Marijuana as a Gift from Mother Earth Essay - 1017 Words

Marijuana as a Gift from Mother Earth When and where will the senseless persecutions of America’s Marijuana users end? These Marijuana smokers are typically middle class males, between the ages of 17 and 39, and one in three have no prior felony charges on their records. (HRW World Report) However, each year, hundreds of thousands of them are arrested and thrown into jail, alongside murderers, rapists, and child molesters. The â€Å"Marihuana Tax Act† was passed in August 1937, and took effect on October 1, an incident which would forever change the country. The main reason behind the ban placed upon Marijuana was the same as most other drug prohibitions – the oppression of minorities. Case in point, the first anti-drug law on record†¦show more content†¦Although white drug users outnumber blacks by 5 to 1, and blacks only make up 13 percent of the U.S. population, over 62 percent of prisoners incarcerated for drug related charges are black. (ABC) This alarming statistic shows the blatant racism of the â€Å"War on Drugs†, which is more a war on blacks than drugs. Between the years of 1970 and 1998, over 11.5 million people were incarcerated for acts ranging from simple possession of Marijuana, to sale and manufacture of Marijuana – a category that encompasses all charges related to growing, distribution, and cultivation. 87 percent of all arrests were for possession, while 13 percent of arrests were for sale/manufacture. (NORML) Our prisons are so overcrowded that approximately 24 states are under Federal orders to set some prisoners free. There are over 1.5 million people in Federal, State, and local correctional facilities at the time of this paper’s writing. Yet, the War on Drugs continues, and if its â€Å"ultimate goal† is reached – the incarceration of every drug user, dealer, and grower, there will be approximately 30 million more people in our prisons. This is more people than the combined populations of California, Arizona, and New Mexico. To incarcerate every drug user in the country, we would have to spend over 15 trillion dollars, a figure that would not only bankrupt the country and destroy the working force, but would also leave no money to run the prisonsShow MoreRelatedA New Experience And Deeper Healing1409 Words   |  6 Pagesused in sacrament for over two millennia. It is known widely for its healing abilities of the mind body and soul. If you are going to abuse t his like other psychoactive substances, then an ayahuasca retreat is not for you. The ceremonies can be far from beautiful, and may surface past traumas as well as cause physical effects that subside once the effects wear off. A physical healing happens in the form of purging, this is believed to be bad energy or spirits leaving the body. Those who have livedRead MoreLife Is A Hard Journey1564 Words   |  7 Pagesas the chacruna or guambisa. 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