Marijuana

"Reclassification of Marijuana" By ; (Christine Gregoire, Washington State) Summary In this article “Reclassification of Marijuana”,  speaking of the reason marijuana has not been legalized or reclassified.  The government is contradicting in the law by having a lower classification for marijuana than alcohol which is Class B.  While marijuana is a Class C drug, but illegal rather than alcohol which is a class B and easier to get. The effects of the alcohol is drastic and has claimed many lives, where as marijuana hasn’t.  This is why the laws should be reconsidered. Analysis          This essay opening with the reclassification of marijuana, makes the claim in the first paragraph that marijuana classification interprets a form of legalization. "People weak and sick with cancer, multiple sclerosis and other diseases and conditions suddenly feel like- or in fact became- law breakers,"Gov.Christine Gregoire said in a statement, coming from another point of view. The rest of the essay is organized by the various classifications of other drugs and alcohol as well as the affects of those other drugs and alcohol compared to marijuana. In my opinion the support given that indicates the information used for classifying marijuana is inadequate. It's easy for the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) to say deficient things about why marijuana shouldn't be legalized but they never give any fact or proof about the "harmful effects" they state! Response  Before reading Gov. Gregoire's essay about drug reclassification my understanding of this topic was somewhat different. I have dissimilar views as well as common ground views with the author because although she states that people may become law breakers while using the drug, she also lives in the state of Washington were marijuana is legal for medical purpose; were she could experience it first hand. My reaction to the information given to me is indescribable seeing how there are so many different perceptions about the usage and need of marijuana. 16 states including Rhode Island and Washington allow medical marijuana which is why i believe there should be no problem allowing the other states to do so as well. Who's to say that people who are prescribed medical marijuana wont abuse it as a normal every day person would' Exploratory Paper What is marijuana ' Marijuana (Cannabis) generally refers to dried, shredded leaves,stems,seeds, and flowers of the Cannabis Sativa plant. Marijuana and other Cannais products are most commonly smoked. There are over 200 slang names for marijuana. Some of the more popular names include: Pot, herb, weed, grass, Mary Jane, and chronic. The first use of cannabis for medicinal purposes was recorded as 2700B.C by Sheen Nung, one of the fathers of Chinese medicine. Most cultures viewed Hemp as a gift, or treasure, from the divine spirit, to be used during ceremonials, at which time it was either burned as incense, ingested for deep meditation and heighten awareness, smoked for pleaser and worn for clothing during ceremonies. Hemp(Cannabis) was first brought to North America by the Puritans. The first President of the United States, cultivated Indian Hemp (Cannabis sativa indica, i.e. medical cannabis, which could also be used for fiber, although not as well as regular hemp) on his farm. Sounds interesting and not much harmful, but one big question still remains, " Does legalizing marijuana help or hurt the worlds economy'" A strong argument for legalizing marijuana is for medicinal purposes. Marijuana can be used for many different diseases and health issues. Legalizing marijuana will make it easier for the patients to receive the drug and it will make it easier for scientist to study the drug further to confirm the drugs medical purposes. For example, Marijuana is used to help a cancer patient because the THC (Tetahydrcannabinol) in it reduces vomiting and nausea. Marijuana would also benefit an AIDS patient as well as a person with Glaucoma. The AIDS patient will have an improved appetite , and marijuana helps a person suffering from glaucoma by reducing the pressure within the eye. it is also argued that if marijuana was legalized the U.S can tax the revenues and will have additional funds that can be used for awareness of the drugs affects and treatment. An estimated $10billion dollars a year is spent in attempts to keep marijuana off the street, while the state of California has a revenue of $14Billion annually for the production of it's "legalized medical marijuana". Legalizing it will result in a decrease in deaths and violence due to the unregulated Black-Market trade or (marijuana). From another view ones opinion would be how marijuana is announced as a gateway drug , which is a drug that leads a person to the use of other drugs that have a harmful effect on ones mind as well as body. It is also stated that babies born to women who used marijuana during their pregnancies display altered responses to visual stimuli and increased tremulousness which may indicate problems with the child's neurological development. Marijuana exposed children have also been found to have more behavioral problems and to perform tasks of visual perception, language comprehension, sustained attention, and memory poorly. In school, these children are more likely to exhibit deficits in decision-making skills, memory, and the ability to remain attentive. Some of marijuana's immediate effects would be lost of restlessness, hallucinations, impaired coordination etc. Some long term effects would be the loss of brain cells, lung cancer , and marijuana may produce a mild physical dependence that causes minor withdrawal symptoms when discontinued such as nausea,insomnia and anxiety. As far as crime, the question would simply be "Does the legalization of marijuana really cut down on all violence and crime'" Fact; 1 of 6 peoples are in jail for non-violent drug offenses. Would it make sense to legalize marijuana to make room in prison for more violent offenders '