Why do you support the legalization of marijuana

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Thursday 28 February 2008

Deconstructing the US Reasoning for Restricting Marijuana

In the US Marijuana is a schedule I controlled substance, which is the highest level of control available, and in case you are interested Cocaine is only a schedule II controlled substance, so according to the US Law Cocaine is considerably less dangerous then Marijuana, and technically a doctor could write a prescription for Cocaine, but not for marijuana. To be listed as Schedule I a substance must meet the following criteria:

(A) The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse.

(B) The drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States

(C) There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision

Lets put this to the test and see if marijuana meets the requirements:

A) A high potential for abuse
Sure, I’ll give them that. It isn't physiologically addictive, but it is psychologically addictive, and many people abuse marijuana.
B) No accepted medicinal use
Really? I suppose that the American College of Physicians aren’t qualified to determine this, they need the lawmakers to do it for them.
C) Lack of accepted safety under medical supervision
Well since it is essentially impossible to overdose on marijuana I wonder how they figure medicinal marijuana is unsafe exactly, under medical supervision or not.

Lets see what other substances meet these requirements as well:

Tobacco:
A) Tobacco is one of the most addictive substances, I would say there is definite potential for abuse.
B) I don’t think any doctor could possibly claim that there are medical reasons too smoke.
C) There is no way to monitor the dose of nicotine while smoking tobacco, as such under the same reasoning as marijuana it definitely fits this criteria as well
Tobacco should be reclassified

Coffee:
A) Coffee is highly addictive as well
B) There are no medicinal benefits to caffeine
C) I don’t think you’ll find a doctor who will say that X number of cups of coffee is safe.
Coffee should be reclassified

Refined Sugar
A) well look around at all the candy junkies, I’d say its an issue
B) Definitely no medicinal benefits to refined sugar, sure our bodies need sugar, but we can get enough through fruits
C) I don’t think you’d find a doctor willing to say that a teaspoon of sugar a day is healthy
Sugar should be reclassified

Are my reasonings above ridiculous, absolutely, but are they more ridiculous then the classification of marijuana as a schedule I controlled substance? You tell me.

1 comment:

  1. this article was a little ridiculous

    ReplyDelete

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