Why is marijuana illegal but alcohol legal?
This is one of those issues on which everybody has an opinion. Of course, anyone who disagrees with me is totally wrong, but we'll set that aside for the moment for the sake of debate.
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health in 2002, an estimated 120,000,000 Americans over the age of 12 were currently drinkers. That's about half of the population of the US. By contrast, only a mere 280,000 people (less than 2% of the population of the US) entering drug treatment programs reported marijuana as their "drug of choice".
54% of respondents to the 2002 study reported at least one episode of binge drinking in the 30 days prior to the survey, and 1 in 7 reported driving under the influence of alcohol during this time. By contrast, 14.6
Around 90% of all assaults, 50% to 60% of all murders, and over 50% of the rapes and sexual assaults on children are alcohol-related. Pot smokers, on the other hand, tend to prefer sitting around watching cartoons instead of going out and killing or otherwise hurting people.
Basically, the propoganda is that Marijuana is a gateway drug. Smoke a joint, and you'll then want to (or need to) try other drugs to get a "bigger" buzz. Well, I'm here to tell you that this is simply not true. Marijuana is typically less expensive and easier to obtain than the harder drugs such as cocaine and herion, which accounts for the skewed results in the "Which drug did you use first" question. People with addictive personalities, who were more likely to eventually end up addicted to cocaine or some other drug, would have been just as likely to end up hooked on some substance whether they had ever tried marijuana or not. Marijuana didn't drive them to chemical abuse, but rather their lives, or more to the point, the quality of their lives had a direct effect on their choice to abuse chemicals as an escape.
In local news, a Pittsburgh radio station "105.9 The X", has a popular "4:20 Pause For The Cause" (During Grimm's timeslot, which covers 4:20 PM) with an appropriate song that is in some way inspired by marijuana.
Angry Internet Guy says, "Debate over the legalization of weed is all well and good, but let's at least use our heads for a change instead of mindlessly reciting propoganda verbatim from the special interest-sponsored TV commercials, mmm-kay?"
___________________________________
10 Things Every Parent, Teenager &
Teacher Should Know About Marijuana
by The Family Council on Drug Awareness
___________________________________
Reprinted in the public interest without permission from a flyer by the Family Council on Drug Awareness. This flyer is being distributed at public functions such as concerts, school gatherings, trade shows, and craft shows. Any typographic errors, unless noted, are mine. The author of this post has no affiliation with any agency or persons related to this document, and refrains from editorial comment.
"Prohibition... goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded." -- Abraham Lincoln December, 1840
This pamphlet was researched and produced as a public service by the Family Council on Drug Awareness P.O. Box 71093, LA, CA 90071-0093
Additional copies available from:
BACH, PO Box 71093, L.A., CA 90071-0093 35 cents apiece, Ten for $2.00, 100 for $10
1 Q. What is Marijuana?
A. "Marijuana" refers to the dried leaves and flowers of the cannabis plant [1], which contain the non-narcotic chemical THC at various potencies. It is smoked or eaten to produce the feeling of being "high." The different strains of this herb produce different sensual effects, ranging from sedative to stimulant.
2 Q. Who Uses Marijuana?
A. There is no simple profile of a typical marijuana user. It has been used for 1000s of years for medical, social, and religious reasons and for relaxation [2]. Several of our Presidents [3] are believed to have smoked it. One out of every five Americans say they have tried it. And it is still popular among artists, writers, musicians, activists, lawyers, inventors, working people, etc.
3 Q. How Long Have People Been Using Marijuana?
A. Marijuana has been used since ancient times [4]. While field hands and working people have often smoked the raw plant, aristocrats historically prefer hashish [5] made from the cured flowers of the plant. It was not seen as a problem until a calculated disinformation [sic] campaign was launched in the 1930s [6], and the first American laws against using it were passed [7].
4 Q. Is Marijuana Addictive?
A. No, it is not [8]. Most users are moderate consumers who smoke it socially to relax. We now know that 10% of our population have "addictive personalities" and they are neither more nor less likely to overindulge in cannabis than in anything else. On a relative scale, marijuana is less habit forming than either sugar or chocolate but more so than anchovies. Sociologists report a general pattern of marijuana use that peaks in the early adult years, followed by a period of levelling off and then a gradual reduction in use [9].
5 Q. Has Anyone Ever Died From Smoking Marijuana?
A. No; not one single case, not ever. THC is one of the few chemicals for which there is no known toxic amount [10]. The federal agency NIDA says that autopsies reveal that 75 people per year are high on marijuana when they die: this does not mean that marijuana caused or was even a factor in their deaths. The chart below compares the number of deaths attributable to selected substances in a typical year:
Tobacco...............................340,000 - 395,000
Alcohol (excluding crime/accidents).............125,000+
Drug Overdose (prescription)............24,000 - 27,000
Drug Overdose (illegal)...................3,800 - 5,200
Marijuana.............................................0
*Source: U.S. Government Bureau of Mortality Statistics, 1987
6 Q. Does Marijuana Lead to Crime and/or Hard Drugs?
A. No [11]. The only crime most marijuana users commit is that they use marijuana. And, while many people who abuse dangerous drugs also smoke marijuana, the old "stepping stone" theory is now discredited, since virtually all of them started out "using" legal drugs like sugar, coffee, cigarettes, alcohol, etc.
7 Q. Does Marijuana Make People Violent?
A. No. In fact, Federal Bureau of Narcotics director Harry Anslinger once told Congress just the opposite - that it leads to non-violence and pacifism [12]. If he was telling the truth (which he and key federal agencies have not often done regarding marijuana), then re-legalizing marijuana should be considered as one way to curb violence in our cities. The simple fact is that marijuana does not change your basic personality. The government says that over 20 million Americans still smoke it, probably including some of the nicest people you know.
8 Q. How Does Marijuana Affect Your Health?
A. Smoking anything is not healthy, but marijuana is less dangerous than tobacco and people smoke less of it at a time. This health risk can be avoided by eating the plant instead of smoking it [13], or can be reduced by smoking smaller amounts of stronger marijuana. There is no proof that marijuana causes serious health or sexual problems [14] but, like alcohol, its use by children or adolescents is discouraged. Cannabis is a medicinal herb that has hundreds of proven, valuable theraputic uses - from stress reduction to glaucoma to asthma to cancer therapy, etc. [15].
9 Q. What About All Those Scary Statistics and Studies?
A. Most were prepared as scare tactics for the government by Dr. Gabriel Nahas, and were so biased and unscientific that Nahas was fired by the National Institute of Health [16] and finally renounced his own studies as meaningless [17]. For one experiment, he suffocated monkeys for five minutes at a time, using proportionately more smoke than the average user inhales in an entire lifetime [18]. The other studies that claim sensational health risks are also suspect, since they lack controls and produce results which cannot be replicated or independently verified [19].
10 Q. What Can I Do About Marijuana?
A. No independent government panel that has studied marijuana has ever recommended jail for users [20]. Concerned persons should therefore ask their legislators to re-legalize and tax this plant, subject to age limits and regulations similar to those on alcohol and tobacco.
For More Information, Write:
Family Coucil on Drug Awareness P.O. Box 71093, LA CA 90071-0093
FOOTNOTES TO THE TEXT:
1. The same plant, known as hemp, has an estimated 50,000 non-drug commercial uses including paper, textiles, fuels, food and sealants, but these uses are also banned by existing laws. Sources: Encyclopedia Britannica, federal documents and historical records.
2. Coptic Christians, Rhastafarnians [sic], Shintos, Hinus, Buddhists, Sufis, Essenes, Zoroastrians, Bantus, and many other sects have traditions that consider the plant to have religious value.
3. Their personal correspondence and records reveal that U.S. Presidents Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and others smoked hashish, as did Benjamin Franklin and Mary Todd Lincoln. President John F. Kennedy is also reported to have smoked marijuana to relieve his back pain. Many of America's greatest leaders and Founding Fathers (including George Washington) were hemp farmers. Sources: National Archives, published reports.
4. Archeologists report that cannabis was possibly the first plant cultivated by humans - about 8000 B.C. - and was used for linen, paper, and garments. Source: Columbia University, _History of the World_. It was being smoked in China and India as early as 2700 B.C.
5. Turkish smoking parlors were popular in both Europe and America. as well as the Middle and Far East, as recently as the turn of the Century.
6. The exhaustive Indian Hemp "Raj" Commission report (1986) by British authorities found no reason to restrict its use. But the notorious yellow journalist William Randolph Hearst fabricated and published horror stories about marijuana that were eventually investigated and shown to be lies, but not until long after the marijuana prohibition was enacted in 1938. Source: Larry Sloman, _Reefer Madness_.
7. Laws against marijuana were passed a year after the invention of a machine to harvest and process hemp so it could compete commercially against businesses owned by Hearst, the DuPonts and other powerful families. Source: Jack Herer, _The Emporor Wears No Clothes_.
8. Marijuana does not lead to physical dependency. Costa Rican Study, 1980; Jamaican Study, 1975; Nixon Blue Ribbon Report, 1972, et. al.
9. Source: Psychology Today, Newsweek, et.al.
10. Source: All univerity medical studies: UCLA, Harvard, Temple, etc.
11. Costa Rican Study, 1980; Jamaican Study, 1975; "The legal drugs for adults, such as alcohol and tobacco...precede the use of all illicit drugs." Source: National Academy of Sciences.
12. The FBI reports that 65-75% of criminal violence is alcohol related. "Pacifist syndrome" testimony was given by Federal Bureau of Narcotics Director Harry Anslinger before Congress (1948). However, the "Siler" Study conducted by the U.S in Panama (1931) reported "no impairment" in military personnel who smoked marijuana while off duty.
13. "The only clinically significant medical problem is that scientifically linked to marijuana is bronchitis. Like smoking tobacco, the treatment is the same: stop smoking." Source: Dr. Fred Oerther, M.D.
14. Coptic study (UCLA), 1981; "There is not yet any conclusive evidence as to whether prolonged use of marijuana causes permanent changes in the nervous system or sustained impairment of brain function and behavior in human beings." Source: National Academy of Sciences.
15. Source: Dr. Tod Mikuriya, _Marijuana Medical Papers_. Marijuana could replace at least 10-20% of prescribed drugs now in use. Source: Dr. Raphael Mechoulam. Marijuana was a major active ingredient in 40-50% of patent medicines before its ban.
16. 1976
17. 1983
18. The U.S. Government reports that the oral dose of cannabis required to kill a mouse is about 40,000 times the dose required to produce symptoms of intoxication in man. Source: Lowe, _Journal of Pharmacological and Experimental Therapeutics_, Oct. 1946.
19. In another famous study, Heath/Tulane (1974), wild monkeys were brutally captured, then virtually suffocated in marijuana smoke over a period of 90 days. Source: National Institute of Health.
20. Examples: the "LaGuardia" Committee Report (New York, 1944) and President Richard Nixon's Blue Ribbon "Shafer" Commission (1972).
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31 Comments:
I AGREE WITH YOU ANGRY INTERNET GUY ! I MEAN WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT WHY IS ALCOHOL EVEN LEGAL WHEN IT CAUSES ALOT MORE PROBLEMS THEN MARIJUANA DOES ? BUT YET MARIJUANA IS ILLEGAL ?
i think it's quite stupid. Im just doing research for my studies at school. Debating that marijuana should be legalised !
Before going through all this descriptive matter,let's once go through this Statistical data
Death tolls due to Tobacco-around 30million
Death tolls due to Marijuana-NO ONE till now
This itself reveals the truth
james blake
http://www.marijuanaaddictiontreatment.com
Hi.This is John.I agree with you.Here is something with you..
==========================
JOHN
http://www.marijuanaaddictiontreatment.com
i like marijuana a lot
i'm not an avid marijuana user. in fact, i really don't enjoy it that much and pass up probably 9/10 chances to smoke it. this interdiction really doesn't affect me as a marijuana smoker.
however, this tyrannical and irrational control affects me as a united state's citizen. i'm disgusted by this lack of explanation by the government, how left in the dark we are as the average american, and i'm even more disgusted at how comfortable an average american feels when they don't understand. laws aren't written in stone, they aren't the ten commandments. laws can be changed. yet we as a society choose to accept the fact that we can't possibly understand what it is the president or congress members talk about. we can't make the decisions they make. we're not NEARLY as smart as them, right? better off letting the smart-sounding ones with the best smiles do what's best for us.
FUCK that. we can run this country however the FUCK we want to, and make our founding fathers proud. and the best place to start? fucking educate yourself. keep an open mind and learn about what you hate, or what makes you uncomfortable. it's hard to change the habits of incomprehension that we've learned from our parents. we ourselves have spent our whole lives developing. but we can do it. learn about everything. and when you think you know it? you're wrong. read it again. the ones who are little wise make the best fools.
thank you whoever you are that wrote this blog. i feel my reality tunnel has expanded slightly since i've read this, despite the fact that it made me want to vomit.
AMEN brother...
enjoy life, smoke, peace, love
I'd love to see what this world was like if Alcohol grew on trees. What an ironic twist it'd be.
Whoever wrote this article is an idiot. They seem to want to justify their own life style, I find it funny...... definition of a drug........... any substance when adsorbed into the body of a living organism alters normal bodily function.
Alcohol, when abused can cause changes to the body thus making your intake illegal, but other drugs included marijuana once taken definately will change the function of the body abusing or not. that is the difference between marijuana and alcohol for all the idiots who didnt know and thats why it is not and will never be legalized.
the only reason why alcohol causes my more problems than marijuana is because its legal.....now imagine a world with both legal...........horrible!
I'm not saying marijuana is worse than tobacco, but the piont of the matter is tobacco doesnt alter your bodily fuction once obsorbed, marajuana does. You may be killing your self slowly with tobacco but you can still do day to day tasks without being considered "under the influenec".
angry internet guy is a moron!!!
I strongly agree with "Angry Internet Guy". Study after study has shown that marijuana is not addictive physically addictive (alcohol is), does not cause violent crime (rather, makes you feel more serene and loving) and most definitely does not affect your brain the way many prohibitionists claim it does, other than when under the influence. Even with such convincing evidence, and many, many educated people for it, the government refuses to legalize it. This is due to political cowards, and unfortunately, the fact that huge corporations now play a large part in how the government operates. Maybe an even bigger one than the people. Also, I would just like to point out that the last few comments are extremely ignorant to scientific evidence and seem to succumb to fear and propaganda.
My name is Nick Sanchez, and this is my opinion on smoking weed... I've been smoking weed for about 2 years now.
And all i get from people is, "Weed is bad for you Nick.". Really? I used to get into alot of fights and I was out of control. Now that I started smoking I cooled down, and looked at the world from a different point of view. People are allowed to do things that are so much more harmful to themselves. Shit even eating food from fast food places kills people... And everyones mad cause we smoke a plant? Alcohol kills MILLIONS of people. MILLIONS! but its more legal than weed. Cigerettes kill MILLIONS of more people. But its more legal than weed. Fast Food, is very legal, but it still kills people. There is so much other shit for people to worry about. I belive Weed should be legal. I do not belive there has been a Weed related death. Unless someone got high and started acting like a dumb ass and got his or herself killed. But thats different. And they try to say its a gate way drug. No its not. Its called peer pressure dumb asses. Weed does not lead to anything else unless you make the decision yourself. If you dont like weed, dont't bitch at me for my decision. Your gonna waste more of your lungs doing that, than I am while im smoking. Thank you for reading.
Love,
Nick Sanchez
"but the piont of the matter is tobacco doesnt alter your bodily fuction once obsorbed"
Hahah fuck ever heard of nicotine? It comes in cigarettes, it generally gives you a mild buzz, so you don't notice it slowly killing you. And you can do it at work! :D
What a fucking idiot!
I agree completely with whoever wrote this. I have been smoking weed for about 4 years now and I would sometimes sell a little bit of weed for some extra cash. Before i started smoking, i was always testy and quick tempered, now that i smoke most days out of the week, i feel so much more relaxed and peaceful with myself and those who annoy me. I never once sold anything that i believed could hurt or endanger someone but weed just makes everyone happier and more likely to make friends and have fun. There are a lot of judgemental people out there who think that just because someone smokes weed they are terrible people and people who drink and smoke cigarettes are cool and know whats cool. so to those of you who think like that FUCK YOU. The government doesn't want marijuana legal because then people would finally realize that we have been lied to for our entire lives and they don't want us to have our own opinions and be free.
I'll tell you all the only reason why it was never re-legalized is because of the anti-establishment people who enjoyed drugs and this was the governments way of getting back at them and somewhat trying to control it
the person who said that tobacco doesn't alter your body or mind or whatever, is clearly wrong it effects your lungs the first time you smoke it, maybe worse then other or less it still does effect you no matter what, and alcohol, honestly if i had a choice i would legalize marijuana over alcohol any day. i like to drink, i really do, but marijuana is just simply more worth having, alcohol its addictive makes me angry, emotional, and puts me in states of mind that pisses me off or really, really depresses me and i want to cause mayhem. marijuana it relaxes me, calms, and soothes me, sometimes i get paranoid but I'm to high to care it doesn't bother me cause I'm a very paranoid person. i do all three these things, and I've done them for years now alcohol was my most recent one to start though sadly i am addicted to smoking cigarettes, and drinking alcohol. but marijuana if i want to stop its no problem, but i don't need to stop cause it's not harmful to me and i can handle things better and my Restless Leg Syndrome isn't so bad, and my Explosive Anger Issues its like they went away whenever i smoke marijuana. marijuana DOES NOT HAVE ANY PHYSICAL HARM!! the reason why its illegal if you look at it, those are just personality traits and if you don't already have them alcohol helps you receive them. i am not about peace love and no destruction but when i smoke marijuana its like I'm connected with the earth or something its a truly amazing experience everyone should have and when i do it all I'm about love, peace and happiness, and NO mayhem. so in other words i strongly strongly STRONGLY agree with angry internet man.
hey i found out that one of the queens of England was givin weed to relieve pain from menstral cramps maybe you should add that when you talk about the presidents
Marijuana is illegal because the majority of people are stupid and can't learn the facts. People get set in their ways and refuse to learn anything new. They feel uncomfortable learning that their parents were wrong and thus they are wrong. It shouldn't be about who's wrong and who's right, it should be about what is wrong and what is right. Look at politics where they focus on people more than ideology. This world is becoming more and more like Mike Judge's movie Idiocracy and it is really scary and depressing. If i was to kill myself they would blame pot and not my angst towards the world, and any message I would leave behind would be disregarded as conspiracy theory pothead talk and nothing more. This world makes me so sad. Shame on us all for messing up everything. We cant even use safe fuels we messed up so bad. We phailed, game over.
hi all!! ive smoked weed for 6 years now, heavily at times, but i have breaks for up 2 a month or 2.
thers no doubt it shud b legal, and since its not it pisses me of that alcohol is, unfair rele. Alcohol causes deaths, anti social behaviour, etc. Weed causes... lazyness, thats about it.
cannabis doesnt rele cause physical effects (obv bad on the old lungs) as long as we live a healthy lifestyle, abuse it and that mite b different.
in most cases it wont cause mental illness, but it can cause depression, mad mood swings, etc.
seriously tho smoke with friends, dont smooke like 10 spliffs on ur own during the same night, thats not healthy. 1 2 3 fine, more then that is not good. trust me, i no from experience
GOD (OR JUST NATURE) MADE WEED MAN MADE ALCOHOL. WHICH IS WORSE? PRETY FUKING OBV
FUK THE GOVERNMENT, ASSHOLES. ONLY REASON ITS ILLEGAL IS CUS THEY CANT TAX IT
Your absolutely right. Alcohol is a far worse drug just think how much police time on weekends it takes if you have evry person a spliff instead of a beer there would be no trouble at all. Cannabis is a natural substance not like beer. Why should they say you cannot grow a natural plant in your garden oh I no why because the government won't be able to keep a tax on it thats all it is ££££££$$$$€€€€
My parents were angry drunks who fought constantly. Dad drank himself to death. Rehab was in the cards for me well before I was born. If pot was legal, I could quit the booze after 30 years. Liquor makes me cry, while marijuana makes me laugh and feel happy! Weed GOOD...booze EVIL. We need world-wide marijuana legalization NOW. At long last, we would have PEACE ON EARTH!!! Happy holidays and keep your spirits HIGH!
Ok, these 20 million americans that use ( I being one ) should stand up for it, but people are either to lazy, or just dont have the same passion for marijauna as i do. 20 million versus the goverment.. Something should be done. Not just for medicinal use, but recreational. What someone needs to do is have some sort of petition website mass advertised by celeberties that use ( that aren't pussies ) people should be taught the history and the difference death wise between alcohol and marijauna. Im shocked in these modern technology days it hasn't happened yet when ther are so many fucking people use it. It boggles my mind.
sure that might work...but one could also argue ok well why don't we again prohibit alcohol? and yes marijuana does alter your sense of reality whereas tobacco does not which is why it is considered a harm to society...no why alcohol is legal i think is just cuz when it was first banned that cause organized crime an a reason to have the black market so govt tried to counter it by relegalizing it, but too late organized crime was already set and had a nation-wide network so they just decided to sell drugs. The only argument that would make people seriously consider making pot legal is that making it legal for help elliminate drug gangs and the black market for it. why would people go to vinny the killer to get it and possibly get their legs broken whn they can go down the street and legally buy it...of coarse it could still exist just as banks legally give loans yet some people decide to go to vinny the killer to get a quick loan but point being no one cares about making it legal if the mainstream only hears about more pros then cons of keeping it legal
all the government needs to do is read all of this and they might make up there mind. i dont understand this world. weed is amazing. all it does for me is makes me happy and sad sometimes but its usually just me thinking about sad things. IT MAKES ME THINK! its great. fuck the government. half the u.s. does it. i hope they know that. oh yeah they know everything. people make it a gateway drug by choosing to do more things. im happy with marijuana. and im not stupid enough to do stupid(addictive) drugs.
It is such an interesting thing having this post of yours. I was interested with the topic as well as the flow of the story. Keep up doing this. Legal highs
You can do day to day tasks smoking tobacco until you're breathing through a respirator at age 50 with a hole in your neck. How the hell would you know how marijuana affects the bodily functions of people other than yourself you ignorant, illiterate toad! I could beat you in a spelling contest high off 10 kush blunts. And for the authors of the two comments directly above and the comment directly beneath this one, you all are too stupid for your own good. Let people live their lives because theirs have nothing to do with yours. Has a marijuana smoker ever done anything to disrupt your existence. I highly doubt it. Good day to you sir/mam.
PEACE LOVE WEED
Amen to that.
You got that right!
When u sober up u will realize weed is being legalized and ur little theory up there doesn't make any sense! Idiot!
Show me the facts because 30 million people are linked to dying from alcohol when 0 are linked to weed, the reason being the effect alcohol has in the body is far more dangerous than that of consuming weed! Smoked or eaten!
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