INDOCTRINATION, EDUCATION or DEDICATION: PUFF PUFF; PASS

My ethical issue with the legalization of marijuana is obvious, marijuana is a plant which grows and occurs naturally. Despite the natural occurrence of marijuana, this plant is currently defined as a “schedule 1 drug” (narcotic) vis a vie the United States Drug Enforcement Agency. The legal issue concerning marijuana is a direct contradiction, to a naturally occurring process that produces an equally natural plant. I would also like to assess, statistically, the disproportionate number of affected minority individuals and communities for use and/or distribution of marijuana plants. The war on weed may be a well dressed war on creativity and health; I will conclude based on my findings whether my hypothesis is erroneous or not.

“Narcotic” as classified by The Drug Enforcement Agency has “five schedules of narcotics and Schedule I drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Schedule I drugs are the most dangerous drugs of all the drug schedules with potentially severe psychological or physical dependence. Some examples of Schedule I drugs are: heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), marijuana (cannabis), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy), methaqualone, and peyote.”

“Heroin is an opiate drug that is synthesized from morphine, a naturally occurring substance extracted from the seed pod of the Asian opium poppy plant. Heroin usually appears as a white or brown powder or as a black sticky substance, known as 'black tar heroin.'" (http://drugwarfacts.org/cms/Heroin)

LSD is manufactured from lysergic acid which occurs naturally in the ergot fungus that grows on wheat and rye. It is a Schedule I controlled substance, available in liquid, powder, tablet (microdots), and capsule form. The liquid is often applied to blotter paper squares (frequently with colorful designs), stickers, sugar cubes, candy, or soda crackers. LSD is also available in dropper bottles or in the form of gelatin sheets/shapes (window panes). (http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/research/job185drugs/lysergic.htm)

Methaqualone is considered a sedative hypnotic drug with a pattern of pharmacological effects similar to those of barbiturates such as pentobarbital. It does have chemical similarities to the barbiturates but was, in fact, synthesized as part of an Indian program looking for antimalarial drugs (Brown and Goenechea, 1973).( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3397524)

MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is an amphetamine analog with stimulant and hallucinogenic effects. "MDMA acts primarily on neurons that produce and release serotonin, but it also affects dopaminergic neurons. MDMA is usually taken as a pill; effects begin 30 to 60 min after ingestion and typically last 4 to 6 h. MDMA is often used at dance clubs, concerts, and rave parties.( http://drugwarfacts.org/cms/Ecstasy)

Mescaline is a hallucinogen obtained from a small, spineless cactus Peyote (Lophophora williamsi). Mescaline is also found in certain members of the Fabaceae (bean family). From earliest recorded time, peyote has been used by natives in northern Mexico and the southwestern United States as a part of traditional religious rites.( http://www.drugs.com/mescaline.html)

As I review the origin of most of the schedule 1 drugs on the DEA’s list; I am intrigued to learn that all except two of the drugs naturally occur. They are either manufactured to produce the drug or the drug is pure in its’ original form. All the drugs reportedly affect the psyche of the user---I can hear my hypothesis’ curiosity piqued.

The definition of schedule 1 drugs; by definition excludes marijuana from the list. I failed to read the full USC code; however, marijuana has been proven to have medicinal use. I would gather to say that just because the plants have traveled from California to San Antonio, the use(s) could not be affected by geographic positioning. It would seem a plausible conclusion that if marijuana served medicinal purpose in one area for a patient; marijuana would be able to perform the same duty in a different location for another suffering patient. It is ironic to me that the definition which classifies marijuana as a narcotic is the exact same definition that relinquishes marijuana from the schedule 1 list of drugs.

In assessing the information via legal terminology----narcotic and drugs are highly associated with chemicals and component combining to create “substances”. Marijuana is grown from a seed, seed bearing is a sign of a natural occurrence i.e., a seed is planted at conception; seeds are planted to harvest fruit; seeds are an indicator of natural process.

The unnatural number of minorities impacted by the illegal status of marijuana is evident by the numbers. This unethical disparity that came out of the criminalization of marijuana is hardly unnoticeable. “In 2008, the New York published a report titled, "Marijuana Arrest Crusade: Racial Bias and Police Policy in New York City - 1997 - 2007."

From 1977 - 1986, 33,000 possession arrests were made. Numbers declined to 30,000 from 1987 - 1996. However, from 1997 - 2006, they exploded to 353,000. Today, outside the report's timeline, they number around 50,000 annually for simple possession of small amounts. More on that below.

US Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas once said:

"As nightfall does not come all at once, neither does oppression. In both instances, there is a twilight when everything remains seemingly unchanged. And it is in such twilight that we all must be aware of change in the air, however slight, lest we become unwitting victims of the darkness."

In New York City, Blacks and Hispanics are Exhibit A. They've been victimized by racist drug enforcement, notably for cannabis possession. From 1997 - 2006, Blacks comprised 52% of arrests, Hispanics another 31%. Whites accounted for 15%.

Those arrested and jailed affected 185,000 Blacks, 110,000 Hispanics, but only 53,000 Whites for minor possession offenses. Most were aged 26 or younger. About 91% were males.

Under Mayor Rudy Giuliani (January 1994 - December 2001), marijuana possession arrests exploded 10-fold. Under Mayor Michael Bloomberg (January 2002 - present), they're higher than ever. At the same time, New York police provide little information. As a result, few New Yorkers know their city conducts "a historically unprecedented marijuana arrest crusade."

When we look into this issue, I must beg the question…”is there any government that thrives despite drugs?” In my research I find conclusive evidence that society, government and drugs can peacefully and productively coexist. “Dutch drug policy is unique in the whole world. It is directed by an idea that every human being may decide about the matters of its own health. The Dutch consider this rule as fundamental, accepting for example as the only country in the world, the possibility of the controlled suicide (voluntary euthanasia), for terminally ill patients. Another idea which guides Dutch laws in their drug policy is a conviction that hiding social negative phenomena does not make them to disappear - on the contrary makes them worse, because when concealed, they become far more difficult to influence and control.

Applying these ideas to their drug laws the Dutch try as much as possible to decriminalize the use of drugs, making it a private matter of each individual, and not a matter for the enforcement apparatus. Production, trading and stocking drugs remain a criminal offence, as in any other country.

Many legal systems all over the world do not punish people for the use of drugs, but for their possession. So the citizens are sent to jail for having a joint, not for smoking it. The Dutch see this distinction as purely formal. Statistics say that almost half of the Americans openly admit to having smoked marijuana (even if not always they admit inhaling it). So called war on drugs started by the US President Richard Nixon in the 1970’s, resulted in the state employing enormous, expensive organization enforcing strict drug policy and incarcerating hundreds of thousands of its citizens, often for just minor offences. It also made all drugs a forbidden fruit, which increases their attraction. On the contrary, a theory that the consumption of cannabis may lead to the use of more dangerous drugs (gateway theory), has yet to be confirmed by the scientific research.

The Dutch see the use of drugs as a health matter, similar to the use of tobacco and alcohol, and in fact not very distant from problems of obesity, alcoholism and tobacco smoking. They also point to the fact that prohibition of alcohol in the US in the years 1919-1933 brought more negative effects of increased criminality, than the positive social changes and had to be withdrawn.” (http://www.amsterdam.info/drugs/)

The information presented here thus far is research, facts and idioms to illustrate the ethical and legal (by definition) drawbacks of making marijuana illegal. My personal conclusion; I am an avid student of sociology; traditionally and social engineering. In studying sociology, I have been introduced to these ethical and academic terms for thoughts/behaviors/stuff that should just be standard in human interaction. For me, the education has simply removed the ability to be taught, I state that to interject that I think an aspect of virtue ethics is highly feasible in this dissertation. Marijuana is a plant that grows in nature and has been used since 2700 BC. Prior to Caucasians introduction to and self proclaimed regulation of, marijuana had a place in cultural worlds; offering solace in a time of need, freedom of thought to explore hidden places of the mind and finally simple pain relief, internal or external. I would be remiss if I did not say---this looks like another case of Caucasian disillusionment leading to the disenfranchisement of a staple and a people. The jeapordization of anything that assists in sustaining a people, especially sustenance which came from Creation itself, whoever or whatever that is; should be abhorrent in the eyes of the law and lawmakers. I personally have minimal acknowledgement for the various aspects of ethics----for me, it only worsens with each dumbass definition easily justifying the removal of my human rights. I give. All solutions point towards the people being a better people via the legalization of marijuana, yet it is still a crime and some entity profits every time an individual is arrested for possession. It is definitely not me.