Medical Marijuana Debate

Before one can begin to explore why marijuana should be made legal, the factors going into the original ban on marijuana must first be known. Since the early 1900’s a great number Mexicans began to move across the border and find a new home in many of the southwestern states. Unfortunately, the American citizens at the time were not very welcoming. They viewed the massive Mexican immigration as a problem that needed to be dealt with. Unlike most Americans, many Mexicans used cannabis as a recreational drug by smoking it. American law makers used marijuana as a way to drive out the Mexican population. Even though at the time scientific research had been completed showing that the drug was not very dangerous, the government blamed the drug for all the negative qualities the American people viewed in the Mexicans. Harry Anslinger, head of the Bureau of Narcotics, began releasing waves of propaganda depicting the drug as extremely dangerous. He claimed that marijuana contributed to insanity, violence, and rebellion. Thousands of newspapers, magazines, and other sources of media depicted

The debate on Medical marijuana has been a controversial subject mainly because people have an abundance of opinions and very little scientific research to back up either side of the debate. The most important question here is “will medical marijuana be used for medical purposes or will it be used inappropriately?”

For the last century there has been an abundance of false information being spread about the drug marijuana. Even in commercials on television, misleading facts about the drug have been presented to the audience. Some misconceptions about the drug include its potential to cause addiction, the damaging of brain cells, genetic damage, violent behavior, and damage to the immune system. These misconceptions, which have plagued a large percentage of the population into thinking that marijuana is a bad drug, have caused many set backs in the process of gradual legalization. (http://legalizationofmarijuana.com/ )

In 1937, Hearst teamed up with Commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN), Harry J. Anslinger, to spark a nation-wide smear campaign against Cannabis known widely as “Reefer Madness”. Cannabis was never really referred to as “marijuana” because marijuana is a type of wild mexican tobacco, a completely different plant. Hearst and Anslinger added a mexican name to Cannabis to make it’s image as a mexican product more easily hated by the American public. This campaign depicted african-americans and mexican immigrants as beasts who, when and after smoking marijuana, would seek to rape white women. The campaign claimed to congress that marijuana caused insanity, violence, and death. The inaccurate claims were based on no scientific research or studies

For many years in the past, marijuana has been made to look like a dangerous drug, linked to crime and addiction. In the early 1920s and ‘30s most people still did not know what marijuana was or had even heard of it yet. Those who had heard of it were largely uninformed. The drug rarely appeared in the media, but when it did it was linked to crime and even thought to be murder-inducing. A 1929 article in the Denver Post reported a Mexican-American man who murdered his stepdaughter was a marijuana addict (Baird 2011). Articles such as this began to form a long-standing link between marijuana and crime in the public’s mind. Soon, laws against marijuana began coming into place. In 1970, Congress classified

Flyers and posters were placed everywhere reading “Marijuana a puff- a party- a tragedy! Assassin of Youth(marijuana).” All sharing one common goal: convincing the public of the abominable drug that marijuana was being presumed to be. Then came the grand slam, the Reefer Madness film. The film’s main focus was how badly the teenage marijuana users were affected by the drug. These adolescents became unexplainably violent and deranged. The film even showed an extremely irrational behaviors, like suicide, because of how “potent” the high was. The movie was successfully advertised and pushed to be seen. Quickly after, this falsified idea of marijuana spread across the US like wildfire and its information was absorbed. Generation after generation carried on these false interpretations on cannabis. All medical miracles and its obvious economical benefits were lost due to blind ignorance and lack of knowledge.

Marijuana has been used as a medicine for more than 3,000 years. Research shows that marijuana has been used back to ancient civilizations in China, India, and Egypt. A book written by Chinese Emperor Shennung describes that marijuana can treat constipation, gout, rheumatism and

Legalizing marijuana is crucial to the medical field because many patients cannot use this marvelous plant to relieve their pain. This plant can help patients with multiple sclerosis, nausea from cancer chemotherapy, HIV, nerve pain, and seizure disorders. Many patients must go behind the doctors back and consume cannabis or give it to a loved one to relieve their pain. Only twenty-nine states have allowed the use of medical marijuana. Furthermore, that means that twenty-two states do not allow the usage of any form of Cannabis. Marijuana should be an all-around legal

After this Marijuana would then take another rise in society and then another dip during the 1920’s jazz age. The Jazz age at the time was influenced partially by the drug but no more than it was already influencing other parts of society. Sadly, the new music was considered extremely edgy like rock and roll was when it was first being developed. Another key fact about this time was that the Jazz was being created by African Americans like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and more. It was Harry Anslinger who hated this music, marijuana, and African Americans so much that he started the war on marijuana. Anslinger fully believed in hardcore racism when it came to demonizing weed. Unfortunately, Harry Anslinger became the first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, which was a predecessor to the DEA. Anslinger started this war on marijuana with alternative facts such as, “Marijuana makes a murderer who kills for the love of killing out of the mildest mannered man who ever laughed at the idea that any habit could ever get him” and, “Marijuana is the most violence causing drug in the history of mankind. Most marijuana smokers are negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers.” And that “Marijuana leads to pacifism and communist brainwashing”. The miraculous thing is that these quotes are some of Anslinger’s most truthful quotes. Some of his more inaccurate and racist quotes include, “There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers, their satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana usage. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others.” And, “The primary reason to outlaw marijuana is its effect on degenerate races. Marijuana influences negroes to look at white people in the eye, step on

One of the primary focuses of America 's War on Drugs is the controversial drug Marijuana. Marijuana remains the most widely used illegal drug and stirs up constant debate everywhere. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime from the World Drug Report 2004 an estimation of about 4 percent of the world’s adult population (162 million) consume marijuana annually (156). For thousands of years human beings have attempted to find ways to get passed the struggles of everyday life. With the pain of the world stopping people from enjoying simple pleasures, sometimes there is a need for help. Marijuana brings millions of people relief from pain flet on a day-to-day basis. This completely natural plant which previously helped so many people has puzzled the leaders of our nation for a long time. The effects of the drug on a individual level is what 's prevented the product from being legalized. Many issues involving this plant, like the speculation of it being a gateway drug, has put yet another block on its legalization. Even with the drugs known speculations, the benefit that it brings to the table most definitely out way its disadvantages. Marijuana can also alleviate several symptoms associated with cancer and Aids treatments and disorders. While Marijuana is effective as a medicine, it is also extremely lucrative. The economic benefits that Marijuana brings to the table are endless. Non legalization is a waste of societies hard earned money to continue to enforce

It showed horrifying effects of marijuana. Furthermore, Harry J. Anslinger convinced the public that marijuana is a “killer drug”. Marijuana is a gateway drug to heroin says Harry. He believes if someone uses marijuana, it opens the doors to other drugs. Harry’s objective was to have marijuana highlighted as a dangerous drug and he did just that by, having the Narcotic Control Act by classifying marijuana the same as heroin.

During the time that marijuana became illegal in the United States, there was a huge immigration of Mexicans into this country. These Mexican immigrants brought with them their culture, traditions, and customs, one of which included marijuana. This created fear for the citizens of the United States because the media depicted the Mexicans as disruptive and dangerous. Not only were the Mexican people exhibited in a negative way, but also the black

Marijuana is the familiar name for a raw drug made from the plant cannabis sativa. One of the active chemical in marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinal (THC); a stimulant it give users the pleasure effect of relaxation, known as a “high” or hallucinating when consumed too much either through oral or smoking. It is the mainstream drug and a blistering topic to our nation in this day and age. Legalizing marijuana is an ever-growing political and social battle making its way to the top of American controversial issues list. Marijuana is one of the prime adversaries on the outlook of America’s war on drugs. Numerous people crave this drug to be permissible and readily available similar to tobacco and alcohol. While it is mind-boggling that

Within today’s society, Cannabis is seen as a harmful substance of such negative controversy. Marijuana is a very prominent and controversial issue in society today. Despite many malicious allegations have been made regarding marijuana today, the truth of what marijuana’s real dangers are are beginning to come about again. Sadly, these facts have been held under considerable judgement because of what people stereotype a pot smoker as. This has been brought under heavy criticism due to the stereotypical view of what people view as the typical “pot smoker.” This image society has of a lazy and unambitious America has all been the result of almost one hundred years of false propaganda and stereotypes gossiped by certain private individuals trying to keep weed illegal for their own personal benefit.

Drugs are heavily used throughout the entire world. However, it is important to understand and not undermine the variability in which drugs are used. It is clear some are for distinct medical treatment and others are for recreational use. In the United States, marijuana has been and continues to be a very controversial drug. Some states have allowed marijuana consumption for medicinal purposes, while others have completely outlawed the drug. Those who are against the legalization and regulation of marijuana suggest the economical and health risk associated with consumption of the drug are too high. Although there is risk involved with the legalization of the marijuana, our country has already been risking too much banning the drug.