aging drugs. So why is it thatsome people refuse to accept or allow legal medical use of marijuana? Many states arefinally approving the use of medicinal marijuana. This in turn has helped ease manypatients pain and suffering.There are a lot of people in the country that are pushing to legalize the drugbecause of the bad image that it is giving America's youth. According to NORML, under president Clinton more than three million people have been arrested over marijuanacharges. About 88% of them were for simple possession. Most of the people arrestedwere under the age of 25. I find it disturbing that a substance that is less harmful thancigarettes, is causing so much trouble for the youth of America. A simple marijuanapossession charge could even diminish or end a person's chance for getting a decent job.The legalizing of marijuana is a big issue with some people because of thefinancial aspects of the product. Marijuana and hemp could be a lucrative business forfarmers in the United States. Hemp is a versatile product. It can be used for things likerope, clothing, and can even be liquefied to form a polymer-like substance. In 1999 NorthDakota became the first state to allow the cultivation of hemp. There are strict rules thecultivators must follow. The plants must be checked for proper THC levels. Also farmersmust pay $150 for a license to grow the hemp. The North Dakota plan is modeled afterCanada, which legalized hemp a year earlier. Canada has shown strong economic benefitfrom the resource. There have been many textile corporations aid in the fight againstlegalizing hemp. As you can see they would stand to lose a lot of money if this unlimitedresource was made available.In conclusion, people are fighting for this product because the benefits faroutweigh the consequences. If the marijuana advocates keep up their fight, it is possiblethat in the future we will see legal marijuana. But until that day arrives, legal marijuanaissues will be...
