There are those who would have you to believe that the use of marijuana can lead to serious long-term side effects, addiction, and worse. But there really is no valid scientific evidence that would suggest this. There are, however, reasons why marijuana became and remains illegal. It is in The People of America’s best interest, however, to legalize marijuana and therefore reduce the amount of drug-related deaths, aid the economy in many ways, and give citizens the freedom they deserve.
If you've been through high school, chances are you have learned about the prohibition of alcohol in the 1920s. Long story short, the US government made alcohol illegal and the use of alcohol increased dramatically, alcohol-related deaths soared, and the government was spending more money than ever to try and prevent these things. Alcohol was soon made legal; and with good reason! Marijuana was similarly prohibited in many states across the union from 1930 until 1937, when a federal law was put in place recursively prohibiting use or possession of marijuana. The use of the drug is projected to have increased significantly since it was made illegal. As a direct result of its being illegal, many are led to other, truly lethal drugs. Many otherwise law-abiding citizens can get mixed up in the affairs of criminals since the only way to obtain marijuana is through drug-dealers.
Although marijuana's illegality is ineffective and actually increases its and other drugs’ use, it still costs American taxpayers roughly $10 billion every year to attempt to enforce these freedom-barriers. The richest man in the world is worth about $6 billion. Many small countries are worth far less than either of these figures. The National Science Foundation, the government agency dedicated to furthering science and technology, has an annual budget of only $5.6 billion. Yet America is willing to waste $10 billion a year covering up their lies about a harmless plant.
Most everyone learns in school that marijuana is a terrible drug, and that it can destroy your life. Yet when it comes down to why, few can answer the question. The most popular answer is that marijuana is a 'gateway' drug--that it leads to the use of other drugs. This is true, however it would be far less a gateway drug were it legalized. It would no longer harbor the stigma of illegality, and would therefore not have the connection with worse drugs that it currently does. It is also common to hear that marijuana can lead to schizophrenia, though there are no conclusive studies to support this argument. In fact, other than the obvious effects of temporary memory loss, hunger, and a dry or sore throat (which can result from the inhalation of any smoke), there are no studies showing any long-term effects for sure. There are, however, studies suggesting that in many instances, cannabis can actually revive dead brain cells, something thought impossible before these studies. There is no doubt, however, that marijuana's use as a pain killer or stress reliever is far superior to "legal drugs" and with little harmful effects. These facts considered, there is no reason for marijuana to remain illegal.
Essentially, there are several reasons why marijuana was made illegal, and why it remains so. Initially it was a racist, anti-Mexican movement. More than anything, however, it protects the corporate profits of medicine and “legal drug” companies. Drug companies, and specifically the FDA, have no responsibility to cure any health problems. Their only obligation is to increase the value of their company’s stock shares. And therefore, if people were generally healthy, they would fail their obligation. So it makes sense that if something actually does the job that their products claim to do (pain killer, relief from stress, sleep aid, and more) that they would want to stamp it out. That is why lies are made up. That is the ONLY reason marijuana is illegal. Conclusively, while it may not be in America’s best interest, it is certainly in The People of America’s best interest to legalize marijuana and therefore reduce the amount of drug-related deaths, aid the economy in many ways, and give citizens the freedom they deserve.
(Copyright 2006-07 Jt Hollister/Luminousnerd)
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