Pubdate: Sat, 27 Jul 2002
Source: Edmonton Journal (CN AB)
Copyright: 2002 The Edmonton Journal
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/edmonton/edmontonjournal/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/134
Author: R. G. Stacey

WE'RE HOSTAGE TO SILLY LAW LEFT OVER FROM PROHIBITION

In the rhetoric surrounding marijuana today, many anti-pot advocates are 
using the old "bad because it's illegal" defense. Well, then maybe we 
should investigate why marijuana was relegated to the status of illegal 
narcotic in the first place.

Hemp and marijuana products were cultivated for thousands of years, often 
making up the main agricultural product for many agrarian societies, going 
so far as to be incorporated into the foundations of that society. Such 
notables as Buddha have ties to marijuana. Only in the past century has the 
seedy and criminal sentiment surrounding marijuana been tacked on to this 
ancient and established herb. This was for a variety of reasons, least of 
all the government's concern for the well-being of its citizens.

In the 1920s and '30s racist sentiment ran high, and Prohibition 
capitalized on this. Marijuana was the recreation of choice for many 
Mexicans in the southern United States ; the original lyrics for La 
Cucaracha are about a Mexican soldier who will not march without marijuana. 
It was also favoured by black Americans, being smoked in many of the new 
jazz clubs for its delightful effect on music. Marijuana subsequently got 
swept along with the race-fueled prohibition mania of the day, an error 
that has not been corrected since.

Why are we letting one silly law from the conservative side of the century 
dictate our views on marijuana today?

R. G. Stacey,

Edmonton
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