Marijuana legalizations

yeah and say that some medicine that is legal is so much more worse. say the government allows us to buy shit that can kill us but doesn't allow us to smoke a godamn natural plant
 
Government could tax it and make some bills for important things, assuming of course thats where all the tax money goes...
 
Dont even try, i tried to do that shit for school once and i got detention for trying to do a report on a "unappropriate subject" it doesnt matter what you say or write, those close minded ignorant ass money hungry bitches wont listen to it. Just give up and move to canada where we probaly have a chance at legalization unlike america where we have to make money from everything and be complete priks to every fucking living thing on this earth and force democracy on other countries like a fucking ass hole.

Fuck america
 
oh i have done it b4 i just want more stats and shit. i can bring my entire school down. like u dont even no. so they dont try to pull that stuff on me. but hemp very true.
 
i dont think marijuana should be legalized. there would be gay ass taxes like cigarettes and it would ruin it for everyone. and its not like weed is hard to find.
 
First of all, THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (AMA) was all for Cannabis Tincture/Marijuana Medicine in the 1930's. It is a well know American fact that the Rockefellar Family has always controlled the AMA. In 1900, Percy Rockefella was initiated into Skull & Bones.

HEMP/MARIJUANA was outlawed for the SOLE PURPOSE of creating synthetic petrochemical and pharmaceutical alternatives that could be SOLD THROUGH MULTI-NATIONAL COrperations at INFLATED PRICES.

 
HEMP is produced at 1/4 the cost of COTTON, 1/5 the pollution, 10'xs stronger and lasts 10x's longer. The founding Fathers knew this well. The DECLARATION of Independence and the CONSTITUTION were printed on HEMP paper. The American flag sewn by Betsy Ross was of HEMP. Soldiers clothes in the Revolutionary War was made of HEMP. Covered wagons of the early settlers were of HEMP. As a matter of fact, Canvas=Dutch for Cannibis
 
Cannibis seed-oil is a machine grade lubricant which is natural, and NON-petroleum based. It's FREE and doesn't need to be drilled out of the earth with expensive polluting machinery.

COTTON can not compete with HEMP...Hemp is 26x's stronger and lasts 10x's longer. No chemicals are needed to grow HEMP... Half of all chemicals are needed to produce and grow cotton. 1st Levi jeans were NOT cotton but HEMP/Marijuana...
 
well have it be legalized but not sold in stores and shit like that. still by dealers like the country just states its legal that all idk. but the country is selfish and wants to TAX everything....
 
helps with glocoma doesnt it? doesnt it help prevent some cancers? speeds up matabelism, helps get happy apposed to depressed
 
ummmm if the govenment taxed it revenue would go up along with the entire economy. there is a really good artical out there, google it....it was somewhere in the ballpark of $7.5billion
 
in grade 9 history i did a debate on this

-no addiction

-if taxable, it would be good for the economy

-used for medicinal purposes

-if legallized, no one would be going to jail on weed charges which are pointless and just use up governement time money, and living space.
 
if it would be regulated by the fda we wouldnt get any shit laced with pcp or formaldahyde or anything. plus it would be nice to smoke and not worry bout gettin busted. i think the cost would probably stay the same so instead of drug dealers getting the money it would be the gov't. also it would end a lot of gang/drug violence which is always good. and eventually it would be more acceptable by the public.
 
the fact that it costs the country 10 to 14 billion dollars per year to put 1.6 million people in jail for possession. fuckin rediculous.
 
Honestly, I don't know why anyone even debates this. It will never happen. It is amusing, at least, to read these reasons why it should happen. It's 10x stronger than cotton... wait no, 26x yeah, 26x. The government would tax it NOOOOO!! You gotta give them some incentive if you want it to happen. It will put the drug dealers out of business. Oh no, not the dealers! Let me ask you how it is any different when the dealers mark up their price of weed for a profit and when the government taxes weed for profit? But you're right, it's the government that is robbing everyone. Either way, someone is benefiting from other people's addiction. And if you won't accept the word "addiction" then just replace it with "habit." It really doesn't matter. Bah, I'm done here.
 
You're a moron...is skiing a 'habit' for you?

Canabis isn't phyically addictive, and don't throw me that whole "it produces chemical reactions in your brain that make it addictive" bullshit...so does everything else, for people with eating disorders food does that, what are we going to do...outlaw pasta?

We glorify tobacco and alchohol use in movies, music, magazine advertisments etc...and vilify using cancibis as if it's straight from the depths of hades, which is completely ignorant. Now I don't ever expect this country to actually admit it was wrong pushing it's drug propaganda and legalize it, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't happen. Think before you speak.
 
I'm not sure what my skiing habit has to do with any of this. Apples and Oranges here - Skiing is in no way detrimental to my mental health.

Marijuana is not illegal because it is addictive. There are plenty of things that are addictive that are legal: alcohol, tobacco, gambling, coffee, plastic surgery, the list goes on. Marijuana is illegal because it deteriorates the brain over time. You can deny it all day long if you want to, but marijuana does have long term effects. I've seen them with my own two eyes. As for vilifying pot in movies and music: can you provide some examples? I think I could provide a lot more examples of music and movies glorifying it.

And as for the claim (I know, you didn't make it: but it has been made) that if it's legal, the problem goes away. Take a look at Holland and get back to me.
 
Are you arguing that it is worse for your health than smoking, drinking, gambling, etc? Because I don't think it is at all, there are certain risks you accept when you do those things, when you smoke you accept the risk that you may get cancer, when you drink you accept the risk that you may fuck up your liver. The issue here is the government controlling whether or not you can do it. If I'm an adult, who would like to smoke a joint...I should damn well be able to, just as if I wanted to drink a few beers after work.

As for vilifying it, that was more on the government as well, what I was saying is how you can look through a magazine and see ads for tobacco and alchohol (particularly ones that say or imply 'real men smoke marbs', or something to that effect) and on the very next page there is one of those anti-drug ads about how pot is the worst thing ever, and how it'll ruin your life, I just think it's ridiculous propaganda beig pushed and believed withouth any discussion.

And as for making it legal getting rid of the problem (not sure what problem you mean here), I think if legalized it would cut down on violent drug-related drime, and use of heavy drugs...but what are your thoughts...cause like I said I'm not sure what problem you are talking about.
 
They are a difficult to compare in that regard: tobacco and alcohol have physical risks that (possibly) materialize after years of use - obviously, Alcohol also entails a more immediate risk (drunk driving, etc.) - while marijuana use develops into a mental problem: memory loss and general spaciness (for lack of the technical term). And if your attitude is "it's my body and mind and I'll do what I want with it" then should you be able to shoot up some after work? The line where the government can interfere has got to be drawn somewhere.

As for the anti-drug ads, true: marijuana is not the worst thing ever. I agree. I don't believe that anti-drug activists condemn marijuana because it is the worst thing ever: they condemn marijuana because it is a "gateway" drug that leads to harder drugs. And I know, not all pot users go on to use harder drugs. But I can tell you that nearly all hard drug users started out on pot. You can't deny that. As for no discussion, what are we doing now? Why have I heard of NORML if there's no discussion? Of course there's discussion.

The problem is that it leads to other drugs. The "violent crimes" are rarely associated with the sale of marijuana, more with harder drugs.
 
I agree with those mostly, although I'm not sure you could prove it causes a permanent mental issue, forgetting things usually happens when using it...it could be argued that the effects on mental state are akin to those effects on the liver from drinking, i.e.- possible but not certain.

Ok good, this lets me make another point: the 'gateway drug' theory...I'll agree that by and large, most users of any kind of drug started on weed (there are exceptions though, especially with abuse of prescription drugs)...however, if made legal I think it's 'gateway' potential would lessen dramatically...the reason it's a gateway drug it because of how you have to get it, people what want it need to go through a dealer, and dealers and other people there push harder drugs. If you could cruise down to the local pharmacy and pick up a dimesack...no more exposure to harder drugs.

And when I say 'drug' I don't think of weed, it's a natural substance, just like peyote and salvia...when I hear the word 'drug' I think of something non-natural, synthesized in a lab. Most anything is harmful when abused, too much Vitamin C will make you sick, but when used properly there isn't anything wrong with it, and it has benefits, same with weed.
 
Okay, true, I haven't personally conducted a scientific study, but I can tell you what I've seen firsthand. The majority of people I know who used to smoke quite a bit and have now stopped still show the effects of marijuana. Their short term memory is still absent and their concentration is short. These are people who haven't smoked for over a year.

But you're ignoring my point that if your philosophy is "it's my body, I'll do what I want with it," then you could argue to make all drugs legal. And if you make all drugs legal then the exposure to hard drugs will still be there when you go down to the pharmacy to pick up a dime. You would also argue that all prescription drugs should be available to the public over the counter. You can't have that philosophy and still make a distinction between this drug and that drug.

And it doesn't make any difference what you classify as a drug with that philosophy. If it's your body and you'll do what you want with it, then you can ingest anything regardless of how it was made.
 
When you smoke the jane, your brains chemical receptors retain released Endorphin's, thus resulting in a high, which is merely a pain killer.

(Endorphins are endogenous opioid biochemical compounds. They are polypeptides produced by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus in vertebrates, and they resemble the opiates in their abilities to produce analgesia and a sense of well-being. In other words, they might work as "natural pain killers.")

The brain works off habits. Everytime you do ANYTHING chemicals are involved. Now if you start smoking weed daily or in mass quantities, your brain gets into a groove thinking it must retain the endorphins inorder to maintain homeostasis. So you get a chemical dependence in the brain, which over time becomes more and more severe. So yes it is fucking addictive.

 
wow some of these posts are mad long...

but i would say its non addictive like nicotine and shit like that
 
have you ever watched history channel's show "hooked" theres one on marijuana. you should check it out.. a lot of good info.
 
Instead of reading the first post and then replying, try to fucking look some of the comments and then respond. If you look above at what i posted, you wouldnt blurt out nonsense. Studies on chemical reactions in the brain have proven it IS addictive.

people are fucking idiots.

Now im not anti weed, i just hate retarded moron's who continue to deny the Facts.
 
[/b]

When the

Herbs Come Around:

A Look Inside the Logistics of Marijuana

Legalization in America



Drew Clark



AP

US

History

Professor Rogers

April

6th, 2007

Patricia Tabram is

a 65 year-old grandmother of two and resides in Northumberland. Although she

doesn’t smoke cannabis, she often uses it in her cooking to relieve the

arthritis, back pain, and depression she suffers from daily. Her specialty dish

is ‘cannabis chicken pie’, and many times a week, other elderly citizens will

come dine with her to alleviate the pain that comes with being a senior

citizen. Patricia soon starting growing her own cannabis, and distributing it

to the other elderly citizens who she dined with. In 2003, six police officers

came to her door, and said “We believe you have drugs on the premise, can we

come in?” She very nicely responded,

“What kind of drugs? Cocaine? Heroin?” When the officer mentioned cannabis, she

said “Yes, I have cannabis” and then proceeded to get arrested for dealing

cannabis to her other elderly friends. Although she got a suspended jail term,

she continues to use cannabis in her cooking on a daily basis, noting that

cannabis is the only prescription that can lessen her pain, and she says it is

‘worth its weight in gold’ for its healing powers1.

Patricia, referred

to as the ‘Cannabis Granny’, simply uses cannabis, as she would any other herb,

like curry, to help ease that pain that prescription pills have failed to. The arrests

made on Patricia are a waste of time for everyone involved. Now, Patricia,

otherwise a law-abiding citizen, has to deal with getting arrested, finding a

lawyer, and going to court. The whole process is a waste of time for the police

officer, who now spends hours of time processing the paper work for the arrest,

as well as a waste of money for taxpayers. Citizens who use cannabis whether

medicinally or recreationally, should not be treated as criminals.

The current war on marijuana is ineffective, distorted to the public, and

based on phony information. If marijuana were legalized and controlled by the

government, the United

States could be bringing in massive amounts

of money from the sale and cultivation of marijuana. The average American

annual marijuana crop brings in four to twenty-five billion dollars, while the

largest legal crop, corn, annually earns nineteen billion dollars2.

New research also proves that marijuana isn’t as harmful as once believed, and

it also holds medicinal benefits. Marijuana also has industrial applications

and the fiber from the cannabis plant, hemp, is a very strong crop and could

help the American economy. It is time to do away with the seventy year old laws

that were established with little thought, planning, and research. The

decriminalization of marijuana in all aspects and the development of a legally

controlled marijuana market would be beneficial to the country.

Marijuana has been cultivated and used dating back thousands of years. In

China,it

was noted for its therapeutic use in the first known Chinese pharmacopoeia, (a

book containing a list of medicinal drugs, and their descriptions of

preparation and use.) Pen Ts'ao.

It was also called a superior ‘herb’ by the Emperor Shen-Nung who was said to

have authored the book. In Egypt,

around 2000 B.C. it was said to soothe sore eyes. In Rome, arguably the greatest empire of all, Emperor Nero's surgeon, Dioscorides, praises

cannabis for making the stoutest cords and for its medicinal properties. In

1621, the medical book, The Anatomy of

Melancholy by English clergyman Robert Burton, cannabis is said to end

depression in humans. Marijuana has been a part of almost every society for an

innumerable amount of time.3

In America, the first hemp plant was grown

by English colonists in 1611 near Virginia4. (Note: Hemp and Marijuana

come from the same plant, Cannabis Sativa, but Hemp contains very low amounts

of THC)5 . Ironically enough, the English government mandated that

hemp be grown in America

because it was used in England

for sails, ropes, linens, and paper. Even our country’s first president, George

Washington planted and harvested cannabis plants for its fiber as well as

medicinal purposes. However, the pilgrims harvested literally tons of hemp

without recognizing its property as an intoxicant. The medicinal use of marijuana

spread to America from India

by a physician W.B. O’Shaughnessy who performed tests on animals with cannabis6.

From these tests, he concluded cannabis was safe, and made a solution of

cannabis and alcohol, called tincture. This tincture proved as an effective

pain reliever for pains in the mouth, as well as being a very good muscle relaxant

and used it as a preventative measure for seizures. Doctors in America began

to prescribe the tincture of cannabis for many different medical reasons at

local pharmacies. In the late 1800’s people began to experiment with the drug

as an intoxicant. Around the same time, newspapers started reporting about the

secret ‘hashish houses’ where people were smoking cannabis and medical journals

began listing cases of “cannabis poisonings”7. Doctors began to

realize the danger of cannabis, and as a result, the number of prescriptions

for it decreased rapidly. Also, the hypodermic needle was invented at this

time, so it wasn’t necessary to wait for the effects of marijuana to kick in

before doctors could start surgeries. Interest in marijuana was not ‘burnt out’

by any means.

As thousands of new immigrants

came to the United States

in the early 1920’s, marijuana use was revived again. Prices for marijuana

doubled in the twenties because of the increasing popularity8. The

government noticed the increase use of marijuana among its citizens and put a

stop to it. In 1937, during the height of the spread of the evils of

marijuana, Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act making non-medical use of

marijuana illegal. Only a few people testified in the hearing. One of the

proponents of the law was Harry Anslinger, commissioner of the newly created

Federal Bureau of Narcotics. Anslinger’s testimony was based on unproven

reports, inaccurate information, and personal bias. Anslinger personally

strongly detested jazz music and the Black musicians behind jazz, and even

spent years tracking down the musicians and charging them for breaking

marijuana laws9. After hearing from Anslinger, the floor was turned

over to James C. Munch, a researcher at Temple University.

Munch claimed that he had injected the ingredients associated with cannabis

into the brains of three hundred dogs, and two of the dogs died. Munch’s

experiment was very questionable because it was never officially published, and

no scientists were able to match his results10. The true ingredient,

THC, was not even identified in his experiment. William C. Woodward from the

American Medical Association was in support of keeping marijuana legal and

testified that, “The American Medical Association knows of no evidence that

marihuana is a dangerous drug” 11. The debate in the House of

Representatives lasted only a few minutes, with little debate at all, and then

passed onto the Senate where it passed without debate. It is clear that at the

time when the Marihuana Tax Act was passed there was not enough solid evidence;

conclusions were based on exaggerated reports and plain ignorance.

There has been much research and scientific studies conducted from 1937,

when the Marijuana Tax Act passed, to the present. In 1937, when THC still

remained undiscovered, it was believed that marijuana lead to insanity. At the

time, Dr. Carl Voegtlin, chief of the Division of Pharmacology of the National

Institution of Health, told Harry J. Anslinger, “It is an established fact that

prolonged use leads to insanity”12. Anslinger went on further to

describe marijuana as “dangerous as a coiled rattlesnake” and he refused to

acknowledge any of the medical benefits13. Today, with new research

and technology, there is overwhelming evidence that marijuana does in fact hold

many medicinal benefits.

Marijuana has been found to reduce nausea and loss of appetite associated

with AIDS, help with asthma, alleviate side effects of chemotherapy, help with

menstrual cramps, migraines, insomnia, and help relieve many other symptoms of

various aliments. In 1999, the Institute

of Medicine, part of the

National Academy of Sciences, acknowledged the therapeutic values of marijuana.

In a report titled Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base by the

Institute of Medicine, the institute reported, “The accumulated data indicate a

potential therapeutic value for cannabinoid drugs, particularly for symptoms

such as pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting, and appetite stimulation”14.

Between 1978 and 1996, 36 state’s legislators have passed laws recognizing the

therapeutically value of marijuana15. But until marijuana is

legalized federally, there is little the states can do. For example, federal

officials have threatened to sanction any physician who authorizes the use of

marijuana to patients16. Even with the new evidence the Drug

Enforcement Agency (DEA) still regards marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug with no

accepted medical use in treatment in the U.S.

However, after new evidence has been surfacing members of the DEA are

starting to rethink their position. Francis L. Young, the chief of

administrative law judge of the DEA, strongly beliefs that marijuana should be

rescheduled, and stated in a report, “[Marijuana] in its natural form is one of

the safest therapeutically active substances known to man”17. Young went on further to say, “It would be

unreasonable arbitrary and capricious for the DEA to continue to stand between

those sufferers and the benefits of this substance in light of the evidence”18.

Despite the support of the chief of administrative law judge, the DEA has

refused to reschedule marijuana.

After Young’s report was made public, questions were raised ass to why

the DEA is so stubbornly opposed to keeping marijuana illegal. The DEA has

given no reason as to why it wont reschedule marijuana other than it is a

“dangerous” drug.

California Superior Court Judge James P. Grey has a theory as to why the

DEA is so intent on keeping marijuana illegal. Grey argues that the DEA needs

to keep marijuana illegal because marijuana is such a big part of the drug war,

and without it the DEA would not have a reason to spend the billions of dollars

it does every year19. According to Grey, legalizing marijuana would

greatly hurt the DEA, and that is why it remains a schedule 1 drug.

No matter what laws or regulations are in place, marijuana is still being

used in America.

Marijuana is a part of the American culture, and is deeply embedded in modern

society. According to sociologist Ned Polsky, “Few… realize that it [drug

taking] is a totally pervasive part of beat life, both as an activity and as a

topic of conversation. The illegal use of drugs is one of the handful of things

that characterizes all”20. Marijuana prohibition in America is a

failure, and will never be successful. Marijuana is incredibly popular and

according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in 2002, over 14 million

Americans admitted to using marijuana at least one month prior to the survey,

and about half of high school seniors admit to at least trying marijuana once21.

According to a 1998 federal government survey more than 72 million Americans

over the age of twelve had tried marijuana at least once in their life22.

Also, ridiculous amounts of money is being spent on the useless prohibition. In

1975, 47.3% of all 12th graders reported using of marijuana. Even though

billions of dollars of federal money has been spent on programs like D.A.R.E.,

the percentage of 12th graders in the Class of 2004 reported using marijuana

rose to 49%. Also since the mid 70’s, 86% of 12th graders said getting

marijuana was ‘very easy’, and although the laws have become much more strict,

that percentage has remained nearly the same23. It is obvious how

futile the prohibition of marijuana is in America.

The prohibition of marijuana is very similar to the prohibition of

alcohol in 1920-1933. On January 16, 1920 the eighteenth amendment officially

made it illegal to import, export, transport, sell or manufacture intoxicating

liquor. Prohibition was intended to solve many social problems within America, to

reduce crime and corruption and to improve American’s health. However, the prohibition of alcohol had

totally opposite and unforeseen consequences. Although the amount of alcohol

consumed declined slightly at first, many Americans still drank and found ways

around prohibition. Instead of beer and wine, more dangerous bootleg liquor

became available to the public. Instead of decreasing crime, the crime right

increased drastically and an organized black market was created. Assistant

Secretary of the Treasury Lincoln C. Andrews commented on the growing crime by

saying, "conspiracies are nation wide in extent, in great numbers, organized,

well-financed, and cleverly conducted”24. The prohibition only made

civil life worse and increased the problems in America. Many parallels can be

drawn to the marijuana prohibition, but apparently none of the lessons taught

by the alcohol prohibition have been learned.

Prohibition of marijuana is not only ineffective but also adds to the

problems within the country. The biggest issue with prohibition is that it has

created an organized and vicious black market within the United States.

The black market thrives on violence between rival gangs. Illegal drug selling

between gangs has a direct correlation to the increase in the homicide rate. In

cities like New Haven,

the majority of murders are related to drug deals. In fact, in Chicago, drug related

murders constitute up to 40 % of all homocides25. In defense to the

growing number of murders, more Americans have acquired guns which results in

even more violence. The number of Americans with guns has quadrupled between

1950 and 1990.19 A lot of the times the drug dealers are the ones providing the

weaponry. Also because marijuana is illegal its price increases. The expensive

price could be the reason why users commit crimes. Users commit robbery and

other crimes as a means to afford the purchase of marijauana26. The

circle of violence just keeps going around and around in ever increasing

diameters.

The prohibition of marijuana also adds to the corruption of

law-enforcement officers. Similarly to the alcohol prohibition, drug money is

used to bribe officers and judges. For example, in the late 1980’s over 80

police officers in Miami

were convicted for an array of crimes from robbery to murder, all related to

drugs and the black market27. The only way to put a stop to the

vicious circle of violence and corruption is to legalize marijuana, and put it

under government control. Having the government in charge of distribution and

sale of marijuana would definitely decrease drug-related deaths, decrease

corruption and would be a strike against the black market itself.

Additionally, marijuana prohibition is not inexpensive and costs American

taxpayers billions of dollars each year in arrests, eradication efforts, and

education. Prohibition is also costing Americans billions of dollars in missed

opportunities that would arise from legalizing marijuana.

According to the U.S. Justice Departments Bureau of Justice Statistics,

there have been more than 700,000 arrests every single year since 199628.

Of the 700,000 arrests more than 90 % have been for simple possession, not for

growing, trafficking, or selling29. All of the arrests come at a

great cost and squander both time of the police force, and money of American

taxpayers. For example, every arrest takes one or two officers out of the line

of duty, when they could be focusing on more important cases. Money is also

wasted in brining these cases through the legal system. In 1998, there were

over 60,000 marijuana offenders in prison at a cost of over $1.2 billion30.

State and local taxpayers spend between $5.3 billion dollars annually on arresting and prosecuting individuals for

marijuana violations. The federal government spends an additional $4 billion

per year on marijuana-related activities31. This is money that could

be going towards much better things, like trying to stop the sale and

cultivation of much more dangerous drugs. Even though the reported adult use of

marijuana has remained nearly the same over the past decade, marijuana related

arrests have doubled since 1990. During this time, heroin and cocaine arrests

have decreased sharply. Marijuana enforcement is being achieved at the expense

of enforcing

laws against the possession and trafficking of more dangerous drugs32.

Marijuana users are not violent criminals and take part in what many people

label a “victimless activity”. Just because they choose to smoke marijuana

instead of smoking tobacco, or drinking alcohol they should not be labeled as

criminals. Besides their marijuana use, they are responsible citizens, and

American’s valuable tax dollars should be going to catching more harmful

criminals.

Eradication of marijuana within the United States is also very costly.

Millions of dollars have been put forth to support such eradication efforts as

the Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program which was established in

197933. The Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program uses

military aircrafts, infrared sensors, and satellites to eradicate all the wild

growing marijuana in the United

States, and to try to catch marijuana

growers. Purging the country of marijuana comes at a great cost, and when the

marijuana is seized billions of dollars that could be going towards the U.S. government

is destroyed.

Furthermore, with more and more studies being done on marijuana usage,

more conclusions have been made that marijuana is very safe compared to other

hard drugs, and even alcohol. Previous facts thrown around by the government to

scare people away from marijuana have been proven wrong. It was commonly

believed that there are basic cognitive differences between those who smoke

marijuana and those who don’t, however this ‘fact’ couldn’t be more wrong.

Recently, a study at Harvard

Medical School

tested to see how accurate this fact was. The scientists gathered 22 long term

marijuana smokers, with an average of 20,100 episodes of smoking, and 26

non-smokers. The scientists performed magnetic resonance imaging on the brains

of the users and non-users, to see if there were any differences, and the study

showed that there was no ‘significant change’ in the brain images of the

smokers and non-smokers. In addition, many advertisements have been shown on

television to try to convey the danger of drugs, many of which are false.

One that comes to mind is the commercial where there are a couple guys in

a car filled with smoke, and they go to a drive-thru fast food place to get

some food. After picking up their food, they hit a little girl crossing the

street on her bike. This commercial is insinuating that the cause of the

accident was marijuana. In actuality, marijuana has little to no effect on

driving ability. The most recent marijuana-driving study was conducted at the

Institute for Human Pharmacology in the Netherlands. After samples of THC

were given to test-drivers, their performance was evaluated. The marijuana use

had a insignificant effect on the drivers, and their driving ability remained

practically the same. Researchers compared marijuana use to a BAC (Blood

Alcohol Content) of .04 and found that alcohol produced much worse driving

ability, when marijuana produced none34. The main difference between

driving under the influence of alcohol compared to driving under the influence

of marijuana is that drivers who drink alcohol tend to take more risks.

Marijuana doesn’t improve driving ability; however marijuana users that drive

are more aware of their impairment and compensate for it.

Also, anti-Marijuana activists, consider marijuana to be dangerous due to

the fact that it is a ‘gateway drug’ and its use will lead to other harder

drugs. Marijuana is not a “gateway” drug by itself and contains no physical

ingredients that make it a “gateway drug”, but because of its legal status, it

can introduce the user to the black market where other harder drugs can be

easily obtained. If marijuana were to be legalized and put under government

control, then it would be taken out of the black market. Inevitable purchasers

of marijuana would therefore not have to turn to the black market for purchases

and be subsequently exposed to cocaine or heroine. No matter what legislation

is passed, people are still going to use marijuana; but putting it under

federal control would be safer to the user, and reduce the risk of marijuana

users turning to harder, more potentially dangerous drugs. Much can be learned

through the observation of the Netherlands,

where it is legal to possess as much as 30 grams of marijuana. In the Netherlands

there has been a complete separation of marijuana and the black market. The

separation has been successful because there has been an increase in marijuana use

without an increase in cocaine or harder drug use35. The

legalization of marijuana in Holland

has also given authorities more time and resources to hone in on the harder,

more dangerous drugs. Decriminalizing marijuana would be an additional

precaution to ensure users don’t fall prey to the black market.

The marijuana plant consists of not only THC but also strong hemp fibers.

Hemp is from the plant species Cannabis sativa L, and although it has a similar

leaf structure as marijuana it contains less than 1% THC. Cannabis plants have

been harvested for hemp for thousands of years throughout the world. Hemp has

played a key role in the United States,

and even the U.S.

constitution was written on hemp paper. When the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 was

passed it banned the cultivation of hemp within the United States, and to this date no

exceptions have been made.

Hemp’s wide spread economic use, and its environmental advantages make it

among the most promising crops in the United States. The plant can be

harvested for it fibers, seed, and seed oil. Hemp has thousands of different

commercial uses such as paper, glass fiber, plastic, cosmetics, fuel for cars

and even for human consumption. The legalization of cultivating hemp would

revolutionize the paper industry in the United States. Quality does not

have to be sacrificed for hemp paper. In fact, paper made from hemp is stronger

and more superior to tree-based paper. Hemp paper is also stronger, lasts

longer, and is more environmentally friendly than tree-based paper. In 1994 the

American Farm Bureau Federation described the plant as a versatile and strong

agricultural crop36. Hemp has countless economic possibilities for

the United States,

and it would be advantageous to legalize the Cannabis sativa plant for the paper

aspect alone.

Not only does hemp hold various commercial uses but is also has many

environmental advantageous. First of all, the hemp plant is a natural

pesticide, and requires no herbicides or chemicals. Hemp also does not need

nearly as much water as cotton, and can reduces weeds. The answer to

deforestation can be found in hemp. For every one acre of hemp, four acres of

forest can be saved. Hemp is also more environmentally friendly than wood, in

that 80 % of unprocessed hemp can be converted to hemp, where as only 43 % of

wood can be converted to pulp37.

The growing cycle for Cannabis sativa is around a hundred days, and can

be put in with a rotation of different crops. Additionally, the fibers found in

hemp are whiter, and stay whiter than wood so less bleaching is needed.

Hemp production would provide the United States with a profitable and

effective industry. Production would create employment and additional markets

for hemp would emerge. In 1998 a report by the United Stated Department of Agriculture

explored the potential jobs and earnings of industrial hemp in Kentucky. The department

estimated that two processing facilities in Kentucky alone would include 537 full-time

jobs, and $12,100,000 in worker earnings38. The estimates are only

for Kentucky,

but facilities all over the country would have a significant economic impact.

In more than 30 other countries throughout the world, including France, England,

and Canada,

it is legal to cultivate hemp. The single barrier between the United States and

a gigantic economic market with environmental benefits is the old Marijuana Tax

Act of 1937. No progress can be made until the laws on marijuana are lifted.

However, the Unites States seems to be retrogressing, and the Bush

administration even went so far as to try to ban hemp foods and cosmetics39.

The fear of hemp and marijuana needs to be abolished and legalization must

occur in order to reap the benefits of the potential market, and environmental

advantages of hemp.

Nearly 70 years have passed since marijuana first became illegal in the United States.

From that time it is glaringly apparent that prohibition has not been

successful and has only added to the civil problems within the country. In 70

years, there have also been great strides in the fields of medicine and

scientific research proving the medicinal benefits of marijuana. Keeping

marijuana illegal costs the nation billions of dollars, and also costs the

nation billions of missed dollars in the hypothetical economy marijuana would

have. Hemp from the marijuana plant could also revolutionize the American

economy and be the answer to environmental problems facing America.

Decriminalization and having a controlled market of marijuana overseen by the

federal government would undoubtedly be beneficial to the United States of America.

Notes

[if !supportLists]1. [endif]H,

John. “Stoned in Suburbia”

[if !supportLists]2. [endif]Neelam

Mehta, Marijuana Policy Report: Edu: Book

Details Black Market[/i], http://www.mpp.org/NM/news_7218.html.

[if !supportLists]3. [endif]Mehling,

Randi. Drugs The Straight Facts:

Marijuana. [/i]66

[if !supportLists]4. [endif]Ibid. 49

[if !supportLists]5. [endif]Schliechert, Elizabeth. Marijuana: The Drug Librar[/i]y. 48

[if !supportLists]6. [endif]Ibid.

57

[if !supportLists]7. [endif]Ibid.

23

9.

Brain S. Julin, Cannabis FAQ[/i]

http://www.erowid.org/plants/cannabis/cannabis_faq1.shtml

[if !supportLists]10. [endif] William

Goodwin, Marijuana[/i] (San Diego, CA:

Lucent Books, 2002), 44.

11. William Goodwin, Marijuana[/i] (San Diego, CA:

Lucent Books, 2002), 46, Quoted in

Bonnie and Whitbread, “The Forbidden Fruit and the Tree of Knowledge,” 54.

12. Jill

Jonnes, Hep-Cats, Narcs, and Pipe Dreams:

A History of America’s

Romance with

Illegal Drugs [/i](New York, NY: Scribner,1996), 129.

13. Ibid. 93

14.

Ed Rosenthal and Steve Kubby, Why

Marijuana Should Be Legal[/i] (New York, NY:

Thunder’s Mouth Press, 2003), 54, quoted in Janet E. Joy, Stanley J. Watson

Jr., and John A. Benson, Jr., eds.,Marijuana

and Medicine:Assesing the Science Base[/i], Institue of Medicine, National

Academy of Sciences (1999).

15.

The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, Marijuana Decriminalization Reports, [/i]http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4435.[/i]

[if !supportLists]16. [endif] Ibid.

[if !supportLists]17. [endif] William

Goodwin, Marijuana[/i] (San Diego, CA:

Lucent Books, 2002), 90, Quoted in Judge Francis L. Young, “Marijuana

Rescheduling Petition, Docket No. 86-22, Opinion and Recommended Ruling,

Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law and Decision of Administrative Law,” www.calyx.net/olsen/MEDICAL/YOUNG/young.html

[if !supportLists]18.

[endif] Steven B. Duke and Albert C. Gross, America[/i]’s Longest War: Rethinking Our Tragic

Crusade Against Drugs [/i](New York, NY: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1993), 184,

Quoted in Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, Marijuana Rescheduling[/i], in Randall, Vol.

2, 445.

[if !supportLists]19.

[endif]Goodwin, Marijuana, [/i]91.

20. Jonnes, Hep-Cats, Narcs, and Pipe Dreams[/i], 214.

21.

National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIDA

InforFacts:Marijuana[/i], http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/marijuana.html

22. Goodwin, Marijuana, [/i]26

23.

The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Marijuana Decriminalization Reports. [/i]http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4435.[/i]



24. Mark Thornton, Alcohol Prohibition was a Failure[/i], http://www.druglibrary.org/Schaffer/alcohol/pa-157.html

Quoted in U.S. Department of the Treasury, Prohibition Enforcement

(Washington: Government Printing Office, 1927), p. 2.

25. Steven B. Duke and Albert C. Gross, America[/i]’s Longest War: Rethinking Our Tragic

Crusade Against Drugs [/i](New York, NY: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1993), 110,

Quoted in Isable Wilkerson, “Crack Hits Chicago, Along with a Wave of Killing”,

New York Times[/i], 24 September 1991.

26. Ronald Bayer and Gerald M. Oppenheimer, Drug Policy: Illecet Drugs in a Free Society[/i]

(New York, NY: Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge, 1993), 232.

27. Steven B. Duke and Albert C. Gross, America’s Longest War: Rethinking Our Tragic

Crusade Against Drugs [/i](New York, NY: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1993), 113,

Quoted in Daryl Kelley and Victor Merina, “Cases Reviewed in L.A. in Wake of

Suspension,” Los Angeles Times[/i], 3

September 1989.

28. Goodwin, Marijuana[/i], 63.

29. Ibid. 62

30. Ibid. 32

31. The

National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Marijuana Decriminalization Reports. [/i]http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4435.[/i]

32. Goodwin, Marijuana[/i],

64.

33. Ibid.

68.

34. Zimmer, Marijuna

Myths/Marijuana Facts,[/i] 124.

35. Drug Policy Alliance,

Netherlands[/i], http://www.drugpolicy.org/global/drugpolicyby/westerneurop/thenetherlan/.

36.

Goodwin, Marijuana[/i], 16.

37. Earth Island Institute, Hemp: The Hardy Paper Crop[/i], http://www.rethinkpaper.org/content/hemp.cfm.

38. United States Department of Agriculture, Industrial Hemp in the United States: Statue and Market Potential, [/i]http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/ages001e/.

39. Ed

Rosenthal and Steve Kubby, Why Marijuana

Should Be Legal, [/i]47.















Source Cited

Association for Better Living and Education

International. History of Marijuana[/i]. http://www.narconon.org/druginfo/marijuana_hist.html.



This

site gave a great background on the History of Marijuana.

Bayer, Ronald.,

and Gerald M. Oppenheimer. Drug Policy:

Illicit Drugs in a Free Society[/i]. New York, NY: Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge,

1993.

This book was useful in its idea

that perhaps crimes and violence occur because of the increased price in drugs

because of their illegal status.

Drug Policy Alliance. Netherlands[/i].

http://www.drugpolicy.org/global/drugpolicyby/westerneurop/thenetherlan/.



This website was used to show an example of a country

that has decriminalized marijuana. In the Netherlands, small amounts of

marijuana are legal, and it is beneficial to the country.

Duke, Steven B.,

and Albert C. Gross. America’s Longest

War: Rethinking Our Tragic Crusade Against Drugs[/i]. New York, NY:

G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1993.

This book was especially useful in

describing the negative consequences of the prohibition of marijuana,

especially dealing with the violence created by the prohibition and the

subsequent corruption.

Earth Island

Institute. Hemp: The Hardy Paper Crop[/i].

http://www.rethinkpaper.org/content/hemp.cfm.

This website was used to show that advantages

that hemp has over paper

Goodwin, William. Marijuana[/i]. San Diego, CA:

Lucent Books, 2002.



This book was used for many purposes

throughout the paper. I used facts from the book to talk about the arrest rates

for marijuana within the United

States. This book was also used to briefly

talk about hemp, and also to describe the experiments of Munch, and the AMA

reaction to the Marijunana Tax Act of 1937.



H, John. “Stoned in Suburbia”[/i]

http://www.jonhs.net/freemovies/stoned_in_suburbia.htm



This movie gave me a

great sense of how prevalent marijuana use is in today’s society, even among

the senior citizens



Jonnes, Jill.

Hep-Cats, Narcs, and Pipe Dreams: A History of America’s Romance with Illegal

Drugs[/i]. New York, NY: Scribner, 1996.



This

book was used for several quotes. I used a quote from the sociologist Ned

Polsky to further show how marijuana is an everlasting part of American

culture. I also used a quote from Dr. Carl Voegtlin to show the

negligence at the time the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 was passed.



Julin, Brian S. Cannabis FAQ[/i]. http://www.erowid.org/plants/cannabis/cannabis_faq1.shtml.



This website was used to show the bias Harry

Anslinger had in his pursuit against marijuana. Anslinger personally did not

like Jazz music, or Jazz musicians, so that added to his inappropriate dislike

of marijuana.



Kubby, Steve., and Ed Rosenthal. Why Marijuana Should Be Legal[/i]. New York, NY: Thunder’s Mouth Press, 2003.



This

book was used to describe the alcohol and pharmaceutical companies, and there

role in keeping marijuana illegal. This book was also helpful in describing

issues with National Security and how it would be safer for the United States

to have control and ensure quality marijuana.



Mehling, Randi. Drugs

the Straight Facts: Marijuana. [/i]Philadelphia,

PA:

Chelsea

House Publishers, 2003.



This

book gave non-biased opinions on marijuana usage. I got a lot of facts from

this book.



Mehta, Neelam. Marijuana Policy Report: Edu: Book Details

Black Market[/i]. http://www.mpp.org/NM/news_7218.html.

This website was used to point out

just how much money marijuana brings in compared to a legal crop such as corn.



Morgan, John P. M.D. and

Lynn Zimmer, Ph.D.. The Myth Of

Marijuana’s Gateway Effect[/i]. http://www.pdxnorml.org/gateway.html.



This website was used to disprove the “gateway” theory,

and also to show that some of the facts and figures presented by the government

don’t have that much relevance and are used to fool the general public.



The National Organization for the Reform of

Marijuana Laws. Marijuana

Decriminalization Reports. [/i]http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4435.[/i]



This website was used to detail when

the first marijuana plants were planted in America, and also to show the

number of states which acknowledged the medical benefits of marijuana.



National Organization for the Reform of

Marijuana Laws. Your Government is Lying

to You (Again) About Marijuna.[/i]

http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5515



This website gave many ‘facts’ that the government throws

around, but with scientific evidence, proved how inaccurate these ‘facts’

actually are.



National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIDA InforFacts:Marijuana[/i], http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/marijuana.html



This

website was used to show the popularity of marijuana among Americans, and to

further prove the futility of prohibition.



Rand Corporation. RAND Study Casts Doubt on Claims that

Marijuana Acts as “Gateway”[/i]. http://www.rand.org/news/press.02/gateway.html.



This website was used to provide scientific analysis of

the “gateway” theory, and to disprove that marijuana is a gateway drug.



Schliechert, Elizabeth. Marijuana: The Drug Library. [/i]Enslow

Publishers, Inc. 1993



This book gave a lot of good background and social

history of marijuana use.



Thornton, Mark. Alcohol Prohibition was a Failure. [/i]http://www.druglibrary.org/Schaffer/alcohol/pa-157.html



This

website was used to draw parallels between the prohibition of alcohol and the

prohibition of marijuana.



United States

Department of Agriculture, Industrial

Hemp in the United States: Statue and Market Potential, [/i]http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/ages001e/.



This website was used to

show a hypothetical economy of marijuana in Kentucky. From the website the projections

to show that marijuana would bring in a lot of money, and would also create employment

for millions.



Zimmer, Lynn. Marijuana Myths Marijuana Facts[/i]. The Lindesmith Center:

New York, New

York. 1997



This book describes many

of the myths and facts associated with marijuana use. A lot of great facts came

from this book.
 
i reallly want to read all of that but.... i got to the 5th or 6th paragraph and couldnt take anymore. im hungry haha.
 
I believe you, I know people like that too, they are basically burnouts...but not everyone who uses is that way.

And I don't agree with the "it's my body, I'll do what I want with it" entirely, what I was saying is that things like alchohol are legal, even encouraged through advertisment...and something that produces similar effects is outlawed and the government runs campaigns against its usage. I think you'd agree that there is a big difference between legalizing weed and being able to pick up Heroin at the local Wal-Mart.
 
I think I already addressed this though, it's about as addictive as anything else that makes you feel good, if it becomes an 'addiction' of habit. Anything you do that releases endorphins then has the potential to become 'addictive', that's why we have people who are 'addicted' to alchohol (even though alchohol itself isn't addictive).
 
im not shitting on you or anything im just saying,

if you used alcohol as frequently as say a "stonner" smoked dope, you wouldn't even be able to function. you would probably die before the age of 25 if you drank 3 times a day, everyday.
 
didnt read the responses so i dont know if it in there but

it is a free country so grown people should be able to abuse their body in any way they want without being persecuted. It is at their discretion of what they want to do to their body.
 
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