Political Debates – Legalization of Cannabis
Understanding Prohibition of Marijuana in North America
Oct 6, 2008
Understanding the political climate in the modern era is becoming increasingly important, not just for youth, the disabled, and other minority groups but also for the average citizen who is now presented with the internet as a means for individual research and thinking outside of the confines of the education offered to you by the traditional media and Government pamphlets.
A grasp of the history behind prohibition of cannabis is likely the first step towards understanding the current laws regarding the social stigma associated with the plant.
Historical Understanding and Prohibition
The cannabis plant has been used by humans since pre-history, as a medicine, spiritual and creative aide, and in the strains cultivated for industrial use, in the form of hemp. Cannabis is a primarily benign substance and is not physically addictive – though some studies show a chance of psychological addiction in some users. Other possible medical problems that may stem from long term, heavy use include bronchitis and short-term memory loss.
In 1937, “Drug Czar” and Commisioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics Harry Anslinger issued the Marihuana Tax Act, an act of which the net effect was to make it dangerous for anyone to handle cannabis, the primary users of the plant being Mexicans in the southern United States at the time. The tax act was a measure enacted, by and large, as a framework in which to punish immigrants in the United States. The same arguments would later be used against the primarily black population of Louisiana, where Jazz music rose and flourished as did “those funny reefer men”. Some of the arguments used in hearings during the passing of the Marihuana Tax Act included testimonials that marijuana caused “murder, insanity, and death.”
This type of falsehood, illustrated most comedically and widely in the film “Reefer Madness”, was perceived truth at the time, promoted solely as an intimidation tactic and divested to a grossly uneducated population. Many people are also unaware that Major General George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin were all users of the cannabis plant and publicly endorsed recreational and industrial use.
Nixon Nixes his own Commission's Findings
In 1972, President Richard Nixon put forth the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse. The Commission, led by Raymond P. Shafer, actually recommended decriminalization for simple possession, stating :
“[T]he criminal law is too harsh a tool to apply to personal possession even in the effort to discourage use. It implies an overwhelming indictment of the behavior which we believe is not appropriate. The actual and potential harm of use of the drug is not great enough to justify intrusion by the criminal law into private behavior, a step which our society takes only 'with the greatest reluctance.”
Nixon, reportedly infuriated with the findings of the Commission, scrapped the project and made no further effort to act on the recommendations.
The Modern Debate
While much of the history of prohibition in North America lies in the hands of United States legislators, today Canadians and Americans are making progress with regards to current cannabis laws. Angus Reid Strategies has projected in three polls over the last three years that a majority (51-53%) of Canadian citizens are in favour of outright legalization of recreational cannabis, a number that would be even more substantial in support of decriminalization.
Medicinal marijuana has been made available to certain Canadian patients, as well as to American patients in selected states – a controversial issue given that the Federal Government does not recognize the State's right to dispense cannabis whatsoever. DEA raids still take place on legitimate dispensaries, shutting them down and bringing criminal charges against the operators.
Common consensus amongst the electorate consistently shows that support for the “War on Drugs” is extremely low, especially for relatively benign substances such as marijuana. The apparent hypocrisy of serving alcohol and tobacco products freely, taxed heavily to produce Federal revenue whilst sentencing cannabis users to prison terms is becoming increasingly unpopular in the twenty-first century. Increased citizen awareness and the wealth of information available from independent sources such as Erowid has had a large impact on attitudes toward recreational cannabis use, yet one can only speculate as to what the future holds with regards to legislated reclassification.
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