Why Marijuana Should Be Legal
Amendment One in the U.S. Constitution clearly states that, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereofÂ…" If this is so, why is this natural grown plant still illegal? Rastafaians consider marijuana "wisdom weed", therefore it is smoked to gain wisdom and bring them closer to their inner self and closer to God (Jah). To make such an herb illegal is an infringement of their rights. The Hindu religion states that during certain holidays higher caste men must drink bhang, which is a cannabis and milk infusion, to bring them closer to Shiva (God). Marijuana is grown from the ground, naturally, and has been around for centuries. The first American common law regarding pot (V.A. Assembly 1619) required every house to grow it. How can something be illegal in 2005 that hasn't changed one bit since it was legal in the 1600s?
Perhaps the greatest argument in favor of decriminalizing marijuana is that explaining its medicinal usage. Many people can benefit from the use of marijuana, from AIDS patients who are too sick to eat, to people suffering from migraines or insomnia. Denying terminally ill patients a drug that could potentially help them and ease their pain is vindictive and inhumane. DEA administrative law judge Francis Young stated that, "Marijuana in its natural form is one of the most therapeutically active substances known to man". Marijuana grows out of the ground; it is a natural substance, not one that is manufactured in government run laboratories.
Marijuana is considered a schedule 1 drug, putting it in the same category as heroin and PCP. Schedule 1 drugs have a high potential for abuse and they are not currently accepted as medical treatments in the U.S. Cocaine, morphine and amphetamines are considered schedule 2 drugs, meaning they are accepted for medical treatments in the U.S. with some restrictions. There has not been one case of anyone... [continues]
Amendment One in the U.S. Constitution clearly states that, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereofÂ…" If this is so, why is this natural grown plant still illegal? Rastafaians consider marijuana "wisdom weed", therefore it is smoked to gain wisdom and bring them closer to their inner self and closer to God (Jah). To make such an herb illegal is an infringement of their rights. The Hindu religion states that during certain holidays higher caste men must drink bhang, which is a cannabis and milk infusion, to bring them closer to Shiva (God). Marijuana is grown from the ground, naturally, and has been around for centuries. The first American common law regarding pot (V.A. Assembly 1619) required every house to grow it. How can something be illegal in 2005 that hasn't changed one bit since it was legal in the 1600s?
Perhaps the greatest argument in favor of decriminalizing marijuana is that explaining its medicinal usage. Many people can benefit from the use of marijuana, from AIDS patients who are too sick to eat, to people suffering from migraines or insomnia. Denying terminally ill patients a drug that could potentially help them and ease their pain is vindictive and inhumane. DEA administrative law judge Francis Young stated that, "Marijuana in its natural form is one of the most therapeutically active substances known to man". Marijuana grows out of the ground; it is a natural substance, not one that is manufactured in government run laboratories.
Marijuana is considered a schedule 1 drug, putting it in the same category as heroin and PCP. Schedule 1 drugs have a high potential for abuse and they are not currently accepted as medical treatments in the U.S. Cocaine, morphine and amphetamines are considered schedule 2 drugs, meaning they are accepted for medical treatments in the U.S. with some restrictions. There has not been one case of anyone... [continues]
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