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Abstract
Marijuana is a psychoactive drug derived from a variety of hemp, which contains the greatest amount of substance (cannabis). In nature, there are approximately 60 cannabinoids, the most effective of which - delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. There are three main types of cannabis: Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica and Cannabis ruderalis, the latter contains the least amount of THC. There is also a huge number of hybrids that combine both sativa, and indica.
The regulation and the legal status of cannabis as a narcotic substance in many countries around the world based on the laws governing its cultivation, transportation, sale and use. The main reason for the legal regulation that cannabis contains the psychoactive substances and is used to make drugs such as marijuana and hashish. Part of the hemp plant which do not contain psychoactive substances (for example, fibers and seeds) are legal in many countries, and these countries can issue a license for the production of cannabis.
In this paper will be discussed the legal status of cannabis in the United States, the legalization movement and how the drug affects society.
Cannabis, which contains the psychoactive substance (THC), as well as drugs of it is illegal almost everywhere, except in a few countries in which a certain amount is allowed to grow and / or acquire small amounts for personal use. Among them: the Netherlands, Canada, North Korea, the Czech Republic, some states in the United States, Spain, Portugal. In a partially self-governing of a free city Christiania, geographically located within the city of Copenhagen (Denmark), marijuana and hashish are readily available and are not prohibited by the laws of Christiania, though banned Danish law.
In some countries (Canada, Israel and some U.S. states) the medical use of cannabis is allowed.
In August, 2013 Members of the lower house of the Uruguayan parliament approved a bill to legalize marijuana. Under the bill, will only be able to sell marijuana authorities. The state will " supervise and regulate the import, export, cultivation, production, purchase, storage, commercialization and distribution of cannabis and related products." Buyers must be 18 years of age. They must be registered in a database and will be able to purchase up to 40 grams of marijuana in the month in pharmacies that have a special license, or grow up to six plants bushes at home.
The Legal Status of Marijuana in the United States
In the U.S. in the second half of XIX - early XX centuries were sold without restriction of hemp drugs used to treat migraine headaches, stomach ulcers and other diseases. With the psychoactive properties of cannabis Americans met through Mexican immigrants. Particularly popular among cannabis won jazz musicians. In the early 1930's. there have been several major lobbying campaigns, and the U.S. Congress in 1937, contrary to the recommendations of the American Medical Association passed a law to levy trade marijuana such high taxes that its use was, in fact banned. Despite attempts to change the legal status of cannabis, he, along with hard drugs and strong hallucinogens, included in the federal list of hazardous substances and therapeutically useless.
However, John Kennedy sacked the chief enemy of marijuana, drug Commissioner Harry Anslinger, and refused to ratify the 1961 UN Single Convention, is included in the list of dangerous marijuana trafficking. Presidential oversight committee on drug policy in 1963, issued the following recommendation: "This Commission makes a clear distinction between the two drugs (cannabis and heroin) and believes that the illegal sale and possession of marijuana is petty offenses." In that year, Kennedy was assassinated, and further repression of the lovers of marijuana increased significantly.
In the U.S. since 1991 are marijuana buyers clubs that allow purchase marijuana for medical purposes at wholesale prices of the black market.
In the 1960s, the contact herbicide paraquat is used by the U.S. action to combat cannabis plantations in South America.
At the conclusion of the U.S. law enforcement officials, in 2005 the volume of hemp grown crop among the ten crops of Washington, in particular, the amount of cannabis seized exceeded the cherry harvest.
In 2003, 66,521 were destroyed plantation, in 2004 - 132 941, 2005-135 to 323 marijuana plantation, the crop is estimated at 270 million U.S. dollars.
Most destroyed plantations were detected from the air.
With the December 2012 acquisition, legalized the use of marijuana in two states - Colorado, Washington. Buy marijuana in these states can be in special pharmacies for medical prescriptions.
The Legalization Movement in the United States
There is a broad social movement calling for legalization or at least decriminalization of marijuana use. These requirements are motivated by the fact that the drugs marijuana, unlike now legalized alcohol or tobacco, according to supporters of, much less detrimental to health and do not cause physical dependence. The argument for legalization is economic factor - a ban on the sale of marijuana generates excessive profits earned by crime, corrupts and corrupts tracking the circulation of bodies, does not allow to fully develop the agricultural and industrial use of this valuable resource, and legalization would allow it to avoid and get significant profits, now directed into the pockets of criminals.
Although marijuana according to scientists from Bristol (United Kingdom) is recognized as less dangerous than alcohol and tobacco, alcohol and tobacco use does not usually cause voiced concerns, as it is not prohibited by law. There are also unsubstantiated belief that marijuana use leads to later use of more " hard" drugs.
Opponents of legalization answer that cannabis " alters consciousness " and, in their opinion, may cause psychological dependence, mental illness, increases the risk of stroke
In the United States and other countries, there are organizations that support the idea of legalizing marijuana. One of the oldest is the NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), founded in 1970. It advocates the abolition of criminal penalties for possession and consumption of marijuana by adults, including for its cultivation for personal consumption. NORML promoted referendums in several states, as a result of which the marijuana was decriminalized in those states.
In early 2009, NORML planned to run on American television commercials that promote the legalization of cannabis.
Over time, the attitude towards marijuana has changed. For example, in the states of Colorado and Washington came into force the laws to legalize marijuana for recreational use. 64 percent of Americans were in favor of the federal government did not interfere in politics these states to legalize marijuana. The majority of young people support this idea (According to the Gallup poll). In October 2013, Washington adopted a draft law on licensing of retail sales of marijuana. After approval of the document the right to sell soft drugs will have more than 330 stores.
According to the Office for Control of alcoholic beverages, in deciding on the number of stores and their locations, the state government took into account the wishes of local residents. Earlier, the U.S. Justice Department said it would not challenge the laws of the states of Colorado and Washington. The authorities allowed the population of these States the production, processing, storage and distribution of small amounts of marijuana for personal use.
The corresponding amendment to the legislation of Washington entered into force in December last year. The practical application of this amendment is not yet fully worked out: the basis of the rules of the marijuana, it was decided to take the relevant rules on alcohol.
On April, 2013, the Pew Research Center poll found out, that 52% of Americans agreed with the drug legalization, and only 45% disagreed. And the supporting part increased compared to the previous researches by 11 percentage points.
According to Grim Ryan, “Cannabis is now available as a palliative agent, in Canada, with a medical prescription. In 1969, only 16% percent of voters in the USA supported legalization, according to a poll by Gallup. According to the same source, that number had risen to 36% by 2005. More recent polling indicates that the number has risen even further; in 2009, between 46% and 56% of US voters would support legalization”
On October 2012, Ghosh Palach wrote, that “according to press reports, supporters of the California initiative estimate that about $15 billion worth of marijuana is sold every year in the state. Thus, an excise tax on the retail sales of marijuana could raise at least $1.3 billion a year in revenue.”
How the Drug Affects Society
The end of the XIX and early XX century. characterized by the increasing popularity of marijuana and a substantial increase in its commercial sale. The fight at the government level is from 1930, when the U.S. Federal agencies to combat drug trafficking seek legislation that would ban not only the cultivation of cannabis and commercial sales, but also the use of drugs produced therefrom. Many states support this law. However, despite the claims of the administrative bodies, scientific institutions and organizations with sufficient evidence of the negative health and social effects of drugs in the community for a long time remained a strong opinion about the safety of marijuana use and the absence of addiction.
Marijuana belongs to isolated class of "soft" drugs, unlike the "heavy" (heroin). The society usually thinks that the using marijuana is acceptable. Ignoring the health risks and the lack of a ban on the actual promotion of smoking marijuana in the film and video production have led to widespread marijuana use among American adolescents, including educational institutions of different levels. Dynamics of marijuana use among youth in the United States shows a peak attributable to the 1960-1970 rm. In subsequent years, the attitude of society to the problem radically changed, the myth of its harmlessness dissipates, and most researchers have established themselves in the opinion that marijuana, although it exhibits a low tendency to the production of psychic and physical dependence, yet can cause drug addiction and adverse impact on the mental, emotional and physical functions of the body. As a result of the joint efforts of various governmental and non-governmental organizations to combat the spread of marijuana in the period 1975-1993 rm. was a slight decline in its use among students. However, it remains one of the most commonly used drugs young United States. The debate on the legalization of cannabis preparations for use in medicine as a medicine and as a “soft" drug addicts to continue, despite the seriousness of the argument that there is a risk of transition to the other, " hard " drugs, heroin or cocaine.
Until 1992, the United States is limited to marijuana used for medical purposes (mainly for people with AIDS, cancer and glaucoma). But since 1992, only the main psychoactive component of marijuana - THC, legally produced in the United States is allowed in some countries (U.S. and Germany), for use in medicine under the supervision and primarily for the treatment of glaucoma and toxicity of cancer patients who have undergone chemotherapy drugs dronabiol (Marinol) and nabinol. In the Netherlands, Spain and the cultivation of a small amount of cannabis and use it for their own use is not punishable by law.
The consequences of long-term use of marijuana for various systems of the body are serious. As for the central nervous system, marijuana affects cognitive abilities, the ability to understand abstract thinking, learning and short-term memory. It can cause a state of panic, anxiety, and toxic psychosis. Long-term consumption can lead to structural and functional changes in the brain. Smoking marijuana can affect the mental and physical reactions, disturbed coordination and increase response time. Violated human response to light and sound signals, impaired ability to perform sequential operations and the degree of perception. There is a strong need to move, walk, talk, characterized by unnatural posture at rest. There is chronic fatigue, headaches, and nausea. Effects of smoking marijuana on the respiratory effects of smoking like - bronchitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis, lung cancer. Marijuana a greater degree than tobacco, promotes development of respiratory diseases and edema. With regard to the cardiovascular system, the use of marijuana causes heart palpitations, increased heart rate and blood pressure. Marijuana smoking is particularly dangerous for people suffering from diseases of the cardiovascular system. Pronounced negative effect marijuana has on the reproductive system of both men and women. So, men smoking marijuana lowers testosterone. The persistent and prolonged use can change the hormonal balance so that the development of sexual function is disturbed adolescents. In severe cases, a decrease in sperm count and motility, and an increased number of abnormal cells in the semen. Women cannabinoids accumulate in the female reproductive organs. Changes in brain activity can lead to abnormal ovulation and reduce fertility. Cannabinoids may have toxic effects on the developing fetus, causing deviations in delivery, the heavy flow of births and early infant death. The so-called fetal marijuana syndrome characterized by reduced body weight births and abnormalities of development, there is 5 times more common than fetal alcohol syndrome. Along with mother's milk cannabinoids go into the child's body while feeding.
As for the social consequences of long-term use of marijuana, they are: social withdrawal, the transition to a more " hard " drugs, the link with crime.
Contradictory data available from the experts leads to the fact that until now there is a discussion about tolerance and dependence as the inevitable consequence of the use of marijuana. It is accepted that tolerance develops to many effects of marijuana and most likely with prolonged use of high doses. Physical dependence is relatively weak and not always evolving, so the withdrawal symptoms are not as pronounced. Strong psychological dependence with chronic use.
On cessation of marijuana growing " withdrawal syndrome ", which lasts from a few hours to 4-5 days. The main manifestations of " withdrawal " are nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, chills and sweating, tremor, pain, sleeplessness, irritability, anxiety, depression, obscured consciousness.
Sources
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Ghosh, Palash R. "The Pros and Cons of Drug Legalization in the U.S.". International Business Times. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
"Americans Want Federal Gov't Out of State Marijuana Laws". Retrieved 2013-04-04.
"Majority Now Supports Legalizing Marijuana". Retrieved 2013-04-04.
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Mahmoud A. ElSohly (2007). Marijuana and the Cannabinoids. Springer. p. 8. ISBN 978-1-59259-947-9.
Ethan B Russo (2013). Cannabis and Cannabinoids: Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutic Potential. Routledge. p. 28. ISBN 978-1-136-61493-4.
