Despite having the power to impact the planet in probably a more positive way then any other plant or arguably any other substance; Marijuana remains illegal today in most countries in the world. The reason for it being illegal is because of government propaganda, the ignorance and gullibility of the average person, and the ‘War on Drugs’ which is carried out through most western nations. It should not be surprising that our culture is virtually the only one to outlaw it as generations of our ancestors used it for its medicinal, spiritual and recreational benefits. The most common arguments for cannabis/marijuana remaining illegal are inevitably falling apart as it will be demonstrated throughout. Marijuana/cannabis laws are completely against the human right to health care, and therefore are draconian in nature.
Marijuana and hemp are both species of the genus cannabis family, and are both useful plants in their unique ways. Marijuana is known for its psychoactive content (psychoactive drugs work on the immune system); the main psychoactive ingredient being THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). Something unique to only marijuana is the fact that only the female is harvested for psychoactive properties, most plants are identical from male to female, except marijuana. People who cultivate marijuana immediately kill off the males so that they do not pollinate the females. Because the females are not pollinated, they become very ‘horny’ and excrete THC. Hemp has other useful qualities, including being beneficial in human diet in multiple forms (oil and seeds being most common) and too many industrial uses to list, but to name a few rope, linens, clothing, paper, paints etc… In fact, until the 1880’s (it was in this time that cotton gin was introduced) most textiles were made from hemp, not surprising then that the final drafts of the American constitution and Declaration of Independence were originally printed on hemp. Also to further that point, “The word ‘canvas’ is the Dutch pronunciation of the Greek word ‘Kannabis’”. (World Almanac, 1914) And so, in our human history our culture has been influenced by hemp and marijuana in many different ways. Through the products we create, through the medicines we use, the rituals we perform and possibly to increase spirituality. It is for these exact reasons that marijuana prohibition is probably the most heated political issue to date.
Now you’re probably asking yourself why such a useful plant and medicine has come to be outlawed. Almost every culture that predated ours has looked towards the earth and plants for the answers to sickness and disease. In fact, the first users of marijuana as in intoxicant were from India around the 1000 B.C. mark. (Marijuana – History of Intoxicant Use) According to many archeologists hemp was one of the first plants to be purposefully cultivated, and even dates back pre 10 000 B.C. One could go on for pages about the uses of hemp in history; there are basically no cultures that predate ours that did not use hemp or marijuana for one reason or another. It is estimated that marijuana has been illegal for 1% of the time it has been in use throughout human history. Marijuana laws were developed in the early 1900’s in North America, but were not always common ground for North Americans. According to the LA Times on August 12, 1981, “It was LEGAL TO PAY TAXES WITH HEMP in America from 1631 until the early 1800s.” Also the Department of Agriculture in the United States stated in 1916 that the U.S. government predicted that by the 1940s all paper would come from hemp and that no more trees would need to be cut down. (Popular Mechanics studies at the time reported 1 acre of hemp = 4.1 acres of trees). With Earth currently on its tipping edge from things like human pollution and deforestation would it not be common sense to be cultivating hemp and marijuana? How would that effect the current economic depression that the entire world is feeling? Hemp was known as the first ever ‘Billion Dollar Crop’, deemed this by Popular Mechanics in 1939. Even though there is not one single negative thing to be said about this plant, rival business did somewhat of a 1930’s version of the lobby, to make it illegal. The original ford model T was invented to run off of hemp, and it was common knowledge that Henry Ford grew hemp fields. Although Fords car was designed to run of hemp oils originally, most of the dynasties and money tycoons at the time needed hemp to go before they could earn their cash crop. These special interests of their time propped up legislation under Harry J. Anslinger, who was the drug commissioner at the time. Anslinger was aware that the committee who was hearing his case against marijuana had no idea what marijuana was because it was just a Mexican slang word at the time. Using this to his advantage he told the committee, “Marihuana is an addictive drug which produces in its users, insanity, criminality, and death.” The entire committee and hearing was absolutely insane, and there were no formalities. The evidence brought forth against marijuana was from a Pharmacologist who had claimed to inject the active THC into 300 dogs and himself, to find out that 2 dogs had died. This particular testimony raised questions, because it wasn’t for a few years later that THC extraction became attainable. Despite this lack of evidence, and special interest pushing legislation, the Marijuana tax act of 1937 was enacted, and it soon became impossible for people to have or grow their own marijuana. (Why Congress Outlawed the Hemp Plant)
The most commonly used argument against marijuana is that it is bad for your health, and most likely leads to lung cancer. Donald Tashkin, a scientist at the University of California did a study that boasted the headline in the Washington Post: “The largest study of its kind has unexpectedly concluded that smoking marijuana, even regularly and heavily, does not lead to lung cancer.” (Study Finds No Cancer-Marijuana Connection) It is interesting to note that Tashkin went into the study hypothesizing that the plant mater would obviously be carcinogenic when being smoked, and after 30 years of study he found that this was not only false, but it reversed cancerous growth:
“We hypothesized that there would be a positive association between marijuana use and lung cancer, and that the association would be more positive with heavier use,” he said. “What we found instead was no association at all, and even a suggestion of some protective effect.”
One by one, each of the arguments presented neatly by government propaganda have been thrown out the window by the medical community. Whether it is marijuana causing memory loss, or decreasing the amount of brain cells, each is one after another proven to be false information.
Marijuana is in fact completely safe and harmless to both the human mind and body. It is not a threat to the general population; however it is a threat to the oil companies, tobacco companies, and chemical corporations. The truth has been suppressed by these companies who work in unison with the governments around the world to suppress the truth about marijuana. The super rich have conspired to keep the secrets of an invaluable plant buried, for if it were legalized would destroy all of their business. Marijuana has amazing things to offer humanity; currently we turn our backs and deny this miracle plant for lack of education.
-df
