Legalization of Marijuana
Marijuana has been effectively prohibited in the U.S. since 1968, and has been a very controversial issue ever since. Marijuana is native to central Asia and was first cultivated some 10,000 years ago. "As early as 2737 B.C.E. in China, written accounts have extolled the use of marijuana as a treatment for malaria, rheumatism, fever, dysentery, depression, or as an appetite stimulant, or to induce sleep" (Brewer 1). Western doctors first discovered marijuana in 1839, when a well recognized doctor published the results of his experiments with humans and marijuana, praising marijuana as an effective medication for reducing or eliminating pain. Doctors then began studying the drug in depth and found numerous practical applications, especially in its ability to control restlessness and anxiety in the terminally ill. Thanks in part to the government-launched anti-marijuana campaign, titled "Marijuana, the Devil's Weed," marijuana was increasingly viewed as a catalyst point for anti-social behavior, especially among minorities. The government then implemented the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 which "undermined scientific examination of cannabis by heavily taxing and regulating all transactions (medicinal, in
One must also note that co-author of the study Donald P. Tashkin stated "... the abnormalities measured don't necessarily lead to cancer..." There are NO epidemiological or aggregate clinical data suggesting that marijuana-only smokers develop lung cancer, (Rosenthal 60) although anti-marijuana activists have been trying to link the two for decades. Marijuana and tobacco smoke are nearly identical except for their psychoactive ingredients, but it is the total volume of inhalation that matters; tobacco smokers consume 10-40 per day, whereas average marijuana smokers seldom consume more than 5-10 cigarettes per week. Also, since the pulmonary risks associated with marijuana are related to smoking, the danger is eliminated with other routes of administration. (Marijuana users don't even have to smoke to enjoy it; many chose to eat it or drink it as a tea) Also, smoking higher potency (high THC) marijuana produces the desired psychoactive effects with less inhalation of irritants. 2.28 3.05 3.23 2.39 2.82 2.30 2.93 3.29 3.06 3.36 3.36 3.00 3.32
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Approximate Word count = 2111
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)
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