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 In 1977 the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that: using CAT Scan Technologies there was no evidence that marijuana use caused brain damage of any kind even among heavy users of marijuana, who smoked an average of nine marijuana cigarettes a day. Absence of Cerebral Atrophy in Chronic Cannabis Users Journal of the American Medical Association 237: 1229-1231 Dangers of Marijuana Use: In 1970, the government authorized the most comprehensive study of all evidence of marijuana use. Where evidence was missing they conducted original studies. This was the Shafer Commission. It was headed by former Pennsylvania Governor Raymond Shafer. The Shafer Commission found that there was NO scientifically convincing evidence that marijuana caused crime, insanity, sexual promiscuity, Amotivational syndrome, or that marijuana was a stepping stone to other drug use. They concluded that “from what is now known about the effects of marijuana, its use does not constitute a major threat to public health”. 1982: The Institute of Medicine and the World Health Organization reviewed all data once again about marijuana use and any connection with harmful effects on health and found an almost identical finding as the Shafer Commission report, but urged more caution and additional factual research. Dupont(the original reason for marijuana prohibition): In 1937, Andrew Mellon was the Head of the Department of Treasury for the United States. He was also the owner of Gulf Oil Company. Andrew Mellon was the main investor in Dupont’s growing petrochemical company. Dupont purchased all of his oil needed for his business from Gulf Oil. Dupont lobbied Mellon to prohibit the use of hemp, and marijuana, so that he could develop, market, and sell his wood pulp paper process. Mellon had his nephew, Harry Anslinger Jr. appointed as the head of the newly created Federal Bureau of Narcotics for the sole purpose of making marijuana illegal. Anslinger began immediately attacking marijuana using the Hearst, yellow journalism, newspaper chain as his pulpit. Anslinger was quoted as saying that marijuana caused “insanity, criminality, and death. As well as being used mostly by lawless Mexicans and Negroes” Anslinger instigated hearings in congress to ban marijuana. The AMA was subsequently barred from those hearings. And after a total debate on the floor of congress of 1 minute and 32 seconds, the marijuana tax stamp act was adopted by congress leading to the criminalization of marijuana. Congressional record, 1937 Industrial Hemp: "Why use up the forests which were centuries in the making and the mines which required ages to lay down,if we can get the equivalent of forest and mineral products in the annual growth of the fields?" -- Henry Ford 1 Acre of Industrial hemp can produce as much paper as 4.1 acres of forest land, in four months as opposed to 20 years. “Hemp Hurds as Paper Making Material” USDA Bulletin 404 1916 Hemp can be used to make over 5,000 different textile products and the left over hairy fibers contain over 77% cellulose and can be used to make over 25,000 different products. Hemp Paper does not yellow with age and 1,500 year old fragments of hemp paper have been found. It requires no sulfuric acid compounds to produce. Popular Mechanics Feb 1938, “New Billion Dollar Crop” Industrial Hemp contains no THC yet the US Government has failed to grant any hemp growing permits to farmers who can not currently support themselves. Marinol: Since 1986, Marinol or synthetic THC has been available for doctors to prescribe to patients under highly restrictive conditions. The marinol pill does work for some patients. However, most find that smoked marijuana is more effective, works in minutes as opposed to an hour or more, has less unpleasant side-effects, and does not have to be swallowed. Also Marijuana in its natural form is far less expensive to produce. $4 per pill X2 per dose X3 times daily X30 days =$720 per month for marinol compared to less than $50 to produce several marijuana plants. Due to metabolism, 90% of orally consumed marinol never reaches the sites of activity that it is designed to reach in the body. Inhaled marijuana smoke or vaporized oils allow THC to travel more directly and efficiently to the areas where it needs to be distributed. (New England Journal of Medicine 268: 685-688 and numerous others) Medical Use: In 1988 DEA administrative Law Judge Francis Young found over eight pages of facts involving the accepted medical use of marijuana. He recommended rescheduling of marijuana to Schedule II which would allow doctors to prescribe marijuana to those patients that the doctor’s felt would benefit from marijuana use. Specifically, Judge Young found that "marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man.... At present it is estimated that marijuana's LD-50 [median lethal dose] is around 1:20,000 or 1:40,000. In layman's terms... a smoker would theoretically have to consume 20,000 to 40,000 times as much marijuana as is contained in one marijuana cigarette... nearly 1500 pounds of marijuana within about fifteen minutes to induce a lethal response." Numerous recent studies published in recognized medical journals have proven marijuana’s effectiveness in the treatment of Glaucoma, Reducing vomiting for Cancer and Aids patient, and reducing spasticity for Multiple Sclerosis, and Spinal Cord injury patients. Requiring more research are claims by doctors and patients that marijuana is helpful for migraine headache sufferers, depression, seizures, and chronic pain. Money: The DEA reports that at least 10 billion dollars a year are spent on marijuana interdiction and eradication efforts in the US, which nets only 10% of the total marijuana imported and grown in the US each year. This is $80,000 every hour. DEA Annual Budget It costs approximately $500,000 to put one drug user in prison, or to provide treatment and education for 100. National Academy Of Sciences: In its 1982 report to congress entitled An Analysis of Marijuana Policy the NAS concluded that “Over the past 40 Years, Marijuana has been accused of causing an array of antisocial effects including, crime and violence, leading to heroin addiction, and destroying the American work ethic in young people. These Beliefs have not been substantiated by scientific evidence” They also concluded that criminal justice approaches were inappropriate and harmful. It Recommended not only that marijuana possession be decriminalized, but that lawmakers give consideration to formulating a system of regulated distribution and sale. |