Hemp has so many uses, it should be a crime that it's illegal. One acre will produce as much fiber as 2 to 3 acres of cotton. The fiber is stronger and softer than cotton. It also lasts twice as long as cotton, and will not mildew. Cotton grows only in moderate climates and requires more water than hemp. Hemp is frost tolerant and only needs moderate amounts of water. Cotton requires large quantities of pesticides and herbicides. None of these are required for hemp production and only moderate amounts of fertilizer are needed. It takes years for trees to grow until they can be harvested for paper or wood, but hemp is ready for harvesting after only about 4 months. It can grow on most land while forests need large tracts of land. Corn is known as a replacement for fuel, but hemp produces more biomass than any plant and can become our most valuable natural resource. (Hemp Basics)
The 1910 Mexican Revolution brought forth recreational use in the United States and started the fear because of the enormous influx of Mexican immigrants. Many Mexicans smoked marijuana and
had brought the plant with them to California. Because of this, California passed the first state marijuana law, outlawing “preparations of hemp, or loco weed.” This law was not influenced just by Mexicans using the drug, but also because of Mormons. Mormons would travel to Mexico during this time and then come back to Salt Lake City with marijuana. States that quickly followed suit were Wyoming, Arkansas, Texas, Iowa, Nevada, Nebraska, Washington and Oregon. This was done in discrimination of the Mexican-Americans traveling to their states. (Guither) Coincedentally, Washington was one of the first states to re-legalize marijuana for both medical and then recreatio...
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...fers from alcohol … in one major respect. It does not seem to increase risk-taking behavior. This means that cannabis rarely contributes to violence either to others or to oneself, whereas alcohol use is a major factor in deliberate self-harm, domestic accidents and violence." (SAFER)
Alcohol use contributes to the likelihood of domestic abuse and sexual assault. While it does not cause problems, it is a major factor of domestic and sexual violence. Using alcohol makes it more likely that someone that is prone to such behavior will act on it. A study found that the use of alcohol among people with chronic use partners was associated with significant increases in the daily likelihood of male-to-female physical aggression. Specifically, the odds of abuse were eight times higher on days when men were drinking; the odds of severe abuse were 11 times higher. (SAFER)
As I said earlier hemp is the longest, strongest, and most durable fiber known. This means it surpasses other fibers like cotton, the most common in today’s world. According to Chris Conrad (man behind Hemp: lifeline to the future) On an annual basis, 1 acre of hemp will produce as much fiber as 2 to 3 acres of cotton. Cotton grows only in moderate climates and requires more water than hemp. Where as hemp is frost tolerant, it requires only moderate amounts of water, and it grows in all 50 states (Hemp Basics, para 2). Not only is hemp better than cotton in terms of agriculture, but hemp fiber is softer than cotton, lasts twice as long as cotton, and will not mildew. Literally hemp surpasses cotton in almost every
Before any federal law regarding marijuana was ever proposed, some of the States took it upon themselves to regulate the possession, distribution and consumption of marijuana based on racial prejudice against Chinese immigrants. Referencing law passed by the state of California in 1913 one physician observes that, “The 1913 law received no attention from the press or the public. Instead, it was promulgated as an obscure amendment to the state Poison Law by the California Board of Pharmacy, which was then pioneering one of the nation's earliest, most aggressive anti-narcotics campaigns. Inspired by anti-Chinese sentiment, California was a nationally recognized leader in ...
Hemp is a type of cannabis plant. When grown for its fiber it can be very useful. Hemp can basically grow anywhere there is sun and rain. Hemp has a wide variety of soil types it can grow on. It also needs good moisture to suck up all the nutrients from the soil. But it cannot have a lot of water or heavy rain because it could damage the plant. Hemp ...
The story of marijuana's prohibition goes back as far as the early 1900's. The Mexican revolution was bringing a large population of Mexicans into the southwestern United States. The Mexicans brought with them the habit of smoking "motas", marijuana cigarettes. (Gerber) The locals claimed that the marijuana "incited Mexican immigrants to violent crimes, aroused a lust for blood' and generated superhuman strength." (Gerber) These statements stemmed more from the racist ideas of the time than from actual fact. There were similar claims made all over the states; by the 1930's, the New York Times was printing such headlines as "MARIJUANA MAKES FIENDS OF BOYS IN 30 DAYS; HASHISH GOADS USERS TO BLOOD LUST." (New York Times) This racism became, over time, a notion in the minds of Americans that marijuana was a dangerous narcotic. Marijuana...
$2,000 for drug possession and jail sentences for evasion of the tax. For this reason marijuana use in the United States appears to have gone into decline in the late 30's (Grolier Wellness Encyclopedia, pg. 54). Then marijuana was outlawed in 1937 as a repressive measure against Mexican workers who crossed the border seeking jobs during the Depression. The specific reason given for the outlawing of the hemp plant was it's supposed violent "effect on the degenerate races" (Schaffer, pg.
The similarity between marijuana and alcohol is numerous, they are closely related in terms of usage and toxicity. Majority of the population nowadays would use alcohol to escape this cruel reality, escape into somewhere very pleasant and joyful, by being intoxicated. Similarly, marijuana helps people become “relaxed individual, free from the anxieties and cares of the realities of life” (Source D), again by the user being
Comparing alcohol to marijuana and the effects of it are very different. Marijuana is much more safe then alcohol in the the way your body reacts and you decision making. The way you think and thought process is different. Viole...
It was the Spanish who brought marijuana to America in 1545. Soon enough, it became a major commercial crop like tobacco in 1611. By 1890, marijuana was used in some medicines, and it began to catch on in the 1920’s, the same era of prohibition of alcohol. Hemp began to be one of the largest agricultural crops in the word. This was due to its incredibly robust and durable qualities. It was used for fabric, lighting oil, paper, fiber, dynamite, cellophane, and many more. Most textiles were actually made out of hemp at this time (The Union: The Business Behind Getting High).
In the 1900’s, the use of marijuana skyrocketed and its abuse gained momentum. In 1937, the Marijuana Act placed tax on its purchase. Those who refused to pay higher taxes were criminalized (Wikipedia). In 1969, the Marijuana Act was told to be unconstitutional, adding marijuana to the list of controlled substances and one year later marijuana was made illegal. In 1970, the people of America stood up for marijuana, creating the group NORML (the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws). Their goal was to convince America to decriminalize the use of marijuana for adults. Oregon was the first state to decriminalize marijuana in small non-medical ...
The history of marijuana in the United States dates to early colonial times. ``In 1619, America's first marijuana law was enacted at Jamestown Colony, Va., `ordering' all farmers to `make tryal of' (grow) Indian hemp seed.” (Tribune) A by-product of the cannabis plant is hemp. Today, hemp can be used to make fabrics, construction, paper, medicines, oils, body care products, and molded plastics. In colonial times hemp was used to make various textile products and in the 1800s hemp was found to have medicinal benefits. Herer says in his book, The Emperor Wears No Clothes, “various marijuana and hashish extracts were the first, second or third most-prescribed medicines in the United States from 1842 until the 1890s. (Herer) For centuries people have recognized the medicinal properties of cannabis; “depending on the c...
Cannabis has been known to man since as early as 7000 B.C. (Marijuana Legalization Timeline). In 1619, the colony of Jamestown in Virginia passed the first cannabis-related law, stating that it is required for all farmers to grow cannabis sativa or hemp plant because of its strong fiber that they used to make rope, sails and clothing (Marijuana Legalization Timeline). During the 1800s, cannabis extract medicines were produced by American pharmaceutical companies such as Eli Lilly, Parke-Davis and Squibb (Marijuana Legalization Timeline). In 1910, in the Southwestern United States, Mexican immigrants introduced recreational use of cannabis, in which the immigrants referred to as “marihuana” (Marijuana Legalization Timeline). In 1915, Utah was the first state to pass an anti-marijuana law, then twenty-nine other states followed (Marijuana Legalization Timeline). In 1922, the Narcotic Drug Import and Export Act was enforced to control any cannabis going in or out of the U.S. (Marijuana Legalization Timeline). In 1930, the Federal Bureau of Narcotics was created (Marijuana Legalization Timeline). In the 1960s, “hippies” smoke marijuana, which symbolized rebellion (Marijuana Legalization Timeline). In 1968, the Federal Bureau of Narcotics and the Bureau of Dangerous Drugs merged into the Bureau...
Marijuana has been illegal for less than 1% of the time that it’s been in use (Guither, 2014). Going back to 1619, the Virginia Assembly passed legislation requiring every farmer to grow hemp. Hemp was allowed to be exchanged as legal tender in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Maryland (Block, 2014). It was actually a crime in some states to refuse to grow hemp in the 1700's. In the late 19th century, marijuana was a popular ingredient in many medicinal products and was sold openly in public pharmacies (PBS, 2014). However, in the early 1900’s things changed, a prejudice and fear began to develop around marijuana because it was being used and associated with Mexican immigrants. In the 1930’s, the massive unemployment rates increased public resentment and disgust of Mexican immigrants, which escalated public and governmental concern (PBS, 2014). In 1930 a new federal law enforcement agency, the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN) was created. Harry J. Anslinger was appointed the first commissioner of the FBN in 1930 (...
Marijuana has been linked with both medical and recreational use for nearly 10,000 years. This dates back to the writings of Chinese emperor Shen Nung stating that the plant was useful as a medical treatment for several ailments including gout, malaria and even senility. Later, it was also used in India and the Middle East for recreational purposes as an alternative to alcohol which is forbidden by the Muslim faith. This paper will argue, applying a Utilitarian perspective, for the benefits of legalizing marijuana in the United States. It will conclude that marijuana is no more of a health hazard than legal substances such as alcohol and tobacco nor does it contribute to an increase in crime.
Alcohol, unlike marijuana, contributes to aggressive behavior. “Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, found that 36 percent of hospitalized assaults and 21 percent of all injuries are attributable to alcohol use by the injured person.” (safer choice) There are 5,000,000 violent crimes a year due to alcohol. According to Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) , alcohol is the “most commonly used chemical in crimes of sexual assault.” Marijuana has not been linked to any kind of violence. Alcohol causes apx. 37,000 deaths annua...
...s, W. G., Branchini, J., & Maldonado-Molina, M. M. (2012). The relationship between marijuana use and intimate partner violence in a nationally representative, longitudinal sample. Journal of interpersonal violence, 27(8), 1562-1578.