Why Marijuana Should Be Legalized

Not everyone who uses pot is a hippie, like Tommy Chong, but anyone who does use it, knows that it's not addictive, nor dangerous. In fact, the biggest danger in smoking pot is getting arrest by the police, who are apparently here to protect us. But the truth is that not only would legalizing marijuana give the economy a huge boost, it will also help your health more than you may know.

The following in an excerpt from this British article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/deadlineusa/2009/feb/24/california-marijuana-legalisation-legislationeusa/2009/feb/24/california-marijuana-legalisation-legislation

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Could marijuana tax help shore up California's finances?

Legislation to legalise marijuana sparks heated debate as state seeks to fill its revenue pot

A California state assemblyman from San Francisco has introduced legislation that would legalise and tax marijuana, a move he hopes will help shore up the state's dire finances.

The bill by San Francisco representative Tom Ammiano, would legalise the cultivation, possession and sale of marijuana by people 21 and older. It would charge growers and wholesalers a $5,000 (£3,400) initial franchise fee and a $2,500 annual renewal fee, and would levy a $50 per ounce fee on retailers.

The law, which would make California the first state to legalise marijuana, would inject an estimated $13bn a year in revenue into California's empty coffers. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday signed a $130bn budget that raises sales and income taxes, and dramatically slashes spending. States across the country are facing massive revenue shortfalls, as income and real estate tax receipts fall and outlays for unemployment insurance and health coverage rise.

"It is simply nonsensical that California's largest agricultural industry is completely unregulated and untaxed," Marijuana Policy Project California policy director Aaron Smith said at a news conference announcing the bill. "With our state in an ongoing fiscal crisis — and no one believes the new budget is the end of California's financial woes — it's time to bring this major piece of our economy into the light of day."

California Republicans seem to oppose the bill.

"I think substance abuse is just ruining our society," Assemblyman Paul Cook told a California newspaper, as if it were slothful dope-heads and not, say, gluttonous financial services executives that had wrecked our economy. "I can't support that."

The bill is the first of its kind in California, according to Marijuana Policy Project communications director Bruce Mirken, who cites research showing that marijuana is America's largest cash crop.

I can't predict if this bill will pass, or even get out of committee. (Note that in Pumping Iron, the champion bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger famously tokes on what appears to be a joint, while reclining on a weight bench). But it is certainly one of many legalisation efforts to come.

In his fantastic book on generational marketing, The Age Curve, demographer Kenneth Grombach predicts that as the dope-friendly baby boom generation takes power from the far more conservative "silent generation" born between 1925 and 1945, marijuana will become legal "very soon":

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But marijuana is more than just a cash crop, it has endless health and even some spiritual benefits.
Relief from nausea and increase of appetite;
Reduction of intarlobular ("within the eye") pressure;
Reduction of muscle spasms;
Relief from chronic pain.

[1]Marijuana is frequently beneficial in the treatment of the following conditions:
AIDS. Marijuana can reduce the nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite caused by the ailment itself and by various AIDS medications.
Glaucoma. Marijuana can reduce interlobular pressure, thereby alleviating the pain and slowing -- and sometimes stopping -- the progress of the condition. (Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in the United States. It damages vision by increasing eye pressure over time.)
Cancer. Marijuana can stimulate the appetite and alleviate nausea and vomiting, which are common side effects of chemotherapy treatment.
Multiple Sclerosis. Marijuana can limit the muscle pain and spasticity caused by the disease, as well as relieving tremor and unsteadiness of gait. (Multiple sclerosis is the leading cause of neurological disability among young and middle-aged adults in the United States.)
Epilepsy. Marijuana can prevent epileptic seizures in some patients.
Chronic Pain. Marijuana can alleviate the chronic, often debilitating pain caused by myriad disorders and injuries.

So why is pot illegal, read the full article why here: http://www.illuminati-news.com/marijuana-conspiracy.htm

Or read a small excerpt from the article below:

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Pot is NOT harmful to the human body or mind. Marijuana does NOT pose a threat to the general public. Marijuana is very much a danger to the oil companies, alcohol, tobacco industries and a large number of chemical corporations. Various big businesses, with plenty of dollars and influence, have suppressed the truth from the people.

The truth is if marijuana was utilized for its vast array of commercial products, it would create an industrial atomic bomb! Entrepreneurs have not been educated on the product potential of pot. The super rich have conspired to spread misinformation about an extremely versatile plant that, if used properly, would ruin their companies.

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Now that you know the truth about the miracle drug, are you ready to take action and help make it legal?

Sign the petition here: http://www.petitiononline.com/Legalize/petition.html

And for more ways to help go here: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3443

[1] http://www.wamm.org/medicinalbenefits.htm

(I am not encouraging illegal use of Marijuana, I am only encouraging the legalization of it. Nah, I'm kidding, go ahead and toke all you want!)