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And since the United States imports the overwhelming majority of its fuel, hemp could decrease dependency on foreign oil sources.
English teacher Jon Guttormsen was asked what he thought about the legalization of marijuana, particularly how it would affect the economy. This is what he said:
"If we were smart, we'd get off of this Puritanical mindset of minding everyone's else's business and legislating morality. Then we'd legalize marijuana, tax the daylights out of it, and accomplish a number of things. For example, we'd save billions of dollars used on the War on Drugs (which we're losing) make billions on taxes taken right out of the pockets of gangs and terrorists. The lasting effect of prohibition was the establishment of the Mafia as a huge business. Also, you have to consider the ridiculous hypocrisy of allowing prescription drugs like anti-depressants to be available."
There's hardly an educated person in America who hasn't heard about the medical potential of marijuana. As a medicine, it has been used for thousands of years. Recently, it's been linked to the relief of symptoms associated with epilepsy, glaucoma, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, paralysis, cancer and AIDS. It helps glaucoma patients retain their eyesight for years longer than traditional drug therapy would allow. With marijuana, the disabled and paralyzed are provided with effective and non-debilitating relief from muscle spasms and pain. For patients with AIDS and cancer, marijuana reduces weight loss, nausea, and vomiting by increasing their appetites. One must also consider the irony of allowing powerfully addictive drugs like Percoset, Vicodin, cocaine, and morphine to be used in drug therapy while marijuana is still considered to be a Schedule I drug, meaning that it's highly addictive, with no medical attributes.
The toxicity of a drug is measured and assigned a numerical rating called an LD, where the lower the number is, the more toxic the drug. Many drugs used in conjunction with chemotherapy are very toxic, having an LD rating of 1.5, which means that 150% of a recommended dose is a fatal amount. Marijuana, however, has an LD of 20,000-40,000. As prior statistics suggest, it is basically impossible to overdose from marijuana. One doctor said, "I'm often accused of 'recklessly' telling people to try this drug, but people who try it have nothing to lose. If it works, they have a lot to gain."
The psychoactive compound found in marijuana (Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC) has been isolated and is available under the name Marinol. But unlike marijuana, it can cause frightening hallucinations, dizziness, disorientation and anxiety. State programs have found that the "marijuana cigarette" may be the best means of administering the drug.
Critics are concerned that allowing industrial cultivation paves the road for recreational use, which they claim is worse than relying on petroleum imports, defoliating the forests, depleting petroleum supplies, using pesticides/fertilizers for crops, and threatening the ozone.
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