Update- I encourage all non-smokers to add me to your friends list, and ask all the questions about smoking that you want, even if you think I'm just some crazy, drugged up hippie. Be open minded-question authority~Hello everyone, thanks for checking out my myspace. I want to start off by saying I didn't make this just to promote the smoking of marijuana, my goal is to try to spread the truth about the cannabis, also known as marijuana. I also want to include that smoking marijuana is not for everyone. Just like some people cannot handle the responsibility to drink responsibly, some shouldn't smoke marijaua, but the majority of people that do are hard working responsible citizens just like me and you.
So now I ask anyone that is still interested read on. Hopefully we can spread some truth.
Lets start with a little history....
Marijuana was first made illegal in the early 1900s (along with alcohol, gambling, all that good stuff). At the time very little was known about this plant (although hemp, a close relative to marijuana has been grown in america since the 1700s and before. People such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both grew hemp). Many people were scared of it, and it was often smoked by black and mexicanminorities in the Southwest. At first the gov't wanted nothing to do with marijuana, but after much pressure from local and state gov'ts they finally made it illegal. Why? Because durring the depression, the need for mexican laborers was basiclly nothing. However, the mexicans didn't want to leave the country, so what better way to get them out, then to make something many of them did illegal? The newley formed DEA spread a lot of untrue propaganda about it like it would lead to violence and disease, and got the public on their side. After the alcohol was relegalized, the marijuana tax act was passed in 1937. This law was eventually found unconstitutional by the supreme court durring the '60s, which led marijuana to become a schedule 1 drug. Since then the gov't, and other organizations have been spreading all kind of lies and propaganda against marijuana. Now for the truth.
One of the biggest misconceptions is in the danger of marijuana. First off, it is IMPOSSIBLE to overdose on THC (the active ingredient in marijuana). Search the internet, call the hospital, even ask your dare officer. No one has EVER died by smoking marijuana. To die, you would actually have to EAT twice your weight, or set up a continuous IV drip directly into your bloodstream.... Even using this method it would be difficult to overdose (and it is never done). Now yes, there is a health risk to your lungs from smoking, but this risk is no greater then that which is caused by cigarette smokers. I have heard many different numbers about how much worse marijuana is for their lungs. Let me explain how these statistics play with your mind a little. The truth is there are about 4 times more carbon monoxide and other harmful chemicals in one "marijuana cigarette" vs. a regular cig. But think about it, the average cigarette smoker smokes a pack or two a day (sometimes more). Thats an average of 20 cigarettes a day.... That means that a marijuana only smoker would have to smoke 5 joints a day, every day, to get the same negative effects to their lungs as a cigarette only smoker. There are also studies being done, because some scientists believe that some ingredients in marijuana may actualy PREVENT cancer.
All of these negative effects can be avioded by eating or vaporizing marijuana. Both of these methods have NO negative effects on the lungs.
Still seem bad?
Some people claim that marijuana will make you lazy. Just the fact that I'm typing all this should prove otherwise, but if it doesnt think of this.
Between 95 and 100 million americans admit to having smoked marijuana. If all these people did was sit around and get high, then I think America would be losing a lot of money. These people are obviously hard working loyal citizens.
You often hear about marijuana laced with other, more harmful drugs, but this is another one that needs to be thought about logiclly. 99% of people would NEVER go back to a drug dealer who laced their bags. So why would a drug dealer spend EXTRA money, to sell some weed at the SAME PRICE, to people they are just going to lose as customers? Also, its easy to identify drugs laced with cocaine, and to have an amount of pcp that does anything, it can be identified by the smell and taste. It doesn't make sense economiclly, and I have never heard ANY first hand accounts of any of my friends or myself encountering laced marijuana.
There is also little truth to the "gateway" theory. This is another one loved by anti-marijuana groups. And yet another "fact" with little truth to it. Like I stated earlier, 95 to 100 million americans have experimented with marijuana. IF all these people (or even half) moved on to hard drugs, then there would be a LOT more drug addicts in this country. Before most people smoke marijuana, most people also smoke cigarettes. And before people smoke cigarettes, most people drink soda, so is it fair to say drinking soda leads to smoking marijuana? Most people who do hard drugs DID experiment with marijuana but most people who smoke marijuana do NOT do hard drugs.
Another favorite of anti-marijuana folks is the study that "Marijuana is __% stronger then it was in the 70's". Now this sounds awfuly convincing, but a quick google search will find little info even backs this up. But Just for kicks, lets play along. Now that marijuana is more potent, you need to smoke LESS to get high. By smoking less, you are doing less damage to your lungs. Therfore, by marijuana being more potent, its actualy safer
The last topic I'm going to cover is addiction. This is a toughie. There is NO addictive chemical in marijuana (like nicotine in cigarettes). In fact on a side note, nicotine is more addicting then many hard drugs.....But back to the topic. Marijuana is NOT physically addicting. Some people, with addictive personalities can get mentally addicted to marijuana, but these are the same people who are likely to become alcoholics, and shouldn't be smoking in the first place. I personally have smoked everyday for two months, and then went completely cold turkey without ANY withdrawal symptoms. So much for addiction.
So why is marijuana illegal when much more damaging things like cigarettes and alcohol (the second and third leading causes of death in America) legal? The simple answer? There is none. There are many facotrs, money (the drug war rings in millions), power (the drug war allows us to force control over other smaller, drug producing countries), and very simmply, morals and people in powers personal views on marijuana.
"There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US,
and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers.
Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana usage.
This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations
with Negroes, entertainers and any others."
Harry J. Anslinger (the original "drug czar"), testimony to Congress, 1937
I'm going to end off with a few drug war and marijuana facts. I'm not going to list all the sources as of now, but all of these can be found with one or two quick google searches.
The drug war costs americans an estimated 12 BILLION dollars a year from tax payers money. I think this money could be spent in MUCH better places. (how bout education, healthcare, or better equiping our soldiers overseas). On top of that, the gov't could make even more profit of the taxing of marijuana. Also, DEA and narcotics agents could be reasigned to different parts of law enforcement, to help prevent some real crime, even though crime rates would fall. What are most inner city shooting caused by? The answer- Drugs and gangs. Legalize the drugs, and you take the power and money out of the hands of drug dealers and gangs, which will greatly reduce urban violence. Please see www.leap.cc for some more profesional opinons of the drug war.
The United States has 4.6 percent of the population of the world but 22.5 percent of the world's prisoners. (source http://www.leap.cc/about/index.htm). Thats because every year 1.6 MILLION nonviolent drug users are arrested. MORE THEN ANY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE WORLD!
None of the medical tests currently used to detect brain damage in humans have found harm from marijuana, even from long term high-dose use. In a recent study researchers found no evidence of brain abnormality in monkeys that were forced to inhale the equivalent of four to five marijuana cigarettes every day for a year. The claim that marijuana kills brain cells is based on a speculative report dating back a quarter of a century that has never been supported by any scientific study.
Medical marijuana (legal in 14 states) also has high value. It is a natural way to relieve pain, and its few side effects are less serious then those of prescription drugs used to do the same thing.
Hopefully you learned something. If I can change just ONE persons view on marijuana, I think I've served my purpose. Please understand this is still rough, and more/better info will be added soon. Any suggestions/corrections will be great. Thanks for reading, and leave me some comments with feedback.
I edited my profile with Thomas Myspace Editor V3.6 !
For more information on marijuana legalziation, please see
www.norml.org - www.mjlegal.org/ - www.mpp.com
Thanks for reading, and keep on tokin'!
Please help fight the drug war- Support NORML!
