Known as the gateway drug marijuana has caused much debate about its medical use and harmfulness. Known as early as 3,000 B.C, marijuana was used as a folk medicine by the inhabitants of central Asia and was also used by the Native Americans for peace pipes. Even though marijuana was known as early as 3,000 B.C its wide spread use did not begin until between 1960 and 1970. Marijuana became, after alchol , the second most popular drug used. Marijuana has not been proven physically addicting and no withdrawl symptoms occurs when use is discontinued but a physcoligical dependance can occur and it can harm the lungs. Medical reasearch on marijuana has indicated that the drug is effective in alleviating some of the symptoms of glaucoma and treating the nausea induced by chemotherarpy. The legal issues dealing with marijuana first started, in 1915, in the state of Utah. In Utah, after a pilgrimage to Mexico, the followers of the mormon religion returned to Utah with marijuana. The Mormon Church has always been opposed to the use of euphoriants, and in August of 1915 the Church decreed the use of marijuana contrary to the Mormon religion. In October of 1915, the state legislature met and enacted every religious prohibition as a criminal law and that is how the first criminal law in this country's history against the use of marijuana came to be.
Marijuana , nationally, has been only ileagal since 1937 as a part of laws passed during the new deal era. In the congress hearing to discuss marijuana Harry Anslinger, the newly named Commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics said, “Marijuana is an addictive drug which produces in its users insanity, criminality, and death,” wich was a totally false stament given on behalf of the Government of the united states of america. At the hearing there was not enough evidence proving marijuana non-leathal and with little opposition the laws against marijuana was passed. Until 1951, most of the information on marijuana was false and had no medical backing . between 1938 and 1951 many acts and taxes were passed starting with the marijuana tax act, which made marijuana illegal in the united states of america. Many of the acts that were passed increassed the penalties for narcotic use, possesion, and sale.
Marijuana was not only used as a recreational drug it also used to treat patients who had undergone chemotherapy. Many marijuana researchers have found that the drug has useful properties and that contrary to Henry Anslinger the drug was not leathal, did not cause insanity, and criminality in fact the drug aided glaucoma patients, helped cancer patients with the nauesa acocaited with chemotherapy, and caused passivity in its users. In some states the used of marijuana for medicine has been made legal even though marijuana is still ileagal nationally.
