The Legalization of Marijuana  the Individual & the Law

Why is the fight to legalize marijuana such an important issue in today's society? The importance of accomplishing pro-marijuana laws that could potentially make this unique plant legal in the United States are very important to millions of Americans. These harmless people fight to use marijuana as a medication to help various diseases and illnesses. Marijuana has been used through out history in thousands of civilizations for medical and recreational use ,dating back to at least 6000 B.C. Throughout the last century marijuana use has increased dramatically to become the most illicit drug in the United States. Government studies show that in 2009 alone, 25 million people have used marijuana and 14 million people use the drug regularly despite the government's illegal laws that forbid usage. Over the last 40 years the fight to legalize marijuana has been unsuccessful because our government decided that using marijuana has more social damage then social benefits. There has been millions of dollars in research over the last decade that can prove marijuana is more beneficial then harmful.  Marijuana is the third most used drug in America following alcohol and tobacco. It is also known as "weed, pot, hemp, ganja, ect. " It is a green leafy cannabis sativa that can grow and most climates. It can be from a foot to 9 feet depending on the type of plant. The female plant grows leaves and flowers buds that produce delta-9-tetrahydracannibinal (THC). Which is a psychoactive drug that has been used for various reasons throughout evolution. The fight to legalize marijuana and reform marijuana laws is a growing conflict in our nation. Our nation must fight to reform the federal and state laws that will allow medicinal and personal use to any person with constitutional rights. If Cannabis became legal in the Unites States there would be many economic, pharmaceutical, religious and industrial benefits that would help reunite marijuana users and our government

Marijuana is one of the oldest drugs and has be passed down throughout history "our torch has been passed down from Chinese Herbalist, Islamic hashish eaters, African herbsman, Jamaican rastas, Pancho Villa's Mexican revolutionaries, and New Orleans' legendary jazz-cats to beatniks, hippies, yippies, punks, ravers, and hip-hoppers, and now on to a new generation of modern stoners, scattered like seeds across the earth, but globally connected by the common philosophy, an underground etiquette, and the ongoing struggle to free the weed."(Bienenstock) There is no credible evidence that shows who or how marijuana was first found. Humanity's relationship with the cannabis plan dates back to at least 6000 B.C and was first discovered as a hemp seed found by the Chinese as a food resource. Despite the laws against marijuana, you can still buy these cannabis seeds as a snack in food stores. Once the Chinese realized the benefits of the Cannabis plant, they began to industrialize the plant in many ways. The first evidence of hemp clothing was introduced around 4000 B.C and became the most popular form of clothing in China.  (Bienenstock)

The use of medical marijuana is not a recent discovery in history. Cannabis's purpose for medicinal uses owes their discovery to Emperor Shennong, also known as ‘The Divine Farmer". He was famous for teaching both medicine and agriculture in ancient China. Shennong spent his lifetime testing hundreds of wild herbs in order to find their healing properties. After discovering 365 medicines, all the information and statistics taken on these herbs were written in The Divine Farmer's herb-root classic. A passage in the notebook included "a flowery passage recommending cannabis as a "superior" treatment for " constipation, female weakness, gout, malaria, rheumatism, and absentmindedness."" Marijuana has been used as a medication for most of eternity and has helped patients deal with their medical issues. The history of marijuana goes back far before America was ever found. The use of marijuana in America didn't begin in till the beginning of the 19th century. Once the Mexican Revolution of 1910 began, many Mexicans began to immigrate into the southwest of America. These new settlers were unwanted and many locals were prejudice and hated the doper Pancho Villa because Texas and California officials made ridiculous claims that "mota cigarettes" were causing Mexicans to act with great anger and claimed that marijuana gave them "superhuman" strength. Twenty years later in 1944 marijuana was proven to not cause extreme anger and violence. (Gerber) In the late 1920's lower class pot smokers were scene smoking down by the river barriers. The scene of smokers spread down toward Mississippi River. Law Enforcement caught on to the drift and quickly made opinionated claims and campaigned against this "marijuana menace"