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Tyson Jones

English1010

What a Long Strange Trip It’s Been

Marijuana

Marijuana in all its forms, and uses has been around since man could record history. It

has many names, many uses, and is quite controversial in this day and age. People have been

growing, harvesting, and using marijuana all throughout history. The plant itself has many

different uses, not just its common understanding as a drug that can be used… People once

raised the plant to produce hemp, a valuable fiber with many uses (such as rope, lotion, etc). But

recently it has become much more than just a fiber, it has evolved into one of the most

commonly used drugs in the entire world.

Many people see marijuana in different ways, for instance, a cancer patient might see

relief, whereas a scientist might see harm. Marijuana has had a lengthy history in America.

There are several different theories concerning its uses, harms, and of course the reason for its

prohibition in the first place. Marijuana has always been an interesting topic to me, I have

always wondered; what are the real dangers? Why is it illegal? and why of course do people

care? By that I mean why is it such a hot issue? You don’t see people trying to legalize really

harmful drugs like heroin, cocaine, etc. Because of course they know better, and there is no

legitimate argument there. So why is it, that people want marijuana legalized so bad, and why is

the government continuing to enforce laws to stop people from using it?
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My first source comes from an article on the internet. Why is marijuana illegal? written

by an organization that reports information regarding drug laws. In this article Pete Guither

argues that marijuana is not illegal because of its harms to the human body etc. Guither argues

that marijuana is illegal for reasons such as, private interests, greed, racism, journalism, and

ignorance. He and many others like him theorize that in the early 1900’s marijuana laws were

passed to control immigration (marijuana being prominent amongst Mexican immigrants). He

gives a brief history of Harry J. Anslinger, The Director of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics from

1930 to 1975. Guither argues that Anslinger was a racist, and in order to keep his job had to find

a scapegoat or something to fight, that of course being marijuana.

Well connected within the government, Anslinger was also connected to a man named

William Randolf Hearst, who owned several newspapers, who was also racist, and was quite

invested in the lumber industry(Lumber being a direct competitor with hemp). It makes perfect

sense why Hearst would want Marijuana prohibited. Needing something to pursue, Anslinger

along with Hearst quickly painted a horrible and violent image of marijuana, and exposed it as a

threat to the entire world. It makes quite a bit of sense why marijuana was immediately hated,

and feared by people in this time period. (Guither)

This was a very eye opening article, even though it may seem like it was written by some

crazy conspiracy theorist, it turned out to be a very legitimate argument. Guither had several

sources that were accurate and credible. In his defense, and in the defense of marijuana, it is

very hard to argue this side of the argument, but they say history is written by the victors and that

means that we must explore all sides of the argument to find the truth. I find this theory to be a

very legitimate argument, with the exception of the last part of the article were Guither states that

the actual law to outlaw marijuana was passed based on a lie from a congressmen. It could be

true but it seems a little far-fetched to me.

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My second source, Legalizing Marijuana, is written by Peter Katel, from CQ researcher.

In this article, Katel discusses the laws and states where medical marijuana is currently legal, and

poses the question, what will happen if we legalize marijuana? The article gives examples from

seized marijuana crops that can produce up to a quarter of a million dollars worth of marijuana

per harvest, begging the question, would legalizing and taxing marijuana benefit our states?

Katel’s research is quite extensive and analyzes all aspects of what would change in our nation if

marijuana was legalized.

Katel discusses how legalizing marijuana would affect violent crimes, how it would

affect the Mexican drug cartels, and whether or not it would spur a giant increase in

consumption. Katel wonders how these cartels would react to marijuana becoming legal, and

predicts the outcomes could be violent. It was even stated that “getting the cartels to play fair,

would be a pipe dream.”(Katel) He explains his examples from all points of view, leaving no

one’s voice unheard. He discusses how users of medical marijuana feel like the government is

launching a war on them, whereas the people that are enforcing the crimes feel like they are

simply fighting a war with a drug. Towards the end of the article Katel lists several people’s

outlooks on the subject, some think that marijuana will be legalized within ten years simply to

put an end to the debate. But never-the-less some people think that that government has no

reason to rush in and legalize marijuana, and that the situation is at a stand still. (Katel)

I found this article to be very informative. Katel definitely did his homework here, his

many sources are all credited for, and his research was extensive. Katel also did very well at

giving plenty of background information about the topic, and was able to remain neutral

throughout the whole article. Every time I was reading a statistic or interview that seemed to

promote the idea of marijuana being legalized, it was countered with another person’s point of

view to negate it.

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My third source comes from a book titled Reefer Madness written by The Atlantic’s, Eric

Schlosser. Schlosser’s book is all about the black market in the United States, he discusses

marijuana, prostitution, cheap labor, etc. The book is split up into mini books each discussing

their own topic. Schlosser talks more about the punishments and charges that come with

marijuana. He gives several examples of real life people that have received ridiculous sentences

for their involvement in the drug trade, and the fact that our prisons are running out of room to

hold them. He gives a brief overview of the medical effects of marijuana and argues that an

average pot smoker does no more damage to his body than that of an average drinker. He also

points out that there has never been a death caused specifically by marijuana, which is a fact.

Schlosser also points out that due to mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenders,

prisons are being forced to make room for most commonly non-violent offenders. This of course

means that murderers, rapists, violent offenders are being released early in order to make room

for pot smokers. Even though Schlosser is telling us sob stories of drug traffickers, and users

receiving excessive sentences for their crimes, he doesn’t make his true opinion known until the

end of the book. Schlosser believes that marijuana should be decriminalized, he believes that

marijuana for personal use should not be a crime but, selling, trafficking, and driving under the

influence should most definitely still be illegal. Schlosser also believes in educating our youth

and even discouraging the use of marijuana amongst teens, he states that we need a law based on

the facts and nothing more. (Schlosser)

I absolutely loved reading this book, it was quite eye opening. Schlosser’s research and

statistics were very thorough and organized. As an investigative journalist studying America’s

underground market, I do not see conflict concerning him being a biased source. Although I

couldn’t say for sure Schlosser’s theory seems to be the closest in comparison to my own

opinion. I see no reason why people should have their lives ruined for smoking a little weed,
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but I do not advocate the use of marijuana while driving, working etc. There is no strong

discussion regarding why marijuana is illegal here, but Schlosser does discuss why he thinks it

should be decriminalized.

The term “decriminalized” confuses a lot of people, when it comes to the great marijuana

debate most people think that decriminalized means legal, but that is not always the case.

Marijuana is still a banned substance, and is illegal in America no matter where you are, that law

is based on federal law. Marijuana has been decriminalized in only ten states, but what most

people fail to realize is that there are still fines and penalties related to the possession of

marijuana. The decriminalization process only means that it is not a criminal offense, and will

not be handled by the criminal justice system. Being decriminalized also means that the offender

will not go to jail over a bag of weed.

My fourth source comes from an article published in the 1990’s by The National Review,

written by Brad Miner. This article is the one that is completely opposite of my previous three

sources. This article is against the legalization and use of marijuana. Miner uses lots of medical

studies to support his thesis, mainly the medical research concerning the effects of THC on the

body. THC is the active ingredient in marijuana; the medical studies state that THC can speed

up the effects of cancer and can affect the memory.

Miner uses these studies to his advantage, he theorizes that not only is THC bad for your

body, but that it has evolved since people have been cultivating marijuana for its consumption.

Miner states that back in the day when perhaps your parents or the youth of the seventies were

getting high, the marijuana contained less THC. He argues that in this day and age, growers and

dealers, constantly pursuing a better high, have evolved the plant much more through cross-

breeding etc. to produce up to twenty times the amount of THC in marijuana than that in the
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seventies. Miner also gives the typical “gateway drug” argument, implying that the use of

marijuana will lead to abuse of harder drugs. (Miner)

Miner’s article was very well written and quite persuasive. I completely agree with

Schlosser, that marijuana should be decriminalized, but I don’t however think that marijuana is

completely harmless or safe for that matter. It is quite hard to refute hard evidence from medical

studies. With that being said, I still think that the “gateway drug” argument is a complete load of

garbage (this of course being the theory that the use of marijuana WILL lead to harder drugs

such as cocaine, heroin, etc). Me and most of the people I know that smoke pot, have never tried

harder drugs, and as for me I have no desire or intention to do so.

My fifth source comes straight from the DEA’s website, it is The DEA position on

marijuana. Coming straight from a government office, it is no secret where the government

stands on marijuana. This article is chock full of all sorts of statistics concerning the use and

effects of marijuana. The DEA argues that legalizing marijuana would cause a spur of “drugged

driving” and cause lots of problems concerning DUI’s. Even though the DEA mentions that

marijuana may help sick people, they make it clear that they don’t consider it to be medicine.

They also argue that marijuana is a gateway drug, and list a ton of statistics about marijuana and

the use of other drugs.

They definitely did their homework here, they have tons of credible sources, and lots of

facts and statistics. I cannot refute medical evidence, but once again I find the “gateway drug”

argument to be ridiculous. Even though they have medical evidence on their side, The DEA is

an extremely biased source. Whether or not it is right or wrong, their goal is obvious, to rid the

world of marijuana and other drugs. The DEA even goes as far to say that marijuana can cause

dependency, mischievous behavior etc. I do not dispute the medical evidence, but if you have
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ever smoked marijuana you know that it is not some crazy drug that is going to turn you into

some sort of hell-raising delinquent with an addiction. That being said I do have to agree with

their “drugged driving” point, I don’t ever drive while under the influence, but I know people

that do, and I would have to agree that legalizing marijuana would be a danger in that sense.

In conclusion, I chose this topic because it was one that genuinely interested me, and

throughout my research my opinions have changed several times. Once again I ask myself, Why

is marijuana illegal? I have learned a lot doing my research and I still don’t think I could answer

that question fully. I personally believe that there were several factors leading to its prohibition,

not necessarily Guither’s theory, and not even because it is a detriment to health. In the end I

would have to agree mostly with Schlosser, marijuana should at a minimum be decriminalized.

No one’s life should be ruined over the use of marijuana, illegal or not. In my opinion using

marijuana does not make you a criminal. With that being said, I am not advocating the use of

marijuana or trying to promote it in any way, only saying the choice should be up to the people

as individuals to decide whether or not they choose to use marijuana.

Bibliography
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Guither, Pete. “Why is marijuana illegal?” Drug WaRrant 2009

n. pag. Web 13 Nov. 2009.

Justice Department. “The DEA’S position on Marijuana” Justice. DEA. N. publisher.

2006. Web. 13 Nov. 2009

Katel, P. “Legalizing Marijuana”

CQ Researcher, 2009, 525-548 web. 13 Nov. 2009.

Miner, Brad “How sweet is Mary Jane?-argument against legalizing marijuana”

National Review. Web. 22 Nov. 2009.

Schlosser, Eric. Reefer Madness. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company,

2003. Print.