cannabisnews.com: Should Marijuana Be Illegal?





Should Marijuana Be Illegal?
Posted by FoM on April 20, 2001 at 11:22:46 PT
By Erik Dunham
Source: Daily O'Collegian
Well, it’s April 20th once again. Protesters are gathering at the Capitol and Hemp Week at Oklahoma State is drawing to a close. I remember when I first heard about the yearly “4-20” lobbying. I said, “Do they really think Oklahoma is going to consider marijuana legalization legislation?” After considerable thought and research this year, I’ve come to the realization that they have a good point, and the demonstration at the Capitol is at least a step in the right direction, even if it doesn’t get results in the foreseeable future.
What kind of research might have lead me to this line of thought? No, not first-hand experimentation. I read articles on the issue. I read a lot of them. Today, I’m just going to tell you some important findings so that maybe you’ll better understand what the fuss is about rather than thinking of it as selfish pot-head nonsense.First of all, how did marijuana become illegal in the first place? I’m glad that you asked. See, it all started around the 1920s. The jazz scene became an avenue for the popularization of smoking marijuana. As America became more aware of this sensation, it became associated with minorities. Racism was much more popular in those days and people liked to look for a reason to keep it strong. Marijuana became one of these reasons. Blacks and Hispanics were often pointed out as adding to the degradation of society. If people then associated “devil’s weed” with these groups, it could add to their justification. Marijuana use was soon equated with violent crime and moral corruption, all in the name of good old-fashioned racism. Some sources say that other factors such as hemp’s exceptional value in the textile and paper industries also came into play around this same time. Competition with big industry plus racist propaganda equals prohibition in this case. Congress passed the “Marihuana Tax of 1937” which, in effect, made the sale and use of the substance highly finable. Now here we are today with police running around enforcing the rather unsubstantiated illegalization of the narcotic. Well, that’s understandable, but it adds to a bigger problem. A lot of these arrests lead to prison time, but prison time means prison space and taxpayer money.The U.S. prison population today is more than 2 million, a greater combined population than Alaska, North Dakota and South Dakota. With a cost of around $25,000 per year per inmate in a federal prison, that’s a lot of taxpayer money.That’s OK, though, because we’re getting murderers and rapists out of circulation, right? During Clinton’s term, marijuana arrests saw a 60 percent increase. And while we allocate all this money to take care of the ridiculously high inmate population, other publicly funded institutions (such as schools) see meager funding increases.So which is more beneficial to society — legalizing marijuana and gearing prison funding more toward violent criminals or keeping these drug offenders locked up while school funding continues to squeak by?Perhaps the idea of legalizing a “drug” offends you. I did a lot of research into side effects as well. Marijuana most likely leads to the same types of lung problems as cigarettes. That’s pretty much it. It could lead to behavioral changes, but mostly in the area of motivation, not violence. Studies have shown that a drunken driver is much more of a threat to public safety than a “high” driver, but alcohol is legal. If the prohibition is dropped, will society go down the tubes? Will the United States turn into a bunch of pot-heads and exhaust our food resources? Actually, not much would change, except that we’d have less people in prison and less drug dealers.I’ve only touched on a few of the many reasons why the current legal status of marijuana should be reversed. Sadly, an opinion column is not long enough to paint the full picture. In fact, I can only present about one-hundredth the amount of information I dug up in researching this issue and that’s just what I printed out.It may seem like a radical idea, but its not just because some hippies don’t want to get arrested. New Mexico’s governor Gary Johnson and even Dan Quayle have presented this same view. It makes a lot of sense in terms of the overall benefits to society. I ask you to open your minds to this, if only for today. Forego today’s nap and get on the Internet. Look at some of the different sides of this issue for an hour. Supporting legalization does not mean you support smoking. You can support the legal status of cigarettes and still think it’s a horrible habit. You may say, “Even if I love this idea, it won’t make a single difference.” Every person counts, just look at what happened to the last presidential election. Sign an online petition at a site like NORML or even a paper petition with OSU’s “Students for Sensible Drug Policy” organization.Whether you take a stand or just see where someone else is standing, you’ll at least have learned something. Open your minds this Friday and have a happy April 20. Erik Dunham is a Chemical Engineering Senior from Ponca City.Source: Daily O'Collegian (OK)Author: Erik DunhamPublished: Friday, April 20, 2001Copyright: 2001 Oklahoma State UniversityContact: letters ocolly.comWebsite: http://www.ocolly.comRelated Articles & Web Sites:NORMLhttp://www.norml.org/Students For Sensible Drug Policyhttp://www.ssdp.org/420: A Marijuana Mystery Lights Up Speculationhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9423.shtml Cannabis Aids Creation, Appreciation of Musichttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9404.shtml 
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Comment #5 posted by jAHN on April 21, 2001 at 13:30:52 PT
Cannabis SHOULDN't be ILLEGAL
 Because of the simple fact that many Americans who withhold their "Freedoms and Good Health Attributes" take them for granted and rub 'em in the faces of people, such as Pot-Smokers, before their Very Eyes-Right on Television. When you start Editorializing the simple fact of the Dangers involved in: Football, Hockey, Nascar, Drag-Cars, Monster_Trucks, Confederate Pride, Tee-Ball, Baseball, Bowling, Soccer, Field Hockey, Cheerleading, FBLA School Activities, Jet-Skiing, Rock CLimbing, Bungee Jumping, Sky diving, Snorkling, And The List Goes ON and On...(Most people probably would've wanted me to stop with cheerleading, but HEY...where Danger lurks, I be lookin'! Then, MAYBE, we can start a Fact-Filled editorial on the "dangers" of Smoking A Joint/Blunt of Cannabis! But, FoR NOW, maybe we should just look into that "Wild Fact" that LOTS of MS, Arthritis, Cancer, Aids and Other Terminal Illness Patients are ENJOYING (Pursuing Happiness without a Bungee Cord) life (what little they MAY have left)by whatever means they find fit without Harming other people.... Try to work on that. Thanks, because I care about the sick and dying!
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Comment #4 posted by freedom fighter on April 21, 2001 at 06:51:50 PT
Yes, Kristin
There is hope.Let us spread the word far and wide..As more people become aware of the folly of the War that kills children and are destroying the country, this little thing called FREEDOM will start to beat our hearts a bit more as we know we will have to fight the one more last battle. May we fight hard and good. Long Live the FREEDOM!\/ff
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Comment #3 posted by freedom fighter on April 21, 2001 at 06:43:59 PT
fuaji
Since you are young, you could start talking to your people and organize protests. Join this group.. http://www.ssdp.org/ Students for Sensible Drug policy I firmly believe that it is young people who can change the mess that the older folks have made. Good Luck!
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Comment #2 posted by fuaj on April 20, 2001 at 21:32:43 PT
nfm
I find the drug policies in america to be total bullshit. Im a young student that wants to be part of the solution to this issue. How can I get involved in my community to aware people of these things? I know I can write editorials and things of that nature. But what else can i do?
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Comment #1 posted by Kristin on April 20, 2001 at 20:31:34 PT:
Legal!!
I Liked your artical alot. It makes a very good point and understand completely what you are saying and trying to get across. Do you think that maybe there is hope in the future for fellow stoners???? Thank you if you write me back.
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