Reaserched, documented position paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reaserched, documented position paper - Essay Example It has many properties and benefits, which many seek to undermine on the path to legalization. In this paper some history and chemistry of the plant will be identified, as well as the many arguments for and against, of which some will be covered herein. In keeping with these arguments, California’s Proposition 19 for the legalization of marijuana will be covered. Already, it is legal in many states for use as a therapy drug for pain, but this paper will seek to prove that marijuana should be legalized for use of the general public, as the overall effects of this plant are very similar to an already legal drug: alcohol. Alcohol is legal on all 50 states to consume, has very similar mind-altering effects, yet marijuana is still an illegal substance. Marijuana has been used for medicinal purposes for approximately 5000 years. Where it came from is unclear, but it is hypothesized that it came from Central Asia. It is suggested that the Asiatic nomads dispersed the plant throughout Asia in their travels, and Herodotus, the Greek historian, once said that the â€Å"Scythian passion was inhaling the smoke of burning hemp plants.† it was later discovered that hemp fiber was being used by the Scythians as well for clothing. However, these nomads migrated out of central Asia after 1700 B. C. use of the drug remained primarily for intoxication throughout the Mediterranean region, Asia, Egypt and the rest of Africa. An ancient physician in the Mediterranean area noted which parts of the plant could be used for rope, clothing and pain relief. In ancient China, it was used for gout, rheumatism, malaria and absent-mindedness. He also noted that other parts were best for muscular problems. In India, the plant was used to make a drink for the heroes of the day before they executed so-called great feats of heroics. The chemistry of marijuana was a mystery until 1942, when H. J. Wollner was able to isolate and identify the naturally occurring substance, tetrahydroca nnabinol (THC). This substance has been found to be useful medically in many different venues. One of the first was the use of marijuana to stifle symptoms of nausea in chemotherapy patients. It also gives them a psychological benefit, providing them some sense of control over their body while suffering from cancer. Marijuana has been found to increase a person’s appetite, which can be very beneficial to someone suffering from AIDS, cancer or other illness that reduces appetite. In studies of medical marijuana use in glaucoma sufferers, the results have been mixed. Although its medicinal use for eye damage in somewhat substantial, but the toxic effects from such a high dose were more risky than glaucoma itself. From use as an analgesic, antispasmodic, a treatment for epilepsy and glaucoma to possibly its most well known medical uses, for multiple sclerosis and an anti-nausea drug in chemotherapy patients. On November 2, 2010, California proposed the Marijuana Legalization Ini tiative, simply called Proposition 19. This bill was for allowing the legalization of marijuana in the state of California, giving local governments the power to regulate, tax and impose varying criminal and/or civil penalties, as they deemed appropriate. This bill ultimately fell under similar current laws regarding alcohol. A person must be 21 or older, people could not possess it on school grounds, use it in public, or provide it