I'm a decaying piece of organic matter, but you can call me Claire. I'm a bookworm, isolated in the depths of non-reality, I live in splotches of color and orangey sunsets-- sometimes even in the absence of color at all, like a boring newspaper spread on Sunday mornings. I breath and long, intricate sentences come out, weaved neatly of beautiful adjectives and solemn metaphors. I whisper activism in my deepest sleep. I am alive in the most ways possible, I have an eye for beauty and an ear for music. I sit alone sometimes and ask the world why I'm here, and I still haven't got much of an answer. I will never give up on asking. I will never stop thinking, and I like that about myself.
Truth,
Claire Carlson
2nd period Seminar
Rough Draft IS # 1
Once said Lily Tomlin “Reality is a crutch for people who can’t cope with drugs.”
In this essay, we will explore the controversial topic of Marijuana and Hemp legalization. We will discover the truth about how the active chemical in Marijuana affects your brain, including the damage it can cause and the repairs it can make to yourself, physically and mentally. We will also learn about how the Hemp industry can thrive on today’s ever-growing needs and upkeep, furthermore the cost, development, nutrients, products, and growth of it. We will see from the viewpoints of many people, including Tom Degan who, wrote an internet article called “the top ten reasons Marijuana should be legal” and the D.A.R.E program, meaning the Drug Abuse Resistance Education. At the end of this argument, you will see that the correct side of this story is that Marijuana and Hemp should definitely be legalized, as it will provide help to the economy, environment, health, and paper, clothes, and drug companies.
Before we begin, we must need to know the basic facts of Marijuana and Hemp before entering the debate. Marijuana’s scientific name is Cannabis Sativa, thus we shall refer to it as such. It is the most commonly used illicit drug. The active mind altering ingredient in Cannabis is called T.H.C. or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, a fat-soluble substance. The THC level in the plant determines the effect and strength the herb. In 1975, the THC content of marijuana was found to be only 1% of the plant. But now it can be as high as 4%. The THC level of a plant depends on the type of seeds used, the weather and soil it is grown in, and the time of harvest. Cannabis Sativa can be used for many reasons, including recreation, medical use, and to make products such as paper, cloth, and gasoline. It has been illegal in the United States of America since 1938, with the exception of World War II, and during the administration of Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. There are many ways in which Cannabis can be consumed. Some of the most common ways include pipes, water pipes (or bongs), joints, which are Marijuana cigarettes, blunts, which are Marijuana cigars, vaporizers, which take out the smoke so you just inhale the chemicals, or baked products such as cupcakes or brownies. After ingesting the THC, effects are felt in 2-5 minutes and peak 10 to 30 minutes later. The immediate effects of the drug are dilated and reddened eyes, increased heartbeat, dry mouth/throat, hunger, impaired coordination and balance, and a delayed reaction. This gives the user a sense of euphoria. The effects fade within two or three hours of use, but the actual drug stays in your system. Thus, Cannabis Sativa can indeed be detected large amounts of time after use. Now that we’ve seen the facts of Cannabis, it is time to look deeper into the facts that will prove why it should be legal.
Some people strongly believe that Marijuana is terrible for the body, mind, and soul. It can destroy lives if abused and can strip your mind of things such as short-term memory, coordination, learning ability, and attention span. It additionally limits the ability to absorb and retain information if over used. Other side affects of Marijuana include diminished inhibitions, loss of motivation, and impaired judgment, increasing the risk of accidents. The users cannot focus, have a clear attention span, or organize data for 24 hours after use. The health risks that the plant poses are minimal, but there are some; including damage to respiratory, reproductive, and immune systems. Also, users of Chronic are prone to chest colds, bronchitis, emphysema, and bronchial asthma. It can also increase the risk of lung or throat cancer if a vaporizer is not used. If the drug is strongly overused, especially when the user is overly stressed or unhappy, the effects can be anxiety, panic attacks, bad or scary hallucinations, and paranoia. The drug is known to be slightly addictive, thus the user can gain physical and psychological dependency on Cannabis Sativa. Marijuana has some of alcohol’s depressants and it’s disinhibiting properties, so the way an alcoholic may act might be similar to that of a marijuana addict. When a pregnant woman uses marijuana they tend to develop babied with lower birth rates, and have higher health risks. The development of the baby is also delayed.
THC accumulates in fatty tissues such as the liver, lungs, testes, and other organs. THC content may still be retained. It will show up in urine tests three days after use, and traces may be picked up by sensitive blood tests two to four weeks later.
If teens, tweens, or even elementary level kids were to smoke, their hormones would be greatly affected; it would delay their puberty, reduce the sperm count in young men, and disrupt women’s menstruation. Recreational marijuana use is most dangerous for the young, still developing children. It cannot only inhibit physical growth; it can also stunt the maturity level. In a survey, 2 million teens reported depression and loss of interest in daily activities during the past year. This shows that depressed teens are twice as likely to use marijuana than happy ones. Yet teens that smoke at least once a month are twice as likely to have suicidal thoughts. Teen girls using the drug are also more likely to develop or worsen their depression. If teens use this drug, it may lead to schizophrenia, anxiety, and suicide.
Many people call Cannabis Sativa a “Gateway Drug” meaning that users are more likely to begin using harder drugs such as methamphetamines, LSD, ‘Magic’ Mushrooms, Cocaine, and Heroin. Because the drug is sold on the black market, people will sometimes lace it with other more harmful drugs, such as PCP or Crack Cocaine.
Use tends to lead to “unfashionable” lifestyles. The lifestyles that are all grouped into “uneducated and immoral”. But are these people immoral or uneducated?
So, as you can see, marijuana has many opponents willing to research it’s negative effects on the human mind and body. It has many cons, reassuring us that we ought to stay away from the illicit, “dangerous” drug. But have you heard the other side of the story?
If the truth about hemp and marijuana was exposed everywhere like it should be, it would definitely be legal.
The difference between hemp and marijuana is that even though the two are related through the same genus of plant, industrial-grade hemp lacks the mind-altering ingredient, THC. Marijuana is not as useful for anything more than recreation, (getting the user “high”) and medical use.
Marijuana is helpful with 13 + illnesses and diseases. Marijuana helps glaucoma, loss of appetite, nausea caused by chemotherapy, improves digestion, AIDS patients, anorexia, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis (MS), chronic pain, pruritus, depression, mood disorders, and it inhibits cancerous cells in animals. Medical hemp has been used to treat rheumatism, ulcers, asthma, insomnia, and migraines. It can also counteract for AIDS and cancer chemotherapy. Why should we prevent people with these illnesses from getting the best medical attention and medicines possible, even if the medicine is unnecessary in some, very few, cases? That would be considered cruel in many people’s opinions.
Though marijuana is illegal, it is used with or without a ban. Additionally, if we were to legalize it right now, it would decrease the flow of money to international criminal gangs, hard-drug dealers, and other black-market businesses. Not to mention it will greatly lessen teen exposure to it, if we have control over it.
Marijuana is all around safer than alcohol. Alcohol causes most of the same effects on the human body that Cannabis does, so why is one illegal and the other, more produced, harmful, chemical-filled one legal? As well as healing in many cases, Marijuana is not lethal. It does not eat holes in your brain like any other hard drugs would do.
One of the most important and main reasons we should certainly legalize the drug is this: arrests. The cost for housing and food for so-called “criminals” arrested for the drug is very expensive. Most if 1.5 million annual drug arrests are for simple possession, but about 325,000 of those people are charged for drug dealing. That is false imprisonment. A study conducted in Massachusetts on urban minority communities shows that only 10% of the states population is in poverty. But it also shows that 57% of people in jail for possession of marijuana are from that 10% poverty. This shows great discrimination and injustice. Almost 1/3 of African-American males born in the district of Columbia in the 60’s were charged with dealing between the ages of 18 and 24. If we are protecting the people from anything unsafe, we should forget the drug and work on discrimination.
Hemp. It is everything the world needs. Originated in Central Asia but spread worldwide, the Indians thought it was a plant from the gods. In the Old Testament, Bhagauad Gita (IX: 16) called it a healing herb. Hemp has been called “Ma” by the ancient Chinese, who used it to make cordage, building materials, cloth, and paper. In Ezekiel, (34: 29) it was called “plant of renown”.
It has been illegal since 1938, with the exception of World War II, in which the widespread cultivation of hemp was strongly encouraged.
Hemp has thousands of pros, and literally no cons. Hemp can be used to make over 25,000 products. Some of these products include cellophane, plastic, building materials, fiberboard, cement, blocks and mortar, fiberglass substitute, textiles for apparel, sheets, diapers, towels, tents, drapes, knapsacks, shoes, rope, twine, nets, canvas bags, and carpets. Hempseed Oil can make soap, shampoo, bath gels, cosmetics, margarine, salad oil, food supplements, paint, varnish, ink, fuel, plastic resin, solvents, and lubricating oils. Fibers and Hurds (which is a pulp byproduct of hemp) can make newsprint, cardboards, and stationary. Hemp fiber is the equivalent of cotton times ten. It is high in polyunsaturated fats, more so that canola and soy.
Hemp is the second richest plant source of protein. It is cheaper to grow than even soybeans, and thrives at many climates. 10,000 acres of hemp would yield 40,000 acres planted in trees. It also requires far less chemicals for its manufacturing than wood pulp does. If we used the same technology that we did to process hemp in 1917, it would replace 70% of all wood pulp products. Hemp requires no pesticides or fertilizers. It takes only 100 days to grow. The leftover stalks that would usually be dumped in a landfill can be used as mulch, which is very healthy for the earth. Hemp can be recycled indefinitely.
Over 10,000 tons of hemp was harvested last year in France. China also widely cultivates hemp, and it is the biggest producer of non-wood paper. Romania, Hungary, Poland, Spain, and Russia use hemp as well.
The first pair of Levi’s Jeans were made of hemp. They were stronger, more lustrous, absorbent, and mildew resistant than cotton. The declaration of Independence was drafted on hemp paper. Benjamin Franklin started on of the first hemp paper mills, Both Thomas Jefferson and George Washington were strongly pro-hemp and they each had their own private crop.
Sails of the USS constitution and nearly every other old sailing ship were made of hemp. Henry Ford even developed a car that runs on hemp. It could compete with petroleum-based fuel, but with no depletion off the ozone layer. This proves that hemp is much ecologically healthier than many things, such as gasoline and the production of wood based paper.
After weeks of research on this topic, I have come to realize that Marijuana being illegal is more of a burden than help. Weather or not hemp is even a little harmful to the human body it helps with much more. It is very costly to the earth and to the health of many people that we do not legalize this plant, and if we don’t fix it soon we could end up over using something that we need, something that Cannabis Sativa could have easily replaced. I also find it quite silly that we make tobacco and alcohol, (which are much more harmful than marijuana) legal, while something as useful as marijuana can be illegal.
In conclusion, this topic is very controversial. It has proponents and opponents that have both made good points. But in the end I am positive that if the reader of this essay understood the facts and detailed printed here, that he or she would most definitely see that the correct position on this topic is that marijuana should be legal in the U.S.A.
