In Canada alone 10 million people have admitted to using Cannabis at least once in their lifetime, (The daily, 2004.) This number is startling and it has doubled in the last 13 years. According to a study that was published in Health Reports, 6.5% of people admitted to using the drug in 1989, and 7.4% in 1994. By 2002 the numbers leaped up to 12.2% and why not? Not only is Cannabis also known as Marijuana, weed or pot, is easier to obtain than cigarettes or beer according to a study done by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, (Associated Press, 2002) it’s also infused almost everywhere in today’s society. Whether it’s in popular culture, history, medicine or religion just to name a few areas, there is no denying it, love it or hate it, in secret or out loud, people are fascinated by the grass, and I don’t mean the kind my father used to mow every Sunday. This essay will explore the fact that even though Marijuana is illegal in most countries, it is still a large part of every day life.

History

Marijuana is by no means a recent fad. The cannabis plant which grows in a variety of soil types and climates is a native of central Asia, and has been grown for as long as 10,000 years. One of the first uses of the drug was for its strong fibers which are called hemp. It was used to make rope, clothes and even sails. The Volstead Act of 1920 was the cause of raised alcohol prices in the United States and contributed to making Marijuana a favourable second choice. This led to an increase in its use, and the creation of tea pads, which were places where people could purchase their weed for as little as 25 cents. Marijuana hit mainstream white America in the 1960’s. Increased use by white people led to the Abuse Prevention and Control Act in 1970, which introduced mandatory consequences for drug offenses. Today, most of the growing of Marijuana occurs indoors due to law enforcement (Mass Cann, 2007.)

Media

Turn on a radio, a computer or a television. Illegal or not, today’s media is full of references to the green stuff.

The first influence of marijuana in music was in the genre of jazz and it originated in the Red Light District of New Orleans. In the early 20’s in fact, use was known almost exclusively to musicians. It didn’t stop with just Jazz musicians though. In the 1960’s Bob Dylan, whose music was appreciated most by users, introduced the drug to The Beatles who say that any mention of being high in their songs was completely intentional (Cronin, 2004.) Many current artists also sing about weed such as former Black-eyed Peas leading lady Fergie in her song Mary Jane Shoes, Afro Man with Because I got High and Legalize It by Sean Paul with lyrics such as “Some got gold and all them diamonds all we got is Mary J, come on legalize it, time to recognize it.”

In case however music isn’t for everyone, pot also does an exceptional job of dominating television and movies as well. TV series’ like Weeds about a single mother selling Mary Jane to support her family, and movies such as Grandma’s Boy starring well-known actors like David Spade, Doris Roberts from Everybody Loves Raymond and Rob Schneider (Wikipedia, 2007.)

Some stars however, aren’t acting. It is important to remember that celebrities are people too, and if anything is apparent, a good number of people enjoy a good toke. Some well-known celebrity smokers include Whitney Houston, who was caught by airport security in 2000 with 15 grams in her carry-on bag, Brad Pitt who has been spotted wearing marijuana themed shirts and even presidents such as Thomas Jefferson and John F Kennedy (Cannabis Activism and resources, 2007.)

Medicine

Marijuana has been used medicinally for thousands of years.

Scientists studying the potential of Marijuana in the world of medicine have said that it may be helpful in treating several conditions. Pot helps relieve pressure on the eyes of individuals with Glaucoma, reduce the nausea of Chemo patients, increases the appetites of those with AIDS and may be as effective as Codeine for pain reduction (Mayo Clinic, 2006.)

According to a study done in 2000 in Madrid, A majority of tumours in rats were shrank or destroyed when they were injected with THC, which is the active ingredient in Marijuana. The shocking part is that this isn’t the first time an experiment of this nature has been done. The first one took place in Virginia 26 years ago by researchers at the Medical College of Virginia who were funded by the National Institute of Health to prove that the drug causes damage to the immune system, but found instead that THC slows the growth of three types of cancer in mice – lung, breast, and a viral type of Leukemia. Not a lot of people caught wind of the news however, almost no major newspapers picked up the story, and it only ran on the AP and UPI newswires for one day (Cushing, 2000.)

The subject of using Marijuana for medical purposes is very controversial, and has been under scrutiny for years and while it is allowed under some circumstances, there are several steps to follow and criteria to consider. Trials of Marijuana for medical purposes should be used on a short-term basis of only about six months; it needs to be approved by a review board and should be administered in patients with reason to believe it will be successful and under the supervision of medical personnel where data can be collected about how well the drug worked in response to the condition (Joy, 2007.)

Religion

Is nothing sacred? Well apparently not, Marijuana has even managed to find its way into several of the world’s major religions such as Pagan, Hindu, and even other lesser known religions.

In the ancient Pagan beliefs Cannabis was connected with the Germanic love goddess. It was believed that she lived as a fertile source in the female strains of the plant and by consuming it one could become influenced by the force of the Goddess.

Believers of Hindu consume a drink containing the flowers of the marijuana plant; this beverage is seen to be a gift and an aid in the worship of Shiva, the holy God of Hindu trinity.

A new age religious movement known as the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church believes that cannabis in the Eucharist. They say it is an oral tradition dating back to the time of Christ (wikipedia, 2007.)

Not even Christianity could escape the ever present influence of this drug. According to a study of biblical scriptures, Jesus was most likely not only a user of Cannabis, but also a believer in the drug’s healing properties. Even his name, Christ, means “the anointed one.” Jesus was said to be anointed with oil called chrism, which is cannabis-based. The ingredients for this oil, found in the biblical book of Exodus, contained about 9 pounds of flowering cannabis tops know as Kaneh-bosem in Hebrew (The Sunday Times, 2003.)

The Messiah was also said to have used cannabis-based products to do his miraculous healings. In fact, marijuana is proven effective in the treatment of many of the diseases Jesus was said to have healed, such as skin diseases, and menstrual pain.

This is not to make others doubt whether the miracles performed by the son of God were valid or not, but it raises some new questions about what really occurred in that time-period. Questions such as, if the chrism oil was used not only to heal people, but was the very thing that made them Christian believers, would it not be a sin to discriminate against or prosecute its users? (BBC News, 2003.)

This paper doesn’t really even need a conclusion, the facts speak for themselves, and my point is proven. Marijuana is illegal, but virtually inescapable. The statistics of how many smokers there are out there are startling at first glance, but at second glance, is it any wonder?