Marijuana is used throughout the world for diverse purposes and has a long history. In Chinese medicine marijuana is one of the fundamental herbs. In shamanic medicine in North America it also has a lengthy history of use. Although smoking is thought to be the most common form of ingestion, there are many healthy alternatives to smoking including vaporizing, cooking and baking, making tinctures, sprays and extracts.
Cannabis is a term that refers to marijuana and other drugs made from the same plant. If you are Canadian, the only way you can legally obtain marijuana legally for medicinal use is through the Medical Marihuana Access Division (MMAD) with an MMAR license. Health Canada regulates and oversees the medical marijuana program and you can review the most up to date Marihuana Medical Access Regulations at the Department of Justice website.
The Flower
The Flower is a three-minute and 35 second animated anti-prohibition video was released on AlterNet. The Flower contrasts a utopian society that freely farms and consumes a pleasure giving flower with a society where the same flower is illegal and its consumption is prohibited. The animation is a meditation on the social and economic costs of marijuana prohibition.
I believe in decriminalization of marijuana, as opposed to legalization. I believe that legalization would be ridiculous because it will only lead to the government handing production over to the pharmaceuticals, taxing it like liquor and cigarettes and then squandering the tax money on pet projects, while citizens go without health care and housing. The higher priority for governments, ought to be making marijuana available to those who require it and removing the prohibition so citizens can grow this herb for their own use.
America has created an enormous debt by squandering trillions of dollars on the so-called “war on drugs”. They have imprisoned hundreds of thousands of the little dealers and mules at public expense, without getting near the “drug lords,” and thereby have demonstrated that the idiotic “war of drugs” is costly and ineffectual. Worse still they have saddled generations to come with the obligation to pay that debt. The same is also true of Mexico and in Central America where innocent bystanders have been slain during the war on the cartels.
Mexico’s former president Ernesto Zedillo, former Brazilian president Fernando Henrique Cardoso, and former Colombian president César Gaviria—issued a joint statement in an opinion piece that recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal. In it they express their view that the drug war was too costly and difficult for countries like Mexico, and recommending that the United States start looking at alternatives, like legalizing marijuana. “The war on drugs has failed. And it’s high time to replace an ineffective strategy with more humane and efficient drug policies,” the statement begins. — Latin American Panel Calls U.S. Drug War a Failure
Let common sense prevail
Obviously, the most sensible way of dealing with this artificially created problem of supply and demand for a natural occurring plant, a weed that can be readily grown in many climatic zones in the backyards of both countries, is for both countries to decriminalize marijuana and cut the cartels off at the knees.
Decriminalizing marijuana would free up trillions of dollars that could be put to good use in both countries. It would mean that the jails that are bursting at the seams would not be full of small time dealers and mules and the court system that’s plugged up with these petty criminals could be relieved of the burden that draws so heavily on tax dollars. It would also mean that policemen and women could be put into service in areas where their labor is sorely needed.
Who benefits from the prohibition?
So why is marijuana not legal? Because the people keeping it illegal are the ones profiting from the continued prohibition. Think about it….
It’s police services, pharmaceutical, paper, oil and textiles corporations, who have a vested interest in guaranteeing that both marijuana and hemp remain prohibited.
“In sum, there is little evidence that decriminalization of marijuana use necessarily leads to a substantial increase in marijuana use.” – National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine (IOM). — Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base.
U.S. Marijuana Laws – Click on your state to see the current marijuana laws.
Police services don’t want it to legalized because it would greatly reduce their need for narcotics departments and k-9 units.
Big Pharma doesn’t want it legalized because it would be a lot easier and cheaper to grow some legal marijuana than purchase high-priced pharmaceuticals with the same benefits and more side effects.
Big Oil doesn’t want it because it can be used as an alternative fuel source, similar to corn. Every crop would be a dollar out of their pocket.
Big Paper and Big Textiles doesn’t want it legal because they would then see a rise in a major competitor with a much faster growing renewable crop.
According to the White House’s National Drug Control Strategy Budgets, as cited in Action America’s Drug War Cost Clock, the federal government alone is projected to spend over $22 billion on the War on Drugs in 2009. State spending totals are harder to isolate, but Action America cites a 1998 Columbia University study which found that states spent over $30 billion on drug law enforcement during that year. — Key Facts About the War on Drugs Read also: Jeffrey A. Miron, Department of Economics, Harvard University: “The Budgetary Implications of Drug Prohibition,” December 2008.
Marijuana Heals Cancer …Cannabinoid Receptors In The Human Body
August 25, 2010- BBC special on Cannabinoid Receptors…below an article by Steve Kubby, Sierra Times …A new study published in Nature Reviews-Cancer provides an historic and detailed explanation about how THC and natural cannabinoids counteract cancer, but preserve normal cells. It is hard to believe that the knowledge that cannabis can be used to fight cancer has been suppressed for almost thirty years , yet it seems likely that it will continue to be suppressed. Why?
According to Cowan, the answer is because it is a threat to cannabis prohibition . “If this article and its predecessors from 2000 and 1974 were the only evidence of the suppression of medical cannabis, then one might perhaps be able to rationalize it in some herniated way. However, there really is massive proof that the suppression of medical cannabis represents the greatest failure of the institutions of a free society, medicine, journalism, science, and our fundamental values,” Cowan notes.
Millions of people have died horrible deaths and in many cases, families exhausted their savings on dangerous, toxic and expensive drugs. Now we are just beginning to realize that while marijuana has never killed anyone, marijuana prohibition has killed millions.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This video may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for educational purposes only. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law
Cured: A Cannabis Story (A Film By David Triplett)
Flashback to Reefer Madness (1936)
The propaganda/exploitation film from 1936, in its entirety. This film is public domain. Reefer Madness was originally known as Tell Your Children, and over the years had its reception transformed from being one of the expose films popular at the time to being widely regarded as a camp classic made by people who had no idea what they were talking about. It’s relentlessly sensationalist tone is hard to take seriously, that’s for sure, but its moralising is equally suspect as it’s clearly an exploitation movie dressed up with a serious message in an attempt to win ill-deserved credibility, credibility that completely evaporated around the seventies when it was re-released to college crowds in America to laugh at in derision, usually as they puffed away themselves. Yet, the prohibition lingers on.
Fast forward to Why is Marijuana Illegal?
Discussion question:
Do you believe it’s time to end the so-called “War on Drugs?”
Great post. I support complete legalization, on par with beer or wine laws. I look forward to the day that I can pick up a pack of Marlborough Green or a quarter bag from my local home grower. Either way, this so called war must be ended. Prohibition has caused far more harm than legalization or decriminilization ever could.
I wholly agree with your post – the prohibition has caused more harm than good.
In my youth I have smoked a couple of times some cannabis and my experience with it is – it is a body relaxant.
I believe it is a herbal remedy that reduces pain and it is known to be an anti-nausea medication. Instead of prescriptions upon prescriptions, why not consider cannabis as a possible remedy. Besides, marijuana is a plant – what could be so unnatural about it?
Yes, end the war. Legalize pot, heroin, cocaine, etc.-go the whole nine yards. It’s a monstrous waste of time and money and an unconscionable abuse of humanity. “Prisons are built with stones of Law”-in no case can I think of has Blake’s words rang so true.
You so hit the nail right on the head. Their vested interest will just help prevail making this illegal. I think what should be banned is not the drug itself but the greet of those in the higher power.
I am not terribly sure what I feel about this. Whilst I can see the rationality in decriminilization if only from a fiscal point of view, another part of me has alarm bells ringing.
Marijuana is known as a ‘gateway drug’ – many users exert no control over their consumption and go on to use other drugs.
For anyone in recovery from addiction, it is crucial to abstain from any substances that alter perceptions and feelings. Making marijuana even easier to obtain could realise real conflcits. Such as driving a car after smoking marijuana – it is proven that it effects response times but if it is decriminalized, could the driver be prosecuted?
As I said, I don’t have a fixed opinion and don’t know a great deal about it. I have never tried marijuana but I do know a lot of people struggling with alcoholism who use marijuana regularly.
A really thought-provoking post TiTi. thank you for assembling all this information.
I don’t know enough about marijuana itself or the effectiveness of other comparable medicines.
One of my sisters has been a hospital pharmacist for a long time at a large teaching hospital in downtown Toronto. A hospital pharamacist unlike store (term is community) pharmacist, gets involved in drug trial research projects, drug therapy trials, etc.
The hospital also has a drug rehabiliation program since it is located right in the district where there is a high % of visible on-street, drug addicts and drug pushers (vs. less visible, which would be people with high/middle-class income but drug addicts and more “hidden” from the public). The program has been around for a long time.
I would be asking dear sis for her professional opinion on this lst before wondering about the legal aspects. The hospital is also just 1 km. from Canada’s largest standalone facility on addiction research and treatment.
It might be a different scenario if one asks health care professionals who work closely with a range of addiction behaviours combined with mental health problems.
I simply see the decriminalization /criminalization as something that needs to be looked at, but more urgently to address and help those with ongoing addictions and mental health/pschosocial problems. I see the 2 intertwined.
Instead, how can we help people become strong and trusting of themselves that they don’t fall into self-destructive behaviours. I would rather the money be spent there..there will also be drugs to fall for.. I would rather effort and money be spent in this direction for long-term development of individuals in a positive manner.
Hi, TT!
Yes! Were usually causes wars. Drug effects were “beneficial” for the armies of various nations who had to resist the regime of war, often without food and without water. So were born stimulating substances – drugs in primary forms. ..and so on ..like you said already in this cool post.
What bothers me greatly is that the impact was great curiosity among young people, eccentricities, or solidarity with the entourage began to consume. Romanian (my country) society..(and other countries.. ) was taken by surprise by this scourge of drugs, with the advent of such serious problems both in justice and in the medical world. Clumsy and delayed reactions of the authorities have encouraged the phenomenon of drug addiction has got to be devastating. What could be sadder and more distressing than to see how a child of 13 to 14 years, run mad after a dose of heroin?, Or as a pregnant woman came into violence during the withdrawal of mates commanded them to prepare and dose?, what could be more tragic than to see how an innocent child is struggling in the womb, “asking” portion of the drug?
Attention parents:For any parent the news that their child take drugs is a tragedy of course. Some react violently beating their children and are able to lock them in the house. Threatens others like: “from me not see any money. I grew up in vain.” Go and sit with your addicts! ” But very few are those who, with patience and love, trying to approach and convince the child that what is crazy is what leads to self-destruction. Methods of violence and abandonment by parents, do nothing but aggravate the situation.
Love and patience are the ones that win. Although at first the child proves to be deaf to all attempts, parents need to fight.
Of course there are many more stories about all these facts .. but until then I embrace with great love.
Kisses ܓ✿ܓ✿ܓ✿ Wishing you The Best of da Best! ~ smiles
Until next time ..
Dy,
♥
Amen, sister. Amen.
A very articulate article on the topic. Decriminalization of marijuana does seem far more sensible than legalization. At the same time, I don’t find the dope smoking culture very appealing.
Very informative and nice insight post about drug. Loved what you said about the people keeping it illegal are the ones profiting from the continued prohibition. Nice blog!
I don’t even know how I got here, but I thought this post was interesting. Cheers!
My thanks to each and every one of you for your comments. Please accept my apology for not thanking you individually and entering into the discussion. At the time the comments were coming in I was too busy to do anything aside from approving them. Prohibition does not work and it’s time to admit that and insist that changes be made.