I agreeto Idea Legalize Marijuana/Cannabis/Hemp
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Legalize Marijuana/Cannabis/Hemp

Why Is This Idea Important?: Today we have a similar situation. In 1937 the U.S. passed the "Marihuana Tax Act of 1937". 'The Act did not itself criminalize the possession or usage of hemp, marijuana or cannabis, but levied a tax equaling roughly one dollar on anyone who dealt commercially in cannabis, hemp or marijuana. It did, however, include penalty provisions and a complex Regulation 1 codifying the elaborate rules of enforcement marijuana cannabis or hemp handlers were subject to. Violation of these procedures could result in a fine of up to $2000 and five years imprisonment. The net effect was to make it too risky for anyone to deal in the substance until World War II required the United States Department of Agriculture to make its 1942 movie "Hemp for Victory".' - from the Wikipedia Article Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. This act was later deemed unconstitional by the Supreme Court in 1969 during the case Leary v. United States because it violated the 5th Amendment since a person would have to incriminate him or herself to obtain the tax stamp required by law. The government then passed the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) in 1970 and placed Marijuana on the List of Schedule I drugs. This means that it meets the following requirements: (A) The drug or other substance has high potential for abuse. (B) The drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States. (C) There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision. If this were true then why is Marinol, a synthetic version of THC, the main active ingredient in Marijuana, only on the List of Schedule III drugs? To be on that list it meets these requirements: (A) The drug or other substance has a potential for abuse less than the drugs or other substances in schedules I and II. (B) The drug or other substance has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States. (C) Abuse of the drug or other substance may lead to moderate or low physical dependence or high psychological dependence. This list also includes drugs like Tylenol 3 and Anabolic Steroids. So why is Marijuana illegal because of THC and Marinol is legal even though it's synthetic THC? End the Prohibition of Marijuana in the United States.

The responsible use of alcohol was ended by the 18th Amendment on January 29, 1919. This amendment was repealed by the 21st Amendment on December 5, 1933 when the state of Utah ratified it. The reason for the repeal of the 18th Amendment was because the U.S. Government realized that prohibition only created more problems than it solved. Drinking rates grew higher, crime increased. Millions of dollars were made by bootleggers and moonshiners who didn't care if they were following the law or not. The most dangerous part about drinking was the criminal element involved with it's manufacture and/or sale.

Submitted by Phillip Cornwell 3 years ago

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Comments (4)

  1. Phillip Cornwell Idea Submitter

    We need to legalize, regulate and tax cannabis and hemp. It's not going to save this country, but it will definitely help.

    3 years ago
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  2. Please make your comments here also

    http://opengov.ideascale.com/akira/dtd/3191-4049

    3 years ago
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  3. Prohibition is a violation of the 9th amendment.

    I wish people would stop asking government to legalize what they have no genuine authority to prohibit. You give the laws faith and credit they do not possess.

    Tell government to stop violating your 9th amendment rights, and remove all faulty legislation from our faces.

    3 years ago
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  4. Many people are unaware of the FACTS about cannabis, and the reason that cannabis and hemp were originally made illegal. Even fewer understand the reasons that cannabis and hemp are still illegal to this day.

    Ratehr than go into listing everything here, I will offer those who are truly interested several links to TRUE INFORMATION, rather than speculation or propaganda which has been force-fed to us for the last 70-odd years now.

    http://JackHerer.com

    http://NORML.org

    http://NORML.ca

    http://PhoenixTears.ca

    http://PhoenixTearsMovie.com

    Health Canada's "Medical Marihuana" Program information:

    http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/marihuana/index-eng.php

    PRINTABLE APPLICATION FORMS:

    http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/marihuana/how-comment/applicant-demandeur/index-eng.php

    The US Government's MEDICAL PATENTS on the natural compounds found in the Cannabis plant (even though patenting plants is illegal):

    "US Patent 6630507 - Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants"

    http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6630507.html

    Google it yourself and see more than 1400 hits on "US Patent 6630507" alone!!!

    Let's take a two-second look at that last one, shall we?

    It has long been "known to the public" that cannabis "causes breain cell death" from a study performed many years ago, and discredited in the mid 90's as having "desperately flawed methodology" which completely nullified all of the "conclusions" offered within that report.

    Knowing that cannabis DOES NOT cause brain cell death due to the wholly discredited study, AND seeing that cannabis compounds are not "patented" for use as "Neuroprotectants" (i.e: protecting brain cells from damage), the only intelligent conclusion to be had is that the truth is being deliberately stifled, as if the pubic were truly informed, those anti-cannais prohibitionary laws would be struck down in seconds!

    It is also interesting to note that, as of the moment, pure cannabis oil, once extracted from the bud and ingested orally (no, not smoked or injected) is also the only compound known to have a curative effect on gliomas, or cancers of the brain. Teddy Kennedy could have possibly avoided having his skull cut open if he had known about this last year. (I won't suggest whether that is a good or bad thing.)

    Sobi is 100% correct in his/her assertion as well...in the USA, the individual states never ceded to the federal government any such right, and the federal government has never ASKED for those rights to be granted to them. This would have required a vote by an informed pubilc, and this has never occurred, or someone would surely remember, and there would be a physical record of this having happened.

    To outlaw a plant is absurd by it's very nature...especially when the plant is outlawed by the very government that has filed patents on the very plant that they have made illegal.

    Why would a government file patents to protect their future income (the only genuine reason for the patent process, actually) on a plant they have made illegal?

    WHAT ARE THEY REALLY TRYING TO HIDE FROM THE PEOPLE, AND WHY ARE THEY HIDING IT?

    3 years ago
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