CONTEST #3: Essay (Cannabis Justification)

[generic_hippie]

"So, Georgey-boy, I think we're alone now, there doesn't seem to be anyone around...
Mate, I've got to tell you, this war on drugs you're running, well, there's a lot of people unhappy about it. And, just for the record, I'm at least three of them," I'd tell him.

He would stand there in that special Presidential way, (drool actually flowing because his cheif-chin-wiper isn't in the room with us) and not understand me at all. His Texan drawl barely recognisable as English, he'd say; "Why, what ever can you mean suh? How, I say, how can you be three people Mr hippie suh?"

"Well Georgey, it's easy, even for a prat like yourself. Listen, first and foremost, I am a recreational cannabis user. I smoke pot Georgey-boy, and mate, I bloody inhale as much as I can every time. And you know what? I've never started a war with anybody, let alone over half my own country-men at the same time as fighting half the world, whilst claiming the moral high-ground.
I reject your choice of legal alcohol and illicit cannabis, the monopoly on mind altering is unacceptable.
Are you with me so far Georgey-boy?"

Knowing full well he wont be, his mind is still wondering whether I've noticed his supremely retarded drooling, I continue on regardless, right over the top of his "Huh?" acknowledgement of the question.

"Good, now secondly Georgey, I am a medicinal cannabis user. For reasons I wont go into today, and reasons you aren't bloody interested in anyhow, I actually need cannabis for legitimate medical reasons. There are cannabis growing co-operatives all over America, indeed all over the world, whose sole aim is to provide the best available medicine.
You need to end the vexatious prosecution and harrassment of these people. Today Georgey, not next Thursday, or even after lunch, here, sign this."

I'd hand him a prepared Executive Order requiring only his signature and seal to make it law, and of course, he would sign purely because I'm such an affable bastard.


"Now, mate, one last thing. I am a citizen of this planet, I have just as much right to rape pillage and plunder the environment as you, not the opportunity or desire, but I have the same rights to do that as you.
How about you do the decent thing now that you and your mob are rich enough, how about you do the decent thing and at least let the farmers grow some hemp so it and its products can be developed for when your precious oil runs out? Peak oil Georgey, it's a reality."

I imagine this would take me about ten minutes, what with the bong packing going on as well, and by this time his cheif-chin-wiper would know the presidential-face-diaper would be just about full from the constant stream of IDIOT-DROOL flowing discreetly from the corner of his mouth.
The doors would kick-in just as the President handed me back the bong for the third time, the guns would all be pointed at my head in the traditional intimidatory way of LEO's everywhere.
"Hey guys, thas hippie, he orright, jus chill, k?" would be more than what he'd say, it would mean the dawn of a new era of civilisation...

 

[Sleepy]

I would start by giving him the CHILDREN'S book: Its Just A Plant,

and would help him read it...cover to cover. by the time we are done, we would break for lunch..

i would then piss on his back and tell him its raining, cause thats what he's doin for me!

after his golden shower , i'd go find his wife and kids, and we'd all share some bogglegum...then, i'd get him to sign a law making personal cultivation, use, and possession of cannabis leagal for all above 18 yrs old in our U.S. of A.

thank you, Mr. "President"

 

[Hashmasta-Kut]

you get that former policeman in the USA to go talk to him, the guy who crusades against the drug war. he knows exactly how to say it.

this guy...

http://mapinc.org/newsleap/v05/n189/a04.html

 

[Babbabud]

Sleepy you are hilarious lmfao

 

[Guest]

Mr President, the reason cannabis should be legal, is because its a healing plant, not a killing drug that your DEA office has been calling it for decades. The mis information about this plant is alarming and im sure if you were to educate your office about just how many lives this plant have saved, you would see that is is an ally and friend, not an enemy.

The education about this plant is vital.
Please just educate yourself and talk to the people who use it and see first hand how it changes the lives of many people, including severaly ill.

Please have compassion and understanding and humanity when looking at this plant, as that is exactly what the plant is all about. Its a healing medicine and if people who use it are not medically ill, and they are using it simply for reactreation it just goes to show how enjoyable it is to ingest and use. Its a happy plant and causes happy effects in almost all who use it. The percentage of people who react adversely to it have a perosnal responsibility to control their use of it, not just blame the plant.

This plant has the ability to ease the world wide pressure on the medical system by providing cost efective medcine and also by providing a harm free recreational drug that is much more socially safer than alcohol and ciggarettes, which the government endorse and take tax money from freely.

Cant you see that your public is crying out for the government to finally admit that this plant is not a harm to our society and there for should be taken of the list on the war against drugs.

I think you know in your heart that this plant is a safe way of providing medicine and recreational happyness, but i also think your affraid to stand up and change many decades of mis-information because it will make your government look like it is contradicting itself. But i urge you to have the guts to do the right thing, and change the laws and wars on this plant.

Thankyou

PS: Are these going to be sent to the president after the comp is finished?

 

[Guest]

Jeeeeeze, do I have to dumb it down for the moron?

 

[GMT]

Cap. I've actually been waiting for your response to this, congrats on the mentor thing too.

 

[Guest]

Hey thanks GMT!

I'm working on a little something.

 

[CalcioErba2004]

(Walk in wearing a suit and a 6 pack of some good beer)

George buddy, how's it going? Listen you don't mind if we have a cold while we talk do you? That's great. Listen I know a great way for you to make money now and after oil becomes scarce. You are probably gonna think I'm crazy but just hear me out.(Crack a few beers and start drinking) George listen, you won't be president for long and this whole war on terrorism is going to shit on you....I know I walk the streets I hear people. Now either you go out leaving this country in the shape its in not leaving much room for your successor, so to speak, or you go out giving this country the step towards the future. America is the biggest and best and right now we are on everyone's shit list. No matter how big and bad you are, if everyone else is pissed at you....that's a lot of people. Now if we are to set an example to lead, we need to act now. This country went into a depression in 1929 because of the excess in the 1910s and 20s. Everyone became poor....not just the poor George, EVERYONE. You wanna know what saved this country George? No, not some government program, hemp did George. Did you know that the government you run used to grow fields of hemp to make all sorts of stuff. I have a question George. What are you going to do when all the oil runs out? What if the Saudi's don't want to sell it to you anymore George? The way I see it, we need to look at other things, NOW. Hemp makes fuel. Start a program, hell invest yourself, and when oil runs out guess what George? That's right you have hemp fuel, to power diesel cars and trucks and they pollute less too George. You just made money and made every hippy in California happy. Doesn't it sound good George? To know you really made everyone happy and had an impact on our history, a positive impact?(More drinking)
George I know you are thinking, hey what if some kids find these fields. Well I say let 'em George. You had fun as a kid right George? Let them smoke it, eat it whatever they want to do. But let me ask you this...If we sold it at the corner store would they go and steal it from the fields? Would criminals make money or would the drug companies George? Think about it. You smoked and you are president of the US. You seriously need to think about this, you cant get re-elected so what do you have to lose? I'd do it.(Drink some more) then watch them flock to DC to praise me.....come on George you like it and you want it. Do it and they will love you for it. Well I got to get going George. Hey call me about that golf game next week. Later George and think about what I told you, millions George. :wink:

 

[Guest]

Mr President, it's time to talk about this war.
How long is this going to go on? You know the drug war really started in 1914.1914 marked the year that the States first began to strictly prohibit substance use. The Harrison Act made criminal the use of Opium, Morphine, Cocaine, and other similarly processed or harvested drugs. Technically, the act didn't prohibit any of the listed drugs -- the Act actually imposed a rather unreasonable tax on the possession of any of those substances. For example, in order to possess ten dollars worth of coke, you'd have to pay the gov't a thousand. In any case, many people were arrested due to this change in policy. The charges were never 'trafficking' or 'possession' or anything like that -- they got nabbed for 'tax evasion'. The point is, in 1914, the States began their policy of fear and ignorance when it comes to chemical substances that actively effect human consciousness (the reason for this as is morphine abuse by civil war vets and rednecks, but that’s another story).

What else contributed tto this war on drugs?Fear of Mexicans -- a large immigration of Mexicans to the southwest prompted white officials to question the culture and customs of the newcomers. One habit that the Mexicans brought over the border was their taste for herbs. Common white folk everywhere latched on to the idea that Mexicans are crazy because they smoke pot. Thusly, many states passed anti-Marijuana laws in order to curb the influx of strange Chico's and their funky plants. The cause is clearly a derivative of racism and fear. This accounts for anti-MJ laws throughout the southwest in the 1915 to 1937 transition period. Here's a quote from the Texas State Legislature to sum it all up:

"All Mexicans are crazy, and this stuff is what makes them crazy."

That's a direct quote from the legislature of your own home state...and interestingly enough, it has never been withdrawn, modified, or apologised for.

Now Mr President, I'm not trying to say that heroin, morphine, opium, cocaine,meth, and crack should be legal. Far from it. They have and continue to be a menace to society, but more on that later

In 1937,. Marijuana becomes illegal. Yeah, that’s the date. Many seem to assume that pot has always been considered a bad drug. Naw: not in the states until such a late date was it strictly criminal. In order to get the 'Marijuana Tax Act' passed the Senate held a hearing to determine the legitimacy of the claim that pot should be illegal. The representative of the Government on this bill was a young Mr. Anslinger (see below). One quote sums up his position:

"Marijuana is an addictive drug which produces in its users insanity, criminality, and death."

You'll see how this little quote gets put to good use later on. Industry reps from hemp-based farms, refineries, rope manufacturers, and seed packagers met and exclaimed their general apathy on the topic. Industries that had a beef were granted exceptions under the new law (birdseed may be made from grass). Medical testimonies from an out-of-favour medical association (AMA) were disregarded on a political basis, and a stirring delivery by Dog Guy (no joke, see below) left the Senate with the picture that no one would really give a damn either way. The bill was passed without a debate or a recorded vote, and the law was signed later on by President Roosevelt.

A note on the pharmacologist: this guy is about to play a few key parts, so here's some more information on... The Dog Guy! -- At the 1937 hearing to determine the legality of toke, Anslinger had some pharmacologist step up and give a testimony. This researcher from Utah had injected the active ingredient of MJ* into the brains of 300 dogs (hence: Dog Guy) of which two died. Based on the sketchy logic that dogs are pretty close to humans and that dogs can die from pot, the hearing accepted the testimony as in favor of criminalization.

Now really Mr. President, are we dogs? And has the gov't ever bothered to look at the testimony that made this drug illegal, and tried to find any "hard" facts about the claims of insanity, criminality, and death? And how is it that this bill was passed without any debate or a recorded vote? Hells bells Mr president, you have hearings on steroids in professional sports, and you allocate money for studies to determine the effects on the atmosphere of cows farting that have had more debate than this law EVER got.

And lets look at something else.The first group of people who Mr. Anslinger singled out as marijuana addicts were Jazz musicians, primarily BLACK jazz musicians. Isn't there a little predjudice there? Perhaps we need to consider Mr. Anslingers personal agenda in this..

Oh, and let's not forget Dog Guy. This same person also testified that he tried marijuana, and "After two puffs on a marijuana cigarette, I was turned into a bat. I flew around the room for fifteen minutes and then found myself at the bottom of a two-hundred-foot high ink well." And let's not forget this little jewel "After two puffs on a marijuana cigarette my incisor teeth grew six inches long and dripped with blood."
This is the type of testimony we based this war on? Please Mr. President, I know you smoked marijuana, did any of that happen to you? Let's get real here.(1)

Then came the Nixon years. LOL, we won't dwell on this long, but suffice it to say that Mr. Nixon upped the war on drugs to take the publics mind off of other matters. What matters you ask? Well, that nasty little business in Vietnam, Chile and how he had Kissenger turn loose an insane dictator loose on that country, China, and oh, lets not forget Watergate. And we won't get into the rumours of his own children and those of his successor Mr. Ford not only smoking marijuana, but actually GROWING it in the White House garden.

Now let's talk money. This year alone, the budget for the DEA is 2,141,000,000. That's right, 2 BILLION dollars Mr. President.And what do they have to show for that? They admit they get less than 10% of all drug shipments coming into this country. 10% Mr. President. Hell if I ran a business that only got a 10% return on that kind of money, I'd have been bankrupt long ago. And that's just what comes INTO this country. Mr. President, most marijuana is grown in this country. It's no secret that marijuana is americas #1 cash crop. And more and more, people are growing there own, in the privacy of their own homes. They do so to elude the police, the DEA, and some do it to support your war on terror, so as not to have their money for drugs wind up in Al Quedas coffers.
And that's just the start of the price tag for the war on drugs. Want to run the figures on how much it's going to cost to try and imprison all these marijuana offenders? Or the cost for welfare and foodstamps and child services for families left without the income from someone imprisoned for marijuana? The numbers are astronomical Mr. President. Leglise marijuana, tax it just like alcohol and tobacco, and hey presto, you've opened up a whole new cash flow for the government, which if applied correctly, could save social security AND help reduce if not eleminate the national debt.When Oregon began its medical marijuana program six years ago, officials didn't expect it to grow so fast. Now, there are more than 10,400 registered patients who have produced a surplus of $1.1 million. $1.1 million dollars Mr. President. Now take that times 50 states. Then takes that times 10, just a number I picked, and a low number just to give us a base idea, because there are probably at least 10 times that number of people who consume marijuana recreationally, just as many people use alcohol recreationally or socially, and do you begin to get an idea of the money involved in legalization? This is a cash cow Mr. President. As of this date, all this money goes unreported and undocumented, and millions of dollars in tax revenue are lost to our government. The good that money could do. Education. Social security. National Debt. Health care. Child Care. All for naught, Mr. President, because our Government is afraid of a weed.


Now I realise that many are going to say that the effect of marijuana on minors is detrimental> That's why it needs to have an age limit like alcohol does. But let's be frank, if someone wants it bad enough, they will find a way to get it, just like they do alcohol. But at least by legalising it, we can devote resources to to trying to prevent this, because what you are doing now is NOT preventing them from getting it. And quite frankly, the "legal" drugs they have access to have killed millions of people. Alcohol and tobacco are both readily available to teens, and adults, and have done more damage than marijuana. I challenge you to show me one legitimate case of someone overdosing or dieing from marijuana! Marijuana is simply not lethal enuff to kill yourself with. That's why when I see a commercial or an ad by a beer company or tobacco company for a " patrnership in a drug free America" I have to laugh. They don't want a drug free America, they just want to eliminate the competition.

And let's talk about medicinal use. You and I both know the evidence is there for medical marijuana. It has helped countless numbers of medical conditions, and is being villefied by pharmacuetical companies because they have no financial stake in it. That's the whole story and you know it. If they stood to make a buck off it, we all know they would be up here on capitol hill lobbying for it and since the $$$ they throw around to get their products accepted by the FDA is impressive, it would be legal within months.

Now then, as far as marijuana and the environment, lets start with the greenhouse effect, or "global warming". Why is global warming happening? Because of a massive buildup of CO2 in the atmosphere. And it would be so simple to counteract this Mr. President. Each year this country pays 1000s of farmers not to plant their crops, making each acre they don't plant "government "ground. Well, if we are going to pay them not to plant crops, let's at least pay them to do something beneficial for the rest of us, like planting hemp! Hemp, just like marijuana, eats CO2 for breakfast lunch and dinner Mr. President. Also, you need to think about the melting polar ice cap. What do you think is under all that ice and snow? Dead and decaying plant life that will resume decomposition when exposed to sunlight and O2, which will in turn also emit more CO2 into the atmosphere. And that is going to happen in our lifetime Mr.Preident. Scientists are predicting a global climate change within the next 30-50 years!! We are running out of any other viable options here Mr. President. Pollution control laws are not enough, car pooling has failed dismally,we have allowed the timber companies free reign on clearcutting our forests, the only natural preventitive we had against global warming, so what else is there left to do?

In closing Mr. President, the war on drugs has been waged for almost 100 years. And the government, the DEA, state and local law enforcement, has had almost NO impact on it. Isn't it time we used a little common sense and ended it? You know states all across this great country are trying there best to legalise it already. Why does the federal government feel it necessary to overrule them? For the better good of all? I think they already are thinking of the better good of all in their own state when they legalised it Mr. President. Leave them alone. The U.S. Government has far more important things at stake than worrying about somebody smoking pot.

Also, I know you are a deeply religious man, Mr. President. I would like to remind you of a passage from your own bible. " If a man sees the good he ought to do, and does it not, he is still guilty of sin"







(1)Most of this material came from speeches and books from Charles Whitebread and Richard J. Bonnie. Other slightly dubious accounts from the web have been used as support, but all this shit is the real deal. Our problem is the lack of real research into MJ.

 

[wikidcalibudgrl]

I did a high school English Oral report on the benifits of hemp in society,, from medicinal properties to clothing & oil,,, wish I still had the notes for that report now,,,, I got a B+ on it too! I was Very proud of that!,,, it was my 10th grade year. Even my teacher at the time was impressed with the amount of information i presented on the subject.... ahh,, if only i had the report///

 

[PFCruz]

My doctor told me driving was fine.

My doctor told me driving was fine.

This is how I would start my "talk" with G.B. " I have 2 different medicial problems . I have been given many prescriptions for pain releivers. When I was given my first script for a near amputation of my hand at the wrist my doctor said , "this is synthatic heroin". He was talking about OXYCONTIN . I was set up with an appointment with a "pain clinic" to help me with my pain. The "pain clinic" continued to give me this man made drug for just over 3 1/2 years . After the first 6 months I began to ask for a different pain reliever. I was told every month that the OXYCONTIN was what I needed and maybe I should try some "other" drugs to help the fake heroin manage my pain. Many drug "cocktails" were created and consumed. After heartburn set in I began not taking some of the pills. I continued to ask for a new pill and finally after 3 1/2 years I was given a new drug. The new drug I was given was OXYCODONE . The same drug but quick release instead of 12 hour release. I told the doctor he was nuts and asked how to become non-addicted. I was told that these drugs were not addictive when taken as directed. I made it through the withdrawals with the help of some good "bud". After all that I discovered that the good "bud" was helping my pain better than any pain reliever. I have not been back to the "pain managment clinic" for over 2 1/2 years. While on the fake heroin the doctors told me that it was fine to drive. My concern is for all of the innocent people driving on the roads. How many people are driving now on the drug OXYCONTIN ? I have driven on it and it is not right. MR PRESIDENT , would you feel safer on a highway with a group of people on OXYCONTIN or a group of people on the good"bud" ? I belive that given the same choice that the American People would support the good"bud" side.

 

[Dutchgrown]

Any final stabs at this one, getting ready to TRY and declare
a winner...so if there's anyone else who wants to give this a
go best get on it! This contest is in the last 24 hrs before
closing.

Really good stuff ya'll.

dg

 

[Cannabisourus]

Cannabis Justification

Cannabis Justification

Cannabis is my only source of nutrition. Without cannabis all Cannabisourus Sauropods will perish. This will go down in history as intentional genocide on your behalf unless you do something immediately to legalize our vital food source! This embargo on our neccessary supply of cannabis must end now! I am really hungry, and when a Cannabisourus is hungry it gets mad and trust me, although a peaceful species, when it comes to protecting our survival you do not want to make a Cannabisourus mad. Please Mr. President, my people are starving and threatened by complete annihilation if action is not taken immedietely on your part. I beg of you, please feed us or we will die and become extinct like all of our cousins.

 

[g13]

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

The number of drug deaths in the U.S. in a typical year is as follows:
Tobacco kills about 390,000.
Alcohol kills about 80,000.
Cocaine kills about 2,200.
Heroin kills about 2,000.
Aspirin kills about 2,000.
Marijuana kills 0.

There has never been a recorded death due to marijuana at any time in U.S. history. All illegal drugs combined kill about 4,500 people per year, or about one percent of the
number killed by alcohol and tobacco. Tobacco kills more people each year than all of
the people killed by all of the illegal drugs in the last century.

Source: NIDA Research Monographs

70% of our natural forest have been destroyed since prohibition started in 1937 mostly to build houses and produce paper products. Think of all the paper things you use everyday.
Paper, paper bags, card board boxes, toilet paper, napkins, paper towels, paper plates, paper cups...
Now think about all the trees that could have been speared if we used hemp instead. America, Asia, and Australia where primary forests are cleared at a huge environmental cost; hemp has a number of advantages as an alternative source of paper making fiber. Hemp does not need pesticides or herbicides, and yields three to four times more usable fibers per hectare per annum than forests. It's time for us to quit cutting down trees, and time for us to start finding alternative solution.
Making paper from an annual crop would help preserve the forests and the habitats found within. Paper made from hemp lasts many times longer than that made from wood, and it'd also a profitable alternative crop for farmers looking to remove the pressure from over production on their land.

Hemp for Fuel
Biodiesel can be made from domestically produced, renewable oilseed crops such as hemp. With over 30 million successful U.S. road miles hemp boidiesel could be the answer to our cry for cheaper fuel. We have spent the last century polluting our beautiful country with our petroleum based fuels that could have easily been replaced with fuels derived from hemp. It would only take 6% of our U.S. land to produce enough hemp, for hemp fuel, to make us energy independent from the rest of the world. Help us teach America the truth. Make yourself a human billboard that speaks only of the truth because the only thing standing between hemp being illegally and legal is ignorance.

Cannabis has been recognized for centuries as a valuable therapeutic agent. Folk uses of Cannabis include treatment of insomnia, inflammation, various psychoses, digestive disorders, depression, rheumatism, migraine, neuralgia, fatigue, constipation, diarrhea, parasites, appetite disorders and it has also been employed by women to facilitate childbirth, stimulate lactation, and relieve menstrual cramping (Mechoulam 1986). These traditions continue in every region where Cannabis is available. Modern Western Cannabis users also frequently claim relief from many of these same medical complaints.
Cannabis or THECA have been used experimentally to effectively lower the elevated intraocular pressure of glaucoma (Alder and Gelled 1986) and have shown potential for the treatment of alcoholism (Rosenburg 1976) and drug dependence (Whine et al. 1975). THECA has been used as a bronchodilator for the relief of asthma symptoms (Graham 1986) and may also be effectively used as an analgesic for pain relief (Seagull 1986). It has even been shown to have antibacterial properties (Van Klingeren and Ten Ham 1976).
The low toxicity of THECA is best indicated by its widespread use with very few reports of anything even approaching an overdose. Occasionally, people may get too "high" for their psychic comfort, but their bodies continue to function fairly normally. The dosage sufficient to kill half of the organisms tested (LD50) for orally ingested THECA is approximately 1 g/kg of body weight. Simply interpreted, this means an average sized human would have to consume 50-100 g of pure THECA to reach the LD50 level. Since high-potency Cannabis contains approximately 10% THECA, a person would have to eat at least 500-1,000 g of this marijuana before having a 50% chance of death. A 1 g marijuana cigarette of 10% THECA Cannabis contains 100 mg of THECA and is usually shared among several smokers. Clinically effective oral doses for the relief of nausea start at 5-10 mg. This means that, even accounting for pyrolytic decomposition and smoke loss, there is a several-thousandfold difference between an effective dose of THECA and a potentially lethal one! For alcohol, this difference is only about twenty fold. Other common non-prescription drugs, such as aspirin, have similar relatively narrow margins of safe use. Research into the actions of the natural cannabinoids led to the creation of many artificial ones based on variations of their basic molecular structure. However, none of these artificial compounds are currently approved for medical use in the US.

 

[KYHomeGrown]

paper i did in high school, then revised in my college english class

paper i did in high school, then revised in my college english class

Just thought i would take a stab at it:

Each year hundreds of thousands of people die directly from the effects that alcohol and cigarettes have on the human body. Both of these two killers are legal and available to the public to purchase if they are of age. What we refuse to see is that marijuana has not caused one direct death (“10 Things”). Yet this drug is still illegal and people convicted of possessing and or selling marijuana fill the jails today. Marijuana should be legalized in America for certain important reasons, which include marijuana’s medicinal benefits, economic growth and the benefits from the sale of marijuana, and the freedom for a person to choose if it is right or wrong to use, not the government.
One of the main reasons that marijuana should be legalized would have to be its medicinal benefits. It has been proven to be beneficial in treating many terrible diseases and helping people deal with the pain of an illness. Studies have shown that the THC in marijuana has helped people that suffer from cancer, AIDS, glaucoma, and many other diseases. It has been proven that marijuana has been helpful in treating each of these diseases while having many different effects on each of the illnesses. People that are suffering from AIDS and cancer could use marijuana for the effects it has on pain and could produce an appetite in the patients. People who suffer from glaucoma, an eye disease which can lead to blindness, can directly benefit from the THC in marijuana (Joy 138). Glaucoma places pressure on the pupil of the eye, which initially causes blurred vision and of course pain, and the THC in marijuana relieves this pressure and the associated pain, which allows the patient to see more clearly. In the book titled, Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base, the authors state that the medicinal value of marijuana does not focus on the disease itself, but rather the symptoms that accompany the disease and cause so much discomfort to the person directly suffering from the disease. The THC in marijuana directly affects the most common symptoms, which include, but are not limited to nausea, vomiting, chronic pain, and appetite loss (Joy 137-140).
One major side effect of marijuana is most arguably the so-called “high”. The “high” is characterized by a sense of euphoria, mild sedation, mood enhancement, and anxiety reduction. These characteristics are desired side effects for many users for many reasons, but the one major reason being that these side effects can directly effect and contribute to the relief of many other symptoms and side effects that result from the treatments necessary in combating many of these diseases, such as chemotherapy (Joy 83-86).
Along with the use in the medical field, the economic benefits of marijuana need to be looked at when looking at the case for marijuana legalization. If the United States was to legalize the drug, the U.S. would reap the benefits instead of drug dealers in other countries exporting it illegally to America. The U.S. could tax marijuana just as they tax alcohol, cigarettes, and other over the counter drugs. If the U.S. were to commercialize marijuana sale, the United States could generate between $2.2 and $6.4 billion in added revenue each year by placing a .50 cent tax on each marijuana cigarette sold, considering the demand for the drug stayed the same. Not only would it produce these needed tax revenues, it would also save the U.S. taxpayers an estimated $8 to $16 billion per year that is now spent fighting the illicit marijuana trade (Greringer). This would allow the U.S. to use this money to fund many different programs such as schools, fight terrorism, pay off some of the national debt, or put more money into the social security program, which is predicted to go broke in less than twenty years. Another economic benefit from the legalization would be that it would give taxpayers a break. Each year thousands of people are jailed for some kind of marijuana offense. The U.S. taxpayer pays for this person to be housed in jails across America at an average rate of over thirty dollars a day (Greringer).
States could also benefit from its legalization, especially Kentucky. Kentucky farmers could grow marijuana along with other crops to make up for the declining amount of tobacco that is being produced and help replace that lost income. Kentucky is already the leading producer of marijuana in America even though it is illegal. Many states are beginning to look at the economic benefits that marijuana can have on their economy and are beginning to place marijuana decriminalization, legalization, and medicinal laws on their states ballots with the number of states doing this continuing to grow each year. California has been a leader in the fight for the legalization of medicinal marijuana. It is legal in the state of California to possess marijuana if a person has a prescription for it, but since it is illegal in the United States on a federal level, the federal government steps in and many people have been arrested in the state of California for possessing medicinal marijuana and have been prosecuted. A licensed medical practitioner should be able to treat his or her patients and their diseases to the best benefit of the patient based upon what his studies, training, and experience has taught him. The treatment should not be dictated by any governmental entity.
Dr. Ethan A. Nadelmann, a social scientist, states that between the years of 1981 and 1987, the United States government more than tripled their anti-drug law enforcement budget from under $1 billion per year, to over $3 billion. The U.S. typically arrests about 750,000 people per year for drug violations. Over 75% of these arrests are made for some kind marijuana charge. These arrests not only swamp court dockets and cause back-ups in the American judicial system, but also cost Americans over $2 billion each year to convict and jail these minor drug offenders (Nadelmann 20-23). Although these statistics came from the 1980’s, the big picture is seen through the numbers. More money is spent each and every year in America to fight the so-called “drug war”, but America is just wasting the taxpayers’ money by trying to keep these non-violent criminals behind bars.
America is based on freedom and being able to practice many habits that many governments around the world look down upon. But now America is falling behind in this category. Many countries around the world are decriminalizing marijuana or becoming a lot more laid back with enforcing the laws against marijuana. Canada, for example, has long been against marijuana, but lately it has been passing new laws, which have become more marijuana friendly. They no longer arrest people for possession as long as it is under an ounce and if a person is caught smoking in public it is only a warning. Europe has also become a lot less harsh against marijuana. It is not legal in Amsterdam, but the police do not enforce the laws against it (Greringer). Britain has now decriminalized possession under a certain amount, and many other countries are working towards decriminalizing or legalizing marijuana use, but the U.S. continues to jail or fine marijuana growers and users. No American citizen should ever have to leave her shores to exercise freedoms that are not available to them in their homes.
The other side of the argument wants marijuana to stay illegal because it is a drug that kills people and causes mental and physical harm. There has yet to have been a study that has proven that marijuana causes brain damage or any physical problems. Many studies that set out to prove that marijuana causes this type of damage have come back and shown that it has no long term effects on the brain or body. A website produced by The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign called The Anti-Drug, states that marijuana affects the brain, learning abilities, and physically affects the lungs (“Drug”). The side-effects of marijuana use that The Anti-Drug website talks about are only true if the user uses the marijuana in a certain way. For example, if the user was to smoke marijuana, the effects that marijuana would have on the body would be similar to many that smoking tobacco has on the human body, due to the tar in the smoke. If the user was to eat the marijuana or ingest it orally some other way, the lungs would not be affected by the drug because the tar and other chemicals created by the smoking of marijuana are not present. Further, if marijuana were to be legalized perhaps commercial suppliers would develop smoking systems that would remove the tar contained in the smoke as the tar is not a feature that the marijuana smoker is looking for as in the tobacco smoker.
Opposition also wants marijuana to stay illegal because of the effects that it can place on the brain. Many people and organizations involved with the fight against marijuana state that it causes long term brain damage(“Drug”). What the opposition does not know is that many of the new studies being released show that marijuana has no long term effect on the brain (Kirchheimer). In the article written by Sid Kirchheimer, a contributing author to the website entitled “Family Council on Drug Awareness,” he states that scientists have found only a small impairment in the learning and memory of chronic marijuana users. Fifteen studies were compiled and analyzed by a team of scientists, which compared 700 users to 484 non-users. The researchers compared the results after the users and non-users completed many tests that consisted of reaction times, motor skills, memory, and reasoning ability. The only difference that the researchers were able to find was the small impairment that effected memory and learning capabilities of the users (Kirchheimer).
Another argument used against marijuana legalization would be that it effects the driving of a person that is under the influence of marijuana. But there have been studies released to the public that have shown otherwise. Specifically, a study released by the Evening News in London, England illustrates that people that had previously used marijuana had quicker reaction times than the non-users (“Marijuana Shows”). In this study, the participants participated in head to head match-ups in a virtual reality driving simulator. The volunteers who had smoked a marijuana cigarette, or joint, before the contest performed better than the non-users in 8 of the 10 different tests, including reaction times, number of collisions, and the time that it took for the driver to complete a lap (“Marijuana Shows”).
Marijuana’s legalization would have many beneficial effects on America. Marijuana would help the thousands of the Americans suffering from deadly diseases by decreasing the amount of pain they suffer from and alleviate other symptoms caused by the horrible diseases. It would help the U.S. economically by producing billions of dollars in revenue each year, which could fund many federal and state programs. The legalization of marijuana would also allow Americans to exercise their freedom to choose, by allowing each American the opportunity to decide whether or not they want to use the drug, without the fear of federal prosecution. Hopefully now more and more Americans will begin to realize how much not only the users, but the country as a whole can benefit from the legalization of marijuana and this will begin to show when they see it on the ballots in the future.



“10 Things You Should Know About Marijuana.” Family Council on Drug
Awareness. 2003. 20 March 2004 <http://www.fcda.org/tenthings
.html#fn10>.

“Drug Information: Marijuana”. The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign.
2004. 2 March 2004 <http://www.theantidrug.com/drug_info/drugs_
marijuana.asp>.

Greringer, Dale. “Economics of Cannabis Legalization.” NORML: Working to Reform
Marijuana Laws. 2004. 17 February 2004 <http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?
Group_ID=4421>

Joy, Janet, et al. Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base. Washington
D.C.: National Academy Press, 1999.

Kirchheimer, Sid. “Heavy Marijuana Use Doesn’t Damage Brain.” Family Council On
Drug Awareness . 2003. 20 March 2004 <http://www.fcda.org/cannabisbrain.
Htm>

“Marijuana Shows no Adverse Impact on Driving Performance Study Says.” NORML:
Working to Reform Marijuana Laws January 2004. 12 Feb. 2004 <http://www.
Norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4421>.

Nadelmann, Ethan A. “The Case For Legalization.” Drug Legalization: For and Against.
Ed. Rod Evans and Irwin Berent. Chicago: Open Court, 1992.

 

[KYHomeGrown]

when does this contest end DG?

 

[Guest]

I'd tell him...
There's more Money in 'Diesel':wink: than in Oil... lol
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=12615

 

[KYHomeGrown]

hmmmm...any clue on the winners?

 

[Guest]

I think Dutch has been so busy doing a thorough product evaluation of her bong that she forgot about the contest