| For over 4,800 years, marijuana has been safely used | | | | marijuana "paraphernalia" like pipes and bongs |
| to treat a "whole host of gastrointestinal disorders, | | | | constitute the prime reason why marijuana is smoked |
| insomnia, [and] headaches" (i). The ancient doctors | | | | through a tube of paper rather than via other methods |
| prescribed marijuana because it had proven to be a | | | | that filter out most of the carcinogens. Furthermore, if |
| safe and effective herbal treatment. Today, marijuana | | | | marijuana were legal, users could opt to consume it in |
| is also widely used as a recreational drug comparable | | | | tea form, which is totally non-carcinogenic (iii). |
| to tobacco and alcohol. Unfortunately, this time-honored | | | | Indeed, a reasonable person is hard-pressed to find |
| substance is considered illegal by the U.S. government. | | | | reasons why marijuana should continue to be classified |
| Despite abundant evidence of the benefits of | | | | as a Schedule I drug, since it is demonstrably less |
| marijuana use, those who partake continue to be | | | | addictive than nicotine and causes significantly less |
| prosecuted as common criminals. It is high time for | | | | harm to the body than alcohol. Despite the proven |
| marijuana to be officially recognized as the safe, | | | | health risks, these two latter substances remain legal |
| medicinal substance that it is. It ought to be at least as | | | | while the former is falsely labeled a dangerous |
| legal to buy, sell, possess, and consume as tobacco | | | | narcotic. However, a growing chorus of respected |
| and alcohol. | | | | voices in the medical community is now speaking out in |
| Over the last few decades, marijuana has slowly | | | | defense of marijuana. The editors of the prestigious |
| returned to its rightful status as a useful and legitimate | | | | British medical journal, Lancet, have stated, "The |
| herbal treatment for various ailments. Those who | | | | smoking of cannabis, even long-term, is not harmful to |
| suffer from chronic nausea and vomiting have much | | | | health...It would be reasonable to judge cannabis as |
| to gain from a daily marijuana regimen. In studies | | | | less of a threat...than alcohol or tobacco" (iv). |
| conducted in New Mexico, researchers found that, | | | | The much-maligned miracle of marijuana has been |
| "More than ninety percent of the patients who | | | | denied for far too long by the U.S. government. For the |
| received marijuana...reported significant or total relief | | | | sake of the suffering, and for the sake of those who |
| from nausea and vomiting" (ii). With such a high | | | | choose marijuana as their recreational drug of choice, |
| success rate, it is no wonder doctors are clamoring for | | | | the time has come for a real reevaluation of U.S. |
| the right to prescribe marijuana to their patients. | | | | marijuana policy. Rather than the dangerous, |
| The government has tried to characterize marijuana | | | | community-destroying menace it has been made out |
| as a dangerous drug by declaring that marijuana | | | | to be, marijuana has been proven to be not only safe |
| smoke causes cancer. However, most of the | | | | for human consumption but also beneficial for those |
| carcinogenic chemicals associated with marijuana | | | | who seek to tap its medicinal and recreational |
| smoke come from the paper it is often rolled with. | | | | usefulness. |
| Federal statutes outlawing the possession of | | | | |