Marijuana Legalization

Mankind for tens of thousands of years have depended on the male cannabis plant for textile's. Up until the industrial revolution when such bi products of oil replaced the hemp plant. Now instead of getting paper, rope, clothing, and various other textiles from an environmentally safe plant which absorbs carbon from the soil cleans the air and uses little to no pesticides. We began to use the bi products of oil which I'm sure there is no need for me to elaborate that it is harmful to the environment. Companies such as DuPont and Standard oil campaigned heavily against the plant due to the fact that they could not compete with the hemp industry with there by products like polyester and nylon rope. They spread propaganda against the cannabis plant and demonized it to the American public. Most likely the reason my opponent opposes my argument is because of the demonetization of marijuana. History has shown You cannot legislate morality. What people do in the privacy of their homes as long as they bring no harm to anyone's person or property is not an affair of the government. A government that tells me its OK to drink a poison that will destroy my liver but I cant smoke a harmless plant is unfit to rule other men. A good example of why you cannot legislate morality would be the prohibition of Alcohol in the early 1900's. It created a black market which funded the growth of organized crime in America. The alcohol being made was unregulated and often dangerous. Many deaths occurred by bad alcohol ,gang violence, and police violence against gangs and visa verse. After the prohibition ended the criminals could no longer profit from it. This would be the case if we legalized marijuana in America, taxed it and regulated it. The price of marijuana would drop drastically because there will be no product intercepted by police. which is a common problem for drug cartels that they write off. This would undercut the black market and effectively cut off the largest source of funding for the drug cartels in Mexico. The movement for legalization has gained much ground over the past decade and continues to gain momentum with recreational marijuana legal in two states ,legal medically in 23 states, and Florida legalized a medical strand "Charlotte's web" for children with epilepsy. Washington is still in the early stages of releasing the product to the public. Colorado however is well on their way. Since cannabis has been legal in Colorado crime has gone down in Denver. Homicides went down 53%, automobile break-ins 36%, and sexual assaults 14%. The prohibition of marijuana is harmful to society in many ways. It creates a gateway to other drugs because drug pushers often use it to draw in young kids then later get them hooked to more addictive drugs. Without a black market the gateway effect of marijuana is completely nullified. It would be difficult for children to get a hold of it when it is regulated. The fact that people who have used heavier drugs have also used marijuana does not give evidence that it is a gateway drug. Many users never move on to other drugs. Earlier in my paragraph I wrote of marijuana being a harmless plant. Allow me to elaborate, there are no recorded deaths from overdose in history. It is physically impossible to overdose on marijuana. There are certain cases where people are hospitalized after having smoked weed but none of which have resulted in injury or death. Its just simply a case of someone shocking there system to more tetrahydrocannabinol(THC) then they are used to. It relieves pain and helps cancer patients eat and live comfortably. There are strands with no THC in them that are safe to give to children for treating epilepsy and it is the most effective and safest medicine on the market. It is also a safer alternative for many patients who are in pain with no liver damage or risk of addiction to pain pills. It is fiscally and socially irresponsible to continue the prohibition of marijuana. it causes much suffering and accomplishes nothing. http://www.youtube.com... Hemp plant facts. http://www.green-organic-world.com... FDA re evaluates marijuana classification. Marijuana is currently classified as a schedule one with heroin. which is supposed to mean it has no health benefits and clearly all of the doctors and scientists aren't wrong the FDA is. http://www.autismdailynewscast.com... Medical benefits suppressed by jail system. http://www.inquisitr.com... 10 health benefits. http://www.ibtimes.com... Crime down in Colorado. http://www.allgov.com...