blanks and define the vocabulary words. Most students are able to complete this task without help. It took them to look in the glossary or dictionary and copy the definition. The student with a one on one aide did not have the skills to find the words alphabetically. He needed assistance finding the words and then was able to copy the words down on the page. The teacher and aide continued to walk around with the class and that kept everyone on task. I thought this was a good idea and the students seemed to know what to do and got right to work. They are allowed to work in a group of two or independently. The students that seemed serious about getting the work done worked independently. The students who worked â€Å"smarter not harder† split to front and back pages and then copied so that they could finish and have free time. The second day of class was for the students to finish their sheet of work. The students that already finished earned free time. I saw this was a distraction for the students who were still working. They were constantly looing at the students that had free time and could not focus on the job they needed to complete. A few students rushed through their work to earn free time. I did not notice anyone checking their completed work. After this class knowing that all the students were finished I asked the teacher if I could see the answer key and review the students work. He gladly granted my request. Out of 30 students, only 5 students did a great job and it showed in their work that they cared about getting a good grade and had little to no incorrect answers. More than half of the students clearly did not care and wrote in bogus answers. The few that were left copied each other’s work and clearly did not care about what was written. The third day of class the students traded papers and corrected their work with the teacher. He went through every question and had them write in the correct answer if they got it wrong. This was the first time I saw interaction between the teacher and the students. There was no conversation about the information and how this may apply to the students today. The correction of the two sided paper took the whole hour period, mainly because the students were uninterested and wasted a lot of time talking. It was almost like the students did not know how to behave when the teacher was in front of the class. After the students were done correcting their work the teacher collected the papers and recorded their grades. The next day, which was day 4 and the 4th hour of instruction on this lesson, the teacher passed out their work with the correct answers and a similar paper that read â€Å"test†. This format was the same as the assignment and had sentences from the text with blanks for the student to write the correct answer completing the sentence. I reviewed the test and see that the answer or black portion for the student to fill in was the question in the assignment. The question in the assignment was the answer or blank portion in the test. The whole concept seemed a little easy for this age and to be honest very boring and redundant. The next day the teacher had the students watch a history movie on the Constitution and Bill of Rights. The movie had more interest to the kids than the assignment that week. I was disappointed with the teaching aspect of this class. The teacher said he feels this â€Å"packet method† gets through the material and is repetitious for the kids to learn the material. I felt the kids were bored and had no desire to read the material. These kids especially strive for attention and most of the times do not have positive interactions with adults. The Constitution and Bill of Rights is a LARGE part of our history and after this week these kids did not have a better understanding or respect for our country and the rights they take for granted. The teacher and the children were not involved with each other at all with exception to correcting the assignment together. There are many things I would do differently. I would first, to get their attention, had out a blank piece of paper and ask them to make their own rights and make their own Constitution. I would have them do this to grab their interest in the lesson. These kids are more interested in what they think and what they want than anything else so I would use that and ask them what they want. I would then let them speak to the class about what they feel like they should have as right and why. This would teach the kids to respect the student speaking and also teach the kids courage to get up and speak in front of a group of their peers without using foul language. I would want to spark up a conversation about right and how important they are to each and every person. After that I would use the study guide the teacher created and read and answer the study guide as a class. I would also relate the lesson to what the students wrote in their own Bill of Rights. This was a great learning experience for me as an aspiring teacher. I would want more interaction within my classroom and my students. The students were very diverse in the aspect of some wanting to work, some not caring about the work, some unable to do work and some tweeners. I think having control of the classroom is the key in this environment. Being in front of the students and showing them you care about this and they should too, this is the philosophy I would do every day in class. I would have very little time in this environment where the student has the option when they are finished they would have free time. The only incentive there is the quicker you finish the quicker you can do whatever you want. I would have different incentives and a more positive environment that the kids could participate in with me, the teacher, the leader and their peers. In this type of school I feel with the curriculum you are also teaching life skills that they have not had the privilege of learning in their home environment. I cannot wait to have my own classroom and see the outcome of constant interaction and having the students give their personality to the lesson and assignments.

This is England as British Social Realism Film Research Paper

This is England as British Social Realism Film - Research Paper Example Social Realism in British Films First of all, let us find out what realism in general is. Realism has been defined by Armes: â€Å"In its broadest sense, realism is an attitude of mind, a desire to adhere strictly to the truth, recognition that man is a social animal, and a conviction that he is inseparable from his position in a society† (Armes 17). Artistically, Social Realism is a term that can be applied to the arts in general. Namely, as an artistic movement that found its expression in various arts, social realism focuses portraying issues related to social injustice or racial intolerance, with emphasis on protest against the depicted unjustness often conveyed with the help of satire. It is worth mentioning that social realism in visual and some other arts focuses on the issues related to the life and activity of the working class. In films, social realism is perceived as a style that evolved from the 20th century movement of Italian neorealism. Lay observes that one of the key features of this style is its providing an intricate link between the character and the place to enable exploring a certain aspect of modern life in a way that is very similar to naturalism (Lay 9). According to Williams, the pivotal characteristics of the films/texts representing British Social Realism are: 1) its secular character. In other words, social realist texts are devoid of mysticism and appeal wholly to logic and ability to reason. Consequently, such texts/films come to focus on depicting human truths rather than divine truths 2) the grounding of social issues, characters, and films’ settings in the context of contemporary reality. 3) the social extension aspect. To specify, â€Å"realist texts tend to expand the range of characters to include marginal or previously under-represented groups and issues in society† (Williams 61-74) 4) the intent of the artist that is often politically colored. To illustrate, the filmmaker’s intent in British Soc ial Realism may have reformist, socially purposive, as well as educative underpinnings (Lay 13). As for the contents of the films representing the discussed genre, the latter usually revolve around certain issues and themes. To distinguish between issues and themes within the film referred to as a social realist one, one needs to bear in mind the major difference between them: the issues are of explicit nature – they are easily recognized and visible fears and concerns currently troubling the society; while themes are usually implied and â€Å"hide† within a given text. As Lay rightfully observes, â€Å"Themes work on a much deeper level and represent less obvious threats to social cohesion and stability† (Lay 14). In addition, in terms of its contents, the social realist film will most likely deal with the issues of drugs, poverty, prostitution, sex, alcoholism, as well as crime. All in all, if one were to name the important features of a film representing Brit ish social realism, he/she would probably come up with the following list: realistic portrayal of the society the Britishmen live in Life’s struggles Realistic events, contexts, situations, and realistic settings Filming techniques that may be classified as believable Unknown actors Heroes representing

Business Management Techniques Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Management Techniques - Assignment Example Costing accuracy is the main advantage of this type of activity. Companies allocate cost simply to the products that involve production activities. Hence this activity helps in eliminating allocation of costs that are irrelevant to the product. Other benefits of this type of activity to the business include an easy understanding of cost for inside administration, the potentiality to facilitate benchmarking and a better appreciative of overhead costs. This system of costing also supports the management performance and the scorecard. Besides these, this type of costing does integrate well with programs put in place for continuous improvements by the company.This method is widely used by companies in allocating its cost, the challenging part is the implementation. Putting into practice this kind of costing system within a company involves considerable resources. This can be a disadvantage for businesses with inadequate funds. Another challenge of using this costing method is that it can be misinterpreted. Based on our scenario of production of manual and automatic data, we can identify various issues arising. For instance a decrease in production volume from 1500 to 500, the cost of direct material increased from â‚ ¬20@unit to â‚ ¬30@unit, a clear indicator that the costing of this is very accurate. Under the activity based production analysis of the company, we can see differences in the packaging and delivery cost. The differences that occur between the packaging and delivery is due to activity-based costing.... This means that this system of costing is inaccurate in relation to increasing over head cost. This has made Activity based costing to become an alternative replacement to the traditional method in allocation of cost (Drury, 70). Advantages of Activity based costing Costing accuracy is the main advantage of this type of activity. Companies allocate cost simply to the products that involve production activities. Hence this activity helps in eliminating allocation of costs that are irrelevant to the product. Other benefits of this type of activity to the business include easy understanding of cost for inside administration, the potentiality to facilitate benchmarking and a better appreciative of overhead costs. This system of costing also supports the management performance and the scorecard. Besides these, this type of costing does integrate well with programs put in place for continuous improvements by the company (Drury, 120). Although this method is widely used by companies in allo cating its cost, the challenging part is the implementation. Putting into practice this kind of costing system within a company involves considerable resources. This can be a disadvantage for businesses with inadequate funds. Another challenge of using this costing method is that it can be misinterpreted. Based on our scenario of production of manual and automatic data, we can identify various issues arising. For instance a decrease in production volume from 1500 to 500, the cost of direct material increased from â‚ ¬20@unit to â‚ ¬30@unit, a clear indicator that the costing of this is very accurate. Under the activity based production analysis of the company, we can see differences in the packaging and delivery

Essay --

The Ethics of Xenotransplantation Xenotranplantation is the controversial procedure that involves the transplantation of an animal's live cells, tissues, body fluids, or organs 1. Define Canada's position on xenotransplantation Due to fewer deaths caused by car crashes and gunshots, Canada lacks in its number of organ donors. Hoping for development in the xenotransplantation is our only hope at this point. Although Canada is encouraged to participate in further research regarding the xenotransplantation, alternatives to this must also be looked into. The alternatives vary from further stem cell research, and ways to increase to organ donors. 2. Research to determine if/ where research on transplantation is being carried out In Canada, there are no studies of xenotransplantations regarding humans. Many other countries have also been skeptical of putting their country in risk. However the Canadian Public Health Association has discussed xenotransplantations' advantages and concerns. All xenotransplantation was banned worldwide in 1997 because of concerns about a pig virus called porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV) being transmitted to humans. However, several studies published in the late 1990s found no evidence that the virus could produce infectious particles in other species. Some countries, including the US, UK and New Zealand, are now allowing xenotransplantation research to continue on a case-by-case basis. Doctors began investigating different methods with different drugs to prevent rejection of xenotransplants. So far there has not been an entire success. In 1963, Dr Thomas Starzl transplanted kidneys from baboons into six human recipients in Denver, US. The patients survived between 19–98 days. Biotech companies are d... ... they have changed the rules so that whether than people signing up to give up their organs for transplant, people should sign up to refuse. If organ donors increase perhaps we won't be in need of transplanting an animals' organ. 4. Regeneration is the ability of a tissue to repair itself after getting damaged. Not all cells are capable of regeneration. However, scientists have been researching different methods to regenerate human body parts that normally are not capable of regenerating. 6. What is your position on xenotransplantation? Xenotransplantation is one of the most significant technology developed as it allows humans to be saved. Although it is not fully developed yet, I think it would be a great solution to save lives. However, while having xenotransplantation available to use is very important, development in increasing the number of organ donors are a

Legalized Marijuana and Law Enforcement Essay

Marijuana is the most common illicit drug all over the world including the United States. It is derived from the leaves, flowers, seeds and stem of cannabis sativa. THC, tetrahyrocannabinol is the main active component of marijuana. The drug can either be smoked or mixed with foods and beverages. In the streets, marijuana is commonly known as the herb, pot, ganja among other names. There are many side effects, both short term and long term effects associated with abuse of marijuana. However, marijuana has also been used medically in hospitals. Legalization of marijuana in the United States has always attracted a heated debate. It is important to note that marijuana was not discovered yesterday. For the centuries in which the herb has been used, it has been completely legal. It is estimated that marijuana has been illegal for less than one percent the period man has used it. The drug is known to have been in use as early as 7000 BC but it was made illegal in the United States in the 20th century. A: History of marijuana The history of marijuana laws in the United States is very interesting. The first law relating to marijuana or cannabis sativa to be enacted in the modern day America was in 1619 in Jamestown in Virginia. For many years, the plant had been in use for various functions such as food, incense, rope among others. It is also interesting to note that the first law related to the herb was a ‘must grow’ law that required all farmers in the colony to grow the crop. A farmer could be taken to jail or punished for failing to grow the crop due to it shortage in the region in the 18th century. The must grow laws were therefore in place for more than two centuries. The government encouraged the farmers to plant the crop due to its importance among the military requirements. However, it is important to note that although the plant was critical in the 17th and 18th century, to an extent of it being used as a legal tender, the public was not aware of its uses as a recreational drug until the early 20th century (Inciardi, 1990). In the mid 19th century, over two thousand acres of land in the United States was under cannabis sativa plantations. The herb was mainly grown for use in the textile industry. However, the situation changed in the early 20th century due to the large influx of immigrants from Central America especially Mexico. This influx was triggered by the Mexican revolution in the early 20th century. Tension was generated between the small scale farmers and the plantation owners due to the availability of cheap labor from Mexican Americans. The situation was made worse by the fast changing world in the after math of the First World War and the event of the great depression. The increased tension as well as the high number of immigrants from South and Central America made resources scarce and the quality of life in American cities deteriorated significantly. It is important to note that when the immigrants from Mexico arrived in the United States, smoking of marijuana for recreation was common in Mexico but it was unheard among the American population. Consequently, the Mexicans brought with them the herb as well as the smoking habit. These Mexican immigrants introduced smoking of marijuana in the United States which resulted into the first law prohibiting marijuana in California (Inciardi, 1990). Other than the Mexican immigrants use of marijuana prompting the first law prohibiting preparation of hemp, there were other factors that influenced the enactment of the new law. Most important was the use of the drug by Mormons who had been sent to the Central American country in the early 20th century. The Mormons came back with marijuana and they were already using it. The churches reaction to this may have had a big influence in the enactment of the first anti marijuana laws in California. Consequently, various states including Texas, Wyoming, Washington, and Oregon among other states had laws limiting the use of marijuana in the early 1920s. Most importantly, the laws were designed to specifically target the Mexican immigrants who were well known to use the drug (Inciardi, 1990). Compared to other states, the eastern states did not have a large number of Mexican immigrants but the problem of marijuana was evident in the states too. Analysts have argued that the drug was introduced by Latin Americans and African Americans jazz musicians. Marijuana is believed to have traveled across the eastern states such as Chicago, Harlem and New Orleans. Abuse of marijuana was part of the jazz music performance scenes. Racism was also an important factor in the enactment of the anti marijuana laws where the white extremists argued that the herb gave the Negroes and the Latin Americans the courage to face the whites. During the same period, there were rumors in the public that the immigrants as well as the African Americans were influencing young whites including children into taking the drug. This was the origin of the ‘assassin’ stories of professional killers under the influence of marijuana. In the 1930s, the use of marijuana in the United States was associated with violent behaviors as a result of these stories (Inciardi, 1990). As early as mid 1920s, the United States supported international conventions that regulated marijuana in the form of the Indian hemp. These conventions included the international opium convention which prohibited exports of Indian hemp to countries and states in which marijuana use was illegal. The convention also required proper documentations that approved the importation of marijuana to such countries if it was meant for medical use. However, the convention did not affect other cabanas products such as fiber which were widely produced in Europe and the United States. It was believed that the Indian hemp contained higher levels of THC compared to the European hemp which was mainly grown for use in the textile industry (Inciardi, 1990). The first anti marijuana federal law in the United States was the uniform states narcotic acts whose first draft was introduced in 1925 and the final draft was ready seven years later. This new law sought to introduce uniform anti narcotic laws throughout the United States. Following the enactment of this law, the Federal Bureau of Narcotics was created which encouraged the adopting on uniform regulations. By mid 1930s all the states had adopted some laws that regulated the production, distribution and use of cannabis products. The establishment of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics in 1930 increased the concern over the increased use of cannabis in the American population. The bureau was headed by Anslinger, one of the most celebrated anti narcotic crusaders in the American history, who argued that marijuana was responsible for the increased violent crimes in the society and irrational acts. The bureau used both the print media as well as the first developing film industry to spread propaganda against the use of cannabis (Inciardi, 1990). The Geneva trafficking convention of 1936 is also an important convention in the legal history of marijuana. Led by head of Federal Bureau of Narcotic, Anslinger, the United States government tried to influence the world society to criminalize all activities involved in the production, processing, distribution and use of cannabis and opium in the world unless it is for scientific or medical reasons. However, the proposal was rejected and only trafficking of the drug remains illegal internationally. The signatory governments were expected to establish systems within their criminal justice systems to punish individuals involved in trafficking of prohibited drugs in their countries. Due to the failed attempts by the American government to influence the international community, the officials did not sign the treaty terming it too weak to deal with the problem at hand (Inciardi, 1990). The marijuana tax acts of 1937 are considered to be the most significant law towards the legalization of marijuana in the United States. The act was penned by Anslinger and sponsored by Robert Doughton. The principle purpose of the bill was to completely destroy the production, distribution and use of cannabis products in the United States terminating it illegal drug businesses. The act also specified penalties to which individuals found in possession of the drug were to be subjected to. Those found guilty of cannabis related offences were subjected to a five years sentence or could be fined up to two thousand dollars. This was all aimed at increasing the risks involved in the illegal business. The act was however opposed by a large number of Americans including the American Medical Association who argued that the act imposed tax on medical personnel using cannabis as a prescribed drug. The act also limited and taxed the production and sale of cannabis meant for medical use. Other than the new acts being enacted, the association proposed that the Harrison Narcotics Tax Acts could have been strengthened to deal with the emerging problem of marijuana abuse (Bertram, 1996). Since then, the federal government has continuously increased its vigilance in dealing with marijuana among other drugs in the country. Marijuana in the United States is today controlled by the controlled substance act which is contained in the comprehensive drug abuse prevention and control act that was enacted in 1970 as an appeal to the marijuana tax act of 1937. However, the act does not distinguish between marijuana meant for medical use or recreation purpose and prohibits possession, production and distribution of large quantities of the drug. Consequently, the federal laws treat marijuana like any other illegal drug with no medical value. Marijuana is therefore treated in the same way as cocaine and heroine. All the controlled substances under the federal are placed in a schedule according to their properties which includes risk of abuse and potential uses in medicine. In the controlled substance act, marijuana is not considered to have any medical value and is rated as a highly addictive substance and therefore placed under schedule 1 drug. Although doctors can use the first amendment to recommend its use in treatments, under the current federal regulations, prescribing marijuana is illegal (Gray, 2001). The Drug Enforcement Administration was also established to enforce federal anti narcotic laws in the country. The DEA has over the years taken a lot of interests in the production and use of medical marijuana. Moreover, the agency has targeted specific individuals involved in illegal drugs production and distribution. This mainly includes the minority races, African Americans and Latino Americans, who have been found to fall victims of illegal drugs abuse. Consequently, the war on drugs has resulted into accusation of institutional racism and racial profiling where the anti narcotic laws were designed to target the minority races. This issue continues to attract debate in the country while the American correctional facilities and the criminal justice systems in general is overwhelmed by the large number of drug related criminal cases (Musto & Korsmeyer, 1996). Although in many cases the drug enforcement administration leave alone cases involving medical use of marijuana, the federal laws have punitive penalties against individuals found in possession of marijuana for whatever reason. The drug is considered dangerous, illegal and with no medical use. For this reason, the courts maintain that an individual cannot defend himself on the basis of medical use when convicted of marijuana related cases. However, in many cases, defense attorneys have always raised the issues during trials. Sentencing is also an important legal aspect of marijuana in the United States. An accused can either be subjected to the federal sentencing guidelines created in 1987 or the mandatory minimum sentence created in the late 1980s. In the federal sentencing guidelines, an individual accused of marijuana related crimes is sentenced based on his criminal record. Under these guidelines, not all marijuana related crimes offenders are subjected to a jail term. However, they are all eligible for imprisonment. The guidelines require that the convicted individual should serve at least 85 percent of the jail term. The length of the jail term is determined by the amount of marijuana the individual is accused of being in possession. Low level crimes can result into a sentence of between one month and one year probation even in cases where multiple convictions are reported. For example, under the guidelines possession of one kilogram of marijuana attracts an alternative sentence of 6-12 months probation while two and half kilograms and no past record attracts not less than six months imprisonment and up to two three years incase of prior record of drug crimes with no alternative sentence. Although the judges continue to be influenced by these federal guidelines in imposing sentences, they are no longer mandatory. However, they are supposed to be advisory to ensure uniformity in sentencing (Bonnie & Whitebread, 1999). Cases involving marijuana are also subject to the minimum mandatory sentencing laws. The sentences mainly target individuals accused of possession of huge amounts of drugs. For example, the minimum mandatory sentence for an individual found guilty of possessing one hundred kilograms of marijuana or cultivating one hundred plants of cannabis is five years if he has no drug related crime record and ten years if otherwise. One thousand kilograms of plants attract ten years imprisonment with no prior record, twenty years with prior record and life imprisonment in case of multiple drug offences. Therefore, drug users and traffickers always avoid possessing one hundred or more kilograms of marijuana at any time to avoid the minimum mandatory sentence of five years (Gray, 2001). Medical Effects of Marijuana The effects of marijuana on the user have attracted a lot of attention in the past few years. There are a good number of studies that are still on going on the negative as well as positive effects of marijuana use on human body. It is important to note that the use of marijuana for recreation purposes has not been widely pronounced in the past as compared to other drugs. While narcotic use dates back to over a century, the use of marijuana has not been very prevalent in the general society until the last three or so decades. Consequently, the long term effects of marijuana abuse have not been very well documented although there are substantial and reasonable hypothesis that have been proposed. It is also important to note that arguably, marijuana has been considered to be among the safest illegal drugs such as heroine and cocaine. It has also been argued to be safer than some legal drugs such as tobacco and alcohol. Moreover, it has been confirmed to have pharmacological characteristic and consequently been used as a therapeutic drug for many years. It has been used in treatment of people suffering from chronic pain, Aids, cancer and other terminal diseases. Research is also being carried out to validate the alleged applicability in treatment of mental conditions such as anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder (Gruber et al, 2003). While looking at the negative impacts of marijuana on the user, it is also important to note that when used in moderation, marijuana does not have as many harmful effects as alcohol and tobacco. The social and economic impacts on marijuana could also reduce significantly if the use of marijuana is controlled. However, this is not possible when its use is illegal. No cases of accidents on the roads have been reported as a result of influence of marijuana despite it being the most abused drug in the United States. Moreover, although the health complication associated with alcohol and tobacco has been confirmed, very few have been confirmed in relation to marijuana. Reports on harmfulness of marijuana on the user have been inconclusive and mare hypothesis some of which are contradictory. Short term effects The active component in marijuana, THC, is responsible for the short term effects of marijuana experienced by the user. The main short term effects of the drug are as a result of its effects on the central nervous system. THC is known to bind to the protein receptor nerve cells in the brain. After binding, the chemical propagate a chemical reaction in the nervous system and produces the short term effects of the drug. One of the most immediate effects of these chemical reactions is restraining the user’s memory as well as learning abilities. After using the drug, the individual feels relaxed and may be very talkative. Other pleasant effects of marijuana use include lifting the moods, feeling relaxed and a change in the state of consciousness. This is why marijuana users claim to feel more enlightened and philosophical when they are high. These short term effects on the user plateau after thirty minutes to one hour and subsidies there after. However, there are evidences of some of the effects lasting for several days or weeks (Moore, et al, 2007). Other short term effects of marijuana include increase in appetite, dryness in the mouth, impaired logical thinking and slow reaction time. Intoxication with marijuana is also associated with nausea, occasional confusion, increased anxiety and agitation, increased heartbeat, loss of memory and paranoia or hallucinations. Marijuana users have also been found to have bloodspots in their eyes, inconsistent time perception and increased inability to carry out tasks that require concentration such as operating a machine or driving. The individual may also suffer from loss of motivation and decreased cognitive abilities making it difficult to learn or acquire new information. In general, the individual’s ability to learn, remember, make informed judgments, think critically, solve problems, communicate effectively and form concepts is impaired when he is high. Studies indicate that the risk of heart attack increase by more than four fold immediately after an individual has smoked marijuana. This is because the heart rate can increase with up to a hundred percent after using the drug which can be maintained for up to three hours. The increased risk of heart attack is also as a result of the changes in the heart rhythms. This risk increases with age and vulnerability to heart diseases (Gruber et al, 2003). Long term effects While the long term effects of marijuana are under investigation and therefore not well known, there is no doubt that long term use of marijuana have detrimental effects on the user’s health as well as social life. The insufficient information on long term use of marijuana is due to the fact that the drug has not been very common to many societies in the world until recently. There is no doubt that when marijuana smokers are compared to cigarette smokers, marijuana smokers consume much less cannabis compared to the tobacco consumed by cigarette smokers. However, this does not mean that marijuana smoking has insignificant long term effects compared to cigarette smoking and therefore should not be ignored. Recent studies have found out that there are more hydrocarbons that have potential carcinogenic effects in marijuana compared to tobacco. Moreover, marijuana smokers may be more exposed to these compounds than tobacco smokers because marijuana is deeply inhaled and the smoke is held for a longer time in the lungs compared to tobacco. This exposes the delicate tissues in the lungs to more carcinogenic compounds increasing the risk of cancer (Mittleman et al, 2001). Studies have indicated that marijuana use increase the risk of cancers such a cancer of the head and neck by up to three times. It has also been confirmed to have a significant contribution in the development of cancers that have traditionally been associated with tobacco smoking. Marijuana smoke is believed to have up to three times as much tar as in tobacco smoke. Moreover, it has over twice the number of potential carcinogenic compounds when compared to tobacco smoke. Logically, this suggests that marijuana smoking has a significant increase in the risk of development of cancerous cells leading to lung cancer. However, scientific research is underway to confirm these hypotheses. Other than marijuana being a recent drug among the wider population compared to other drugs, scientific research on its long term effects has been hindered by the small sample that is available due to punitive anti marijuana laws in many parts of the world. For examples, most of marijuana perennial users are still too young to have developed cancer. However, although there is no prove, long term marijuana users need to reconsider the risks associated with the drug (Hashibe, et al, 2006). The effects of long term use of marijuana in animals’ immune systems are well known. The immune system plays a vital role in protecting the body against harmful microorganisms. Research in animals indicates that the marijuana has a significant effect on the T cells, especially in the lungs. Although this has not been confirmed in human beings, there is no doubt that it affects the user’s immune systems because the animals’ immune system is similar to that of human beings. While it is expected that marijuana smokers too have similar respiratory system problems as tobacco smokers, it has been observed that majority of these problems are more frequent among marijuana smokers. They are more frequently attacked by chest colds, coughs, production of phlegm, and obstruction of airways and higher risk of lungs infections. This is possible due to the effect of the drug on the T cells and thus immune systems in the lungs (Tashkin, 2005). The long term effects of marijuana on the users reproductive system is not in doubt. This is more serious considering the fact that marijuana is one of the most abused drugs among young people in the United States. The active compound in marijuana has been known to have adverse effects on various parts of the central nervous system including areas that are responsible for controlling sexual hormones and growth. Consequently, long term use of marijuana has been found to reduce the level of testosterone and other sex hormones in male. In some cases, it has been associated with increased femininity due to distortion of the hormone system. It can also lead to infertility, reduced sperm count and increased abnormality in sperm cells. Significant cases of infertility in males has for this reason been linked to long term use of marijuana. The drug has been seen to have similar effects in females by altering the hormonal systems leading to irregular menstrual cycles. However, the alteration can be reversed but it may take time. It has also been found to negatively affect unborn babies who are born with an impaired nervous system. This results into children with poor learning abilities, hormonal irregularities, lack of attention and abnormal reactions to different stimulus such as sound and light (Moore, et al, 2007). Long term use of marijuana is also associated with mental disorders. One of the greatest negative effects of marijuana use in an individual is its addictive effects. The ability of the drug user to develop dependency on the drug has always been the main argument used to support prohibition of marijuana use. However, other mental disorders have been associated with long term use of marijuana. They include toxic psychosis which may reach acute levels, panic attacks, increased aggressiveness which the user is unable to control, flashbacks and delusions, paranoia and hallucinations as well as some cases of acute depression. Marijuana has also been suggested to trigger other serious mental conditions such as schizophrenia. These effects of the drug on the mental health of an individual have been the point of contention between pros and cons of therapeutic use of marijuana in terminally ill patients (Moore, et al, 2007). What are the legal guidelines and state statutes of some of the states that have legalized marijuana? The federal and states’ laws in the United States varies in relation to medical marijuana. According to the controlled substance act, the federal systems do not recognize the medical properties of marijuana. However, prosecuting patients or medical practitioner for using marijuana for therapeutic procedures is not a priority in the federal legal systems. The federal legal systems recognizes the fact that caregivers may be compelled to use medical marijuana in certain medical cases which is allowed in some states. Fourteen states have so far legalized medical marijuana use within their jurisdiction while others gives police or judge discretion to allow significant reduction in the punishment given to marijuana users for medical reasons. One of the most published states in relation to medical marijuana is California where the drug is distributed through dispensaries. It is estimated that medical marijuana industry in California was worth two billion dollars in 2008 which attracted over one hundred million dollars in tax (DPA, 2010). Despite majority of Americans and civil society organizations in America supporting legislation of medical marijuana, the federal government has always rejected the proposals. In 2005, the Supreme Court made a ruling confirming that a patient can be prosecuted in the federal court for using marijuana and medical reasons cannot be used as a defense. This law applies even in states that have legalized medical marijuana. Consequently, on several occasions, dispensaries distributing medical marijuana such as in California have been raided by federal officials from the Drug Enforcement Administration. The ruling by the Supreme Court provided an excellent opportunity for the amendment of the law to protect patients and medical marijuana legislatures in different states but the bill was once more rejected by congress (DPA, 2010). . Despite the congress rejecting the proposal to amend the law and legalize medical marijuana, the high court ruling had insignificant effects on the states’ medical marijuana laws. The court did not have the power to overturn or exercise authority over the states legislations. It is important to note that about 99 percent of marijuana related arrests are done at the states level which makes it possible for legislation in the states to protect patients and caregivers. The state laws can afford to effectively remove all penalties against individuals accused of growing, processing, distributing or possessing marijuana for medical reasons. Other states have not legalized medical marijuana but have symbolic legislatures that legally protect the patient in the state legal systems (DPA, 2010). From a wide range of contentious issues relating to drug policies in the United States, medical marijuana has received the greatest public support. The American population is skewed towards legalization of medical marijuana despite the federal government rejecting such proposals. Scientific studies have confirmed the medical value of marijuana in patients with serious terminal diseases such as cancer, Aids, epilepsy and chronic pain among others. There is also documented evidence of marijuana use in treating variety of illnesses in the ancient world. The most comprehensive study relating to medical marijuana was carried out in 1999 by the institute of medicine which concluded that marijuana has potent in the management of conditions such as loss of appetite, anxiety and chronic pain. Various professional bodies and organizations such as the American Public Health Association, the Aids Action Council and the National Association of Attorney Generals have deliberated on legal access to medical marijuana for patients with certain medical conditions. The American population has favored the abolishment of laws prohibiting production, distribution and use of medical marijuana at the state and federal level. Voters from various states have over the years passed ballot initiatives to push for legalization of medical marijuana. Over seventy percent of voters throughout the United States support the proposal to have legal marijuana available to medical practitioners for prescriptions (Cassidy, 2002). The point of contention on the legality of medical marijuana has been whether the benefit accrued is less than the risk involved. There have been many arguments on possible shortcoming upon legislation of medical marijuana. For example, questions have been raised on whether patients under marijuana prescription would be allowed to drive while under the influence of the drug, how to control the quantity the patient uses, the issue of addiction and medical marijuana getting into the wrong hands. However, it seems that this is not the main concern of the federal government. The main reason why the federal government has been opposed to legalization of marijuana for any reason is based on the Drug Enforcement Administration description of marijuana. DEA maintains that marijuana has no medical value and is a highly addictive substance with adverse effects on the body such as compromising the immune systems and triggering the development of cancer. The government has ignored some research that has confirmed the medical benefits on marijuana (Cassidy, 2002). Consequences on Law Enforcement What difficulties would Law Enforcement Officers encounter if marijuana was legalized? Legalization of marijuana is likely to bring about many challenges to the law enforcement structures. This is due to the interdependence of illegal drug markets where almost all narcotics go hand in hand. Although some people have argued that marijuana is safer compared to other illegal as well as some legal drugs, its legalization will in no doubt be a stepping stone drug. It will open up production, distribution and use of other harder drugs which will be problematic to law enforcement. Research indicates that progressive use of marijuana eventually leads the user to harder drugs. Because marijuana is considered a harmless drug, it is used for experimentation by potential hard drugs abusers. After a while, the user turns to other drugs. This will be worse if marijuana is made legal. More people will be introduced to it because of its legality and in the long run, the law enforcement will have a difficulty in dealing with a much bigger problem of harder drugs (Husak & Marneffe, 2005). The law enforcement agencies in the United States have enough drug related problems to deal with. The system ought to have learnt a good lesson from the legality of drugs such as alcohol. Road carnage as a result of driving under influence of alcohol is among the top killers in the United States. The law enforcement has always had a problem dealing with underage drinking and aggressive behaviors associated with alcoholism. Legalizing another drug means added problems. The dangers associated with stone driving will increase significantly. It is therefore wrong to legalize marijuana because it amounts to a victimless crime. There are many crimes that are associated with marijuana use such as violence and aggressiveness. Punitive penalties to deter irresponsible drinking have proved unworkable which suggests that it will be difficult to control marijuana use if legalized. A device can be used to detect drivers under the influence of alcohol, but this may not be possible when the driver is driving high. There is no doubt that legislation of marijuana will increase crime and burden in law enforcement (Husak & Marneffe, 2005). Arresting individuals found in possession of marijuana and other drugs reduces the likelihood of such individuals committing crimes. Drug addicts have been associated with minor and serious crimes such as shoplifting, theft and other property crimes to pay for their habits. Legalization of marijuana means that there will be more of these drug users in the streets and neighborhoods. These individuals are more likely to commit more serious crimes since the law enforcers are not obliged to get them out of the streets. Moreover, majority of murderers, rapists and robbers have been found to be drug addicts. By incarcerating these individuals for possession of drugs, they are incapacitated from committing such serious crimes. Common sense dictates prevention is better than dealing with the resultant problem. If there is reason to incarcerate potential murderers,