FREE ESSAY ON LEGALIZE HEMP

LEGALIZE HEMP

Legalize Hemp!
Legally defined, marijuana consists of the dried leaves and flowers of the plant Cannabis
sativa. Cannabis is one of the most ancient and historically important of cultivated
plants. Hemp or Cannabis has been cultivated for at least 6000 years (Frank 3). On
account of the many advantages that this multipurpose plant offers, I see reason to
believe that it should be legalized, to the public, in all forms.
The legalization of hemp would reduce the size of our overpopulated jails. As a result,
millions of tax dollars, wasted on putting petty hemp criminals in jails each year, could
be used for so many other things, like education. Recent studies show that it costs
25,000 dollars just to build a jail cell, and 30,000 annually for each prisoner.
Currently, a very strict law which does not tolerate any sort of marijuana possession or
consumption is in effect. It has ridiculously thrown thousands and thousands of people in
our already crowded jails only because they simply had possession of a plant which grows
naturally and has been growing naturally longer than the history of this country.
If legalized, cannabis can aid the entire practice of medicine in its ability to treat
various ailments. The dried leaves, flowers and root of the marijuana plant are used in
the preparation of numerous medicines. Hemp is known to have been prepared for the
treatment of malaria, constipation, absentmindedness, menstrual pains, cancer and even
AIDS (Frank 3). Marijuana can be used as a replacement to the existing hazardous
prescribed medicine containing all sorts of chemicals with side effects. The Marijuana
Tax Act of 1937 effectively outlawed marijuana, and ended doctors' ability to prescribe
marijuana for medicinal purposes in the U.S.A (Frank 3). But before made illegal,
marijuana was prescribed for various ailments by healers around the world. And if made
legal, it is obvious that marijuana is capable to do wonders for the entire field of
medicine. 
Another benefit from legalizing hemp, comes from the versatility and usefulness of the
hemp fiber. From the Cannabis stem comes hemp, a very long, strong fiber that can be used
to make rope, nets, cloth, and paper of acclaimed durability (Frank 3). Hemp paper is
prized for its longevity and resistance to tearing. Some Bibles, books and manuscripts,
and some paper money are still made from hemp fiber (Frank 3). Hemp-made products have
been known to last longer because the fiber is so strong, thus, making sense to switch
from tree made products to hemp made products for two reasons. First, hemp fiber is known
to have strength and endurance greater than cotton and tree products. Most importantly,
switching to hemp for production of products 
instead of trees would greatly benefit our endangered rain forests. As a result of
destroying trees to simply make paper some rain-forests have now turned into deserts.
Therefore, the destruction of rain-forests can be avoided, and higher quality products
could be made if hemp were to be legalized.
Most importantly, the government should legalize cannabis because the existing law is
hypocritical, in that tobacco and alcohol, which are legal, have been proven to be more
harmful. There are very convincing reasons that smoking cigarettes is relatively more
dangerous to the body. It is accepted by scientists today that all American cigarettes
absorb significant amounts of radiation similar to that of the atomic bomb. The plant
roots of tobacco and leaves are very good at absorbing radioactive elements. Although
smoking marijuana has the potential to cause cancer, if legalized this potential would be
decreased and maybe eliminated. Legalizing Marijuana would make better water bongs and
marijuana foods, drinks and pills both less expensive and more accessible. Smoking
through a water filled bong would help cool the smoke and filter some of the carcinogens.
Eating or drinking marijuana effectively eliminates all negative effects. In my opinion,
the only risk involved in smoking marijuana right now might just be the law.
The law should no longer prohibit the use of the cannabis plant on account of the many
advantages that it possesses in all forms. Seeing that it can save us millions in taxes
and reduce our prisons, we should ask ourselves, why not legalize it? Additionally,
legalizing hemp would aid the 
medical field and preserve the destruction of endangered natural habitats such as the
rain-forests. Most disturbing for advocates of hemp legalization is in the contradiction
of law that exists by allowing tobacco and alcohol to be legal. Hemp is a plant which is
most useful for society, and by not allowing ourselves free access to it we lose the
opportunity to take advantage of nature's wonderful plant. 
Bibliography
Works Cited
*Frank, Mel. Marijuana Grower's Insider's Guide. Los Angeles: Red, 1988.