As a student at the University, I am aware that there is a large community of marijuana users on campus. I am also aware of the history of marijuana and how it became illegal in this country. It has a past that was full of lurid journalism and protection of corporate financial gains for groups such as the pharmaceutical and timber industries. One of the arguments for criminalizing marijuana was the violent tendencies caused (anyone who has used marijuana knows this is simply not true). Much of the debate was also based on racial discrimination against African Americans and Hispanics.
I feel that it is important and absolutely necessary for not only lawmakers but also the average person to take a look at the evidence for the legalization of marijuana. The U.S. government has continued to mislead people on the true nature of marijuana since it was made illegal. And today marijuana research is very
limited, even for the purpose of medical treatment, while cocaine and morphine are legal for medical use. Now may not be the time to legalize marijuana, and maybe there will never be a time for that, but one thing that is for sure: People need to get past the brainwashing of our government, take a step back and learn the truth, not just accept everything we have been told.
Brandyn Bakanoff
Undergraduate