Harry J. Anslinger, a prohibitionist, became the first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics in 1930. He held the position until 1962. In the 1930s, bales of marijuana (called muggles), tea and reefer were arriving in southern port cities such as New Orleans via West Indian sailors. Jazz musicians travelled north and took marijuana with them, making reefer parties popular in many major cities along the way. In 1936, the propaganda film "Reefer Madness" was made n an attempt to scare young Americans away from using marijuana.
It was used as medicine in the United States until 1937 when a new tax fee led to its discontinued use. In 1972 marijuana was placed in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, meaning that the government considered it to have "no accepted medical use in treatment in the United States." Marijuana's schedule can be changed by Congress, the DEA, or the
-- Attributed to Abraham Lincoln: Dec 18, 1840. End the Reefer Madness In the 1930’s the United States’ government bombarded Americans with blatant lies about marijuana. Termed the “reefer madness” era by some, Americans were made to believe that marijuana would cause insanity, violence, and sexual promiscuity (unknown author 1). In 1937 the Marijuana Tax Act was passed, which only served to push marijuana further underground. Thirty years later, marijuana emerged as the drug of choice for many middle class young adults.
If drugs become more available, acceptable and cheap, they will draw in greater numbers of vulnerable youth. And because of marketing tactics of drug promoters and the major decline in drug use in the 1990s (due in great part to antidrug, education and awareness campaigns), there is a growing perception among young people today that drugs are harmless. A decade ago, for example, 79 percent of 12th graders thought regular marijuana use was harmful; only 58 percent do so today. Because peer pressure is such a factor in inducing kids to experiment with drugs, the way kids perceive the risks of drug use is critical. Legalizing smoked marijuana, giving it the government’s stamp of approval, sends the message to kids that drug use is not only harmless, but normal.
Dominique Johnson English A Essay#4 29 April 2013 Marijuana in America In today’s society legalizing marijuana is still one of our biggest topics to date. Many people have a negative outlook on the drug painted by the media and the government. But little do we know marijuana has be around since the ancient times. The first reference to cannabis (marijuana) dates as far back as 2737BC (narconon international) It was used and spread though China, India, and North Africa. The Chinese used it for medication for gout, malaria.
It has a big impact on their health. For example it causes serious risks to respiratory health both in the short and long term. People who smoke are two to six times more susceptible to coughs and increased phlegm, wheeziness and shortness of breath than those who do not smoke. Smoking impairs lung growth and initiates premature lung function decline which may lead to an increased risk of chronic obstructive lung disease later in life. The earlier children become regular smokers and persist in the habit as adults, the greater the risk of developing lung cancer or heart disease.
Meth does to the body what 20 cups of coffee in 5 minutes does. Today we know that having such a “caffeine-high” is not good for the body, and meth does more than just give a “caffeine-high.” Long-term effects are extreme weight loss, insomnia, and violent behavior. Cocaine is similar to meth as it aids in increased alertness, increased energy, and decreased appetite. The long-term side effects of cocaine use can cause restlessness, paranoia, and hearing things. While both are legal for medical use, they are highly addictive and susceptible to abuse.
Why? There is a myth that hookah smoking is safer than smoking cigarettes because the hookah smoke is filtered through water before it is inhaled. But recent studies have found that hookah smokers actually inhale more nicotine than do cigarette smokers because of the massive volume of smoke they inhale… According to a recent World Health Organization (WHO) advisory, a typical one-hour session of hookah smoking exposes the user to 100 to 200 times the volume of smoke inhaled from a single cigarette. Even after passing through the water, the tobacco smoke produced still contains high levels of toxic compounds, including carbon monoxide, heavy metals and cancer-causing chemicals (carcinogens). Hookahs are marketed as being a safe alternative to cigarettes.
However, the illegal cultivation of marijuana cost taxpayer money and puts citizens’ and law informant’s lives in danger. Publication highlight the risk citizens and law informants take when entering many part of California’s public lands. Mexican drug gangs cultivate illegal marijuana farms on public land across California and kill to protect their marijuana
Michael Wallman Professor Scott English Composition 008 February 10, 2013 Compare and Contrast Alcohol and Marijuana If you’re like most Americans, you have been led to believe that marijuana is a dangerous and addictive drug that has destroyed the lives of millions of teens and adults. You have also been made to believe that marijuana causes lung cancer and is a “gateway” to harder drugs. People are also convinced that people who use marijuana are losers who sit on the couch all day doing nothing. To say that marijuana has been given a bad rap over the past few decades is an understatement. So, lets wipe the slate clean and start over.