Marijuana Facts and politics.

 We, human beings are a really complex animals. We do things just because we can, we explore the highest mountains to reach the top, we adventure to virgin lands to be their discoverers; find lands that were destroy thousands of years ago and study how they were, we try to reach the stars just to find if we are alone in the universe, We like to push our limit to be the first, to reach our goal, for success, for glory, to be acknowledge, to put our mark in history and never be forgotten. Maybe is our ego, maybe is our thirst for feel alive, but we dare to reach the most outer part of this universe to look for our answers and we dare to look as well in our inner self, and that's where we use certain substances to acquire altered states of mind. Because our greatest search is the one that makes go inside deep in our mind, and take a look at our soul.    

History of drugs.

Drug is any substance that can be therapeutic in the treatment on a disease, to minor the pain, cure o prevent it.  A drug with any therapeutic value can be toxic as well. Toxicity is a very important term and subject to interpretation.  

Drugs have been used since the light have covered this earth Aztecs had a god "Xochipilli" that is depicted surrounded with hallucinogenic flowers and "Teonacatl" or divine flesh is the representation of Amanita muscaria a.k.a psychedelic mushrooms. In ancient rome there was a very important ritual to Dionisios, the god that created wine, where followers used to drink large amounts of alcohol and finished these congregations with ritualistic orgies ( as early christians use to do) and killings. Note that first, the use of drugs in ancient times where related with the communion of the flesh and soul, a bridge between the the man and God.   

Marijuana ( brief time line)

B.C ( before Christ )

The first record of the use of marijuana, is on the hemp ( the fiber plant with really small amount of THC) goes back as 8000 in taiwan, later in 2737  Emperor Sheng Neng of China prescribes Medicinal Marijuana, 1400 the Holy book Atharaveda mentions the Marijuana's anti-anxiety effects. 

A.C ( after christ ) 

23-79: Pliny the Elder's in The Natural History mentions the marijuana analgesics effect. 47-127: Plutarch mentions Thracians using cannabis for recreation. 70: Dioscorides, a physician in Nero's army list Medical marijuna in his pharmacopeia. 130-200: Galen, a greek physician prescribes marijuana medicinally. 200: Chinese surgeon Hua T'o uses marijuana as anesthetic. 300: young woman in Jerusalem receives medical marijuana during childbirth. 1000: Arabic physician Ibn Wahshiyah's warns of marijuana's potential dangers.1090: Hasan Ibn Sabah recruits assassins with hashish, 1200: 1,001 Nights, an arabian collection of tales, describes hashish's intoxicating properties, 1532: French physician Rebelai's Gargantua and Pantagruel mentions marijuana's medicinal effect, 1563: portuguese physician Garcia de Orta reports marijuana's medicinal effect, 1578: China's Li Shih-Chen writes of antibiotic and antiemetic effects of marijuana, 1621: Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy suggest that marijuana may treat depression, 1753: Linnaeus classifies Cannabis sativa. 1764: Medical marijuana appears in The New England Dispensatory.1783: Lamarck classifies the plant Cannabis indica. 1794: Medical Marijuana appears in the Edinburg New Dispensary.1798: Napoleon's soldier's learn of cannabis and hashish in egypt. 1842: Irish physician O'Shaughnessy publishes cannabis research in english medical journals. 1846: French physician Moreau publishes  Cannabis and Mental illness. 1850: cannabis added on The U.S.A Pharmacopoeia. 1890: Sir. J.R. Reynolds. chief physician to Queen Victoria, prescribes medical  marijuana. 1924:Russian botanists classify Cannabis ruderalis. 1937: Marijuana tax Act passes, requiring  special fees for prescription of the drug.1941: Cannabis is removed form The U.S.A pharmacopoeia. 1951: Boggs act increases drug penalties. 1960 Czech researchers confirm antibiotic and analgesic effects of cannabis. 1970: National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws ( NORML) is created. 1971 First Evidence suggesting marijuana may help glaucoma appears. 1975 Nabilone, a cannabinoid based medication appears. 1985: FDA approves Dronabinol, a synthetic THC, for cancer patients. 1992: FDA approves Dronabinol for AIDS-wasting syndrome. 1999: DEA reclassifies dronabinol as schedule III drug, making the medication easier to prescribe. 2000: Legalization initiative in Alaska fails. 2001: Canada adopts federal laws in support of medical marijuana. 2005: Alaska allows have any resident less than four ounces of marijuana. 2010: UK allows the commercialization of sativex, a cannabis based drug for the  treatment of Multiple sclerosis.  

So, putting it short, Marijuana has a lot of research. 

What is killing us? 

In the united states, there are 178 substances that have been declares illegal. They are supposed to be so dangerous that they are forbidden even for medical research. Many of these have never cause death or physically damage.  Every year, just in the U.S.A tabacco kills 430, 000 people, alcohol 200, 000. in 1999 140, 000 died from side effects or reactions to prescription drugs. Legal drugs use result in the 15 percent of all hospital admission, a cost of $136 BILLIONS ( with a big B)  in medical cost ( with much of taxpayers ended up paying). Marijuana, so far has zero deaths related with it's use.   
Marijuana is not included in illegal drugs related - deaths. 

Policy and laws. 

If you are convicted for murder, you will serve an average 6.3 years, with a parole allowed, but if you get caught with a large amount of marijuana, you will serve 10 years, mandatory and minimum and no parole allowed. 

In a great article in the huffingtonpost.com, Norm Stamper makes a great point on make a link between the Politics of Cannabis and Color. Yes, laws are biased regarding cannabis, first, Chinese were blamed for the use of marijuana and opium and problems on the society, later black and latinos. 

The Drug Policy Alliance, young blacks consume marijuana at rates lower than young whites. Yet in teh 25 largest counties of california where blacks constitute seven percent of the population, African-American men are being arrested at double, tripe or even quadruple the rates of whites. 

Why there are so many differences?..... no deaths related with marijuana yet so many deaths with alcohol and tobacco ( and they are legal), so much of the social and economic impact. So much possible revenue  of 1.4 billion dollars per year, just in california, and drop the price of good quality weed from 450 dollars to 38 dollars an ounce. 

 

Comments

[Sunflower Pipes]

There are many persuasive arguments on why America should legalize medical marijuana, and the reasons are sound. However, even though many millions of Americans smoke a glass pipe or hit a bong it has not translated into real political pressure on the people who can change the laws. The last three presidents were admitted pot users and the same is probably true of the first three presidents as well. In the end it is up to us to be public about our choices and to collectively voice our opinions.