Medical Marijuana

A good argument for legalizing marijuana and allowing the unprivileged to

gain access to its many benefits. 

Transcript

Hello and welcome to my podcast,Riffing with Ralph!

Today’s Topic Is Medical Marijuana!

To obtain a modicum of relief from their medical issues and avoid the costly required license and annual fees, the unprivileged must buy their medicine on the street. 

I think that’s fucking bullshit. It would be more accurate to call it pot for the privileged.Giving all Americans access to the many benefits of marijuana would be true equality.

My main man Peter Tosh implored in his 1976 debut album,“legalize it/and don’t criticize it/legalize it /and I will advertise it.”  His philosophy of responsible, cannabis consumption for medical and spiritual health benefits was a motivating force for legalization!

We all know at times history can be a bit dry, please bare with me as I read out some important facts about the HISTORY of cannabis.

In recent decades, marijuana has been controversial in the United States. But for a significant portion of history, marijuana has had medical, spiritual, and recreational uses that date back at least 5000 years.

Marijuana is a product from the cannabis plant, one of the oldest crops. It can be smoked, eaten, brewed as tea, used in vaporizers and vape pens, also as an ingredient with other foods which are referred to as edibles.

A few of the many names are ganja, weed, grass, pot,and reefer.

Marijuana was said to have been an ingredient in a holy anointing oil referenced in the original Hebrew version of Exodus.Fuck!If I knew that,I would have been at the head of the class in Hebrew school, and first in line asking to be anointed.. 

In 1000 BC, the Indians created a drink called BHANG, a mixture of marijuana, milk, and other ingredients and used it as an anti-Fleg-madik and anesthetic. This is still used in India today. 

Marijuana also has a long history of spiritual use in India. It is said that the Hindu God Shiva rested under a cannabis plant and ate its leaves following a family argument. Shiva is referred to as the Lord of BHANG. The Vedas, a collection of ancient Scriptures, referred to cannabis as an herb to release people from anxiety. One story in the Vedas describes a drop of heavenly nectar falling on the Earth and becoming, you guessed it, a cannabis plant.WOW,Could That Be A Gift From God? 

The Greeks,Romans, Arabians, and English all used marijuana. They stated benefits being: medical, emotional, spiritual, and sometimes for recreational purposes.

Now, let’s move on to  A Brief history of marijuana in The U.S.

Once again I ask your indulgence while I share some important dates and facts 

For 90 years, beginning in 1840, marijuana held favor in the US and became widely accepted in  mainstream medicine. Originally used as a textile material, later a medicinal ingredient in many over-the-counter products.

1862 – an issue of vanity fair advertised hashish candy as “pleasurable and harmless.From 

1900 to 1930 marijuana  was marketed as a painkiller,but was also used for sedation and to treat muscle spasms.

During this period,The Tide Began to turn as Mexican immigrants introduced the recreational use of Marijuana. Because of the unreasonable dislike of the unlike,marijuana became associated with Mexicans. Anti-drug campaigners referred to it as the “Mexican Menace.”

1914 to 1926 states easily past laws prohibiting marijuana without political debate.

1930  Harry Anslinger, commissioner of the federal Bureau of narcotics, began a campaign to criminalize marijuana, claiming that it led to insanity.Within 6 Years all states had some form of marijuana regulation laws.

1936 the film reefer madness was released projecting a radically slanted and negative point of view.

1944 the New York Academy of medicine published a report stating that marijuana was only a mild intoxicant.

1960s marijuana became popular among the counter culture, who considered it a harmless high. President Kennedy,known for promoting physical fitness,found that marijuana did not induce violence or lead to the use of more dangerous drugs. 

1970. Congress passed the controlled substances act, which placed marijuana as a schedule, one drug, along with LSD and heroin.Talk about a faulty comparison, just like Apples to oranges..

1970s despite federal efforts to strengthen enforcement of strict, marijuana laws, states, such as Oregon, Maine, and Alaska decriminalized marijuana.

1980s to 1990s the public opinion of marijuana shifted back to it being dangerous, as many, considered it a gateway drug to cocaine and heroin.

1989 president George W. Bush declared a new war on drugs and continued anti-marijuana campaigns.

1996 California became the first state to legalize medical marijuana , sparking a trend that spread to a majority of states by 2016. In 2012 Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize marijuana for recreational use. 

Why do only privileged people get to buy marijuana legally????

What the fuck is that about? I live in Florida one of eight states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, and West Virginia where marijuana is allowed for medical use. It’s not decriminalized for other uses, and people can still be prosecuted for having non-medical marijuana.

Here’s a fun fact! In 2024, 55.9% of Florida’s voters approved amendment three for recreational marijuana,However it did not pass.Here’s the snafoo, a 18 year old amendment requires a 60% threshold for passage.

As of April 2024 recreational marijuana is legal in 24 states, or nearly half of the country. 

Some parties continue to conspire against the legalization. 

For example, the beer Institute, a leading industry trade group,has publicized a statement of guiding principles, addressing “ the proliferation of largely unregulated, intoxicating, hemp, and cannabis products” 

These principles include:

A zero tolerance approach to THC and driving-

A federal excise tax on both hemp and cannabis products which is higher than the highest rate for any beverage alcohol product.

However, this group has not evaluated harm associated with alcohol versus marijuana consumption,  which could be worth knowing!

The alcohol research group and RTI international, found secondhand harm from alcohol was nearly 6 times that of cannabis with increased odds of a collision.The use of marijuana alone was not associated with higher risk of a car crash.

A multinational investment bank,stated marijuana has become a” formidable competitor” to alcohol.Nearly 20,000,000 more people will regularly consume cannabis over the next five years with Marijuana sales estimated to reach 42 billion in the U.S. by 2024.

here’s an interesting factoid.

Marijuana is the most commonly used federally illegal drug in the United States!

this is worth repeating——-Let’s Say It Together,Ready Class??

Marijuana is the most commonly used federally illegal drug in the United States!

Who knows maybe when the 172 year-old ANHEYSER-Busch company unveils its new ad campaign for marijuana —It Will Truly Mean—THIS BUDS FOR YOU!!!

If you’re picking up what I’m laying down, please share this episode on Riffing with Ralph and help me get the word out! Thank you 

In closing, I want to share a favorite prayer by Marie Linart:

Give us great dreams oh God-while thou art giving-and keep the end

It’s enough if we live by the hope, nor falter in the living

That lures us on from Dust to Dignity.

I thank you for your time!