why is marijuana illegal
Why Is Marijuana Illegal?
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Why is marijuana illegal?”, you’ll likely be surprised to learn that it’s not due to any specific health or medical benefit. Its illegality is based on its abysmal lack of federal laws and organized campaign. Instead, marijuana peddlers swarm the school neighborhoods and snare schoolchildren. Teenagers buy dangerous weed without knowing its negative health effects. Conscienceless dealers peddle this dangerous substance with impunity. The American public needs to understand marijuana as a deadly drug and recognize it as a dangerous threat. medical marijuana card apply ny
There are many reasons why marijuana should be legal, and some are largely myths. Some of these arguments have been debunked, while others have been uttered outright. One such argument is that marijuana acts as a gateway drug for harder drugs. This argument only applies if you’re genetically predisposed to developing mental illness. Most of these arguments are simply cover stories intended to make marijuana illegal to the uninformed.
Many people assume that marijuana prohibition was based on a scientific process. But this is far from the truth. The prohibition of marijuana was made by government officials as a means to prevent public health and to protect citizens from drug use. In the early 20th century, the DEA expanded its efforts in the war on drugs by criminalizing marijuana. In 1937, the US made marijuana illegal. It banned hemp and other cannabis-derived products as well. Eventually, the public realized that marijuana was also known as marihuana.
While prohibitionists claim that the plant is dangerous, the truth is that it has been around for a very long time. As the world’s most powerful nation, the US pushed prohibition through trade agreements. As a result, prohibitionists tried to make it illegal throughout the rest of the world. However, these arguments are based on a fundamental lack of knowledge about the drug. There are more legitimate reasons to keep marijuana illegal than the purely societal reasons.
In 1937, the federal government issued the Marihuana Tax Act, which declared marijuana illegal. This law was later deemed unconstitutional, and the control over marijuana was reintroduced in 1970. Its widespread use was still illegal, but African Americans were more likely to get arrested for marijuana crimes than whites. However, this disparity in arrests and convictions was largely due to racial discrimination.
Legalizing marijuana would protect both peaceful marijuana users and law enforcement. Legalization of marijuana would free up law enforcement to focus on more important tasks. Among other reasons, marijuana helps people who are recovering from severe addictions, such as alcohol or opioids. It has helped many people avoid the dangerous effects of withdrawal from alcohol and opioids. Indeed, previous administrations even introduced legislation to limit the supply of painkillers. The cut in supply would only fuel addiction and exacerbate the problem.
Despite this long history of controversy, marijuana is still banned in most of the United States. In the 1920s, “Tea Pads” were very popular and provided cheap places for drunken parties. Marijuana was brought to the United States by Mexicans and was lumped in with other illegal intoxicants. The media was quick to publish stories about drunk Mexicans. Eventually, President Herbert Hoover created the Federal Bureau of Narcotics in 1930. Anslinger was appointed the first commissioner.