Ladyfest South

Most Americans associate marijuana use with the hippie movement of the 1970s. What little we know, the marijuana was very important to this country when it was founded. In 1610 the colony of Jamestown has ordered each family to cultivate native plant. It is used to make clothing, fabrics, textiles, and medicine. In fact, the Declaration of Independence was signed July 4, 1776 on hemp paper. In 1850, the Census Bureau estimated that 8327 hemp plantations nationwide has grown. Took all the way until early 1900 for the U.S. suddenly has a problem with the plant.

Southern California and Texas were flooded with immigrants from Mexico around 1910. After working long days that often smoke marijuana to relax. The United States abolished slavery in 1865, but equal rights for non-whites are still far from achieved. As a result, people began unjustly associated with the use of marijuana by Mexican immigrants, who did not like because he was different. El Paso was the first to outlaw marijuana in 1914 because of a bar fight attributed to “point of weeds.” The first law against marijuana Texas, said: “All Mexicans are crazy and this is what that is right for them.” After the marijuana was outlawed was not just a matter of months before the government enacted the Harrison, 1914, followed by five years after Prohibition in 1919. These laws on access to the taxpayers really won “the substances are legal, since the beginning of time.

Fearing the spread of this terrible Mexican drug crazy “the government has begun a massive campaign off to deter the spread of marijuana. Marijuana was a conflict of interest to our government, why tax revenues prescribed medical cocaine , heroin and morphine. They were afraid that Americans will get to use marijuana as a substitute for these substances and could not get their hands on that money from taxes. The first campaigns were initiated immediately and the commissioner of the Federal Office Narcotics proclaimed: “Marijuana is an addictive drug which produces in its users insanity, criminality and death.”

During the Great Depression, massive unemployment increased the resentment and fear of Mexican immigrants, increased the Government’s priorities and the public on the use of marijuana. This instigated a series of studies that linked use of marijuana with violence, crime and other socially deviant behaviors, primarily committed by racially inferior or underclass communities. In 1931, 29 states had prohibited marijuana.

The hemp industry was obviously disappointed with the turn of events was happening. To make matters worse, because of the industrial revolution is rapidly becoming cheaper to import industrial hemp instead of producing a national level. In international politics increasingly tense, the United States was cut off from most of its imports of hemp East around 1942. The government needs more rope to their ships of the Second World War as the government began a huge cannabis farms in the Midwest to make rope. In one year, U.S. farmers harvested hemp 375 000 hectares of hemp. In 1944 the New York Academy of Medicine, has developed an extensive research report said that contrary to popular belief, marijuana does not cause violence, insanity or sex crimes, or lead to addiction or use drugs as well.

It was becoming obvious to the public that marijuana can not be so dangerous, after all, so naturally the government intervened and forced the Boggs Act of 1952 and the Narcotics Control Act of 1956. Together they established minimum sentences for marijuana first convicted of 2-10 years, with fines up to $ 20,000. In 1958 the state of Virginia had a mandatory sentence of at least 15 years for first degree murder. The violation is a mandatory sentence of at least 10 years. Possession of marijuana, however, led to a mandatory minimum sentence of 40 years. It was not until 1970 that Congress finally repealed most of the mandatory penalties for drug offenses. That was short-lived, however, why Congress reversed its position in 1986, when President Reagan signed the Anti-Drug Abuse Act, re-enactment of mandatory sentences for crimes related to marijuana.

Finally, in 1996, California voters passed Proposition 215 that allows the sale and medical use of marijuana for seriously ill patients. This law is today despite the efforts of the DEA to ignore the law at the federal level.

Little has changed in the last 13 years as the Federal Government opinion about marijuana. There is hope, however, as some elected officials at least open to debate. More specifically, the Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger: “I think we have to consider carefully what they are doing to other countries that have legalized marijuana and other drugs, which took effect in those countries, and are happy with this decision. And he added “I’m always open to debate.” It is not the only prominent politician to show their support for the cause. San Francisco, Tom Ammiano MP was asked by the San Francisco Chronicle legalize marijuana if it was just a trick to increase State revenues. (It is estimated that $ 1. 3 billion a year) said: “It ’s also the failure of the war against drugs and the application of a more enlightened policy. I’ve always said there would be a perfect storm of political will and public support, and of course the federal policies are leaning more toward states’ rights. ” ”

There is still much work to do because President Barack Obama is still strongly opposed legislation to allow marijuana in state hands. On March 26, 2009, the President offered to answer some questions from the public online. An overwhelming 3. 5 million people voted to ask the president to consider the legalization of marijuana to generate income. In response, the president said: “Three point five million people voted. I must say that there was a question that was voted in fairly high rank, and that was whether to legalize marijuana could improve the economy and creating jobs . I know what this says about the public online, but I just – I do not want people to think that – it was a very popular demand, we want to ensure that it has been answered. The answer is No, I do not think it is a good strategy to grow our economy. “All we can do now is to continue to bring the facts that our politicians and hope that they make the right decisions.