Today TOG is privileged to have a guest author. Randi Dillon has written this essay about the  issue of legalization and medical use of pot. This blog is a 4/20 friendly blog. If you have an article, essay or paper you would like to publish on TOG feel free to contact TOG.

The Prohibition of a Natural Resource, Marijuana

By Randi Dillon

Unknown by many, the Marihuana (Marijuana) Tax Act of 1937 was NOT the act to illegalize Marijuana. The act actually put a heavy tax on the herb and had the benefit of federal regulation (Solomon). Contrary to the law the American government, accompanied by religious groups, publicized marijuana as a lethal drug.

Marijuana is extremely popular today, a fad that has only lasted about 2,000 years (much longer than parachute pants). In our western civilization, and to smoker’s dismay, alcohol and cigarettes are the accepted recreational drugs. Alcohol itself went through a prohibition period with many negative affects; so would you not think that big brother would learn? Marijuana should be legalized in the United States because the criminalizing laws are out-dated, marijuana is misunderstood, and the legalization would have many benefits.

Cannabis should be legalized because the claims against it were based on racist, bias facts with little or no evidence. The most aggressive anti-narcotics campaign to-date was started by the California Board of Pharmacy in the mid 1900’s, and was inspired solely by anti-Chinese feelings (Gieringer). Standing before congress, giving his speech convincing the members to vote against the plant, Harry Anslinger said, “Marijuana makes the darkies think they’re as good as white men” (Marijuana Tax Act).

These outlooks are just making the drug scape-goats for people’s racism. Instead of acknowledging the fact that whoever smokes the herb will probably do it no matter what, people have been blaming the ‘drug problem’ on Mexicans and Hindus (Musto). Ironically enough, people skipped over the 1st Amendment in our country’s constitution where citizens are granted freedom of religion. Catholics use wine, and many eastern cultures chose weed.

Who is anyone to tell them not to honor their God(s)? Even after sixteen years of petitions, studies, and debates, the top DEA officers refused to change marijuana to a Schedule II drug (making it available for medical use). Many officials were even quoted saying that certain criteria “…require transfer of marijuana from schedule 1 to schedule 2” (Stuart). If nothing else, the criminalizing laws against marijuana are un-American, interfering with justice, freedom, and what lives were lost for against the British.

Cannabis Sativa should be legal in the U.S. because the law was passed on un-just terms. At the height of World War II, the American economy was dependent on munitions companies, as well as chemical, steel, and oil (Hemp). No one second guessed the people who beat the Nazi’s and Japanese, which brings up the racism factor once again. DuPont supplied forty percent of America’s ammunition for the war and they have a whole other reason to be against marijuana.

DuPont’s team of chemist’s knew the value of the Cannabis Sativa more than anybody. The company had just patented their system of making plastic and synthetic fibers completely based on oil and coal. They caught the discovery of hemp just in time to illegalize it before anybody caught on (Hemp). Luckily for them, Harry Anslinger was the Uncle (by marriage) of a DuPont CEO. Getting hemp illegalized saved the company billions.

The young man simply pulled a few strings, abused the justice system, filled his own pockets, and started a large part of destroying this beautiful planet. Based on the scientific method, facts, and experiments, but not money, marijuana has no reason to be illegal. The greed of one man is costing the planet and economy, and irreplenishable resources.

A vast majority of the anti-marijuana Americans have simply been misinformed. In the late 1930’s Harry Anslinger coined the phrase that marijuana caused “Murder! Insanity! Death!” He was later quoted saying he had no facts to make that assumption (Marijuana Tax Act). Another one of the most common misconceptions is the over-generalizing. One user is not proof of any specific topic (Earleywine). Some who drink alcohol go overboard, but that does not mean someone is an alcoholic if they happen to drink. The media takes on a certain side of the argument and is bias from there, they do not give the public straight facts because they do not want to be honest.

They want ratings. The racism this country has towards middle easterners also has an impact. Almost any religious trait common to Muslims, Hindus, and religions from the Middle East are highly frowned upon by Americans. Not only the information given to them is bias, but the lack of information is extremely unjust.

For example, in many high schools there are internet filters. If a student wishes to look up facts on marijuana, the system will not allow anything to be viewed unless it is anti-drug. Any information, as scientific as it may be, is blocked. However, facts of how marijuana is harmful are extremely handy. On the other hand, every single one of the common facts told to students about marijuana has been proven wrong, and just not publicized.

The most common misconception about marijuana is that it has been dubbed a ‘gateway’ drug. According to the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, marijuana users are eighty-five times more likely to use cocaine. This number is based on the number of cocaine users who smoke pot. Eighty-three percent of marijuana users never even touch cocaine once. (However less than 1 percent of cocaine users have never smoked pot.)

Nearly seventy million Americans call it quits after the single drug (Morgan). Also, two things that go together do not always come together. Marijuana may lead to using harder drugs (just as alcohol and cigarettes, which are legal) but it does NOT create an urge, as salt makes one thirsty. It is a proven fact that cities with more churches have higher crime rates, but obviously churches do not cause crime (Earleywine).

Marijuana is called a ‘gateway drug’ mainly for the availability. Second to alcohol and cigarettes, marijuana is usually the easiest drug to attain. However, if a young adult lives next to a crack dealer, the chances they will try crack before marijuana is high. So marijuana is a victim of circumstances, as many people have been themselves.

The most powerful argument marijuana has against the court system is all of the medical benefits derived from the plant. Yes, not all drugs are perfect. Aspirin heals pain, yet damages the liver (Earleywine). Pharmacies in China used the drug 2,000 years ago, and in all that time there is not a single recorded case of an overdose; which is virtually impossible. Marijuana is an illegal drug, and has been used to treat the addiction of alcohol which IS legal.

Smoking the plant helps chemotherapy and radiation therapy patients, as well as many others with nausea, eating disorders, insomnia, seizures, and constant pain (Stuart). A salve can even be made from the oil in order to treat burns. Illegalizing the drug is causing many people extreme health problems, pain, and discomfort. Other than the negative effects of not having the drug, there are risks of obtaining it illegally. Not buying a drug from a federally regulated distributor is a risk, there could be any other drug in the bag of weed; crack, heroin, LSD, and all unknowingly to the buyer. Somebody turning to marijuana for help could accidentally get an overdose of cocaine and would die because of their underlying condition which they were trying to treat. Also they face the chance of imprisonment (Stuart).

Cannabis Sativa, known economically as hemp, is one of the earth’s most abundant and replenishable resources. The hemp market would be enough to stimulate our economy. The hemp market would provide jobs for farmers, delivery, textile, fuel, shipping, and investment markets. In 1916, a USDA bulletin was posted stating that, “1 acre of cannabis hemp, in annual rotation over a 20-year period, would produce as much pulp for paper as 4.1 acres of trees being cut down over the same 20-year period.”

The hemp also used only one-fourth – one-seventh as many polluting chemicals (Hemp). Hemp is a hardy plant that grows basically anywhere and fast, as well as with little or no pesticides/herbicides. It is a natural weed, so other weeds find it hard to intrude on marijuana’s territory. The long roots of the plant replenish the soil as well as prevent erosion, and the soil can be used as manure.

The hemp plant produces twenty-forty percent as much oxygen as the process pollutes (Environmental). Seventy-seven percent of the stalk of the hemp plant is raw cellulose (Hemp). This is used to make plastic and synthetic fibers such as Rayon. The hemp based production of these products is much more efficient, cost-effective, and resourceful.
The cannabis herb should be decriminalized in the United States because the laws are archaic, the plant is miscommunicated to the public, and the drug itself is simply misunderstood.

The money hungry leaders of the political and economical markets have been depleting natural resources. They watch many Americans wither away under the influence of alcohol, cigarettes, and unemployment. The Great Depression was a vulnerable time for America, and citizens feared the unknown. The government has started stepping on citizen’s feet, in an almost socialist way.

The government is becoming dominating, past the point of simple regulation. The prohibition of a beloved and beneficial natural resource has had many negative effects. Just as with the prohibition of alcohol, prohibition of marijuana created a black market, with dangers and organized crime.