why_marijuana_is_illegal__ The Truth You see, back in the late 1800's Everyone smoked marijuana. It was not controversial, it was the norm. People were travelling westward across the country, frontiersmen, some searching for gold, others for work, others for their slice of the american dream (property). Everything was cool. Until all of hemp's many uses were discovered... Hemp can be used for many things. It's easy to grow. Cheap. Our nations first flag was made out of hemp. Some creative farmers started to notice all of the other things hemp could be used for, such as Twine, clothes, furniture, oil... Oil. You see, right about this time there was a bustling young enterprise that would fuel the industrial revolution and end up polluting our entire planet. Yes...the oil companies were becoming very wealthy, as were the railroads. When some researchers at a young company called Dupont (an oil/plastics company) discovered that this hemp product could put them out of business, because hemp can do anything plastics can do, and at virtually zero pollution, they freaked! They weren't about to switch to hemp farming after they just spent so much of their money on oil derricks and vacant land for future drilling sites. They used their seemingly endless money supply to hire activists and protesters, demonstrators and propaganda specialists to lobby the government to pass legislation to make growing marijuana illegal. Because that would stop people from growing hemp, which would ensure them an open road to riches and filth. 010605 ... Dafremen because there are laws against it. 010605 ... unhinged organized religion is repression and the puritanical basis of this country could never allow for it's people to be happy. that and we are all dirty capitalists at heart. i say what the fuck is the difference if drugs are addictive and harmful. it's a population control. the illegality of 'controlled substances' is not for the betterment of society. there will always be addicts. everyone is an addict. why make it illegal? 010605 ... dB It's illegal for a number of reasons. The effects on peoples health for one. Let's face it, ANY smoke you suck into your lungs has the potential to cause cancer, although herb is far less likely to cause it than cigarettes. Another thing is, as you say, in the 1800's they discovered that weed was cheaper than cigarettes, had better effects and was better for people (although it was still bad). Tobacco companies saw this as a threat to their profit margins so they had the government pass legislation making it illegal, thereby making them richer and ensuring that they stay that way. Two things. First; There HAS to be partial decriminalisation of Marajuana (excuse the spelling). Ther has to be, because it's costing too much to keep under controll, and at least if it was partally legalised it would be easier to stop kids from getting it. You can smoke all you want as an adult of say 16 or 17, fine. When you are young, your brain is still developing and is far more succeptable to damage from the use of drugs. Secondly. Niccotine. They should remove it from smokes. The reason is simple. How can it be moral, or legal, to put an addictive substance in a product as a marketing scheme? I am a smoker, I don't like it, but there you are. If they removed niccotine, then anyone could smoke however much they want, fine, I don't care. But then you make something addictive, you are removing that persons choice to buy said product. When someone smoke because they have to otherwise they go nuts, then that IS illegal. If someone chooses to smoke socially, maybe 7 on the weekend or something, fine, cool. When they are FORCED to smoke 20 a day to get that hit... Well, you can see what I'm getting at. *Much Peace* 010605 ... The Truth Just because something is "bad for you" is never grounds for illegalization. If it were true then cigarettes, alcohol, fast food, milk, tap water, soda, caffeine, salt, sugar, aluminum, and american cars would all be very illegal. The point is, it's money, power and politics that decide our laws in america, and that law is structured in ways that make the law liquid and maleable, or changeable. So whoever controls the money and the power can buy the politicians and judges in order to control the law, therby creating for themselves even more money and power. Yes, it's the sad truth that the smoke from any organic substance is a carcinogen, but there's nothing wrong with eating pot. You can still fry balls!!! And I personally think pot is more benficial than it is harmful. (I also have a suspicion that weed somehow aided our evolution.) Speaking of organized religion (I mean, what's wrong with a little less chaos?) and freshly_baked_pot_bownies: Genesis 11 Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground--everything that has the breath of life in it--I give every green plant for food." And it was so. You see, right from the very beginning, God wanted us to eat marijauna, the enchanted green fruit. But of course He wanted us to use it in moderation, not abuse it. (That's written in some other verses...I won't post them because not all of you care, or wish to know, or heck, you may even be offended by such a thing. In any event, you can always look them up if you want. But it's in there.) 010605 ... dB So, herb is like that apple that Adan ate... no, no. That's not what i'm trying to say. All I think is that people should be free to eat or smoke what they want. Fair call. When something is manipulated to make people use it, then that is wrong. Not the substance itself. Rupert Murdock got the publising rights to the bible a decade ago. I'm just waiting for the Genisis bit to change to "In the beginning was the word, and the word was GOTCHYA!", or something along those lines. 010605 ... unhinged ok...let me try to extract this idea from my brain so that everyone else can understand it. most of the founding fathers of this country were religiously conservative right? the first or some of the first settlers here were puritans which leads me to think that some of the first laws in this country were made by puritans. we see remanants of our puritan origins everyday. there are still laws in some places that say it is illegal to have sex in any other position besides the missionary position. most religiously conservative people view life as a series of restraints. i myself am a hedonist but i think that is besides the point of my arguement. we as an american public find something that makes us happy and eventually in the name of good health or something equally as full of bullshit those things become illegal. i will say that this mainly religious view is not the only reason that things like pot have become illegal, it has more to do with the money factor in what is now a predominantly capitalist and not religious country. look at prohibition. i think that the roots of america are undeniably religious. and i think that when the american public can find a method of happiness that does not involve repression and going to church people in places of power get scared and try to take those things away. organized religion has been a method of controlling the masses for centuries. so, maybe you understand my reference a little more clearly now and maybe you still think it is bullshit. but being agnostic myself, i guess i am biased when it comes to the advantages of organized religion. 010606 ... dB America is definately religion based. "God bless America", all presidents say that, Tubby Clinton was an athiest right? But he said it anyway. There are laws that technically still exist saying you can't eat pork on a wednesday and shit like that. I'm not sure what part religion plays in the prohabition thing though. Hang on, here's a thought. Native Americans used herb in their ceremonies and stuff right? As part of their religion, culture or whatever, yeah? Maybe the stuff was outlawed because under the old regime you weren't allowed to worship 'flase' gods, so therefore, it was accosiated with the wrong god and bang!... Legislation was passed. How can you found a country on such a bias and flawed belief system? Oh yeah, that's right; you kill off the indigenous peoples and steal their peace pipes. Nice One 010606 ... nocturnal marijuana's illegal?! oh shit. 010606 ... The Truth Uh...hello? It wasn't religious motives that made wonder bud illegal here people. Go back up to the top and read it again (because you were stoned when you read it the first time). I've spelled it out in gory, excessive detail (because I was stoned when I wrote it...shhhh). 010607 ... dB Who was stoned when... read... what? I'm hunger. I AM hunger. Thirsty, must get drink, must find keys... If only I can find my feet, I can drive. 010607 ... unhinged hey, i resemble that remark. 010607 ... Sol and its too easy to cultivate onesself, making much money from it wouild be difficult 010607 ... Dafremen As true as that story is Truth, it is NOT the origin of the placement of marijuana on the list of Class One Controlled Substances in 1970. In fact although the Hearst connection is accurate and indeed there was a huge propaganda/misinformation campaign, the ERAL reason that Mary Jane is illegal has more to do with something that happened back in 1965. See in 1965, then President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the legislation that took our country off of the silver standard and changed it so that our money was no longer backed by any PHYSICAL material of value. In 1965 our money stopped being backed by something tangible and started being backed by something somewhat more sinister: human labor. Our money is backed by the gross national product.(economics students can skip down a few lines.) The GNP is the total value of all goods and services produced in a nation's economy. If a country's people work, the country's money is worth more than if a country's people do NOT work. In the late 50's all the way up through the mid to late 70's, a disillusioned group of young adults started "dropping out" of society. They no longer wanted to do the conventional society thing. This trend snowballed during the latter part of that period and started to be of concern to those in power. In an effort to ensure that Americans would continue to be productive (does the term "indentured servitude" ring any bells?) and to remove what was perceived as one ofthe driving forces behind the "hippy" movement, all counter cultural drugs of the time were placed on the Class 1 list of Controlled Substances. And THAT is why marijuana is illegal today. As evidence, just look at all of the countries that have followed suit. See in a world economy, GNP means everything. Weed means nothing. Those bastards. (It's ok Mary Jane, I still love you.) 010607 ... unhinged so let me get this straight; we have the early oil lobbyist theory, my religious oppression theory which doesn't seem to hold much water with anyone but is the only reason i think there are laws anywhere, and the hippies ruined it for everyone theory. the fda would tell us that we are all wrong and that they are just concerned for the health of all americans. yeah right. as long as doctors own stock in pharmecutical companies, the fda doesn't do anything for the HEALTH of americans. 010607 ... Dafremen Actually it wasn't the hippies, but the World Bank and it's co-conspirator Lyndon Johnson. Nixon was a pawn. 010607 ... nemo its illegal? 010612 ... god because it induces plastic_colon. i'm serious. 020617 ... Janaewen because the place is not the Netherlands 110626 ... perfectly_chaotic I once heard it was made illegal to try and oppress cheap Mexican labor down south. Apparently, at that time, they smoked it much more than the white men of the time making it a way to harass and discriminate legally. I have only heard this from someone and I was probably stoned at the time, as were they, and never bothered to look into it. 110626 what's it to you? who go blather from