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Greg B · 07-29-2003, 07:45 AM

Nearly $30 billion is spent annually in the war on drugs(Miller and Benjamin 14). A drug war that has been so far, unsuccessful. Most of this money goes to pay for drug enforcement agents, and jail space. Being that marijuana is one of the most widely consumed drugs, its users are common targets of the law. Harmless users are arrested and thrown into an already overcrowded prison system. These people have their reputations ruined over simple possession charges, all so politicians can show their faces on TV and gain a vote by saying that they're winning the war on drugs.

Which brings us to another subject? medicinal marijuana. This topic has been brought to the attention of the American public in recent years. Zimmer and Morgan say that thirty-six states allow marijuana to be used medicinally("Exposing"). However, marijuana is prohibited by federal law, so the state laws are meaningless.

Countless studies have been conducted on marijuana, revealing some convincing medicinal properties. It has been found to treat a number of serious and not-so-serious illnesses. Time and time again it has shown the ability to relieve the pain of everything from cancer, AIDS, epilepsy, to migraines. Charles Overbeck tells of a recent federally-funded study at the Medical College of Virginia was shut down after the discovery that cannabis was successful in reducing many types of cancerous growths("Hemp for Victory").

Cancer patients go through chemotherapy treatments which are used to rid the cancer from their bodies. However, many chemotherapeutic chemicals cause undesirable side-effects. These side-effects commonly include nausea and vomiting. The pain caused by their treatment is so severe that many people drop the potentially life saving program. But there is an answer. Studies have shown that marijuana can entirely eliminate side-effects caused by chemotherapy (Fackelmann 179).

Glaucoma is a disease in which the pressure in the eyeball becomes dangerously high. Left untreated, glaucoma can cause blindness. Marijuana can be used to lower this pressure and allow the patient to see normally. Currently, eight glaucoma patients in the United States legally obtain marijuana from the government(Fackelmann 179).

AIDS patients commonly suffer from what is known as wasting. This is the loss of appetite that causes them to lose weight. This weight loss is dangerous in that, it causes the person and their immune system both become weakened. Again, studies have proven that marijuana can help. Marijuana has been shown to induce appetite, bringing patients up to a healthy weight(Fackelmann 179).

These are just a few ways in which marijuana can be used medicinally. In fact, even the government itself has admitted this. According to Kathleen Fackelmann, in 1985 the Food and Drug Administration approved a synthetic version of the active ingredient in marijuana- THC. Prescribed under the name Marinol, it can be obtained legally for treating the nausea from chemotherapy and AIDS related wasting("Marijuana" 179).

The down side to Marinol is that it comes in a standard dose, meaning some patients get too much THC, producing undesired side-effects such as anxiety and fearful imaginings and other patients get too little, and thus aren't relieved of their symptoms. This gives inhaled marijuana the leading edge. The patient smokes only as much as they need and can stop before they receive the psychoactive effects or, the high, that marijuana produces. Inhaled marijuana produces the therapeutic effects much more quickly than the Marinol pills which must be digested(Fackelmann 179).

Still, despite all this evidence, the Controlled Substance Act classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug, meaning a drug that has no medical value and may be addictive(Fackelmann 178). Clearly marijuana must have some medical value if so many people are willing to risk jail time by growing and using it to relieve the pain of their illnesses.

Lynn Zimmer and John Morgan's research states that, a years supply of three 5 mg capsules a day of Marinol, cost around $5,000("Exposing"). This is an awful lot of money for someone to be spending when they know they don't have to. Home-grown marijuana would cost them virtually nothing.

In the United States, one cannot own a patent on a medicine that has all natural ingredients. If marijuana were a legalized medicine, there would be no way to profit from it. So, obviously, large pharmaceutical companies do not care to see marijuana legitimized in their industry. Once, again economic factors play a role in keeping marijuana banned.

Benjamin and Miller's book compares and contrasts drug criminalization to prohibition of alcohol in the U.S. From 1920 until 1933, the sale and consumption of alcohol was outlawed. In this time a black market was created. It was a risky business, so prices and profits were very high (Undoing Drugs 18).

Due to the risk involved, the bootleggers would only sell harder liquor, because they could turn more profit from it. As a result consumption of beer dropped sharply during Prohibition, but the consumption of harder liquor rose steadily each year. Eventually, the government realized this problem. After Prohibition was repealed, the consumption of hard liquor dropped by more than two-thirds(Benjamin and Miller 21).

From these facts, we can assume that, while legalizing marijuana would possibly cause an increase in recreational usage, it would also cause a decline in the use of 'harder' drugs such as heroin or crack.

In Amsterdam, Holland, the government has decriminalized possession of small quantities of marijuana and hash, and ironically, the consumption of these drugs actually fell. Marijuana is openly sold in "coffee shops" around the city. The only restrictions are that they cannot
advertise and that there are limits on how many of these coffee shops can be in a given area (Benjamin and Miller 234).

The liberized marijuana laws in Amsterdam have in fact, reduced usage of harder drugs. Holland also has what they call "tolerance zones," where addicts of drugs such as heroin, are encouraged to come forward and receive treatment rather than a prison sentence. As a result, Holland's per-capita death rate from drug overdose is less than half of what it is in the US (Benjamin and Miller 234).

Even with their liberalized marijuana laws, recreational consumption rates in the
Netherlands, are still similar to neighboring European countries, and lower than those in the US (Zimmer and Morgan). These figures make Holland's drug policy something worth looking at.

With all this evidence, I hope I have proved that the legalization of marijuana has far more advantages than disadvantages. This plant has the potential to improve health, cut crime, save tax payer money, raise capital for many businesses as well as our government, save jail space, and guarantee basic human rights. Quickly approaching the 21st century, I think it's about time America take a look at its drug policy and see that it needs some work. When weighed out, the case in favor of marijuana legalization becomes overwhelming.

Works Cited
Benjamin, Daniel K., and Roger Leroy Miller. Undoing Drugs: Beyond Legalization. Basic Books, 1991.

Biafra, Jello. I Blow Minds for A Living. Cassette. Alternative Tentacles Records. 1991.
Jello Biafra Page

Fackelmann, Kathleen. "Marijuana on Trial." Science News. 22 March 1997: 178-9+

Ferguson, Sarah. Ed. "The Business of Hemp: Past, Present, and Future." High Times. April 1996: 26-9+

Goldstein, E. Bruce. Psychology. Brooks/Cole Publishing Co., California. 1994: p207

"Industrial Hemp Facts." 1997. Online. Internet. Available
http://www.vt.edu:10021/org/NORML/hemp.html

Overbeck, Charles. "The Billion Dollar Crop." 1996. Online. Internet. 1996. Available
http://www.parascope.com/mx/hemp01.htm

- - - "Reefer Madness." 1996. Online. Internet. 1996. Available
http://www.parascope.com/mx/hemp02.htm

- - - "Hemp for Victory." 1996. Online. Internet. 1996. Available
http://www.parascope.com/mx/hemp03.htm

- - - "Hemp World Order." 1996. Online. Internet. 1996. Available
http://www.parascope.com/mx/hemp04.htm

Zimmer, Lynn. and John P. Morgan. "Exposing Marijuana Myths: A Review of the Scientific Evidence." 1995. Online. Internet. 1995. Available
http://www.drugtext.nl/TLC/mjmyth.html or Exposing Marijuana Myths...

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07-29-2003, 07:45 AM
Greg B So Fucking Banned Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: EARTH (for the time being) Posts: 7,014	Nearly $30 billion is spent annually in the war on drugs(Miller and Benjamin 14). A drug war that has been so far, unsuccessful. Most of this money goes to pay for drug enforcement agents, and jail space. Being that marijuana is one of the most widely consumed drugs, its users are common targets of the law. Harmless users are arrested and thrown into an already overcrowded prison system. These people have their reputations ruined over simple possession charges, all so politicians can show their faces on TV and gain a vote by saying that they're winning the war on drugs. Which brings us to another subject? medicinal marijuana. This topic has been brought to the attention of the American public in recent years. Zimmer and Morgan say that thirty-six states allow marijuana to be used medicinally("Exposing"). However, marijuana is prohibited by federal law, so the state laws are meaningless. Countless studies have been conducted on marijuana, revealing some convincing medicinal properties. It has been found to treat a number of serious and not-so-serious illnesses. Time and time again it has shown the ability to relieve the pain of everything from cancer, AIDS, epilepsy, to migraines. Charles Overbeck tells of a recent federally-funded study at the Medical College of Virginia was shut down after the discovery that cannabis was successful in reducing many types of cancerous growths("Hemp for Victory"). Cancer patients go through chemotherapy treatments which are used to rid the cancer from their bodies. However, many chemotherapeutic chemicals cause undesirable side-effects. These side-effects commonly include nausea and vomiting. The pain caused by their treatment is so severe that many people drop the potentially life saving program. But there is an answer. Studies have shown that marijuana can entirely eliminate side-effects caused by chemotherapy (Fackelmann 179). Glaucoma is a disease in which the pressure in the eyeball becomes dangerously high. Left untreated, glaucoma can cause blindness. Marijuana can be used to lower this pressure and allow the patient to see normally. Currently, eight glaucoma patients in the United States legally obtain marijuana from the government(Fackelmann 179). AIDS patients commonly suffer from what is known as wasting. This is the loss of appetite that causes them to lose weight. This weight loss is dangerous in that, it causes the person and their immune system both become weakened. Again, studies have proven that marijuana can help. Marijuana has been shown to induce appetite, bringing patients up to a healthy weight(Fackelmann 179). These are just a few ways in which marijuana can be used medicinally. In fact, even the government itself has admitted this. According to Kathleen Fackelmann, in 1985 the Food and Drug Administration approved a synthetic version of the active ingredient in marijuana- THC. Prescribed under the name Marinol, it can be obtained legally for treating the nausea from chemotherapy and AIDS related wasting("Marijuana" 179). The down side to Marinol is that it comes in a standard dose, meaning some patients get too much THC, producing undesired side-effects such as anxiety and fearful imaginings and other patients get too little, and thus aren't relieved of their symptoms. This gives inhaled marijuana the leading edge. The patient smokes only as much as they need and can stop before they receive the psychoactive effects or, the high, that marijuana produces. Inhaled marijuana produces the therapeutic effects much more quickly than the Marinol pills which must be digested(Fackelmann 179). Still, despite all this evidence, the Controlled Substance Act classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug, meaning a drug that has no medical value and may be addictive(Fackelmann 178). Clearly marijuana must have some medical value if so many people are willing to risk jail time by growing and using it to relieve the pain of their illnesses. Lynn Zimmer and John Morgan's research states that, a years supply of three 5 mg capsules a day of Marinol, cost around $5,000("Exposing"). This is an awful lot of money for someone to be spending when they know they don't have to. Home-grown marijuana would cost them virtually nothing. In the United States, one cannot own a patent on a medicine that has all natural ingredients. If marijuana were a legalized medicine, there would be no way to profit from it. So, obviously, large pharmaceutical companies do not care to see marijuana legitimized in their industry. Once, again economic factors play a role in keeping marijuana banned. Benjamin and Miller's book compares and contrasts drug criminalization to prohibition of alcohol in the U.S. From 1920 until 1933, the sale and consumption of alcohol was outlawed. In this time a black market was created. It was a risky business, so prices and profits were very high (Undoing Drugs 18). Due to the risk involved, the bootleggers would only sell harder liquor, because they could turn more profit from it. As a result consumption of beer dropped sharply during Prohibition, but the consumption of harder liquor rose steadily each year. Eventually, the government realized this problem. After Prohibition was repealed, the consumption of hard liquor dropped by more than two-thirds(Benjamin and Miller 21). From these facts, we can assume that, while legalizing marijuana would possibly cause an increase in recreational usage, it would also cause a decline in the use of 'harder' drugs such as heroin or crack. In Amsterdam, Holland, the government has decriminalized possession of small quantities of marijuana and hash, and ironically, the consumption of these drugs actually fell. Marijuana is openly sold in "coffee shops" around the city. The only restrictions are that they cannot advertise and that there are limits on how many of these coffee shops can be in a given area (Benjamin and Miller 234). The liberized marijuana laws in Amsterdam have in fact, reduced usage of harder drugs. Holland also has what they call "tolerance zones," where addicts of drugs such as heroin, are encouraged to come forward and receive treatment rather than a prison sentence. As a result, Holland's per-capita death rate from drug overdose is less than half of what it is in the US (Benjamin and Miller 234). Even with their liberalized marijuana laws, recreational consumption rates in the Netherlands, are still similar to neighboring European countries, and lower than those in the US (Zimmer and Morgan). These figures make Holland's drug policy something worth looking at. With all this evidence, I hope I have proved that the legalization of marijuana has far more advantages than disadvantages. This plant has the potential to improve health, cut crime, save tax payer money, raise capital for many businesses as well as our government, save jail space, and guarantee basic human rights. Quickly approaching the 21st century, I think it's about time America take a look at its drug policy and see that it needs some work. When weighed out, the case in favor of marijuana legalization becomes overwhelming. Works Cited Benjamin, Daniel K., and Roger Leroy Miller. Undoing Drugs: Beyond Legalization. Basic Books, 1991. Biafra, Jello. I Blow Minds for A Living. Cassette. Alternative Tentacles Records. 1991. Jello Biafra Page Fackelmann, Kathleen. "Marijuana on Trial." Science News. 22 March 1997: 178-9+ Ferguson, Sarah. Ed. "The Business of Hemp: Past, Present, and Future." High Times. April 1996: 26-9+ Goldstein, E. Bruce. Psychology. Brooks/Cole Publishing Co., California. 1994: p207 "Industrial Hemp Facts." 1997. Online. Internet. Available http://www.vt.edu:10021/org/NORML/hemp.html Overbeck, Charles. "The Billion Dollar Crop." 1996. Online. Internet. 1996. Available http://www.parascope.com/mx/hemp01.htm - - - "Reefer Madness." 1996. Online. Internet. 1996. Available http://www.parascope.com/mx/hemp02.htm - - - "Hemp for Victory." 1996. Online. Internet. 1996. Available http://www.parascope.com/mx/hemp03.htm - - - "Hemp World Order." 1996. Online. Internet. 1996. Available http://www.parascope.com/mx/hemp04.htm Zimmer, Lynn. and John P. Morgan. "Exposing Marijuana Myths: A Review of the Scientific Evidence." 1995. Online. Internet. 1995. Available http://www.drugtext.nl/TLC/mjmyth.html or Exposing Marijuana Myths... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Take PBS' marijuana knowledge quiz here Made from recycled and recyclable material. © 1998 -Me. Don't Steal.