California Proposition 215: Legalizing Medical Marijuana Essays

Marijuana was in the United States Pharmacopeia from 1850 until 1942 and was prescribed to patients for various conditions including labor pains, nausea and rheumatism. During the 1850’s up to the 1930’s it was a very popular intoxicant. A movement conducted in the 1930’s by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Narcotics (presently the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs) fought to make marijuana appear to be an Addicting and powerful substance that would lead

In 1996, California voters passed the Compassionate Use Act, which allowed for the cultivation and usage of marijuana for limited medical purposes. The proposition was the statewide ballot on the issue of medical marijuana which had been passed. It was enacted with 55% of the population in favor, 45% opposed, a fact which in and of itself

Cannabis was used by almost every ancient civilization for, but not limited to, ropes, clothing, medicine, and recreation. Marijuana has only been illegal for the past 73 years. The interesting thing about it’s illegality is the fact that Cannabis used to be very legal in the United States. Prior to 1937, cannabis was the largest agricultural crop in the United

In 1996, California Proposition 215 passed with 55.6% votes in favor and 44.4% against it (Baird 2011). That is more California votes than Bush, Clinton, or most other elected presidents have received. Proposition 215 was the first statewide medical marijuana voter initiative adopted in the USA. This proposition was envisioned by San Francisco marijuana activist and owner of the San Francisco Cannabis Buyer’s Club, Dennis Peron, in memory of his partner, who smoked marijuana to help with symptoms of AIDS. Initially, California claimed its support for the legalization of medical marijuana by voting 80% in favor of Proposition P, the San Francisco medical marijuana initiative in 1991 (Baird 2011). Three California polls show a majority siding with Proposition 215, which would require only a ' 'doctor 's recommendation ' ' for marijuana use by patients with AIDS, cancer, glaucoma ' 'or any other illness for which marijuana provides relief (Goldberg 1996). ' ' A Field Poll ending Oct. 9, 1996 showed that 56 percent of those surveyed would vote for the measure, a private poll in the same period by the campaign for Proposition 215 found 57 percent supporting it, and a Los Angeles Times poll found 58 percent in favor. The opposition

One of the first things about marijuana history that the American public still doesn 't understand is that cannabis, was once very legal to grow in the United States. In fact, up until 1883 it was one of the largest agricultural crops in the world, including America.(The Union) But it wasn’t grown for the psychoactive plant cannabis sativa. Cannabis hemp, which carries a fraction of the amount of THC, (the compound in marijuana that attributes to the high feeling) was and is used all over the world, producing the overall majority of Earth’s fiber, fabric, paper, and medicines.(Herer,20) Hemp has a deep American History as well, from the gardens of George Washington and Benjamin Franklin to the 8,327 American hemp plantations counted in the 1850 census.(Herer,15) Yet the Federal government now recognizes cannabis as a Schedule I drug with no medical value, and 23 States have legalized cannabis for medicinal use. (The Union) Even though some western states such as Oregon and Colorado are making legal changes to marijuana policy at the state level, the most beneficial marijuana law we could pass is and always has been the Nationwide legalization of industrial Cannabis Hemp.

California's Proposition 215 was the first statewide medical marijuana voter initiative adopted in the USA. The passing of Prop 215 by a 56% majority of California voters in November, 1996, resulted in the addition of The Compassionate Use Act to the California Health and Safety Code which reads as follows:

· Medical Marijuana Law: Passed under the Compassionate Use act of 1996, Proposition 215 ensured that individuals in California could use marijuana for medical uses as approved by a physician. It also led to the rise of dispensaries, where the drug could be provided and monitored safely, as well as allowed home growing of marijuana under certain restrictions for individuals using it medically. It also allowed the patient’s, “primary caregiver” to obtain the marijuana for the individual. This caregiver has to provide “…for housing, health or safety” of the patient (Proposition 215).

In the 1800’s marijuana was sold in the drugstores and was used to treat migraines and menstrual cramps. In the early 1900s some states required you to have a prescription for the medical use of marijuana. By the 1930’s marijuana was being tied with criminal cases being the lead cause of the crime. In the 1960-70’s Congress with Richard Nixon as President passed the Controlled Substances Act classifying marijuana as a drug with a “high potential for abuse” and “no currently accepted medical use” (Bronner, 2013).

The history of marijuana in the United States government date back to the origins of the United States government itself. During the 16th century, the mass production of hemp was encouraged by the British government for its fibrous content, which was used for making fabric, ropes, cords, and other items (“Marijuana Timeline” 2014). By 1619, the Virginia assembly passed legislation requiring each household in the colony to cultivate hemp, praising its variety of beneficial uses. Even after the American Revolution, hemp continued to be a large part of the American economy. By mid-19th century, hemp was the third-largest crop in the United States, only exceeded by cotton and tobacco. As technology was developed, however, the need for

The history of marijuana is quite interesting. Marijuana has gone from being an important crop of the early settlers, to being outlawed in many countries, including the United States. To better understand marijuana, I will trace it back to its origins, and explain how marijuana was used in the beginning. I will then take a closer look at the history of marijuana in the United States and how this plant has evolved over the years. An interesting fact that one should ponder is that ?in 1762 Virginia imposed penalties on those who did not produce it [marijuana]? (Sloman 21). This is quite a contrast to how marijuana is treated today. If one is caught growing, selling, or even using marijuana, there is consequences

Why should marijuana be legalized? Marijuana can be argued for different reasons. In my case I will be arguing the medical purposes for legalizing marijuana. Marijuana has positive features, and how people prefer using marijuana. Marijuana helps individuals get through a variety of things that they suffer. Marijuana provides relief from pain, rather than other medications out there. Many individuals prefer marijuana over anything else to relax. An argument on why people using marijuana spend more time in jail than actual criminals. So you can say the greatest risk of using marijuana is the risk of arrest. Marijuana should be legalized at the federal law for medical purposes.

Marijuana, also known as Cannabis is the third most well-liked recreational drug, which only falls behind alcohol and tobacco, in the United States (The Whitehouse, n.d.). Marijuana is made up of dried leaves, plants, stalks, and pits from the hemp plant Cannabis Sativa, which comprises of the mind-altering compound delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), in addition to other associated compounds. This plant substance can correspondingly be converged in a resin called hashish or an adhesive black fluid called hash oil. Efforts to legalize marijuana for medication treatment and recreational use in the United States have grown in current years. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that marijuana may perhaps

Marijuana, also known as cannabis or pot, has a long history of use. Most ancient cultures didn’t grow the plant to get high, but they used it as herbal medicine, starting in Asia around 500 BC. The history of cannabis cultivation in America is dated back to the early colonists, who grew hemp for textiles and rope. Political and racial factors in the 20th century led to the criminalization of marijuana in the United States, though its legal status is changing in many places. The cannabis or hemp plant originally started in Central Asia before people introduced the plant into Africa, Europe, and eventually the Americas. Hemp fiber was used to make clothing, paper, sails and rope, and its seeds were used as food. Early colonies were required

Marijuana has been a controversial issue lately when it comes to whether or not it should be legal or illegal. Historically in America marijuana was was not always very well received going all the way back to when it was made illegal in the early 1900’s because Mexican immigrants were bringing it in to America and some people believed that it made whoever used it to become and act

     Marijuana cultivation in the United States can trace its lineage some 400 years. For most of our nation's history, farmers grew marijuana, then know exclusively as hemp, for its fiber content. "Colonialists planted the first American hemp crop in 1611 near Jamestown Virginia"(Snyder 241). Soon after King James I of Britain ordered settlers to engage in a wide scale farming of the plant. Most of the sails and ropes on colonial ships were made from hemp, as were many of the colonists "bible, clothing and maps." According to Jess Lord, "George Washington and Thomas Jefferson cultivated marijuana and advocated a hemp-based economy" (89). Some colonies even made hemp cultivation compulsory, calling its production necessary for the "wealth and protection of the country." Marijuana cultivation continued as an agricultural staple in America through the turn of the 20th century.