How could ANYONE say that marijuana shouldn't be legalized, when alcohol is and it kills 100,000 people per year?! A guy doesn't smoke with his buds and go home and beat his wife, either, like an alcoholic does. It is the safest form of medicine out there. 20,000 people die annually from legal drugs, and ZERO from marijuana! Even Francis L. Young, an Administrative Law Judge of the US drug police DEA, said in 1988. "In strict medical terms marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume. It is physically impossible to eat enough marijuana to induce death. Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man." He was part of the DEA!!! It aids people with:AIDS wasting syndrome, alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, asthma, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ADD/ADHD, brain injury/ stroke, cancer, crohn’s/colitis, chronic pain, depression and mental illness, diabetes mellitus, dystonia, eating disorders, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, glaucoma, gastrointestinal disorders, gliomas, hypertension, hepatitis C, insomnia, multiple sclerosis, nail patella syndrom, nausea from chemotherapy, osteoporosis, phantom limb pain, migranes and headaches, spinal cord injury, stroke, sleep apnea, tourette’s syndrome, and tumors. THC, the main component in cannabis, has been proven to cure cancers and reduce tumors in a Harvard Study, and many others since the '70s. If marijuana did not have all the baggage that power-hungry people put on it, and it was just discovered, it would be hailed as a wonder drug.
Marijuana used to be our nation's #1 cash crop because it is the strongest natural fiber in the world, can make THOUSANDS of products, grows naturally all over the U.S., can be harvested more than once, and renews the soil for the next crop. The first marijuana laws were enacted in Jamestown, and ordered farmers to grow it. Yet, we are the only industrial country in the world that does not grow cannabis for industrial use. Over 90% of cannabis that is confiscated by the DEA is only hemp, which one cannot get high off of. Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin all cultivated and smoked marijuana. The first copy of the Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper.
It's been proven not to be a gateway drug, cause long term damage, or cause crime. It is not physically addictive, unlike alcohol and cigarettes which are the gateway drugs. It is the 3rd most popular drug, behind alcohol and cigarettes. I'd rather see people healthy and living by choosing the 3rd option. It is even safe to use by pregnant mothers, who noted that their children excelled at an advanced pace!
Our country arrests more people and spends more money because of marijuana prohibition than ANY OTHER VIOLENT CRIME PUT TOGETHER. No wonder our country makes up for almost 25% of the world's prisoners, above all other countries, even though we make up only 5% of its population. The prohibition of marijuana ruins lives. Think of this scenario: A mother in Pa smokes a joint because of her nausea from her recent chemotherapy. The police raid her house and arrest her. Now, her kids are taken from her, she is publicly humiliated, and she has a permanent black mark on her criminal record that keeps her from getting a decent job. She could even have her car and house taken away, all for just one innocent, helpful herb wrapped in paper.
There is no provable evidence that marijuana is harmful, so wouldn't marijuana's prohibition be criminal? Believe it or not, but this fight could mean the difference between life and death. Make the right choice, and learn more at NORML.org, or take time out of the end of a busy day and watch this video:
http://video.google.com/videosearch?client=safari&rls=en-us&q=the%20business%20behind%20getting%20high&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wv#
