Well...what IS your view on marijuana?
This could be much more long winded than you wanted, but here you go:
Overall, I think Jimmy Carter nailed it when he said, âPenalties against drug use should not be more damaging to an individual than use of the drug itself. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against possession of marijuana in private for personal use.âPresident Jimmy Carter, August 2, 1977
..but that is assuming it stays illegal.Â
Here are a quick synopsis on my view of Marijuana-personal, medical, and industrial use.Â
Personal:I, personally, support the removal of all punishment for private possession of marijuana by adults, cultivation for personal use, and the casual nonprofit transfers of small amounts. I also think that the development of a legally controlled market for marijuana would greatly benefit the masses.Â
I think ALL personal use should abide by the âPrinciples of Responsible Cannabis Use" presented by the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.Â
I think there needs to be a large change in the way we view marijuana. The best way to prevent drug abuse (which is absolutely possible with cannabis) is to have good quality drug education. âOnly in a climate in which marijuana is viewed from a public health perspective, instead of a criminal justice perspective, can prevention efforts be effective.â
Medical:Medical Cannabis can be used for a plethora of diseases including (but not limited to) cancer, AIDS, glaucoma, chronic pain, arthritis, MS, paralysis, and epilepsy. (Watch the first 1:30 of this video to see a patient use medical cannabis to help cerebral palsy -Â http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EozRhoPKfjQ)Â
Whether this substance literally shrinks tumors, relieves pain, or simply dissociates the mind of the patient from their illness, I believe that it is the right of the patient to decide whether they want to treat their illness with the natural solution of medical cannabis or the unnatural solution of man made medicines. No government should get in the way of that.Â
There are special cases, such as Charlotteâs Web, where marijuana becomes a last resort to parents or patients, and we should have no way to disturb that treatment. Also, a growing number of health professionals are praising hemp seedsâ nutritional value, noting that itâs second only to soy in protein and contains the highest concentration of essential amino and fatty acids found in ANY food.
Industrial:WELL, this is just ridiculous. If you are âgreenâ and opposed to âIndustrial Marijuanaâ aka HEMP, please never open your mouth on this subject. HEMP refers to the non-psychoactive strain of marijuana. It is one of natureâs strongest and most versatile agricultural crops and can be used to make over 500 products such as paper, textiles, cosmetics, paints, clothing, foodstuffs, insulation, and animal feed.In short, Hemp produces a much higher yield per acre than itâs substitutes such as cotton, requires little to no pesticides, has an annual growing cycle of 100 days and leaves the soil virtually weed-free for the next planting.
"The hemp plant is currently harvested for commercial purposes in over 30 nations, including Canada, Japan and the European Union. Although it grows wild across much of America and presents no public health or safety threat, hemp is nevertheless routinely uprooted and destroyed by law enforcement. Each year, approximately 98% of all the marijuana eliminated by the DEAâs "Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program" is actually hemp."
BUT since Federal law allows U.S. retailers and manufacturers to import hemp fiber, sterilized seeds, and ingestible hemp products containing no THC, approximately 1.9 million pounds of hemp fiber, 450,000 pounds of hemp seeds, and 331 pounds of hempseed oil are imported annually for our use. Imagine how much money could be saved if we didnât have to import that from other countries and could support local hemp farmers right here in the US.
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There you go. Hope you donât look at Marijuana supporters like crazy hippies.