MARIJUANA: Counterculture AND POWER
A threat to the pro-establishment
Francisco Garcia Huidobro
What is the reason for the persecution of marijuana? Why it has been illegal in Chile with such stubbornness?
Until the late fifties and early sixties, marijuana was a low-profile presence in our society. Some people ate and there was great concern of the authorities to pursue. Although since the thirties was considered as a dangerous drug and was banned for use in almost all countries. However, when it began to spread across the world the "hippie revolution" that threatened to tear down the religious references, social and economic care jealously kept the pro-establishment, it became clear that one of the common elements in powerful cultural movement that was in the habit of smoking marijuana, in addition to preaching and practicing free love, life communities, seek self-sufficiency, etc ... That was when the company began to consider the marijuana as an extremely dangerous to the moral values \u200b\u200bprevailing at the time. There began a fierce persecution and stigmatization of marijuana smokers and growers.
Today, we want to live in a country without double standard, we must address vigorously the issue, to raise the level of discussion that has recently characterized to be plagued by ignorance, moral notions, prejudices and cliches.
The paths of man and marijuana are inextricably linked
In fact, the most ancient Buddhist texts known to date, preserved in the British Museum, were written on paper made from cannabis fiber. And the first book printed in large proportions, "Dharani" or prayer book, the year 770 AD, consists entirely of paper made from cannabis, as well as some of the Dead Sea Scrolls and early Christian gospels, written in Aramaic, Greek, Hebrew and Latin.
also is mentioned in one of the most famous passages written by Herodotus concerning the Scythians, nomads of Central Asia that wandered over vast territories in the years 700 to 300 BC, from Europe to Siberia, where it was used as a purifier in important ceremonies.
A gift of nature
cannabis plant is the plant most likely known to exist in nature.
no coincidence that in 1937, when the U.S. Congress, lobbied heavily by the DEA, CIA and the FBI, the law called "Marijuana Tax Stamp Act," which won the prohibition of marijuana, the American Medical Association ( AMA) strongly opposed the ban.
The American Medical Association was right. Marijuana, far from being harmful to human health, it is rather a gift of nature. As indicated
Lester Grinspoon and James Bakalar, professors at the University of Harvard in his book "Marihuana the forbidden medicine, can heal and alleviate various diseases. Although the ban has prevented the development of extensive research in the field of science, and ensures that it is the only cure for glaucoma, the leading cause of blindness in the world. And there are a variety of beneficial applications for human health which could represent the chemical components of cannabis.
can also be used in the manufacture of cloth, rope, food products, like flour and oil, and especially paper, with the consequent benefit for our delicate environment, which, with the indiscriminate felling of trees (or rather, the devastation of forests) to meet growing demand paper pulp, is deepening dangerously balance of the biosphere.
In fact, according to experiences of cannabis cultivation for paper, has shown that about one hectare of pine can produce the same cellulose pulp for a Ha. of marijuana. With the incredible difference it is grown in eight months and pine, to reach its point of exploitation, requires fifteen to twenty years.
addition, while the land where cannabis was grown rich, the land where it has planted a pine forest, it hardens to such an extent that is sterile and does not serve to plant anything else.
The conspiracy of the powerful
Faced with so many benefits
What is the reason for the persecution of marijuana?.
definitely the cause is found in "how to weave the threads of power in the dominant culture."
Becoming part of an old maneuver designed for large industrial, commercial and U.S. farmers of the '30s, which were concerned what he called "a poor job performance" in those who used marijuana, the U.S. Congress passed the so-called "Marijuana Tax Stamp Act, which completely banned throughout the country, the use, cultivation and sale of marijuana and its derivatives. Paradoxically, it has been argued that the first United States Constitution was written entirely on paper made from cannabis. It is known that Presidents Washington and Jeferson were growers of marijuana. Behind
hid ban other reasons: It was not just to suppress a custom "frowned upon" by the Americans, but to achieve three objectives: to justify increased funding for the Narcotics Bureau, suppress the black and Latino immigrant minorities -usually marijuana, and expand the market for cocaine and opiates, which were run by the mafia and had close relations with high officials and officials of the CIA and the FBI.
in Chile: a hypocritical situation
Today, although there are reports that prove even a single death caused by marijuana intoxication, it was found that is not "biológicamentre addictive," has also been found that far from exalting violence in the consumer, on the contrary, produce "peaceful state", it is still prohibited and condemned.
In Chile, as in many other matters, are living a hypocritical situation. Smoked, but in secret and is known personalities from the worlds of politics, the arts and business, and buying comfortable smoke marijuana to their dealers, but publicly declare themselves opposed to legalization.
law prohibiting the use and cultivation of marijuana is an attack on individual liberties. It is a travesty of intelligence. Allegedly smoking is not punishable, but not be bought or can be grown (...). It is also absolutely ineffective: each day more people consume. All it does is create the optimal conditions for the spread of a dangerous black market.
A symbol of the counterculture
Becoming part of an old maneuver designed for large industrial, commercial and U.S. farmers of the '30s, which were concerned what he called "a poor job performance" in those who used marijuana, the U.S. Congress passed the so-called "Marijuana Tax Stamp Act, which completely banned throughout the country, the use, cultivation and sale of marijuana and its derivatives. Paradoxically, it has been argued that the first United States Constitution was written entirely on paper made from cannabis. It is known that Presidents Washington and Jeferson were growers of marijuana. Behind
hid ban other reasons: It was not just to suppress a custom "frowned upon" by the Americans, but to achieve three objectives: to justify increased funding for the Narcotics Bureau, suppress the black and Latino immigrant minorities -usually marijuana, and expand the market for cocaine and opiates, which were run by the mafia and had close relations with high officials and officials of the CIA and the FBI.
in Chile: a hypocritical situation
Today, although there are reports that prove even a single death caused by marijuana intoxication, it was found that is not "biológicamentre addictive," has also been found that far from exalting violence in the consumer, on the contrary, produce "peaceful state", it is still prohibited and condemned.
In Chile, as in many other matters, are living a hypocritical situation. Smoked, but in secret and is known personalities from the worlds of politics, the arts and business, and buying comfortable smoke marijuana to their dealers, but publicly declare themselves opposed to legalization.
law prohibiting the use and cultivation of marijuana is an attack on individual liberties. It is a travesty of intelligence. Allegedly smoking is not punishable, but not be bought or can be grown (...). It is also absolutely ineffective: each day more people consume. All it does is create the optimal conditions for the spread of a dangerous black market.
A symbol of the counterculture
The phenomenon of marijuana is, at heart, far more than the war against a banned substance. It is a kind of "symbolic struggle" that has other connotations. The ban has become a symbol of resistance system. Therefore it is considered dangerous, regardless of its alleged negative effects on human health.
represents and inspires a way of seeing and living the life that runs counter to the basic principles of society. In that sense, it is profoundly revolutionary. Unlike alcohol, which produces state-numb very useful for the economy based on consumerism, marijuana raises the need for freedom, the pursuit of peace, and inner rebellion.
For the pro-establishment, however, marijuana is seen as a social threat. And in a sense, they are right. Marijuana users are not very amenable to follow rules. And there are very few things more dangerous that for those interested in maintaining the status quo.
can conclude that the famous Cannabis is not only a medicinal plant and therefore should be "removed" from the list of dangerous drugs, referred to in the drug law, but is a rich source of medicines, protein, essential oils, fibers and raw materials useful to humans.
