When you think of one of the United States most potentially famous pot growers, do you think of George Washington or Thomas Jefferson?
According to Chris Conrad:
The extent of cannabis smoking during the Colonial era is still subject to debate. President George Washington wrote a letter that contained an oblique reference to what may have been hashish. "The artificial preparation of hemp, from Silesia, is really a curiosity." 38 Washington made specific written references to Indian hemp, or cannabis indica, and hoped to "have disseminated the seed to others. " 39 His August 7, 1765 diary entry, "began to separate the male from the female (hemp) plants," describes a harvesting technique favored to enhance the potency of smoking cannabis, among other reasons. 40 Hemp farmer Thomas Jefferson and paper maker Ben Franklin were ambassadors to France during the initial surge of the hashish vogue. Their celebrity status and progressive revolutionary image afforded them ample opportunities to try new experiences. Jefferson smuggled Chinese hemp seeds to America and is credited with the phrase in the Declaration of Independence, "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
The links above link directly to more details regarding the writings or background of the writings.
In Virginia during 1762, those who produced marijuana were given rewards and benefits, but the people who did not manufacture or manufacture the required amount, would recieve penalties. Quite ironic when looked at from modern American society.
In our 3 dimensional lives, people tend to miss the realities of everything because of their overactive imaginations and fabricated truths. Firstly, lets use those overactive imaginations of ours and assume for a moment that the population of The United States is a 3 year old child. If that child's parent told them it was important to look both ways before crossing the road, they would probably not immediatly be able to understand why they should do this, but it's highly probable that they would look both ways before crossing a road in future scenarios. The reasoning behind this view is similar, and is a large contribution to the heinous criminalization of a highly beneficial, and widely used plant.
Approximately 300 million people live in the United States of America.
According to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws(NORML),
Government's surverys indicate more then 70 million Americans have
smoked marijuana at some point in their lives, and that eighteen to twenty million have smoked during the last year.
This curious substance baffles and intrigues people all over the world. What unique qualities does this popular flower bud contain? If so many millions of people in The United States alone find marijuana to be appealing, why do so many others find it’s existence appalling?
Though extremely popular today, marijuana isn’t a “new” recreational drug, in fact it was even used by Napoleon’s soldiers to avoid the hangover symptoms associated with alcohol.
If a person was to take a look back at the history of the United States, the probability of seeing some of your favorite American heroes and human activists engaging in the recreational use of marijuana would be a large non-zero number. In other words, marijuana has been vital to shaping The United States and the entirety of its population(yes, even if you have never heard of the substance it still effects the way you are socialized) into the modern super power it is in the world currently.
A quick list of things before we get started:
- Between a fourth and a third of the population have been involved in direct use of marijuana
- Marijuana and it's chemicals, in comparison to similar drugs(as similar as you can find) are extremely potent and reactive in the brain
- Marijuanas medical uses are high in potential, but are low in factual evidence which is largely due to its extreme criminalization in various locations
- The harsher the criminalization, the more frowned upon research is of the subject (if there was a branch of science dedicated solely to the study of marijuana with millions of people working to better understand the substance, wouldnt you think we would know a lot more about the drug?)
- The process of smoking is basically the only significantly dangerous part(to yourself and to the air and things called other people) of consumption of marijuana, at least over longer periods of use
-The side effects of marijuana begin as soon as the drug enters the brain. They tend to last 1-3 hours, therefore most side effects of it are only short-term.
Aspects of Marijuana:
Biological:
The primary psychoactive chemical in cannabis is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, otherwise known as THC.
THC is a mysterious and extremely potent chemical that has a vast amount of effects and various ranges of usefulness whose potential in the scientific and medical fields has been for the most part, unfulfilled and underappreciated.
THC’s medical uses are speculated to be extremely practical and efficient in the use of treatment for a various amount of afflictions ranging from anxiety and depression to potentially un-curable illnesses such as cancer and glaucoma. It’s use is commonplace in chemotherapy treatments, and is usually delivered in a medicinal perscription form; a toxin free pill made of pure THC.
According to the author of "Marijuana: the Myths are Hazardous to Your Health", Leslie Iversen states:
"Scientists have discovered a specific receptor protein in the brain that recognizes THC (and some closely related, biologically active derivatives). This protein, known as the cannabinoid receptor, belongs to a large family of similar receptor proteins that are part of the complex system of chemical communication in the brain - a system in which the receptors recognize and react to chemical messengers released by activated nerve cells. When a chemical messenger (either a naturally occurring molecule or a drug) binds to its particular receptor, it triggers activity in the nerve cell that has the receptor on its surface."
To better understand marijuana we must first learn the BASICS. (
Click the above link, the word "BASICS", to better learn about the biology of marijuana.
While scientists are aware of how marijuana’s effects take place in the brain, and the negative effects of smoking on the body, it is extremely difficult to measure the various biological effects marijuana’s components have on the body. Smoking in general is an activity that increases the risk for many negative consequences, but the negative biological qualities of marijuana are not well enough researched to decrimalize such a substance. Also, marijuana exists in extreme variety, and is not being actively studied in the form of plant marijuana, but rather the extract of the chemicals THC and CBD. According to Leslie Iversen, the percentage of THC in a typical ‘pot plant’ is approximately 3-4% in weight of the plant. Modern varieties of indoor marijuana that have been well attended will produce flowering buds that contain about 15-20% THC. The high concentration of THC contained in the flowering buds of various breeds of marijuana, when smoked, will cause a potent reaction in the brain. These buds will produce various, extreme amounts of chemical reactions in the body that should be studied far more closely by scientists to determine true health risks or benefits of the consumption of the drug.
Societal:
Travis's key points:
-Marijuana prohibition is similar to alcohol prohibition.
-Society affects legislation, rather, the majority of society affects legislation.
-Marijuana controversey seems to be tireless.
- The United States alone spends approximately 480 million dollars a year fighting the "war" on marijuana. (Yet people think the war in iraq is bad?)
Marijuana is commonly used by multi-millions of people to relieve physical and emotional pains in many cultures , despite the various criminalization laws of the substance throughout the world, marijuana reigns as one of the most popular recreational drugs. In modern American culture, marijuana causes extreme amounts of controversey. When the criminalization of a substance causes more harm to the economy then the "drug" itself, then something needs to be changed.
In the introduction on this page there was an example used that considered the government being the parent of a child. The governement's initial pre-prohibition standpoint could be looked at as a parent teaching a young child or a computer programmer writing a program, both need to be considered to be the U.S. Population for the model to work. The parent and the programmer both have an advantage over their counterparts because they are more knowledgeable of certain things required for each. Using this advantage, they now can create their computer program or teach their child the things they want to teach them. What is the probability of the young child arguing with you, or the computer program deciding not to be programed?
In order to aid this point on the topic of marijuana criminalization, i will list a familiar movie script's introduction below.
The information you are about to read is 100% real.
The motion picture you are about to witness may startle you .It would not have been possibleotherwise, to sufficientlyemphasize the frightful toll of thenew drug menace which is destroyingthe youth of America in alarminglyincreasing numbers. Marijuana isthat drug -- a violent narcotic --an unspeakable scourge -- The RealPublic Enemy Number One !Its first effect is sudden violent,uncontrollable laughter, then comedangerous hallucinations -- spaceexpands -- time slows down, almoststands still.... fixed ideas comenext, conjuring up monstrousextravagances-- followed by emotionaldisturbances, the total inabilityto direct thoughts, the loss of allpower to resist physical emotions leading finally to acts of shockingviolence ... ending often inincurable insanity.In picturing its soul- destroyingeffects no attempt was made toequivocate. The scenes andincidents, while fictionized forthe purposes of this story, arebased upon actual research into theresults of Marijuana addiction. Iftheir stark reality will make youthink, will make you aware thatsomething must be done to wipe outthis ghastly menace, then thepicture will not have failed in its purpose.
Because the dread Marihuana may be reaching forth next for your son or daughter ...or yours ... or YOURS!
Unfortunately for first amendment enthusiasts, in 1936 those facts would have been 100% real.
First, watch the video below, before the section that says, "What the experts think", write a comment on this wiki with your answer to the question, "Why do you think marijuana is illegal?" After you complete that task, finish watching the portion of the video explaining what experts know to be true today. Compare what you are told to the previous answer, and if you have learned anything new, feel free to comment again.
The chances are you do not actually know why marijuana is illegal, but you can know, and you have the right to know. Sorry everyone, but we've all been duped!
A Very Informative Video
Since the dawn of humanity, fear has been the most efficient way in controlling people. That of course is no secret to our government;
reefer madness is a pure example of false evidence, miss information, and an extreme amount of fear. By naming a moive "Tell Your Children"
and loading it with information telling children of that age, "if you do marijuana you will lose all inhibitions and kill your family with an axe."
That’s not to say that it's not possible for it to happen, but out of all the millions of people that use marijuana, how many of them are
how many of them are murdering their families? The probable estimate would be that the amount of axe murderers that use marijuana
is approximately the same as the amount of axe murderers that do not use marijuana.
At this point in our American society, two people can not agree on one thing without fighting the other person.
Add an extreme amount of fear to the extreme uncertain, and those overactive imaginations run wild.
The fabricated truths need peoples over-accepting, non-questioning, and overactive imaginations
like a fire needs oxygen. We as a people must understand that even if smoking marijuana is harmful to health,
even if you despise marijuana and have no interest in it whatsoever, it is our right to choose. There are harmless
alternatives to smoking marijuana, so if you can do marijuana without smoking, lets saying you vaporize it, what are the health risks? You tell me! Cigarettes are proven to kill you, and it says so on the box, so why are they not illegal as well?
The right to drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes in this culture is part of our right to freedom.
Protects the right to freedom of religion and freedom
of expression from government interference. Both have been used as a form of religious expression and
cultural expression since man was on earth. Heck, the declaration of independence is made out of marijuana and
that is a gigantic symbol of freedom.
If all of this is so, and the government is supposed to protect our right to expression, then why is smoking
cigarettes legal,but smoking marijuana a horrible crime? What it comes down to now is a matter of our
right to freedoms. Our government promised us freedom, but i must have missed the lecture where they said they
would do what they wanted regardless of our existance.
Throughout years of false information, scare tactics, and slandering campaigns, culture has been brainwashed to
believe anything anyone hands down to them in an official looking folder.
The lack of knowledge of the mysteriousness of marijuana is too vast to have
extreme criminal punishment for “offenders” of the “law.”
The result of criminalizing marijuana creates divisions amongst the
people of The United States, a constant bastardization of the freedoms promised
by the first amendment, and causes massive irreversable damage, effectively
ruining peoples lives and their family's lives all over this country.
The future result is more harmful than the drug itself a hundred times over.
The only thing we can do to improve the situation is to first admit the lies.
The next step is decriminalization and regulation of marijuana. As soon as
possible, following decriminalization, the government should provide
alternative means to using marijuana.
The healthier methods of use have such a minor risk, and are at approximately
0%carcinogin intake, 0% tar intake, and between 90-99% THC and CBD absorption.
Vaporized marijuana is more efficient by the nature of the process, causing
less waste of the valuable resource, more effective results,
and the entire process is safe and healthy.
I encourage everyone that smokes marijuana or any other substance to try to prove this wrong.
In closing i would just like to say that if recreational marijuana never sees
legality in the United States, then for the love of your deity, i hope
medicinal marijuana becomes the next major scientific field of study.
Cognitive: Marijauna use has the ability to affect our short term memory, learning, and cognitive processes. All of which are controlled by areas in the brain (such as the hippocamus and cerebral cortex). Since, marijuana's active ingredient THC affects the brain, in it turn weakens the users conginiton. The impairments that it may cause are:
-impaired judgement
-difficulties with thinking and problem solving
-poor attention span
-interference with ability to recall events
-inability to form memories (impaired short-term memory)
-distorted perception
However, these impairments are only short-term, and are highly various in each individual user. Many people do not even experience some of these symptoms after a long period of use.
Behavioral: The behavioral view was tested and tried by B.F. Skinner. Whose famous quote "operant conditioning shapes behavior as a sculptor shapes a lump of clay" has inspired many. Basically saying that operant conditioning, which is a form of learning in which voluntary responses come to be controlled by their consequences, is the basis of behavior. B.F. Skinner was inspired greatly by Pavlov's work as the building blocks, off of which his experiments and tests started. Skinners research was simple yet influenced researchers world wide. There are several different reasons as to why people use marajuana and a few of them are...
-Pain relief- Many use marajuana for such a relief. This is the main reason why people are fighting to make marajuana legal. For medication use only. Several attempts have been made for such a task and everyone has failed so far.
-Escape- needing to get away from the world no matter how brief a time, either to relax or to escape the pressures and problems of life.
-Peer pressure- from friends with whom they want to fit in.
Although the supreme court ruled that "marajuana deserves no medical benefits worthy of exception", has stopped few from fighting for the RIGHT to smoke marajuana to escape the effects of AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis, and other illnesses.
In conclusion, we can note that psychology has everything to do with the criminalization of marijuana. The masters of these types of psychology are the same people that allow problems in the world, even when the solution is cheap, affordable, and logical. Our final argument is one that we hope you all can understand and appreciate in some form. Whether you refuse to believe the facts or not, please be part of something much bigger.
Do you like the environment? Does it liberate you to see plastic and oil products litered about on the planet? Do you enjoy paying near monopolisticly high prices for plastic and oil products that directly fund killing the planet that provides each and every living thing on it sustenance?
The following video is part of a documentational series. It is a highly informative video who's results could equal solving serious world problems such as mass starvation and pollution, as well as one of the most environmentally harmful, but supposedly "neccesary" actions of all time. This is the act of deforestation. If there were no trees on the planet, there would be no people to starve to death or pollute the planet. Consider this while watching the following video.
The most informative documentational series the general population has apparantly never seen.
See the truth, before it is too late. If there is a global warming, the mass marketing of hemp will indefinetely put sand in its gears.
Please. Save our country. Save our planet. Save our future.
If you ever have the chance to vote on decriminalizing"marijuana", consider this. A vote for Marijuana is a vote for mankind, the improvement of the future, and the protection of our greatest sanctuary, Planet Earth.
Vote yes for the decriminalization of marijuana. Your vote could be the solution to the world's most severe problems.
Group members:
Matt Kuhn
Travis Crandall
Amanda Allison
Eric Rasco
Melinda LaFountain
Sources Used:
Iversen, Leslie. ""Marijuana: the Myths are Hazardous to Your Health." Cerebrum. 1999; 1(2): Pp. 37-49." Clinton Community College, Plattsburgh.
"Reefer Madness." Reefer Madness. 09 May 2008 <http://drugpolicycentral.com/bot/pg/propaganda/reefer_madness_movie_script.htm#INTRO>.
Bonsor, Kevin. "How Stuff Works?" How Marijuana Works? 9 May 2008 <http://health.howstuffworks.com/marijuana3.htm>.
Tip: To turn text into a link, highlight the text, then click on a page or file from the list above.
Comments (3)
Marijauna 101 said
at 3:20 pm on May 9, 2008
Feel free to ask any questions you have about this page.
Guest said
at 3:36 pm on May 9, 2008
Well lets just say I am a person who disagrees with much of this page. Sure, it may be costly to keep marijuana illegal, but I'd rather it be illegal. Making it legal, what does that say. It's alright to go mess up your life by doing some sort of drug. which is what marijuana is, a drug. But that'd be okay because it'd be legal. I do not approve of marijuana use or use of any such drug for that matter, as I have known people whose lifes went down the drain thanks to things like that. I do agree on one thing on this page though, cigarettes should also be banned, but that wouldn't work because of all the people who would be put of a job...and then it would mess up the economy even more. However, though things like cigarettes are legal, their are many who frown upon them too...just as many would frown upon marijuana being legalized. I'm sure that no matter what is replied back to this, if anything it will not change where I stand. I have my views from things I have seen in real life!
Admin said
at 9:48 pm on May 9, 2008
or
It's costly because they make it over costly for no reason. Saying that drugs take people down is an extreme exaggeration. It's time for people in American society to start taking responsibility for their own actions and stop using learned helplessness to bring down the rest of the population that has not ended up entirely programmed. You should ask the question "Why?" more often, you may benefit highly in many other fields of our world. Marijuana has a perception of harm. Due to the individuality of the effects of different varieties of marijuana, and the individuality of the way each of those unique various effects has on each person, people are effected differently. As a result it is difficult to generalize all the negativities associated with marijuana that are commonly percieved by the general populus. The only thing to truly blame is people, regardless of our cultural and social values. In this country, during the entire time man has been here, marijuana has been illegal for 1% of the duration of that time. Consider a person who accidently kills somebody with their automobile. Would you blame the person or the automobile for any harm caused by this situation? Ironically, with marijuana it is the opposite. Now lets say somebody uses marijuana and commits a crime. Would you blame the person on marijuana or just the marijuana for the crime? We must accept responsibility and get over this ignorant mentality that is circulating this country. Marijuana is just a sub section of this mentality. If we are ever going to be an entirely functional society, we need to understand the real truth about all aspects of whatever is being studied. Propaganda is a disease, try to stay healthy!
You don't have permission to comment on this page.
leading finally to acts of shockingviolence ... ending often inincurable insanity.In picturing its soul- destroyingeffects no attempt was made toequivocate. The scenes andincidents, while fictionized forthe purposes of this story, arebased upon actual research into theresults of Marijuana addiction. Iftheir stark reality will make youthink, will make you aware thatsomething must be done to wipe outthis ghastly menace, then thepicture will not have failed in its purpose. 
Comments (3)
Marijauna 101 said
at 3:20 pm on May 9, 2008
Feel free to ask any questions you have about this page.
Guest said
at 3:36 pm on May 9, 2008
Well lets just say I am a person who disagrees with much of this page. Sure, it may be costly to keep marijuana illegal, but I'd rather it be illegal. Making it legal, what does that say. It's alright to go mess up your life by doing some sort of drug. which is what marijuana is, a drug. But that'd be okay because it'd be legal. I do not approve of marijuana use or use of any such drug for that matter, as I have known people whose lifes went down the drain thanks to things like that. I do agree on one thing on this page though, cigarettes should also be banned, but that wouldn't work because of all the people who would be put of a job...and then it would mess up the economy even more. However, though things like cigarettes are legal, their are many who frown upon them too...just as many would frown upon marijuana being legalized. I'm sure that no matter what is replied back to this, if anything it will not change where I stand. I have my views from things I have seen in real life!
Admin said
at 9:48 pm on May 9, 2008
or
It's costly because they make it over costly for no reason. Saying that drugs take people down is an extreme exaggeration. It's time for people in American society to start taking responsibility for their own actions and stop using learned helplessness to bring down the rest of the population that has not ended up entirely programmed. You should ask the question "Why?" more often, you may benefit highly in many other fields of our world. Marijuana has a perception of harm. Due to the individuality of the effects of different varieties of marijuana, and the individuality of the way each of those unique various effects has on each person, people are effected differently. As a result it is difficult to generalize all the negativities associated with marijuana that are commonly percieved by the general populus. The only thing to truly blame is people, regardless of our cultural and social values. In this country, during the entire time man has been here, marijuana has been illegal for 1% of the duration of that time. Consider a person who accidently kills somebody with their automobile. Would you blame the person or the automobile for any harm caused by this situation? Ironically, with marijuana it is the opposite. Now lets say somebody uses marijuana and commits a crime. Would you blame the person on marijuana or just the marijuana for the crime? We must accept responsibility and get over this ignorant mentality that is circulating this country. Marijuana is just a sub section of this mentality. If we are ever going to be an entirely functional society, we need to understand the real truth about all aspects of whatever is being studied. Propaganda is a disease, try to stay healthy!
You don't have permission to comment on this page.