Marijuana Darrelle Dupre’ Cre101

INTRODUCTION The hemp plant, also known as marijuana or cannabis has been around the world for thousands of years. The Hemp plant was believed to be the first fabric to be woven from dry hemp weed sometime between 7000-8000 BCE. Millions of people around the world have been smoking marijuana, using it for fabric, ethanol use, and rope for thousands of years. In 1930 the federal government gave control of illegal drugs to the treasury department who created the Federal Bureau of Narcotics. A man named Harry J. Anslinger who was a prohibitionist became their first commissioner. He declared the “War on Drugs” and effeciently altered America’s attitude against marijuana. Between 1937 and about 1947, our government spent approximately $220 million on the “War on Drugs”. By 1963, the cost rose to $1.5 billion, five years later the cost was at a whopping $9 billion and still it continues to rise. Should our government legalize marijuana? Or are America’s view about marijuana still with Harry J. Anslinger?

Pro Arguments Research has shown marijuana to be a safe and effective medicine for controlling nausea associated with cancer and AIDS therapy, also in reducing the eye pressure for patients with glaucoma, and reducing muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis, paraplegia and quadriplegia. Individuals deserve the right to decide whether or not they should use marijuana. The government should not tell individuals what to do as long as they do not harm others. We would save billion in taxes paid for individuals who are in jail for marijuana. In addition, we would have more money to spend on important problems if marijuana were legal like taking some of the taxing resources saved from fighting a drug that does not possess any more danger than alcohol, to the state being able to handle drugs worth fighting like cocaine and heroine. As stated before, the hemp plant is a valuable natural resource. Legalizing marijuana would eliminate the confusion surrounding hemp and allow us to take advantage of hemp's agricultural and industrial uses. Everyday 1,000 people die from smoking related illnesses, 550 die from alcohol related accidents and diseases, and less than 20 die of drug related causes

CON ARGUMENTS Marijuana is an unstable mixture of more than 425 chemicals that convert to thousands when smoked. Many of these chemicals are toxic, psychoactive chemicals which are largely unstudied and appear in uncontrolled strengths Smoking marijuana can be harmful some of the consequences of smoking marijuana could include, but are not limited to the following: premature cancer, addiction, coordination and perception impairment, a number of mental disorders including depression, hostility and increased aggressiveness, general apathy, memory loss, reproductive disabilities, and impairment to the immune system 12 to 17 year-olds who smoke marijuana are 85 times more likely to use cocaine than those who do not. 60% of adolescents who use marijuana before age 15 will later use cocaine. These correlations are many times higher than the initial relationships found between smoking and lung cancer Some believe that legalizing marijuana may increase crime as people involved in illegal trade of the drug are also involved in other crimes. They consider society is safer with marijuana offenders incarcerated

Cartoon Analyzing One huge benefit of legalizing pot (which is almost universally accepted as a pretty harmless substance these days) is its negative effect on revenue for the drug lords and cartels. One of the primary sources of income for these groups is marijuana, and conversely one of our primary costs in the "War on Drugs" is fighting marijuana imports, jailing pot users and petty pot dealers, and diverting law enforcement to deal with stoners when it could be fighting the real bad guys.

Cartoon Analyzing II Selfishness, one major con in legalizing pot for many investors and business owners would be a loss in revenue. Thus reinforcing separate classes

Cartoon Analyzing III At Mount Vernon, George Washington grew hemp as his primary crop in 1797. Thomas Jefferson grew hemp as a secondary crop at Monticello. So this cartoon simply reminds you that one of our own presidents got some use out of hemp plants.

FINAL THOUGHTS In the perspective of America's war on drugs, marijuana is one of the biggest enemies. And since alcohol and tobacco, two life threatening substances, are legal it is a relevant question to ask why marijuana is illegal. The taxpayers of America can partly answer this question when they fill out their tax forms and when they hear the hash rhetoric used against marijuana by the government. The fact that marijuana is illegal is sufficiently caused by the amount of money, jobs, and pride invested in the drug war. In other words, the government cannot turn back now.

REFERENCES *http://thepoliticalcarnival.blogspot.com/2009_19_archive *http://economics.about.com/od/incometaxestaxcuts/a/marijuana.htm *http://www.balancedpolitics.org/marijuana_legalization.htm