Essay on the paper: "Mary Jane: The Devil Weed?"

Essay by Anonymous UserUniversity, Bachelor'sA+, November 1995

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This paper was written for a football coach who taught health. Evidently I am a social user of this narcotic and am not a believer in the research indicated.

ABSTRACT: This paper, entitled 'Mary Jane: The Devil Weed?' attempts to

examine what we know about marijuana and what problems are associated with

its use. The paper examines briefly the history of marijuana legislation,

marijuana's known effects, and conclusions about its danger.

Early in this century, the government waged a war of terrorism on

marijuana, or cannabis sativa. 'By 1937, forty-six states had laws against

the use of marijuana, and its use had already been made a criminal offense

under federal law' (Jaffe, 659). Andrews pointed out that 'not until some

time in the early 1930s did the Louisianna legislature pass a state regulation

making use of the drug illegal' (5). Jaffe noted that 'since the early 1900s,

marifuana has been considered the one drug that might introduce the

susceptible to hard drugs.'

Jaffe pointed out that 'since about 1950....

smoking of marijuana has been linked statistically to the use of other

illicit drugs....Most observers have concluded that the link is sociological

rather than biological and...marijuana is a marker for individuals who are

more prone to seek new experiences even when these violate social norms and

local laws.'

Andrews related that 'sensational newspaper stories relating...to crime

is generally held to be accountable for the sudden enactment of a law

prohibiting its use.' He went on to note that 'users were often subject to

heavy penalties--up to life imprisonment in Texas.' 'After caffeine, nicotine

and alcohol, marijuana is the fourth most popular abused substance' (O'Brien,

Cohen, Evans, and Fine, 175).

does marijuana deserve this reputation? We must first consider what it

is and what effects it has. The active ingredient is tetrahydocannabinol,