Marijuana

From Conservapedia
This is an old revision of this page, as edited by CohnJena (Talk | contribs) at 12:56, March 14, 2016. It may differ significantly from current revision.

Jump to: navigation, search
Indoor Marijuana Grow (DEA photo)

Marijuana (colloquially known as "weed" or "pot") is the name given to the flowering buds of the cannabis sativa plant prepared for human consumption. The main active ingredient in marijuana is THC, or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, an organic chemical compound. Marijuana is harmful and generally illegal to possess, cultivate and sell in most countries, although it is legal in a few liberal jurisdictions if prescribed as medication by a physician.[1] The crime rate in Denver has skyrocketed by 44% since marijuana was legalized in that state.

In the past two decades, the number of brain tumors has increased by up to 40% in the U.S. and Europe, particularly among men between ages of 20 and 40[2] - the same demographic that is most likely to have smoked pot.

The liberal media typically downplay or completely ignore the role of marijuana in mass killings, horrific accidents, and other types of harm to innocent people victimized by users of the drug. For example, authorities conceal from the public how much marijuana was in the system of "College Weed Dealer" Dzhokhar Tsarnaev when he went on his alleged killing rampage.[3] Rolling Stone magazine, which has often featured drug abusers, displayed Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on its cover in July 2013.

The effects of marijuana can include short-term memory loss, malaise, psychosis in predisposed individuals, violence and violent fits, as well as impairment of physical and mental functioning. Some research has found that cannabis has medicinal benefits (see Medical marijuana); however many scientists contest this, and state that there are numerous federally approved medicines for the diseases that medicinal marijuana can be used to treat.

Medicinal Harms

Marijuana contains many of the same carcinogens as tobacco, thus when smoked it has the same harmful effects including potential damage to DNA, cancer, respiratory diseases associated with smoke inhalation, and impaired immune system.[4]. However, these effects have not been linked directly to alternate methods of marijuana use. Marijuana use can impair short term memory while intoxicated. THC has slight negative affects on long term memory and thus, in chronic users (approximately 1g/24Hrs)[5], complications with long term memory are a risk. If smoked, marijuana leads to a temporary increase in heart rate and blood pressure while intoxicated. For this reason, there is a slight increase in the risk for heart related problems including heart attack during the time of intoxication[6]. Chronic smokers often suffer from mild withdrawal symptoms, however marijuana is not physically addictive.[7]. Marijuana can impair judgment, motor skills, and balance [8]. Marijuana has also been linked to impaired learning and developmental diability in unborn children [9]

Medicinal Benefits

WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?WhyWouldAnyoneSmokeTheDevil'sLettuce?

Interesting Facts

  • Carl Sagan used recreational marijuana to help "open his mind".[10]
  • Cannabis was first cultivated in China around 4000 B.C.[11]
  • U.S. Declaration of Independence was not written on hemp paper, despite popular belief by liberals.[12]
  • George Washington grew marijuana. [13]
  • Alcohol is over 100 times more lethal than marijuana (ratio of lethal dose to effective dose)[14].
  • President Obama has admitted to use of marijuana. Former President Clinton has also admitted to smoking marijuana, but claims that he 'did not inhale'. Former President George W Bush privately admitted to smoking marijuana, but stated he wouldn't state it publicly "'Cause I don't want some little kid doing what I tried."

Legal Status

Marijuana is a Schedule I Controlled Substance in the United States of America, meaning that it is illegal under federal law of the United States, and considered to have no redeemable medical value. According to the FBI, in 2012, there were 658,000 arrests for marijuana possession compared with 256,000 for cocaine, heroin and their derivatives.[15] In several countries, particularly in Western Europe, it is has been decriminalised. However, in many other countries, particularly those in the Middle East and Asia, possession of even small amounts of cannabis can be punishable by death. In 2012, the states of Washington and Colorado adopted voter referenda to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. At the same time, Oregon voters rejected a similar proposition. Federal officials said that they would contest state laws that would legalize marijuana.[16]

The Netherlands decriminalized the use of marijuana in 1976. As a result, marijuana use among the 18-25 age group doubled, however, despite its availability, marijuana use in the Netherlands is lower than the European average. The Netherlands also saw an influx of "drug tourists" and other undesirables, as well as an increase in crime. This has since levelled out, leaving the Netherlands with one of the lowest crime rates in Europe.

Many liberals have advocated for decriminalization.[17][18] On July 26, 2014, the New York Times published an editorial calling for removing federal controls over marijuana for people 21 and older, leaving the question to individual states.[15]

Many American conservatives, especially social conservatives, oppose legalization of marijuana in any form due to its perceived harmful medical and psychological effects and its likelihood of harm to third parties due to drug-related crime and reckless driving. A few libertarian-leaning conservatives, most notably Ron Paul, William F. Buckley, and Larry Elder, have advocated the decriminalization of this drug. Some liberals support legalization, but most instead advocate for drug treatment and rehabilitation. Libertarians are usually the biggest supporters of marijuana legalization. Gary Johnson, a former Republican and 2012 Libertarian Party Presidential candidate for President, is the highest ranking US politician to advocate for marijuana legalization. He was a two-term Governor of New Mexico.

References

  1. ↑ The sale of marijuana is illegal virtually everywhere in the world, and results in long prison sentences in many places. In Portugal, Argentina, California and South Australia, the use (rather than the sale) of small quantities of marijuana is allowed. In only one country in the world, the Netherlands, the sale of marijuana in small quantities is reportedly allowed by law enforcement.
  2. ↑ http://www.healthandenvironment.org/brain_cancer/peer_reviewed
  3. ↑ http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/04/dzhokhar-tsarnaev-dealing-drugs/64529/
  4. ↑ Science Daily 6/9/2009
  5. ↑ AskMen: Benefits of Marijuana
  6. ↑ AskMen: Benefits of Marijuana
  7. ↑ Psychology Today: Is Marijuana Addictive?
  8. ↑ [1]
  9. ↑ Neuropsycopharmacology: High-Potency Marijuana Impairs Executive Function and Inhibitory Motor Control
  10. ↑ Boing Boing: Carl Sagan Spaced Out
  11. ↑ Interesting Facts: Facts about marijuana
  12. ↑ Constitutional FAQ Answer #145 - U.S. Constitution Online
  13. ↑ The President and the Cabinet: George Washington the Man
  14. ↑ Wikipedia: Tetrahydrocannabinol
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Repeal Prohibition, Again", New York Times, July 26, 2014. Retrieved on July 27, 2014. 
  16. ↑ Dobuzinskis, Alex. "Marijuana legalization victories could be short-lived", Nov 7, 2012. Retrieved on November 8, 2012. 
  17. ↑ Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
  18. ↑ http://www.lp.org/issues/lp-oss.shtml
Retrieved from "https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Marijuana&oldid=1202519"