Marijuana decriminalization bill gaining support in Congress

[DrivenMind]

There's a lot of misinformation surrounding Cannabis, and a lot of people tend to forget how the very idea was sold to the American public.

Here are some quotes from the Director of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, who was responsible for making Cannabis illegal.

“Reefer makes darkies think they are good as white men.”
-Henry J. Anslinger
Director in Chief, Federal Bureau of Narcotics, 1929

“In some districts, inhabited by Latin Americans, Filipinos, Spaniards and negroes, half the violent crimes are attributed to the marijuana craze. Dr. Lee Rice of san Antonio reports that eighty percent of all the murders committed by Mexicans are done while the killers are drugged by marijuana.”
-The Christian Century, June 29th, 1938

“Marijuana leads to pacifism and communist brain washing.”
-Henry J. Anslinger
Director in Chief, Federal Bureau of Narcotics, 1948

Sounds like the case for Cannabis was determined by a lot of legitimate concerns from the medical community at the time, doesn't it? Did you know that when it was made illegal in 1937 it was done so, against the advice of the American Medical Association.

"Evidence of unwarranted, illogical, and deviant discrimination against Cannabis dates back to when the United States government, and scheming prohibitionists actually coined the term “Marijuana” for use in the U.S., instead of referring to the drug by it’s legitimate name. In 1930, a man named Henry Anslinger was named director of the newly created Federal Bureau of Narcotics. Noted by many for being exceptionally ambitious, Henry knew he had just been given the career opportunity of a life time; a position as director in a newly founded branch of the United States Treasury Department. Knowing his agency wouldn’t survive if the only illegal narcotics they had to deal with were cocaine, and opiates, Anslinger set out to vilify, and make illegal as many drugs as possible. After all the more illegal drugs there were to look after, and attempt to control, the more work there would be for the budding Federal Bureau of Narcotics; and the more work there was for the Bureau of Narcotics, the more work, and job opportunities there would be for Henry Anslinger, an exceptionally ambitious man." -Robert Graham 3/11/2007

The point of calling it "Marijuana" was to play off the racial prejudices of the period. All the scare easy whites, would more readily take a stand to have it made illegal if they thought it was some foreign "Hispanic" trend, that made people insane, and treaded on their irrational racial values.

No such thing as a non-violent drug offender. Marijuana isnt enarly as bad as harder drugs, but it does lead to crimes.

That's an unbelievably ignorant statement, one that will force me to not take you seriously in this discussion, because clearly your opinion is not well founded, much less informed. But assuming you are correct (and you not) lets go ahead and ask ourselves a question. Has alcohol ever caused or inspired violence? If you didn't answer "yes", end yourself now.

Crack is readily available too. Should that be legal also?

Horrendously moronic argument. Do you realize one of the most powerful hallucinogenic drugs in the world is sold under the trade name "Benodryl"? Probably not. Do you realize school children are prescribed stimulants that are of the same classification as cocaine, but totally legal, and abused like sugar? Probably not.

A Schedule 1 Drug, is classified by the Control Substances Act as a substance meeting one of the following three criteria;
a)”The drug or substance has a high potential for abuse.
b) The drug or substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.
c) There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.” 3/17/07 - Robert Graham

Cannabis sits in the same legal drug classification group as GHB, DMT, Heroin, and Ecstasy. All of which are far more hazardous to the health of a human being, and all of which posses’ significant addictive traits.

Now considering the people who have done research on the subject (The US doesn't allow it) have found that's it's effects are neither as significantly inhibitory as alcohol, nor seriously addictive, nor as detrimental to the body as nicotine; wouldn't that suggest that we AT LEAST reschedule it? Shouldn't we at the least consider an honest medical investigation into what might come from it? I guess not. I guess we should just keep locking huge numbers of people up for getting "high", and encouraging them to get drunk. Of course when you get trashed in a city without a real public transportation system, you've got to find a way to get home. I wonder how most people do it... (/sarcasm)

Up until about three years ago I seriously disliked Cannabis, and truly believed all the reefer madness bull**** they feed to you in highschool. I thought it made people stupid, crazy, lazy, and pathetically unmotivated. Then it occurred to me when I was researching the drugs I was prescribed that, "Well if my doctor is going to prescribe me all these drugs that are quite dangerous, and half of the time don't work. Why shouldn't I look elsewhere and formulate my own opinion."

If you drink socially, or smoke cigarettes what makes you think that "marijuana" is more dangerous than the psychoactive substances you are already putting into your body?

[BanginJimmy]

There's a lot of misinformation surrounding Cannabis, and a lot of people tend to forget how the very idea was sold to the American public.

Here are some quotes from the Director of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, who was responsible for making Cannabis illegal.

“Reefer makes darkies think they are good as white men.”
-Henry J. Anslinger
Director in Chief, Federal Bureau of Narcotics, 1929

“In some districts, inhabited by Latin Americans, Filipinos, Spaniards and negroes, half the violent crimes are attributed to the marijuana craze. Dr. Lee Rice of san Antonio reports that eighty percent of all the murders committed by Mexicans are done while the killers are drugged by marijuana.”
-The Christian Century, June 29th, 1938

“Marijuana leads to pacifism and communist brain washing.”
-Henry J. Anslinger
Director in Chief, Federal Bureau of Narcotics, 1948

ran already answered to this so no point me me saying the saem thing.

That's an unbelievably ignorant statement, one that will force me to not take you seriously in this discussion, because clearly your opinion is not well founded, much less informed.

If you actually read what I was answering to, you would know that I was simply priving a point. Its very simple, just because someone is readily available doesnt mean it should be legal.

But assuming you are correct (and you not) lets go ahead and ask ourselves a question. Has alcohol ever caused or inspired violence? If you didn't answer "yes", end yourself now.

Alcohol does in fact cause people to be violent. I cant think of a single valid arguement against criminalizing alcohol and tobacco under the same statutes that are used to criminalize cocaine.

Horrendously moronic argument. Do you realize one of the most powerful hallucinogenic drugs in the world is sold under the trade name "Benodryl"? Probably not. Do you realize school children are prescribed stimulants that are of the same classification as cocaine, but totally legal, and abused like sugar? Probably not.

A Schedule 1 Drug, is classified by the Control Substances Act as a substance meeting one of the following three criteria;
a)”The drug or substance has a high potential for abuse.
b) The drug or substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.
c) There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.” 3/17/07 - Robert Graham

And all of those drugs are controlled substances, just like cocaine. The difference is, there is PROVEN medicinal uses for them. Not possible medicinal uses.

Cannabis sits in the same legal drug classification group as GHB, DMT, Heroin, and Ecstasy. All of which are far more hazardous to the health of a human being, and all of which posses’ significant addictive traits.

"Classification decisions are required to be made on the criteria of potential for abuse, accepted medical use in the United States, and potential for dependence."

I think that explains why marijuana would fall under a schedule I drug. And I have bolded it to make sure you knew what you were pasting.

Now considering the people who have done research on the subject (The US doesn't allow it) have found that's it's effects are neither as significantly inhibitory as alcohol, nor seriously addictive, nor as detrimental to the body as nicotine;

You are going to have to show me a reference on this one. Its widely known that marijuana is worse because you hold it in your lungs longer.

wouldn't that suggest that we AT LEAST reschedule it?

no, for reasons already stated.

If you drink socially, or smoke cigarettes what makes you think that "marijuana" is more dangerous than the psychoactive substances you are already putting into your body?

no one said it was, in fact, you will find that most people are in 100% agreement that alcohol is worse. But it is still legal.

[DrivenMind]

ran already answered to this so no point me me saying the saem thing.

If you actually read what I was answering to, you would know that I was simply priving a point. Its very simple, just because someone is readily available doesnt mean it should be legal.

Caffine can kill you, Asprin can kill you, Nicotine does kill you, Benedryl is a deliriant hallucinogenic drug. Salvia is perfectly legal. Ambien makes people sleep walk, and causes amnesia. All of these are perfectly legal drugs, and I don't hear anyone bitching about how socially irresponsible, or dangerous they are.

Alcohol does in fact cause people to be violent. I cant think of a single valid arguement against criminalizing alcohol and tobacco under the same statutes that are used to criminalize cocaine.

Except that alcohol and nicotine serve no real beneficial purpose to society.

And all of those drugs are controlled substances, just like cocaine. The difference is, there is PROVEN medicinal uses for them. Not possible medicinal uses.

WHERE?!?! Codine was perfectly legal until it was decided that it was making junkies out of people. So explain to me, where the PROVEN medicinal use for alcohol and nicotine is. What doctor recommends people drink or smoke? According to the control substances act, both should be in the Schedule 1 category.

"Classification decisions are required to be made on the criteria of potential for abuse, accepted medical use in the United States, and potential for dependence."

See my last comment. Alcohol is not used in any medicinal environment the way it is socially. The only medical treatment nicotine serves is to weane people off the addiction is has already caused.

I think that explains why marijuana would fall under a schedule I drug. And I have bolded it to make sure you knew what you were pasting.

Thank you for clearing that up, I was very worried I might miss it.

You are going to have to show me a reference on this one. Its widely known that marijuana is worse because you hold it in your lungs longer.

Wrong. How can you speak for all cigarette smokers? Do you know how long every smoker holds their smoke in their lungs? If you used vaporized cannabis, your detrimental smoking argument is defeated anyway.

[BanginJimmy]

Caffine can kill you, Asprin can kill you, Nicotine does kill you, Benedryl is a deliriant hallucinogenic drug. Salvia is perfectly legal. Ambien makes people sleep walk, and causes amnesia. All of these are perfectly legal drugs, and I don't hear anyone bitching about how socially irresponsible, or dangerous they are.

But each of them do have specific medicinal uses. I have yet to see a single case of someone being killed by caffine or aspirin unless it was an intentional overdose.

Except that alcohol and nicotine serve no real beneficial purpose to society.

which is why I cant think of a single agruement against criminalizing them under the same statutes as cocaine. I believe I already said that though and you ignored it.

WHERE?!?! Codine was perfectly legal until it was decided that it was making junkies out of people. So explain to me, where the PROVEN medicinal use for alcohol and nicotine is. What doctor recommends people drink or smoke? According to the control substances act, both should be in the Schedule 1 category.

look up 1 rebuttal.

See my last comment. Alcohol is not used in any medicinal environment the way it is socially. The only medical treatment nicotine serves is to weane people off the addiction is has already caused.

I have absolutely no clue where you are going with this.

Thank you for clearing that up, I was very worried I might miss it.

you obviously did since you are still saying that it shouldnt be a schedule I drug. The amount of abuse alone easily puts in it this catagory.

Wrong. How can you speak for all cigarette smokers? Do you know how long every smoker holds their smoke in their lungs? If you used vaporized cannabis, your detrimental smoking argument is defeated anyway.

I cant, but I can make a reasonable guess based on personal knowlege. Oh, and I also have a bit of science to back it up.

http://www.ebiologynews.com/2463.html