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1 Legalization of Medicinal Marijuana Before antibiotics and pharmaceuticals, people made their own medicine. Often times, this was in the form of herbs or plants. This still holds true in many third world countries today. Unfortunately, one of the potentially most beneficial herbs is not only overlooked, but absolutely excluded. Marijuana shows potential for medical usage in many illnesses, but is illegal in the eyes of the United States government, and therefore will not be tested for any other medical purposes until certain legislative issues are amended. Marijuana is a naturally growing plant that is found all over the world. The marijuana plant actually is not the illegal form of marijuana that is seen on television. The plant buds, like most flowers, and it is the bud that is considered the active part of the plant. The bud contains tetrahydrocannabinol, more commonly known as THC, as well as other cannabinoids. Marijuana is activated when exposed to heat, and it is these ingredients that produce the “high” or euphoric feeling when consumed. There are various methods of consumption including smoking and eating. In smoking, a flame is directly placed on the bud, which releases smoke containing the cannabinoids. In eating, the bud is heated then mixed into food. The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 made consumption and distribution of marijuana illegal in the United States. The law was seen as a remedy to increased hysteria over marijuana, which directly stemmed from anti-marijuana campaigns initiated by several members of the federal government.
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