Marijuana as a Social Problem Essay Example for Free

Marijuana as a Social Problem EssayIntroductionMarijuana is a green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant. You may hear marihuana called by street names such as pot, herb, weed, grass, boom, Mary Jane, gangster, or chronic. thither are more than 200 slang terms for marijuana. All forms of marijuana are mind-altering. In other words, they change how the brain works. They all contain tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), the main active chemical in marijuana. They also contain more than 400 other chemicals. Marijuanas effects on the user depend on the bearing or potency of the THC it contains. The potency of marijuana has increased since the 1970s but has been round the same since the mid-1980s.Marijuana inherits its name from Mexico, although it has a past steeped with spheric tradition. Long before its U.S. debut, marijuana was widely utilize, and popular among, some of the worlds earliest civilizations . History documents show that the fiber-rich halter plant was used to parent rope and woven fabrics around 7000 B.C. in Central and South Asia. Additionally, it was referenced in Chinese manuscripts dating back to 2700 B.C. and ancient Indian scriptures have attributed healthful properties to it. After being used by half of the world for nearly 8,000 years, marijuana traditionally reached North America with Christopher Columbus in 1492 A.D.Initially, cannabis was wholly used to make industrial goods its recreational use in America didnt become popular until the early 20th century. It wasnt until then that the misunderstandings round cannabis truly began to popup. The recreational use of marijuana soon became considered as harmful as cocaine or heroin. However, it has never led to a wizard case of human death from overdose in its entire history. This is a sharp contrast to the heavy mortality rate of its supposed counterparts. Nonetheless, the use and finale of the cannabis pl ant was made illegal at the hands of many capable antidrug advocates.Domestic end product of the marijuana plant was encouraged in mingled parts of America during the 17th century. The cannabis sativa plant, whose dried flower extracts can form potent recreational marijuana, was in great demand because of its long fibers which could be used for the production of clothing, ropes, and sails. In fact, The Assembly of Jamestown Colony, Virginia, passed legislation in 1619 making it compulsory for every farmer to grow the Indian hempseed ironically Americas first marijuana law. Other colonial states like Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania allowed hemp to be exchanged as legal tender and could notwithstanding be used to pay taxes. The plant was an essential requirement during war times and farmers would be jailed if they were not able to produce enough hemp. Men who Americans hold in great reverence grew and encouraged the growth of hemp. George Washington grew hemp as his primary c rop in the late 18th century for fiber production at Mount Vernon.Thomas Jefferson grew the plant as a secondary crop at Monticello and urged farmers to grow hemp in place of tobacco out-of-pocket to its many useful qualities. Even Benjamin Franklin used cannabis as the raw material to start one of Americas pioneering paper mills. By the mid-19th century, marijuanas medicative properties were recognized in North America and it was used as a popular ingredient in many medicinal products. The United States Pharmacopeia had marijuana on its list of pharmaceuticals from 1850 until 1942, and many companies like Brothers Smith, Eli Lilly, Parke-Davis, and Tildens produced a cannabis extract, which Sir William Osler, the father of modern medicine, pronounced as the best handling for migraines.Marijuana was prescribed for various pain-relieving and mood-altering conditions such as nausea, labor pains, and rheumatism. A score of medical papers were published in this era flaunting the curin g abilities of cannabis, and even the personal physician of Queen Victoria, Sir John Russell Reynolds, announced cannabis as having amazing powers to treat painful maladies. It was sold openly and was easily available in public pharmacies. However, during this time, marijuana was also starting to be used more often as an intoxicant. The recreational use of marijuana started on a handsome scale in the late 19th century in the northeastern United States with the opening of many Turkish smoking parlors.It was also during this time that about two to five percent of Americas population had unknowingly become addicted to morphine as most over-the-counter medicines contained levels of the substance. Among the addicts were soldiers, businessmen, housewives, and children. In response, the American government passed the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906 and formed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in part to help counter and witness the addiction situation. The law, though not targeting m arijuana specifically, also required cannabis -based medications to have its contents mentioned on the label.TThe Spanish-American War, and the subsequent Mexican revolution of 1910, also influenced the marijuana scene in America. During the post-revolution years there was a great influx of Mexican-Americans who mostly found work on large farms in American fields. These immigrants urbane marijuana, which they brought with them from Mexico, and indulged in its smoking for recreational purposes. Strong prejudice against the immigrants caused many to view the plant as an addictive and violence-inducing drug that created criminals, murderers, and delinquents. Not until the 1930s, when the Federal Bureau of Narcotics and its director, arouse J. Anslinger, began drafting a bill to tax marijuana did an all out smear campaign begin, which eventually led to its national ban. State regulation of cannabis started in Massachusetts in 1911 and in New York and Maine by 1914.California passed th e first state marijuana prohibition law in 1913, outlawing the preparations of hemp or locoweed, which was more a prejudiced controlling measure over the Mexican immigrant population than a controlling measure over the marijuana itself. More states came up with laws that banned marijuana, including Wyoming in 1915, Texas in 1919, and Nebraska in 1927. The states of Iowa, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and Arkansas took this step in 1923.Marijuana was prohibited by 29 states by 1931 due for the most part to the poor socio-economic conditions during The Great Depression. With unemployment at its peak, many Americans found they competing against Mexican immigrants for jobs in the fields. Consequently, Mexican workers and their associated drug marijuana became easy targets for attack. By this time, marijuanas misleading reputation began to overshadow its historic medicinal and industrial applications.