Why should marijuana, or for that matter, any other substance found in nature be considered a matter for legal authorities? These are not products that have been created by evil people to do harm. They do not contaminate our air or water. Used in limited form they actually have medical properties that improve the quality of health for some users.
No, the problem doesn't lie in the natural substance but in the abuse of it by its partaker. As a psychotropic drug (1) marijuana is capable of affecting the mind, emotions, and behavior. But to the degree it does depends primarily on the individual makeup and chemistry of each user. Reactions to the mind altering state of marijuana range from mild to high levels of energy and activity, none of which pose a threat to society
The main chemical component of marijuana found in the cannabis plant is Tetrahydrocannabinol (2) or better known for its abbreviated nomenclature, THC. Research has shown, (3) based on animal studies, that the characteristics of THC have a natural analgesic effect for pain use and "[t]here has never been a documented human fatality from overdosing on tetrahydrocannabinol or cannabis". So the fear of "legalizing" marijuana appears to lie in the public's perception of the reactions to its use and not for any life-threatening results.
If this were a legitimate reason to ban the use of marijuana then what's the defense for other behavior-altering products that are legally sold in this country, alcohol being the predominate example. The variations of alcohol abuse range from the "giddy drunk", often associated with the excesses of feminine imbibing, to one of the "ugly drunk"; the loud mouth bully at the party or the wife beater-type The altered states resulting from alcohol use and abuse are tolerated because alcohol consumption has a longer history within our culture. The economic forces that have evolved from its manufacturing and distribution are not only ingrained in our way of life but have developed quasi-legal protection over the years under the auspices of "free-enterprise" and the rights of individuals.
Furthermore, the acceptance of alcohol has been incorporated into our culture by American artists whose renown was associated with heavy drinking such as Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, Dorothy Parker and Eugene O'Neill. It is also a part of traditional customs to "drink a round " to a loved one or toast a celebration with a drink of some alcoholic concoction. For the longest time some forms of liquor were also viewed to have medicinal purposes and even today some health specialist acknowledge (4) that small quantities of beer, whiskey and red wines are "heart healthy".
Marijuana doesn't share a similar kindred feeling with the majority of Americans. It is associated with the beatnik generation of the 50's and the hippie generation of the 60's and 70's; the so-called "social outcasts" of their generation. Such people were not considered productive in a society that values a strong work ethic that promotes financial success of individuals. The imagery of pot smokers is the dope head who lives off meager means to sustain his laid back, noncommittal way of life.
So, with such negative attitudes toward marijuana and the perception of those who use it, the ability of society to give pot its legitimacy is already down for the count. The best defense is to attack the illusion that pot is a menace to society and separate it from the drug abuse culture it too often is associated with. Statistics that associate crime with drug use should be delineated to show what drugs are involved. When was the last time you heard a news report that had a pot head robbing someone to support his or her habit or kill someone in a drug-induced rage or themselves as a result of an overdose? It just isn't the norm if it happens at all.
Work more on demonstrating the positive affects of moderate pot use that has allowed the legal sale of of the weed in several sates and communities (5) in the U.S. Along with its medicinal qualities it is also a hemp product which has agricultural and industrial uses that benefit the economy. To a lesser extent it can be noted that the cannabis plant is a part of non-western religious cultures and the the restriction of its use can be cited as a violation of the 1st amendment to the Constitution. Other nations around the world have found no need to criminalize marijuana. Amsterdam has made it fully legal in public and their has been no evidence that their crime rate has climbed or their economy has taken a slide towards ruin.
The bottom line here is that marijuana has been rejected by elements in society that have most likely improperly associated it with bad behavior. The fear that legalizing marijuana will open a Pandora's box that leads to a cultural decline has little merit. There will not be an increase of astronauts, nuclear physicists, engineers, judges and doctors that smoke weed regularly but if there were a few that did (and I am sure many sometime in their lifetime have) engaged in a doobie every now and then, it would go unnoticed by most people they associate with.
The need by some to criminalize marijuana serve us poorly when our prisons and jails are over crowded and the costs to maintain them are a burden to many local and state budgets. With all that we have to deal with in the economy, foreign policy and the environment, will we really suffer as a nation or a people if we allow a natural product to be used by those who take the time to nurture it along to a point where they could simply sit around a circle of friends and spend a few hours, leaving the stress of this world for another day?
(1) - http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlek ey=30807
(2) - http://www.prescriptiondrug-info.com/drug_details.as p?title=Marinol&page=1000676&ad=true
(3) - http://www.prescriptiondrug-info.com/drug_details.as p?title=Marinol&page=1000676&ad=true
(4) - http://men.webmd.com/news/20020614/beer-wine-liquor- new-health-drinks
(5) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_cannabis#Un ited_States