30-12-2003, 22:47
Ok now that I have your attention I would like to discuss the marijuana prohibition issue.
Now stop rolling your eyes and get your finger off of the back button. I know you have heard it all before right? Please indulge me for a moment and read on.
This prohibition has been debated many times in these forums and yet it seems to me that fundamental points are being missed. The pro-prohibiton side shouts "It destroys your brains" while the anti-prohibition croud shout "Medicinal uses" and everything in between gets ignored.
First thing I would like to address is why this is a UN issue. I initially belived it to be an issue for the individual nations to decide but then I asked myself why do we have a UN? To me the UN is here to provide the basic rights that all people should have regardless of race, creed, religion, sexual orientation or nationality. Basic human rights issues. I believe that prohibition fits into that category. It is each individuals right, in my humble opinion, to inject any substance into their own body that they want and therefore it becomes a UN issue.
Second thing is that in order to have a functional debate we need to have everyone understand the difference between fact and opinion. When making a statement like "It is a fact that all pot smokers are brain dead hippies" you are not constructively contributing. Statements such as that are your opinions and should be expressed that way.
What I am going to share today is mainly my opinion. I hope I can express it in such a way as to once and for all persuade enough of you that we can have important legislation passed that will end the prohibition on marijuana once and for all.
There are more then 20 million Americans that smoke marijuana, I do not have figures for the rest of the world but I imagine that they are comperable. Contrary to the "facts" I have seen on these boards they are not all brain dead ex-hippies. I have known enough Doctors, nurses, judges, lawyers, police officers and other professionals that smoke to know that not everyone that smokes is "brain dead". I have also met enough Cheech and Chong types to realize that they exist as well. It is my opinion that smoking has little if anything to do with it and that it is more about who the person is as an individual. It is a FACT that nobody knows how many smokers are intelligent responsible people and how many can't tie their own shoes so let's avoid stereotypes shall we?
A little history
Marijuana, or Hemp, was a major industry in the United States at one point and time. Popular Science magazine had called it "The million dollar crop" back at the time that a harvesting machine for the plant was about to be invented. Unfortunately at the time many influential people with a lot of money were going to be hit in the wallet as a result and decided that was unacceptable. The gentlemen that produced "reefer madness" and other samples of yellow journalism was actually a Secretary of State that owned 2 major newspapers at the time. It was very easy for him to broadcast the "Marijuana is evil" campaign and brainwash an entire society. His nephew was appointed by Hoover to lead a anti-drug organization that has since evolved into the DEA.
So why were these folks so afraid of a fast effective way to cultivate the help plant? Well that answer is found in it's uses:
Marijauna crops can be cultivated for pulp to make paper 4 times a year off one acre of ground. Trees can be cultivated about every 20 years. This makes the hemp plant 800 times as effective as a source for paper. Obviously the timber industry would not like to see it legalized.
Marijuana reduces nausea and stimulates appitite. This makes it a viable treatment for those suffering from AIDS or the rigors of chemotherapy. This is a FACT that cannot be refuted. Because of the bans on research we have barely tapped it's potential for medicinal uses. If marijuana could be use instead of many modern medicines would it not make sense that major pharmecutical companies such as DuPont would be opposed to it's legalization?
The fibers from the Hemp plant make more durable fabrics then cotten so the textile industry opposes it's legaliztion.
The intoxicating effect from smoking is less addictive then cigarettes and more manageable then alcohol so those industries both support the prohibition.
Are we seeing the trend yet? This is not about the harmful effects of marijuana, it is about who would lose money. Are you willing to destroy our forests, make terminally ill patients suffer unessasarily, prohibit research into new and improved medication, give a safer alternative to recreational users and deny who knows how many other benefits all to further line the wallets of major corporations?
The War on Drugs is not winning nor will it ever win. The war is costing the tax payers millions, tying up our police force and over crouding our prisons. I do not care if you smoke or not, if you think it should be legal or not, you cannot provide one shred of evidence that shows that the War is making the usage of marijuana diminish in the world. It cannot and willnot ever work. Prohibition never does.
One of my favorite arguments against the legalization of marijuana is that it leads to harder drugs. At least those that say that have the intelligence to see that not all drugs are equal. What they are not seeing is that by lumping them all into one category "illegal drugs" you are putting them all into the same black market. Marijuana can act as a gateway drug but only because the curious cat that goes to purchase some has to buy it from the same guy that is selling crack and heroin. Those that say cannot tell the difference between marijuana and heroin are too close minded to even address.
So lets recap:
Public lied to and marijuana prohibition goes into effect.
Fat Cat corporations that stand to lose millions continue to disinform the public about the plant.
Benefits:
Medicinal Uses
Textile Uses
Safer recreational uses
Oil Uses (Didnt go into that one but they are their as well)
Plastic uses (again uses are their)
Saves Enviroment
Saves taxation for war
Lightens burden on police so they can pursue violent crimes (you know rape, murder, assault..etc)
Frees up jail space (another money saver for the tax payer)
Will everyone use it responsibly? No. If it is legalized some idiot will get very high and slam his vehicle into someone else. This is an unfortunate byproduct but one that has to be endured in a free society.
The pro's greatly outweigh the con's.
Of course that is just my opinion :P
I will leave you with this quote:
"Prohibition in any form strikes at the very beliefs that this country was founded upon" - Abraham Lincoln - USA
Thank you for your time,
The nation of Erbas
Now stop rolling your eyes and get your finger off of the back button. I know you have heard it all before right? Please indulge me for a moment and read on.
This prohibition has been debated many times in these forums and yet it seems to me that fundamental points are being missed. The pro-prohibiton side shouts "It destroys your brains" while the anti-prohibition croud shout "Medicinal uses" and everything in between gets ignored.
First thing I would like to address is why this is a UN issue. I initially belived it to be an issue for the individual nations to decide but then I asked myself why do we have a UN? To me the UN is here to provide the basic rights that all people should have regardless of race, creed, religion, sexual orientation or nationality. Basic human rights issues. I believe that prohibition fits into that category. It is each individuals right, in my humble opinion, to inject any substance into their own body that they want and therefore it becomes a UN issue.
Second thing is that in order to have a functional debate we need to have everyone understand the difference between fact and opinion. When making a statement like "It is a fact that all pot smokers are brain dead hippies" you are not constructively contributing. Statements such as that are your opinions and should be expressed that way.
What I am going to share today is mainly my opinion. I hope I can express it in such a way as to once and for all persuade enough of you that we can have important legislation passed that will end the prohibition on marijuana once and for all.
There are more then 20 million Americans that smoke marijuana, I do not have figures for the rest of the world but I imagine that they are comperable. Contrary to the "facts" I have seen on these boards they are not all brain dead ex-hippies. I have known enough Doctors, nurses, judges, lawyers, police officers and other professionals that smoke to know that not everyone that smokes is "brain dead". I have also met enough Cheech and Chong types to realize that they exist as well. It is my opinion that smoking has little if anything to do with it and that it is more about who the person is as an individual. It is a FACT that nobody knows how many smokers are intelligent responsible people and how many can't tie their own shoes so let's avoid stereotypes shall we?
A little history
Marijuana, or Hemp, was a major industry in the United States at one point and time. Popular Science magazine had called it "The million dollar crop" back at the time that a harvesting machine for the plant was about to be invented. Unfortunately at the time many influential people with a lot of money were going to be hit in the wallet as a result and decided that was unacceptable. The gentlemen that produced "reefer madness" and other samples of yellow journalism was actually a Secretary of State that owned 2 major newspapers at the time. It was very easy for him to broadcast the "Marijuana is evil" campaign and brainwash an entire society. His nephew was appointed by Hoover to lead a anti-drug organization that has since evolved into the DEA.
So why were these folks so afraid of a fast effective way to cultivate the help plant? Well that answer is found in it's uses:
Marijauna crops can be cultivated for pulp to make paper 4 times a year off one acre of ground. Trees can be cultivated about every 20 years. This makes the hemp plant 800 times as effective as a source for paper. Obviously the timber industry would not like to see it legalized.
Marijuana reduces nausea and stimulates appitite. This makes it a viable treatment for those suffering from AIDS or the rigors of chemotherapy. This is a FACT that cannot be refuted. Because of the bans on research we have barely tapped it's potential for medicinal uses. If marijuana could be use instead of many modern medicines would it not make sense that major pharmecutical companies such as DuPont would be opposed to it's legalization?
The fibers from the Hemp plant make more durable fabrics then cotten so the textile industry opposes it's legaliztion.
The intoxicating effect from smoking is less addictive then cigarettes and more manageable then alcohol so those industries both support the prohibition.
Are we seeing the trend yet? This is not about the harmful effects of marijuana, it is about who would lose money. Are you willing to destroy our forests, make terminally ill patients suffer unessasarily, prohibit research into new and improved medication, give a safer alternative to recreational users and deny who knows how many other benefits all to further line the wallets of major corporations?
The War on Drugs is not winning nor will it ever win. The war is costing the tax payers millions, tying up our police force and over crouding our prisons. I do not care if you smoke or not, if you think it should be legal or not, you cannot provide one shred of evidence that shows that the War is making the usage of marijuana diminish in the world. It cannot and willnot ever work. Prohibition never does.
One of my favorite arguments against the legalization of marijuana is that it leads to harder drugs. At least those that say that have the intelligence to see that not all drugs are equal. What they are not seeing is that by lumping them all into one category "illegal drugs" you are putting them all into the same black market. Marijuana can act as a gateway drug but only because the curious cat that goes to purchase some has to buy it from the same guy that is selling crack and heroin. Those that say cannot tell the difference between marijuana and heroin are too close minded to even address.
So lets recap:
Public lied to and marijuana prohibition goes into effect.
Fat Cat corporations that stand to lose millions continue to disinform the public about the plant.
Benefits:
Medicinal Uses
Textile Uses
Safer recreational uses
Oil Uses (Didnt go into that one but they are their as well)
Plastic uses (again uses are their)
Saves Enviroment
Saves taxation for war
Lightens burden on police so they can pursue violent crimes (you know rape, murder, assault..etc)
Frees up jail space (another money saver for the tax payer)
Will everyone use it responsibly? No. If it is legalized some idiot will get very high and slam his vehicle into someone else. This is an unfortunate byproduct but one that has to be endured in a free society.
The pro's greatly outweigh the con's.
Of course that is just my opinion :P
I will leave you with this quote:
"Prohibition in any form strikes at the very beliefs that this country was founded upon" - Abraham Lincoln - USA
Thank you for your time,
The nation of Erbas