Marijuana A paper I wrote for english class

[Picardim 0]

I wrote an essay similar to this for my English class, I was wondering what some people thought about it or maybe some nice people can point out some typos and etc since i have no one to proof read to me.

Since the 1930s the DEA has been monitoring and illegalizing the use of drugs. Out of these “drugs” many of them have beneficial purposes in various medical fields while others were used for religious purposes as well. The Drug Enforcement Agency of the United States has been strict and manipulative in order to keep these substances illegal. One of these drugs is still used in America and is being proved to be useful medically even more every year. This drug is known as Cannabis. Cannabis also known as Marijuana, and also spelled Marihuana in the bills passed to illegalize it. Cannabis is heavily used in crops to create hemp, a tough, durable material that has a use for almost everything such as boat sails, rope, clothing, food, fuel, and many more things. In fact hemp is one most environmentally friendly ways to make all of those products and much more. Hemp was the primary crops of former leaders in the US such as George Washington and was the secondary crops of Thomas Jefferson. The real name of hemp is cannabis sativa, sativa meaning useful. It can be made out of many plants, but hemp made from Cannabis is the most durable and useful. This product that comes from the stalk of the Cannabis Sativa created can be made into a fiber like material that is better than most clothing and ropes used today. Cannabis hemp has been use since pre-history and yet for some reason it is illegal in many places because of its mislabeling. Hemp is better than most food crops for a few reasons. Hemp uses fewer fertilizers than most crops and can grow in many places easily; it resists pests due to its “skunky” sent so it requires barely and pesticides. It has deep roots and is beneficial to the soil and the leaves from the plant, when fallen off of the plant to the ground give back minerals. Studies have shown that hemp has been grown in the same exact spot for 20 years in a row without damaging the soil in any measurable way. Hemp is an easy replacement for soy. The only negative about making it into a soy like substance is that it has less protein, but with the worlds current problem on global warming soy crops will go down if the ozone layer depletes by over 15%. Hemp resists UV-B light making it even more durable. Hemp is an easy way to end hunger in many 3rd world countries but since its negative view and the political debates on its use many children will go hungry.
With all the world’s problems on global warming and conserving the environment many people criticize fossil fuels. Cannabis can be made into a simple and more environmentally source of fuel. Hemp’s pulp can be burned the same as charcoal, methanol, methane, or gasoline. A fuel made from a plant like this is called a “biomas” fuel. The hurd taken from the cannabis plant can be burned in today’s electric generator. Its methanol like properties it can be burned as an alternative fuel that is good for cars and with methanol being used in professional racing it seems that it would be a good to use it. Methanol also is said to be able to replace gasoline someday. The current popular way to create biomass is from cutting down trees and extracting it. Not only does this mean that they are burning trees for just that and not other beneficial uses but they are burning the trees and damaging the soil that is caused by the trees but hemp makes biomass in more quantity and with better quality. Cellulosic biomass can be made from cannabis, which is something the government has made a fuel into out of other sources. Some diesel engines will also work on hemp seed oil after they have been purified and while they are pressured. Another huge positive about having cannabis-based fuels is that the emissions from burning them do not increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. These fuels also do not produce of sulfur and metals so they do not do even close to as much damage to our air as fossil fuels. One more thing about all of this is that since marijuana has grown wild in the United States since the 1930s that shows that all of this hemp can be grown in the country and would boost the economy by having these products and not having to go over seas. With all of this the government would only have to pay farmers due to its easy manufacturing and not have to pay expensive services such as oil drilling and soldiers to be getting our fuel.
Marijuana has had a big history in the world for medical and recreational use. Actually marijuana is known to have thousands of medical uses. Ancient scholars that would record medicine would in most cases have marijuana in it let alone the fact that they would almost always have marijuana at the top of their lists for medical uses. In some cases it was referred to as “panaceas”, meaning a cure all medicine. Until the 1930s marijuana was sold as a nerve tonic and was legal to use for medical use due to the knowledge of its ancient uses. Multiple sclerosis, cancer treatment, AIDS, AIDS treatment, glaucoma, depression, epilepsy, migraine headaches, asthma, pruritis, sclerodoma, severe pain, and dystonia can all be treated by substances made from cannabis. This also is known even with the United States not allowing the study of marijuana in many states. Marijuana also contains over 60 chemicals that have medical properties, not only that but the extraction of the substances are easy and can be done so into many things such food, beverages, lotions, and oils. Many substitutes for the medical uses of marijuana are well known prescription drugs and in most cases prescription drugs have seriously dangerous side effects.
Many reasons why marijuana use is frowned upon society and illegilized is due to the propaganda that the government spews. Reefer madness was a movie made in the beginning of the anti marijuana regime, claiming that marijuana use causes extreme psychosis and “random acts of uncontrollable violence”. It also is said that it causes brain damage and saying that people can die from the use of the dangerous drug! These are known to be highly untrue, studies have shown that marijuana does not damage the brain, but actually coats it and prevents the spread of cancer, prevents the formation of certain types of brain cancer, and prevents Alzheimer’s disease. Marijuana has been attacked with many mislabeling saying that marijuana kills, it is nearly impossible to determine how to overdose in marijuana because it is one of the safest drugs out there. The statement of causing psychosis is also proven untrue, the only thing that could happen is an insane person can have an episode during their high but that does not mean that it causes a person to become insane. In fact in Canada for a period of time marijuana was distributed to mentally insane people at asylums, this is because of its calming side effects and usually helps people in time of stress. Some of the most popular things said are the “facts” that marijuana reduces sperm count and that is decreases testosterone in men and increases it in women. Yes the use of marijuana can reduce sperm count but not by much and is not always the case. For the testosterone problem, these are untrue; all of these things were scare tactics used in early propaganda but has proven to sway people into believing it because of many people’s homophobic nature. Lastly marijuana is not worse than cigarettes and the following statement is a direct quote from the writers at erowid.org:

• Marijuana smokers generally don't chain smoke, and so they smoke less. (Marijuana is not physically addictive like tobacco.) The more potent marijuana is, the less a smoker will use at a time.
• Tobacco contains nicotine, and marijuana doesn't. Nicotine may harden the arteries and may be responsible for much of the heart disease caused by tobacco. New research has found that it may also cause a lot of the cancer in tobacco smokers and people who live or work where tobacco is smoked. This is because it breaks down into a cancer causing chemical called `N Nitrosamine' when it is burned (and maybe even while it is inside the body as well.)
• Marijuana contains THC. THC is a bronchial dilator, which means it works like a cough drop and opens up your lungs, which aids clearance of smoke and dirt. Nicotine does just the opposite; it makes your lungs bunch up and makes it harder to cough anything up.
• There are benefits from marijuana (besides bronchial dilation) that you don't get from tobacco. Mainly, marijuana makes you relax, which improves your health and well being.
• Scientists do not really know what it is that causes malignant lung cancer in tobacco. Many think it may be a substance known as Lead 210. Of course, there are many other theories as to what does cause cancer, but if this is true, it is easy to see why NO CASE OF LUNG CANCER RESULTING FROM MARIJUANA USE ALONE HAS EVER BEEN DOCUMENTED, because tobacco contains much more of this substance than marijuana.
• Marijuana laws make it harder to use marijuana without damaging your body. Water pipes are illegal in many states. Filtered cigarettes, vaporizers, and inhalers have to be mass-produced, which is hard to arrange `underground.' People don't eat marijuana often because you need more to get as high that way, and it isn't cheap or easy to get (which is the reason why some people will stoop to smoke leaves.) This may sound funny to you -- but the more legal marijuana gets, the safer it is.
In Conclusion, Marijuana is still illegal today, yet all of the propaganda said about marijuana is easily proven untrue and when the matter is pressed the reply, “it’s for your own good” is said with no real proof backing it up. As seen in the past marijuana is useful and is being proven even more so with every study. Jokingly said, “if marijuana was legalized all of the world’s problems would go away”, and the funny part of it all is that an answer for many other problems come from one plant! The true proposal to legalizing the plant is not to get up right now and go protest, but gain knowledge about the plant and read its history about it in a non biased way, hear both sides of the story. History is not was, so look into the past and see what it has done. It is true that unless the people show that they want this to be legalized, or even at least studied before so, it will most likely not happen and these solutions will be trampled on by a series of lies and propaganda. There are many activist groups for the support of Cannabis and there are many web sites that give the real facts (some even on the student research center).

Work Cited

Brian S. Julin. “Cannabis FAQ Version: 1.0”. Erowid.org. Jul 19, 2007. October 21, 2007 < https://www.erowid.org/plants/cannabis/cannabis_faq1.shtml >

“Welcome to the DRCNet Online Library of Drug Policy”. http://druglibrary.org/.
DRCNet.10/15/07. < http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/hempmenu.htm >

“Marijuana” WhiteHouseDrugPolicy.gov. March 26, 2007. October 21, 2007. < https://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp >

[tricky77puzzle 0]

It's funny, but in Ontario, where I live, it's completely legal to possess and smoke marijuana - just not to privately traffick it. In other places, it's not usually enforced.

 

http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

 

It says here that the LD(50) of cannabis is about 1242 mg/kg for males through ingestion, or an average adult man eating approximately 80 grams of the stuff.

 

I still wouldn't want to smoke marijuana, though... it could get seriously addictive.

Edited February 8, 2008 by tricky77puzzle (see edit history)

[Picardim 0]

It's funny, but in Ontario, where I live, it's completely legal to possess and smoke marijuana - just not to privately traffick it. In other places, it's not usually enforced.

 

http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

 

It says here that the LD(50) of cannabis is about 1242 mg/kg for males through ingestion, or an average adult man eating approximately 80 grams of the stuff.

 

I still wouldn't want to smoke marijuana, though... it could get seriously addictive.

Yes, America has its values quite mixed up at the moment. In reply to the addictiveness, it is only mentally addictive and this is because a majority of people, at least in the U.S, have addictive personalities. Everything need to be done in moderation though, so I agree.

[takotsu 0]

Yes, America has its values quite mixed up at the moment. In reply to the addictiveness, it is only mentally addictive and this is because a majority of people, at least in the U.S, have addictive personalities. Everything need to be done in moderation though, so I agree.

I agree. However, I think that people in general, not just Americans, have addictive personalities."So," you ask, "What's America gotta do to better the people?"
Well, it's quite simple. I have two theories on this subject.

FIRST:
Prohibition. Again. This time, ban everything. Smoking, liquor, soda, television, video games, windows vista (please god...), individuality, etc.
(Maybe I just want prohibition because I want a Tommy Gun, but whatever.)

SECOND:
Outlaw nothing. Well, almost nothing. Just like 'Drunk in Public,' make something like 'Stoned in Public' which would outlaw being high OUTSIDE. Do it at home, keep it away from children, and you'll be fine. (Just like with booze or cigarettes.)

There you have it. Happier Americans. Weather it's the drugs or the laws, they'll love it!

thumbs up to me(?) (maybe?)