The History of Marijuana Prohibition

Marijuana. Stinking filthy disgusting marijuana. Your church says it’s the Devil’s tool. Your government says it directly accounts for almost all crime and skumbags on the streets. Your teachers said “just say no.” Your grandmother says it’s a “dirty Mexican drug.” But the question is: what do you think about it? Did you ever actually have a chance, or the educated means, to make an informed decision and personal policy on marijuana? Or did you just follow the judicial trend? You pick up this article and furrow your brow; maybe this article could really help you out. Afterall, you’re smart enough to look past the stigmas and stereotypes for a moment to see the bigger picture.

***
From the federal government’s point of view, marijuana use is a big problem. The Office of National Drug Control Policy fears “Decriminalization may lead to addiction and costs society $110 billion annually in health and social costs.” Yet, ironically they already spend billions of dollars trying to combat the perceived problem.

This year, President Bush said, “Drug use is doing the most damage to the poor.” But historically, the principle concerns of the Republican Party has never been for the poor; it has been geared more towards the Industries and elitist groups.

A teacher from LA elaborates on the inherent dangers, “One day the campesino [Latin American] will wake up and discover that he lives in a narcodemocracy where the skum have risen to the top.... He’ll discover he lives in a society rotten at the core and he can do absolutely nothing about it.” But wait, isn’t that what motivates people to use drugs in the first place - the lack of government support, the poverty, the feelings of oppression and helplessness?

And finally, here’s a quote that needs no explanation but merely demonstrates the cold,vicious relentlessness of the War on Drugs. Newt Gingrich says, “If you sell it, we’re going to kill you.”