a greener tomorrow
A Greener Tomorrow
Imagine what it would feel like if it was illegal to drink, produce, or sell coffee. If you wanted to drink a cup of coffee, you would first have to go to a not-so-friendly neighborhood to obtain the drink. Then you would have to watch your back to make sure the police aren’t watching you every time you take a sip. Does it make sense to make a human being go through all that just for a cup of coffee, especially if they needed it to go on throughout the day? I’m sorry to say that this kind of injustice is happening today but only with a different product. In contemporary America, marijuana is illegal under the federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970 and is listed as a Schedule I drug meaning the government believes it has no real medical use. Recent studies have shown though that marijuana use has been more beneficial than harmful. Because marijuana can benefit not only the people who use it but society as a whole, the legalization of said plant should be enacted. Why is marijuana illegal? According to Whitehouse.gov in the Marijuana Legalization page, they explain that “Marijuana is illegal because it is harmful and should be discouraged.” Some of the reasons for that included dependence and respiratory illnesses. The dependence part is true to an extent but human beings tend to cling onto anything that can essentially bring them pleasure. That includes food, video gaming, pornography, shopping, coffee but you don’t see anyone going out of their way to write legislation to legalize these things. In the drug world, addiction means that it causes withdrawals. Marijuana withdrawals on the other hand cause “mood effects, irritability. Food intake decreases” according to Maia Szalavitz’s on Time.com. On the other hand, according to nlm.nih.gov, withdrawals created by opioids such as heroin can cause abdominal cramping, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, or pain in general. The difference is huge and the marijuana withdrawals seem minor compared to other
Imagine what it would feel like if it was illegal to drink, produce, or sell coffee. If you wanted to drink a cup of coffee, you would first have to go to a not-so-friendly neighborhood to obtain the drink. Then you would have to watch your back to make sure the police aren’t watching you every time you take a sip. Does it make sense to make a human being go through all that just for a cup of coffee, especially if they needed it to go on throughout the day? I’m sorry to say that this kind of injustice is happening today but only with a different product. In contemporary America, marijuana is illegal under the federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970 and is listed as a Schedule I drug meaning the government believes it has no real medical use. Recent studies have shown though that marijuana use has been more beneficial than harmful. Because marijuana can benefit not only the people who use it but society as a whole, the legalization of said plant should be enacted. Why is marijuana illegal? According to Whitehouse.gov in the Marijuana Legalization page, they explain that “Marijuana is illegal because it is harmful and should be discouraged.” Some of the reasons for that included dependence and respiratory illnesses. The dependence part is true to an extent but human beings tend to cling onto anything that can essentially bring them pleasure. That includes food, video gaming, pornography, shopping, coffee but you don’t see anyone going out of their way to write legislation to legalize these things. In the drug world, addiction means that it causes withdrawals. Marijuana withdrawals on the other hand cause “mood effects, irritability. Food intake decreases” according to Maia Szalavitz’s on Time.com. On the other hand, according to nlm.nih.gov, withdrawals created by opioids such as heroin can cause abdominal cramping, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, or pain in general. The difference is huge and the marijuana withdrawals seem minor compared to other
Cited: Armentano, Paul. "Health and Societal Costs of Marijuana vs. Alcohol and Tobacco: Prohibitionists ' Concerns Answered and Refuted." Alternet. Alternet, 30 Mar. 2012. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. . "Decriminalizing Marijuana." Issues & Controversies Guither, Pete. "Why Is Marijuana Illegal?" Drug WarRant. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. . "Hemp - Could Save America." Rense Joy, Janet E., Stanley J. Watson, and John A. Benson. Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base. Washington, D.C.: National Academy, 1999. Print. MacCOUN, Robert "Marijuana Decriminalization & Its Impact on Use." Norml. Norml, n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. . "Marijuana Legalization." The White House "Medical Marijuana Gaining Acceptance in U.S." WSJ. Wall Street Journal, 15 Oct. 2013. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. . "Opiate Withdrawal." MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia "Recent Research on Medical Marijuana." Norml. Norml, n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. . Szalavitz, Maia Thomas, Gerald, and Chris Davis. "Cannabis, Tobacco and Alcohol Use in Canada." Heretohelp. Visions Journal, 2009. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. .