420

As for many of us, on April 20th we went along on all of our normal activities and schedules for a typical Tuesday. While thousands of other college students and many others took part in, "420" which celebrates Marijuana and promotes and hopes for government acceptance. The original meaning behind statement came from a group of San Fransisco bay High Schoolers would come together and smoke in the 1970's. This became a popular term and was then highly promoted in High Times Magazine.

Many Television networks dedicated their entire day just to celebrate, "420." Channels like G4 educated their viewers by giving the history of Marijuana, its causes and why, as well as its effects and why. They traveld to places like Amsterdam where Marijuana shops are legal and give the experience and traditions in Holland. They educated us on devices that are less harsh on the lungs like vaporizers. These methods of using Marijuana are becoming more popular among cancer patients. According to The Natural Treatment for Common Health Problems, "In vaporization, the active elements of marijuana are released or turned into a vapor without combustion. This stops the release of toxins in marijuana smoke. This means that medical marijuana patients can avoid the adverse effects of smoking with the help of a vaporizer."

They also humored us as well by playing popular movies like, "Half Baked, Super High Me, and Dazed and Confused, just to name a few. They had guest appearances like Snoop Dogg, Cheech and Chong who are known for their Marijuana use. They, themselves depict there recreational hobbies in Comedy Movies like, "Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke" and pictures that suggest Marijuana use. G4 also showed intense grow labs, many that are legal in Northern California. They also showed Law Enforcement catching on to outdoor illegal cultivation in places like natural forests. The Police and Investigators finds these plants and cut them down and eventually burn them destroying them all completely.

While I was amused by rituals involving marijuana, I wondered how the legalization process was coming along. Currently there are fourteen states that have enacted laws that legalized the use of medicinal Marijuana. There are twelve states that allow up to eight ounces, Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Main, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Rhode Island and Vermont. Washington and Oregon allow twenty-four usable ounces. In all states the user must obtain an id card. The identification card is prescribed by a doctor for the use of Medicinal Marijuana.

However here in Wisconsin on Marijuana is still illegal. On April 22, 2010 The proposal to legalize is not, "one of the top prioritizes" the Legislature will take up. "While advocates for legalizing it had hoped the bill would pass under support from Democrats who control the Legislature, the proposal never made it up for a vote in either the Senate or Assembly." Unfortuitly for people in Wisconsin they will have to keep trying.

The masses of students on capital property, lighting up and blazing is quite a site to see. Police stand around making sure crowds stay in control and observe thousands smoking out of bongs, pipes, and joints. You can hear Bob Marley in the distant sound waves and through the ear phones of many. The Rastafarian culture becomes known. The Colors Red, Yellow and Green are worn on beenes, or on t-shirts and wrist bands and bandannas. Part of the Rasta Culture is to smoke Ganja its considered, "Sacrament." Ganja cleans the body and mind, heals the soul, exalts the consciousness, facilitates peacefulness, brings pleasure, and brings them closer to God or Jah.

In 1936 "Reefer Madness", scared parents by depicting Marijuana as a deviant social problem and if their children smoked pot they would, kill, rape, and eventually die. Through the years people have seen the growth and acceptance of Marijuana. Around the world it is part of rituals and religious ceremonies, or in pot shops for sale in food and in smokable forms. According to Get the Facts on the Drug War Facts, "Tabacco is the leading cause of death. This legal substance took 435,000 lives in the year 2000. Marijuana still at 0."

Weather you decided to partake it the festivities, or ignored them the Legalization train for Medicinal Marijuana use is rapidly increasing force. It will be interested to see where it will be in a few years.