Marijuana, and its constantly debated legality.

One good point I want to point out is alcohol. It causes ten times the bodily damage, and yet for some reason it is legal, not to mention glorified. It's absolutely ridiculous.

My third and last point for the moment will be psychological effects. In essence, how many angry alcoholics have you ever seen? How many stories have you heard of a man getting drunk and beating his spouse/children/anonymous bystander? I have personally seen and experienced a fair share of drunk people being violent over something they never would have raised at an eyebrow at sober.

Now, think, how many angry potheads have you ever seen while high? That would be none. The only scuffle I've ever seen between stoners was over the last cookie, and they always get distracted before it gets to the point of blows.

Or maybe something similar to certain ares of the U.S.'s alcohol laws, e.g. no sales after midnight or on Sundays?

 

Marijuana/Hemp, was outlawed in 1937.  It was, to say the least, a "put up job".  The hokey film, "Reefer Madness", was released just before the push to outlaw it. The reasons for making it illegal have nothing to do with concern over the public health.

 

In the 18th early 19th cents. Hemp fibers were the main source of cloth.  The uniforms for the Continental Army were hemp.  Our first Flags were...Hemp.  Up until 1937 all rope was made of...hemp.

Hemp could produce fabrics that were of much finer quality than other fibers, and cheaper than any imported fibers.  It was clear to someone like I. E. Dupont, that if he was going to produce something like Nylon and Rayon, he'd have to see that the competition was taken care of.  War was on the minds of many at that time.  No source on this but it's been said that a deal was struck with Dupont, to insure that his work would go on.  He would have his Synthetics in full production by 1938-9 and Hemp/Marijuana would be outlawed.

 

Never mind that most forms of Hemp have little or no Pshycotropic qualities.  In other words, you couldn't get stoned,if you tried.  You'd probably get smoke inhalation poisoning before you got a buzz. 

During WWI the farmers here in Jersey were paid to grow Hemp for rope.  Wall Rope was the largest producer, with it's HQ here.  The Government, paid the farmers and supplied the seed.  For years after, the Hemp grew wild.  When I was a kid, one of my jobs was to mow the fringes of the pastures with an orchard bar.  The Hemp grew everywhere, but it was dangerous for cows as they couldn't break up the fibers and it would clog their intestines.  We called it Loco Weed.   Did I try smoking it?  Yes, that's how I know for certain it had no special effects.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like the book, "50 shades of gray".  It wasn't until Georgia, Florida and several other states banned it, that sales took off.  Sales tripled in 3 weeks. 

 

 

Making it legal would also allow open hybridization and experimentation for medical purposes.  Another benefit would be it would eliminate the need for "imports".  Profits from it would stay here.