Mother Earths Gift part one

 

Marijuana, also known as, cannibas, hemp, ganja, Mj and many other names. Marijuana or hemp plants is the form of the famous cannabis plant when growing. The cannabis plants most common use is to be smoked in the dried herbal form, inteneded for its psychoactive effects. A typical cannibas plant consists of its flowers, bud, one of the most important parts, as its this section that will be seeked for smoking and its stalks. The resin from marjuana is also known as hash, which is a powdered cube form, heated and crumbled over a joint or other preference of smoking.

                        

Cannibas’s biggest psychoactive chemical in its composition is, tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as THC. There also many other elements, and at least 66 other cannabinoids present. These include, cannbidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN) and many others. All these chemical compounds are seen to influence the effects of THC.

 

Marijuana’s current legal status, is and has been for a while one of controversy. With many activists, and pro-marijuana related arguing the case for legalisation for decades. Marijuana has been seen to have occurred, or grwon since as long as the third millennuim B.C. the use of the drugs has many purposes, such as recreational, religious or medicinal purposes. In the recent years, its uses for medicine have seen great support, as now in the U.S.A, cannibas is legal, medically. It is estimated that around 22.5 million poeple of the worlds population use marijuana daily, and around 162 million, of the worlds adult population use marijuana annually.

 

In recent years most countries have deemed that cannabis be illegal, this is in matters of possessing, using or the sale of cannibas. Most countries have been seen to have intensified the enforcement of marijuanna prohibitions such as the UK, as of 2009 making it a class B drug. There are still a few countries where marjuana has remained either legal, or decriminilised, such as amsterdam (WOOT!)

Marijuana’s current legal status, is and has been for a while one of controversy. With many activists, and pro-marijuana related arguing the case for legalisation for decades. Marijuana has been seen to have occurred, or grwon since as long as the third millennuim B.C. the use of the drugs has many purposes, such as recreational, religious or medicinal purposes. In the recent years, its uses for medicine have seen great support, as now in the U.S.A, cannibas is legal, medically. It is estimated that around 22.5 million poeple of the worlds population use marijuana daily, and around 162 million, of the worlds adult population use marijuana annually.

In recent years most countries have deemed that cannabis be illegal, this is in matters of possessing, using or the sale of cannibas. Most countries have been seen to have intensified the enforcement of marijuanna prohibitions such as the UK, as of 2009 making it a class B drug. There are still a few countries where marjuana has remained either legal, or decriminilised, such as amsterdam (WOOT!)

Cannabis’s legal status since the 20^th century has seen most countries enacting laws against its cultivation, possession, use or distribution for recreational purposes. In most countries the punishment enacted in possession of small amounts of cannibas or the plants cultivation for non-recreational purposes has been lessened. This is in an attempt to focus more on the dug trafficers in the black market. Marijuana has obviously not always been illegal, however since its prohibition in most countries, many activists and debates surrounding the cirumstances to why marijuana is illegal, has arisen.

Many would assume the reason to why marijuana is illegal in the first place is because of some scientific tests carried out by the government showing the major health implications of smoking marijuana. Althought I do not doubt that most of you may know why, or have some rough idea of why marijuana is illegal. We’ll after conducting much research there are a few main elements comprising of marijuana’s illegalisation before the 20^th century and these are not pretty to say the least.

America’s first marijuana law was implemented in jamestown colony, virginia in 1619. This however, was not a law implementing the legal statutus of marijuana as prohibited, but actually the opposite. It stated, all farmers must be indian hempseed, along with several other “must grow” laws following in the next 200 years. It was seen that you could be arrested for not growing marijuana in virigina in times of shortages. Marijuana at this was even allowed to be a legal tender, paying taxes and other bills with hemp. At this time, hemp was seen to be an important crop, having its multi-uses at such low costs.

California apparently passed the first marijuana law, outlawing “preparations of hemp, or loco weed”. This was seen to be influenced by the influx of mexicans who smoked marijuana and brought the plant with them in the 1910’s, however another influence was the Mormons. In 1910, Mormons who had travelled to Mexico and came back to salt lake city also saw in influence or contribution to its prohibition as a state law. Racism. When other states soon began following california and salt lake sity in outlawing marijuana, its could quite easily be linked to specifically against the Mexican- american population and negroes.

In the eastern states of america, the problem of marijuan was often associated with a combination of latin americans and black jazz musicians. This is because when marijuana and jazz traveled from new orleans to places like chicago, harlem and others, newspapers and other insititutions saw this as a chance to degrade afro-americans, saying in 1934, “ marihuanan influences negroes to look at white pople in the eye, step on white men’s shadows and look at a white woman twice”.

Another fear-tactic saw rumors spread of mexicans, blacks and other foriegners. Also the government along with other “idiots” such as Harry J. Aslinger, began claims of stories of assassin’s who would under the influence of hash be associated with violent behaviour. By the 1930’s these stories changed, as Dr. A. E. Fossier wrote in the 1931 new orleans medical and surgical journal that, “Under the influence of hashish those fanatics would madly rush at their enemies, ruthlessly masscare every one within their grasp.” This began creating fear and people soon began associating marijuana with violent behaviour.

In 1930, Harry J. Anslinger was named director of a newly established division in the treasury department (the federal bereau of narcotics). It is this, and Harry J. Anslinger’s role which marked the beginning of the end of marjuana (hopefully not for ever).

Harry J. Anslinger was an extremely ambitious man, he saw his new job as a great career opportunity and he realised that opiates and cocaine arent enough to build his new agency, so he decided to leach onto marijuana, and began his campaign on illegalising it at federal level. Anslinger began drawing upon the themes of racism and violence, and drew the national attention to the problem he created. In the “Gore Files” he often promoted the idea of, reefer-madness-style exploitation making claims of tales of ax murderers on the marijuana, and the sex of negroes. The follwing are some qoutes linked to Anslinger and his gore files;

“There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Their satanic music, jazz and swing reasult from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers, and any others”

“…the primary reason to outlaw marijuana is its effect on degenerate races.”

“ marijuana is an addictive drug which produces in its users insanity, criminality, and death.”

This sadening fact that, Anslinger, a pious idiot, of little knowlegde wanting control, along with yellow journalism, is the point of invitablity for marijuana smokers, knowing their time is coming to an end.

Anslinger found support from William Randolf Hearst, who was owner of a huge chain of newspapers. With this Anslinger was able to promote the use of marijuana as dire, and in effect of health. Randol Hearst had many reasons for wanting to help, he was seen to be racist, or against mexicans, and secondly he had hevily invested in the timber industry to support his newspaper chaing, and didn’t want hemp paper replacing timber in compition. He began writing illegit, and unfounded lies about marijuana, and its use. His claims of marijuana use causing, violence and bloodthirst, all unfounded and to be honest a joke. How ignorant mus society have been then not to realise the fact that those people, in real life smoking dope haven’t actually done anything, and under this accusation of wide-spread use by mexicans, blacks and what other unrighouteous claims, shouldn’t some one have noticed that the marijuana users can barely talk, let alone kill.

Hearst and Anslinger soon found support by Dupont chemical company among other pharmaceutical companies in an attempt to outlaw cannibas. This sadly all laid host to the marijuana tax act of 1937. after two years of secret planning, Anslinger brought his plan to congress, claiming stories of ax murderers on marijuana, and many other racial slurs.

This is essentially what led to the downfall of marijuana, and now its much known illegal status. Sadly not many countries any longer retain marijuana as legal, and due to many other factors, both economical and political, marijuana’s stance as illegal, seems all due negligance.