Some Just Trying to Live a NORML Life

[Hash]

Hopefully you already know the subject of this article; the title should have given it away. By the way, I came up with that title and I like to think it has a nice ring. If you haven't figured it out yet, the subject is the legalization of marijuana. Not some indecipherable, ridiculous rambling by a "pothead." No, this is different. This, my friends, is a well-researched piece filled with the facts that helped me form my opinion.

So what is my opinion? Anyone who knows me can tell you the answer to that one; I'm all for the legalization of marijuana, at least decriminalization. That is not to say I advocate the excessive use of drugs, but to each his own. I also do not think that marijuana, as with alcohol, usage is safe or wise in a variety of situations.

Legalization is extreme and, as the name implies, would eliminate any criminal charge associated with usage and cultivation of marijuana. Several European countries have implemented various forms of legalization and have seen surprising results. Abolishing the "black market" for marijuana has reduced crime, and usage rates for youths in The Netherlands are lower than in the United States.

A more plausible solution for the U.S., however, would be decriminalization. Decriminalization removes the penalty for personal use of marijuana, but maintains penalties for cultivation and dealing. This is not a new issue for Americans; former presidents have endorsed decriminalization and 12 states, including North Carolina, have decriminalized marijuana since the early 70s. The various bills and referendums in several of these states have passed overwhelmingly, in Oregon the vote was 2:1. No studies have found that marijuana usage increased in the states with forms of decriminalization.

It is clear that we are in a new era when marijuana is no longer something to hide. Former president Clinton admitted to using marijuana and our current president has reportedly used much harder drugs. Marijuana is the third ( following alcohol and tobacco ) most used recreational drug in the U.S. Almost 80 million people have smoked marijuana and 11 million claim to use the drug regularly. The simple fact that so many Americans were willing to respond to these studies suggests that marijuana usage does not carry the same stigma it once did.

How did such a popular and doctor recommended drug develop such a bad reputation? Marijuana has been grown for thousands of years and has been part of America's history for more than 400. Originally grown for the hemp used in ropes, sails, clothing, maps, and bibles, marijuana soon became a staple of the American economy. The same "moral majority" that banned alcohol and rears its ugly head again today worked very hard to change marijuana's image.

African-Americans adopted the drug into the jazz community and usage picked up among Hispanic immigrant workers during the late 20's. The Federal Bureau of Narcotics ( FBN ) began a smear campaign against marijuana shortly thereafter and pressured the eventual criminalization bills into Congress. An example of the misinformation perpetuated by the FBN is a bulletin released in the 30s that claims a marijuana smoker "becomes a fiend with savage or 'cave man' tendencies. His sex desires are aroused and some of the most horrible crimes result. He hears light and sees sound. To get away from it, he suddenly becomes violent and may kill."

The only person who spoke before Congress and challenged the bill was Dr. William C. Woodward of the American Medical Association ( AMA ). Woodward was concerned that the committee had not researched the issue well enough and claimed that there was "no evidence" at that time to prove the dangers, or benefits, of marijuana. One hour, only 90 seconds of which was spent debating in the House of Representatives, was long enough to pass the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. Roosevelt signed the bill on Oct. 1, 1937, marking the beginning of the end for marijuana use in the US.

After the Vietnam War, it became clear that marijuana usage was part of American culture and was becoming the outlet for frustrated youth. In 1972, Nixon backed a panel that found the dangers of using marijuana to be lower than the dangers of being caught. In other words, as Jimmy Carter told Congress in 1977: "Penalties against drug use should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against the possession of marijuana in private for personal use."

I simply ask that everyone look at all the facts before they make a decision on marijuana, unlike Congress. The arrest totals per year for marijuana exceed that of all violent crimes and are wasting taxpayers billions in police man hours, legal fees and jail space. I guess it is too hard to ask a president at war with the world to make peace with his own people.



Author: Chris Mcelveen
Source: Tiger, The (Clemson U, SC Edu)
Copyright: 2005 The Tiger
Contact: editor@thetigernews.com
Website: http://www.thetigernews.com/