Medical Marijuana
Pot. Dope. Cannibis. Grass. Marijuana. For years there has been a negative stigma attached to this plant, but that's exactly what it is, a plant, something that grows in the ground, and it is not inherantly evil like some people believe. It is the use or misuse of it that is good or bad, not the plant itself. I think that it is time we look past all that we have been told about the dangers of marijuana and see that it actually has legitimate medical uses. And I believe that if it was something developed by scientists instead of a Schedule 1 drug, it would already be legal for medical use.
I would first like to start off with a little history of the use and regulation of marijuana. For thousands of years Marijuana has been used as herbal medication and for intoxication, but modern science is much different than that of antiquity and things have changed. By 1931, in America, 29 states had prohibited its use for nonmedical purposes. Then, in 1937 the federal government first got involved with The Marijuana Tax Act, which required anyone producing, distributing, or using marijuana for medical purposes to register and pay a tax and which also effectively prohibited nonmedical use of the drug.
Then, in the late 1960s there was a large increase in marijuana use in adolescents and young adults, which prompted the government to take even harsher action. In 1970 the Controlled Substances Act was passed which classified marijuana as a schedule 1 drug. A schedule 1 drug has, A: No known medical use, and B: A large potential for abuse. But, as I will explain to you now, recent studies have shown that marijuana actually has medical uses and according to a 1997 Institute of Medicine study, there were upwards of 30 potential uses.
Shortly after the passage of the Controlled Substances Act, a UCLA reseacher discovered the first medical use of marijuana. While researching methods which the police could use to tell if someone had been smoking marijuana, he inadvertantly
I would first like to start off with a little history of the use and regulation of marijuana. For thousands of years Marijuana has been used as herbal medication and for intoxication, but modern science is much different than that of antiquity and things have changed. By 1931, in America, 29 states had prohibited its use for nonmedical purposes. Then, in 1937 the federal government first got involved with The Marijuana Tax Act, which required anyone producing, distributing, or using marijuana for medical purposes to register and pay a tax and which also effectively prohibited nonmedical use of the drug.
Then, in the late 1960s there was a large increase in marijuana use in adolescents and young adults, which prompted the government to take even harsher action. In 1970 the Controlled Substances Act was passed which classified marijuana as a schedule 1 drug. A schedule 1 drug has, A: No known medical use, and B: A large potential for abuse. But, as I will explain to you now, recent studies have shown that marijuana actually has medical uses and according to a 1997 Institute of Medicine study, there were upwards of 30 potential uses.
Shortly after the passage of the Controlled Substances Act, a UCLA reseacher discovered the first medical use of marijuana. While researching methods which the police could use to tell if someone had been smoking marijuana, he inadvertantly