You might have questions or wonder what the deal is with that plant that everyone keeps talking about. Cannabis, marijuana, weed, reefer…watch this full, 7-part video series for a rundown on the state of marijuana in our world today. Start with Part 1 here:
The rest of the videos (all 7 parts) can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/user/YTdocs
in a letter from Paul Ryan to one of his constituents:
Thank you for contacting me to express your support for H.R. 1983, H.R. 1984, and H.R. 1985, regarding the legalization of marijuana. I appreciate you taking the time to let me know your views on this important issue.
As you may know, on May 25, 2011, Representative Barney Frank introduced H.R. 1983 which would allow for the rescheduling of marijuana and would allow medical marijuana to be used in accordance with the laws of the various states. This bill was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on May 25, 2011, where it is currently pending.
Representative Jared Polis introduced H.R. 1984 on May 25, 2011. This bill would allow states to certify a business as legitimate for purposes of a financial institution’s suspicious activity reporting requirements. It also would facilitate unambiguous compliance of such businesses with state law and provide regulatory relief for financial institutions. H.R. 1984 was referred to the House Financial Services Committee on May 25, 2011. It is currently pending in this committee.
H.R. 1985 was introduced by Representative Fortney Pete Stark on May 25, 2011. This bill would allow a deduction for expenses in connection with the trade or business of selling medical marijuana pursuant to state law. It was referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means on May 25, 2011, where it is currently pending.
Please be assured that I will continue to follow these pieces of legislation carefully. Should these bills be brought up for a vote on the House floor, I will be sure to keep your thoughts in mind.
While many have expressed their belief that legalizing marijuana could solve some of the problems facing America today, I do not believe that our nation would be best served by eliminating the penalties for marijuana usage. Marijuana leads to many of the problems that affect our nation—from uncertain futures due to low school achievements by students with drug habits to drug trade money funding terrorist activities.
Furthermore, marijuana impairs an individual’s ability to function. With more than a million drunk-driving cases a year and nearly 10 percent of the adult population heavily involved with alcohol, the availability of more mind-altering substances could become a harmful policy. Private intoxication hurts the individual, but public intoxication has the potential to hurt innocent victims. Policy makers should advocate policies that support a healthy, productive and safe society.
In the meantime, if you wish to share additional information with me concerning this issue, please feel free to contact me by calling, emailing, writing, or faxing me. Please be advised that mail sent to my Washington office is subject to an additional two-week delay due to increased mail security.
Thank you again for contacting me on this issue. If I can be of further assistance to you regarding this or any other matter, please do not hesitate to contact me. I am always happy to respond and be of service to you.
Sincerely,
Paul Ryan
Serving Wisconsin’s 1st District
Clearly, if Mr. Ryan took the time to be educated on the subject, he’d find very quickly (just by Googling “marijuana toxicity”) that cannabis (aka marijuana) is in fact non-toxic. It’s even less toxic than water.
In fact, according to former DEA Judge Francis Young, “Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man. By any measure of rational analysis marijuana can be safely used within a supervised routine of medical care.”
That’s all Wisconsinites ask for. A little bit of medical care. It costs the state nothing and would make the state (and the rest of the nation) a windfall. Not to mention the thousands of jobs that would be created overnight. After all, isn’t that the reason Governor Walker was put into office in the first place? To create jobs? Things sure are pretty quiet on capitol hill as far as people’s health and job security are concerned.
Turns out when Harry Anslinger (our nation’s first “Drug Czar”) commissioned a committee to make suggestions regarding marijuana policy, he hired whomever agreed with marijuana prohibition as the official expert on the subject. Two experts spoke out at the committee.
Dr. William Woodward, who was very familiar with the subject, opposed the very idea of prohibition and saw no harm whatsoever in the usage of marijuana.
However, it was Professor James Munch that was eventually appointed the official expert on marijuana policy because he simply agreed with the Drug Czar that cannabis should be prohibited outright, with no scientific data to back it up.
from Dr. David Berman’s blog:
William Woodward was a medical doctor, a lawyer, and chief counsel and long-time lobbyist for the American Medical Association (AMA). He is chiefly known for his role in the controversy surrounding passage of the 1937 Marijuana Tax Act, federal legislation that seriously discouraged marijuana use, although it did not outlaw it entirely.
The Marijuana Tax Act was proposed either to cripple hemp as a competitor to wood pulp and petrochemical products and/or due to the activities of the federal Bureau of Narcotics under the leadership of Henry J. Anslinger. The Bureau and the Hearst newspapers had waged a sensationalist campaign in the press, detailing horrible physical, psychological, and social effects of marijuana use. However, the Bureau had not consulted with the AMA’s medical experts or even informed the Association that anti-marijuana legislation was being drafted. At the last minute the AMA realized that the marijuana in the acts title was actually cannabis and the AMA called upon Woodward to testify before Congress.
Woodward was an experienced hand. He had served as the Health Commission for The District of Columbia for 23 years and had been a lobbyist for the AMA since the early 20th century. In that capacity, he had helped draft the 1914 Harrison Narcotic Tax Act and the Uniform Narcotics Code of 1926—anti-drug laws dealing with heavy narcotics such as heroin.
Woodward testified for the AMA at the Marijuana Tax Act hearings in 1937 that “The AMA knows of no evidence that marijuana is a dangerous drug.” The AMA felt there was no medical justification for this Marijuana Tax and opposed its passage. Dr. Woodward accused Harry Anslinger and the Bureau of Narcotics of distorting earlier AMA statements which had nothing to do with marijuana to make them appear to be an endorsement of Anslinger’s view.
Woodward questioned the factual basis of the hearings, pointing out that no data had been obtained for Anslinger’s allegations about the serious effects of marijuana on crime, children, or health from the Bureau of Prisons, the Children’s Bureau, the Office of Education, or the Division of Mental Health of the U.S. Public Health Service.
William Woodward died in Washington, D.C. in 1949.
another source: marijuana prohibition video
