Berneal Dorse Molly Barger English 1 02/06/2012

Should Marijuana be legalized in the U.S.A. again? Marijuana is a controversial drug in the United States. Its history is convoluted and intertwined with politics. What is marijuana and why was it outlawed? Marijuana has changed the world in many ways. How can the citizens of the USA benefit from the legalization of marijuana now and how will they benefit if it counties to stay illegal. Marijuana has proven to be a drug that is against to ropes in terms of acceptances for medical usage, but clearly the law is ignored when in recreational use. This history of Marijuana has been tamper with on facts, and it is clear there are numerous usages besides smoking. The Cannabis sativa, grows very quickly in many different environments, and reach a height of nearly 20 feet. The species is dioecious, female and male form exist, male grows taller, topped with flowers cover with pollen and the shorter female plant has larger pollen-catching flowers, produces seeds, and protects them with a sticky resin. The stalks help produce fiber, the seeds provide food and oil. Many parts or the plant was used to make food, fiber, medicine, and more. Unlike most plants that provide drugs, hemp provides dozens of products. None of these items contains meaningful amounts of tetrahydro-cannabinol [THC].(Earleywine) Cannabiss is used as a treatment for a variety of illnesses from the spread of ancient Asia throughout the world. The plant has appeared before in pharmacopoeia and folk medicine as a treatment for pain, seizure, muscle spasm, poor appetite, nausea insomnia, asthma,

and depression. Even with the proof provide the role as a recreational drug kill the pros with cons. Prohibition of marijuana dates back as far as Moses, in Exodus 30:23 It is explained that any non priest who uses the holy cannabis oil is condemned to die in the desert. (Holland 27) The first prohibition to come to North America was the opium one in 1907, which in turn lead to criminalizing cannabis first in Canada in 1923. This led to government classifying it with drugs such as opium, heroin, and cocaine. Eventually creating the Marijuana Tax act of 1937, was pass During congressional hearings about the legislation, Anslinger offered testimony in which he claimed the drug was harmful and had no medical use.(Barbour 15) Took another four years for it to be tanked of the U.S Pharmacopeia, there was no hope for marijuana again, in 1961 U.S signed the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, making it illegal around the globe. Wait why was it outlawed, even so it is the number one illicit drug in the United States, According to the 2003 National Survey of Drug Use and Health, 94 Million Americans(roughly 40 percent of the population) aged 12 and older have tried marijuana. (Holland 141) There is proof of both pros and cons to the use of the drug. Cannabis sativa female hemp plant, contain cannabinoids, the three most common are cannabinol, cannabidol, and tetrahydrocannabinol. THC is the psychoactive agent is delta-9 tetrahydocannabinaol, it is what gets you high. Pharmacokinetics is a term used to describe what happens to a chemical or substance once in the body. THC or the high can be consumed in many ways inhalation is the usual route taken only 20 to 70 percent is effectively use in the average pot cigarette. One inhaled it is drstributed to tissues and organs with high blood supply, liver, kidneys, heart, fat and muscle. Even though there have been no documented deaths where marijuana was the only cause is affects the human body. The cardiac system and vascular system are effect for thc causes a raise in blood pressure,

which can cause a user to pass out if going from laying to standing quickly. Cause thc increase heart rate, it has been linked to the development of abnormal cardiac rhythms.

Works Cited Barbour, Scott. Should Marijuana Be Legalized? San Diego, CA: ReferencePoint, 2011. Holland, Julie. The Pot Book: A Complete Guide to Cannabis : Its Role in Medicine, Politics, Science, and Culture. Rochester, VT: Park Street, 2010. Print. Peter Reuter, et al. Reducing Drug Trafficking Revenues And Violence In Mexico : Would Legalizing Marijuana In California Help?. RAND, 2010. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 7 Feb. 2012.