Pubdate: Mon, 03 Nov 2014
Source: News-Press (Fort Myers, FL)
Copyright: 2014 The News-Press
Contact:  http://www.news-press.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1133
Author: Wilburn Reed

MARIJUANA'S HISTORY

Although a part of the United States Pharmacopoeia since the 1800s, 
marijuana was targeted by the same folks who brought us Prohibition 
because it had drifted into recreational use, largely by migrant 
workers and the black jazz community at the time.

Their strong influence, aided by the newly created Federal Bureau of 
Narcotics, resulted in Congress passing the Marijuana Tax Act in 
1937, making the possession to transference of marijuana illegal.

The FBNs misinformation campaign included such published insights as 
"the marijuana user becomes a fiend with savage or 'cave man' 
tendencies". The scare tactics of the DEA hasn't changed much in the 
intervening years.

The Supreme Court declared the MTA unconstitutional in 1969. This led 
directly to the passage by Congress of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse 
Prevention & Control Act in 1970. The debate preceding passage was 
stymied by members that were against the legalization of marijuana so 
a compromise was reached: to allow passage, those in favor of keeping 
marijuana illegal agreed to a temporary classification of Schedule 1 
(which includes heroin and cocaine and other non-prescribeable 
narcotics), with a resolution to be argued later.

And there it has languished for 45 years, simply due to congressional inaction.

There has never been a rational, moral, ethical, and/or scientific 
reason for marijuana being illegal. Put aside prejudices, show sense 
and sensibility and vote yes for Amendment 2.

Wilburn Reed, Fort Myers
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom