A lot of people tend to beat around the bush on this issue because they are uneducated about the subject and haven't really done any research themselves. But now, it is time that we all took a stand and educated ourselves on a very important, life-saving topic. Marijuana. What have we heard about marijuana in health class, from the media, teachers, coaches and even our parents? That it's a gateway drug, leads to addiction, ruins your life, kills brain cells, makes you do stupid things that are life-threatening, is illegal for a good reason and will give you lung cancer.
The main reason why marijuana is a 'gateway drug' is because in order to obtain the illegal substance, you might have to go to some sketchy dealer who also sells harder, actually dangerous and addictive, drugs. If marijuana was not illegal, younger kids and teenagers wouldn't seek it mostly for it's off-limits credibility and then wouldn't have the desire to try substances like LSD, ecstasy, cocaine, heroin, meth, etc. If people were properly educated about the different kinds of drugs, they would be less likely to partake in using actual drugs. These scare tactics adults use on students just destroys any trust amongst the two parties when the truth is revealed to the students. Making them go through drug tests and screenings is a violation of their privacy and sure as hell won't make them stop using the substance. There is a difference between certain types of "drugs" that make them 'good' and 'bad'.
Marijuana has no property in it that would make a person physically dependent on the use of the substance. Addiction in terms of marijuana is up to the person, not the pot. A person could be addicted to water or shopping, just as easily as they could to marijuana. Cannabis does not ruin peoples' lives. Again, it depends on the person, not the pot. If a person is generally an irresponsible and moronic individual, it's their own fault if they decide to do something stupid because if a responsible person uses marijuana, no harm is done. Not one person has ever died from smoking cannabis. You would have to smoke approximately 15,000 joints in under 20 minutes to get any toxic level of THC, making it impossible to overdose. But if you drank 15,000 cups of water in under 20 minutes, the end result probably wouldn't be too great either. However, about 400,000 people a year die from tobacco, 200,000 a year die from alcohol and 2,000 from caffiene.
Marijuana also does not kill brain cells. This misconception comes from a study performed on monkeys in the 70s where the monkeys were exposed to marijuana smoke, but the scientists didn't provide them with additional oxygen and the brain starts to lose cells after 5 minutes without oxygen. A second study was done a few years later, also on monkeys, but with additional oxygen and there was no decrease in the amount of braincells.
What seems to be a major concern for some people is this supposed risk of getting lung cancer from smoking. Studies show that people who smoke cannabis every so often and those who are nonsmokers have the same chance at getting lung cancer. In fact, marijuana has been shown to promote brain cell growth and heals damaged organ tissue. That is why medical marijuana is legal in 16 states. It is used as an alternative treatment for people with chronic illnesses, deteriorating health and even cancer. It also acts as a natural appetite inducer, which would help underweight individuals gain weight. However those who don't wish to, can control their increased appetite especially by how much they smoke. Without marijuana, most patients who use it regularly, would be suffering on a daily basis because typical, prescription medications aren't working. However, pharmaceutical companies are worried that if they allow marijuana to be legalized, they will lose profits on the manufactured pills they sell that cause even worse symptoms anyway. Marijuana has over 200 known medical uses and would have more if researchers had the funding to investigate more possibilities.
The male plant, hemp, can be used in over 30,000 different products, including food, fibers, fuel and textiles. But of course those industries are afraid to legalize it because they fear a loss in profit and spending money to invest in a safer alternative. Cannabis has been used for over 10,000 years and nothing life-threatening has ever happened as a direct result. Marijuana was legal up until 1937 and it was illegal for farmers to refuse to grow hemp. Even Jimmy Carter, the 39th president from 1977-1981 tried to get a bill passed to reform the marijuana prohibition and not for the same reason why republicans such as Ron Paul want to end the federal prohibition (so state government can have more power over it's people than the federal without any regulations. If he really liked the idea of marijuana, he'd try to get it legalized, not just end the federal prohibition). If the prohibition on alcohol in the 20's through early 30's didn't work, why would the one on marijuana? It's relatively easy to find someone who can deal you some marijuana and it's a lot easier for most teenagers to get their hands on than any other drug.
The federal government now spends about 20,000,000 a year enforcing drug laws and about 2/3 of that is on marijuana. In North Carolina, just for having less than an 1/2 oz. the penalty is at least 30 days incarcerated and a $200 fine as well as it counting as a misdemeanor. If you have 1 1/2 oz, it's considered a felony and you could spend up to a year in prison. Just possessing paraphernalia counts as a misdemeanor and the minimum sentence is 6 months incarceration. Each year, about 700,000 americans are arrested for marijuana related "crimes" and about half of the marijuana-using african american population is targeted as suspects while less than half are caucasian because of racial discrimination. Originally, the majority of marijuana users were hispanic, so people were immediately turned off for the same reason why we have physical borders and arrest immigrants instead of the people who actually hire the immigrants. Propaganda is fed into our subconscious telling us that if you legalize marijuana, anyone can get it, especially criminals who will increase ratings in murder, rape and theft. All of which are false. Taxpayers spend 24,000 a year to keep innocent people in jail when that same money could be used towards a greater cause like paying teachers adequate salaries or keeping libraries open, parks maintained, fire stations available, etc.
Long ago, a plant, the 'sea squirt', showed to have contained THC which was ingested by an animal. The cannabinoid receptors in the central nervous system of the animal fit perfectly with the chemical THC, much like a puzzle piece. Therefore, we are all fundamentally wired to respond to marijuana whether you like it or not. If marijuana was legalized, we could tax it just as we do alcohol and cigarettes and maybe put that money towards, say, universal health care. There will always be a high demand for this product, and it would be smart, economically, to increase the availability of the supply. This would in turn, create a boom among the agricultural industry and prevent what might be a second economic collapse in the near future.
If you care about saving lives or the economy, you will fight to legalize it. Currently, a bill is in congress to end the federal prohibition on marijuana, but even that might not pass if it doesn't have enough support. However, just ending the prohibition isn't enough. Marijuana has to be legalized. If all Americans showed the government how much they need marijuana to be legalized, it would happen. You can take the first step by contacting your U.S. house representative. http://www.capwiz.com/norml2/issues/alert/?alertid=50800581
I highly suggest you watch this testimony: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQS3KEGtdBI&feature=related
If everyone fights for a common cause, change can be achieved, but if everyone assumes it's never going to happen and they refuse to take action, we will continue to live our lives as we are told they should be lived and we will continue to allow this corruption to spread.
Feel free to add any points I may have overlooked. =)
The main reason why marijuana is a 'gateway drug' is because in order to obtain the illegal substance, you might have to go to some sketchy dealer who also sells harder, actually dangerous and addictive, drugs. If marijuana was not illegal, younger kids and teenagers wouldn't seek it mostly for it's off-limits credibility and then wouldn't have the desire to try substances like LSD, ecstasy, cocaine, heroin, meth, etc. If people were properly educated about the different kinds of drugs, they would be less likely to partake in using actual drugs. These scare tactics adults use on students just destroys any trust amongst the two parties when the truth is revealed to the students. Making them go through drug tests and screenings is a violation of their privacy and sure as hell won't make them stop using the substance. There is a difference between certain types of "drugs" that make them 'good' and 'bad'.
Marijuana has no property in it that would make a person physically dependent on the use of the substance. Addiction in terms of marijuana is up to the person, not the pot. A person could be addicted to water or shopping, just as easily as they could to marijuana. Cannabis does not ruin peoples' lives. Again, it depends on the person, not the pot. If a person is generally an irresponsible and moronic individual, it's their own fault if they decide to do something stupid because if a responsible person uses marijuana, no harm is done. Not one person has ever died from smoking cannabis. You would have to smoke approximately 15,000 joints in under 20 minutes to get any toxic level of THC, making it impossible to overdose. But if you drank 15,000 cups of water in under 20 minutes, the end result probably wouldn't be too great either. However, about 400,000 people a year die from tobacco, 200,000 a year die from alcohol and 2,000 from caffiene.
Marijuana also does not kill brain cells. This misconception comes from a study performed on monkeys in the 70s where the monkeys were exposed to marijuana smoke, but the scientists didn't provide them with additional oxygen and the brain starts to lose cells after 5 minutes without oxygen. A second study was done a few years later, also on monkeys, but with additional oxygen and there was no decrease in the amount of braincells.
What seems to be a major concern for some people is this supposed risk of getting lung cancer from smoking. Studies show that people who smoke cannabis every so often and those who are nonsmokers have the same chance at getting lung cancer. In fact, marijuana has been shown to promote brain cell growth and heals damaged organ tissue. That is why medical marijuana is legal in 16 states. It is used as an alternative treatment for people with chronic illnesses, deteriorating health and even cancer. It also acts as a natural appetite inducer, which would help underweight individuals gain weight. However those who don't wish to, can control their increased appetite especially by how much they smoke. Without marijuana, most patients who use it regularly, would be suffering on a daily basis because typical, prescription medications aren't working. However, pharmaceutical companies are worried that if they allow marijuana to be legalized, they will lose profits on the manufactured pills they sell that cause even worse symptoms anyway. Marijuana has over 200 known medical uses and would have more if researchers had the funding to investigate more possibilities.
The male plant, hemp, can be used in over 30,000 different products, including food, fibers, fuel and textiles. But of course those industries are afraid to legalize it because they fear a loss in profit and spending money to invest in a safer alternative. Cannabis has been used for over 10,000 years and nothing life-threatening has ever happened as a direct result. Marijuana was legal up until 1937 and it was illegal for farmers to refuse to grow hemp. Even Jimmy Carter, the 39th president from 1977-1981 tried to get a bill passed to reform the marijuana prohibition and not for the same reason why republicans such as Ron Paul want to end the federal prohibition (so state government can have more power over it's people than the federal without any regulations. If he really liked the idea of marijuana, he'd try to get it legalized, not just end the federal prohibition). If the prohibition on alcohol in the 20's through early 30's didn't work, why would the one on marijuana? It's relatively easy to find someone who can deal you some marijuana and it's a lot easier for most teenagers to get their hands on than any other drug.
The federal government now spends about 20,000,000 a year enforcing drug laws and about 2/3 of that is on marijuana. In North Carolina, just for having less than an 1/2 oz. the penalty is at least 30 days incarcerated and a $200 fine as well as it counting as a misdemeanor. If you have 1 1/2 oz, it's considered a felony and you could spend up to a year in prison. Just possessing paraphernalia counts as a misdemeanor and the minimum sentence is 6 months incarceration. Each year, about 700,000 americans are arrested for marijuana related "crimes" and about half of the marijuana-using african american population is targeted as suspects while less than half are caucasian because of racial discrimination. Originally, the majority of marijuana users were hispanic, so people were immediately turned off for the same reason why we have physical borders and arrest immigrants instead of the people who actually hire the immigrants. Propaganda is fed into our subconscious telling us that if you legalize marijuana, anyone can get it, especially criminals who will increase ratings in murder, rape and theft. All of which are false. Taxpayers spend 24,000 a year to keep innocent people in jail when that same money could be used towards a greater cause like paying teachers adequate salaries or keeping libraries open, parks maintained, fire stations available, etc.
Long ago, a plant, the 'sea squirt', showed to have contained THC which was ingested by an animal. The cannabinoid receptors in the central nervous system of the animal fit perfectly with the chemical THC, much like a puzzle piece. Therefore, we are all fundamentally wired to respond to marijuana whether you like it or not. If marijuana was legalized, we could tax it just as we do alcohol and cigarettes and maybe put that money towards, say, universal health care. There will always be a high demand for this product, and it would be smart, economically, to increase the availability of the supply. This would in turn, create a boom among the agricultural industry and prevent what might be a second economic collapse in the near future.
If you care about saving lives or the economy, you will fight to legalize it. Currently, a bill is in congress to end the federal prohibition on marijuana, but even that might not pass if it doesn't have enough support. However, just ending the prohibition isn't enough. Marijuana has to be legalized. If all Americans showed the government how much they need marijuana to be legalized, it would happen. You can take the first step by contacting your U.S. house representative. http://www.capwiz.com/norml2/issues/alert/?alertid=50800581
I highly suggest you watch this testimony: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQS3KEGtdBI&feature=related
If everyone fights for a common cause, change can be achieved, but if everyone assumes it's never going to happen and they refuse to take action, we will continue to live our lives as we are told they should be lived and we will continue to allow this corruption to spread.
Feel free to add any points I may have overlooked. =)
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