When Olympic officials decided to give snowboarder Ross Rebagliati his gold
medal back, the cheers drowned out the boos. It was a minor scandal
involving a minor sport, but it spoke volumes about the world's shifting
relationship with its favorite illicit drug, marijuana. A decade ago,
Rebagliati would have been ostracized regardless of whether cannabis was on
the list of his sport's banned substances. What's changed today is that our
attitudes towards illegal drugs are becoming more sophisticated and
According to Joanne Baum, on the subject of statistics of marijuana:
Marijuana is the second most popular drug after alcohol in the country
today. So many people smoke marijuana that the numbers alone seem to
legitimize and condone its presence in people's lives. Yet, even in
moderation marijuana is not 'safe.' Somehow this information had not
filtered down to people who think they are smoking a fairly innocuous drug.
Our society perpetuates the myths about pot being a fun, harmless,
recreational drug. These myths feed into people's denial of marijuana's
However, the abuse of marijuana is a problem. It is not only a personal
problem, but also more importantly a social problem.
Throughout history, marijuana has been used to serve various purposes in
many different cultures. The purposes have changed over time to fit in with
the current lifestyles. The cultivation of the marijuana plant in the United
States began as far back as the Jamestown settlers around the year 1611. At
that time, the main focus was on survival rather than for psychoactive
purposes. Medicinal uses of marijuana eventually changed to enjoyment
manipulation. Beginning in the 1960s marijuana use saw a reemergence with
the rebellious youth, and the "hippie movement." This evolved into increased
use among the older population as well. This trend continues to this day.
After thirty years of research i...