Drug Policy
American Drug Policy: Marijuana
Marijuana is one of the most vilified drugs in history and it very difficult to see just why this is so. The United States used to have a thriving agricultural concern that consisted of hemp (marijuana) famers producing plants for their fibers and seeds. The fibers were used in products such as rope and paper and the seeds were used to make oil which served as a lubricant and a food additive. Unfortunately, people became aware of its psychotropic properties and growing marijuana for any reason was banned. This ban also coincided with the introduction of products that were superior to those made of hemp. The drug usage properties of marijuana had been known for centuries and it had been used in religious ceremonies and as an additive to medicines, but it could also be used in quantities that made the user completely incapacitated for periods of time. Young people began getting the message from school and community organizations that this drug was especially bad, and that began to permeate the society. The sixties counter culture which was fueled, in large part by marijuana, did not help its case.
Because the wrong ideas were spread about the drug such as that it was addictive, made people into crazed maniacs and completely ate away people's brains, it began to be more of a crime than many others which normally would have been considered worse. Because of this, a war on drugs was instituted and the United States began spending billions of dollars to stop those that grew it in the United States and keep other from importing it. This "war" has cost the United States in many ways, but it has caused the U.S. To become the most penalized nation on Earth. The cost of this could be mitigated if marijuana was legalized and taxed as alcohol and tobacco are. The purpose of this paper is to show through the history of marijuana use and the subsequent unsuccessful war on drugs that the costs of the drug remaining illegal are not worth the benefits many believe its remaining illegal bring.
Hemp History
Hemp has been a cash crop for reasons other than the obvious reasons for many years. "For centuries, the plant species Cannabis sativa has been a source of fiber and oilseed used worldwide to produce a variety of industrial and consumer products" (Rawson). The primary product made from hemp is rope, or a rope-like substance, the used to be used on board ships, but is now used for everything from clothing to, again, rope. Though it was a product that was grown in large quantities in the United States at one time, its utility was limited when petroleum-based substances such as nylon were introduced. But, it is still grown in more than 30 nations worldwide, and "About 14 of those sell part of their production on the world market" (Rawson).
The plant was grown in the United States in great quantities from the time of the colonial period up through the end of the nineteenth century (Rawson). Unfortunately people discovered the psychotropic effects of the flowers and seeds, and 33 states had banned the production of the plant by 1933 (Rawson). Although the laws banned citizens from growing the plant people still were able to buy products such as "carpeting, home furnishings, construction materials, auto parts, textiles, and paper. Hemp seed, an oilseed, likewise has many uses, including industrial oils, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and food" (Rawson), until 1937 when Congress passed the first law that banned the production of hemp as a recreational drug.
Farmers were still allowed to grow the plant for its industrial uses during World War II because of the need for rope and other products made from the fiber and the seeds, but soon after, due to "competition from synthetic fibers, the Marihuana Tax Act, and increasing public anti-drug sentiment" (Rawson), the last fields planted for industrial uses were harvested in 1958.
Recently there has been a renewed interest among the public in natural fibers that have the strength and utility of hemp and are naturally grown rather than concocted in a lab. Rawson reports that farmers who have not previously had the luxury of a compatible rotation partner for crops such as wheat and tobacco have shown interest in hemp as a possibility. However, hemp production in the United States is still controlled by the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, and though some states have passed laws which...
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