Eleven states passed laws making the possession of small amounts of marijuana legal between 1973 and 1978. After that, however, there were no such laws passed until this year when California and Arizona passed voter initiatives to make the medical use of marijuana legal. One reason why no such laws were passed has been because of a campaign against marijuana in the conservative climate of recent years. Yet conservatives have not been very successful because the social costs of outlawing the drug are greater than any possible dangers for users. Marijuana should be decriminalized, and there may even be social benefits in legalizing and licensing the sale and use of marijuana.
The name marijuana comes from the Mexican word "maraguanquo," meaning an plant with narcotic effects. It is the popular name for one plant, Cannabis sativa. The plant grows in almost any climate, although different weather and soil conditions produce variations in its chemical content. The hemp plant has long been grown in the United States for agricultural purposes, even by such prominent figures as George Washington.
Cannabis materials are used in various cultures to bring about such psychological effects as euphoria, drowsiness, and other mental changes. Usually the plant is cut, dried, chopped and rolled into cigarettes. The cannabinoid causing most of the psychological effects of marijuana is known as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This chemical has several medical uses. It is widely used in the treatment of glaucoma. It is also effective in reducing the nausea associated with cancer chemotherapy programs. It may also be effective as an antiasthmatic, tranquilizer, sedative, analgesic, in the treatment of alcoholism, and for anti-peptic ulcer.
The recreational use of marijuana was banned in 1937 with passage of the Marijuana Tax Act. This law requires physicians to pay a tax for a license to prescribe marijuana. Marijuana ha...