Female Genital Mutilation

Amnesty International estimates that over 130 million women worldwide have been affected by some form of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) with over 2 million procedures being performed every year. But what exactly is FGM, why is it practiced and why is there so much controversy about it?

According to Wikipedia:

Female genital cutting (FGC), also known as female genital mutilation (FGM) or female circumcision, refers to “all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs whether for cultural, religious or other non-therapeutic reasons.”

In other words it is the disfigurement of a woman’s private parts for non-medical reasons. It is practiced in many parts of the world but primarily in Africa, the Middle East and Indonesia. The traditional cultural practice of FGM predates both Islam and Christianity. A Greek papyrus from 163 B.C. mentions girls in Egypt undergoing circumcision and it is widely accepted to have originated in Egypt and the Nile valley at the time of the Pharaohs.

The procedure is now practiced among Muslims, Christians, and Animists. Some African societies consider FGM part of maintaining cleanliness as it removes secreting parts of the genitalia. However, just the opposite is true. Vaginal secretions play a critical part in maintaining female health.

There are 4 categories of FGM: Type I, II, III and IV each of which will be described more fully later. Organizations like the WHO have been campaigning for decades to have this procedure stopped. Nevertheless, because of cultural and religious practices it is still popular in many societies.

There have been disagreements about the actual name of the procedure.

• Female Circumcision “implies a fallacious analogy to non-mutilating male circumcision”.

• Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) “may imply excessive judgment by outsiders as well as insensitivity toward individuals who have undergone some form of genital excision.” Parents may resent the suggestion that they are “mutilating” their daughters.

• Female Genital Cutting (FGC) is deemed to be more politically correct because “local languages generally use the less judgmental “cutting” to describe the practice.” Also, so as to avoid alienating communities and demonizing certain cultural and religious practices, “cutting” has been gaining in popularity.

The following video describes FGM as practiced in the African country of Sierra Leone.

As mentioned before there are four categories of FGM: Type I, II, III and IV. The diagrams below will help in identifying the parts affected by each of the categories.

TYPE I:

Sunna circumcision in which the prepuce (the clitoral covering) is removed, along with part or all of the clitoris. This is called Clitoridectomy, Sunna, meaning removal of the clitoris in the tradition of the Prophet Mohammed. It is called “Sunna Kashfa” (Open Sunna) in Sudan. This is found most commonly in West African countries like Burkina Faso, Mali, Nigeria, and Senegal.

TYPE II:

Excision: The entire clitoris and prepuce are removed, along with all or part of the labia minora. This is called “Sunna Magatia” (Closed Sunna) in Sudan. It is most commonly found in Burkina Faso and Sudan.

TYPE III:

Infibulation(a.k.a. Pharaonic circumcision): This involves removal of the clitoris and prepuce, followed by sewing up of the vulva. A small opening is left to allow urine and menstrual blood to pass. A second operation is done later in life to reverse some of the damage.

In some cultures, the woman is cut open by her husband on their wedding night with a double edged dagger. She may be sewn up again if her husband leaves on a long trip. During childbirth, the enlargement is too small to allow vaginal delivery, and so the infibulation must be opened completely and restored after delivery.

A five-year study of 300 women and 100 men in Sudan found that “sexual desire, pleasure, and orgasm are experienced by the majority of women who have been subjected to this extreme sexual mutilation, in spite of their being culturally bound to hide these experiences.” Many infibulated women will contend that the pleasure their partners receive due to this procedure is a definitive part of a successful marriage and enjoyable sex life.This is often referred to as Pharaonic or Sudanese circumcision. It is the most extreme form of FGC, and accounts for about 15% of all FGC procedures. It is most commonly practiced in Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Mali, Somalia and Sudan.

TYPE IV:

There are also various other practices, which may or may not involve any tissue removal at all, including stretching of the clitoris and/or labia, burning of the clitoris and adjacent tissues by cauterization, scraping of the vaginal orifice, cutting the vagina, placing corrosive substances or herbs in the vaginal in order to tighten it. Type IV is found primarily among isolated ethnic groups as well as in combination with other types.

Health Risks:

A recent study by the WHO found that women who have undergone FGM were more likely to have difficulties during childbirth and that the babies themselves were more likely to die. The study involved 28,393 women at 28 obstetric centers in six countries, where FGM is common – Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal and Sudan. The centers varied from relatively isolated rural hospitals to teaching hospitals in capital cities. They were chosen to provide appropriate diversity of types of FGM.

Serious complications during childbirth include the need to have a cesarean section, dangerously heavy bleeding after the birth of the baby and prolonged hospitalization following the birth. The study showed that the degree of complications increased according to the extent and severity of the FGM.

In the case of cesarean section, women who have been subjected to the most serious form of FGM (“Type III“) will have on average 30 per cent more caesarean sections compared with those who have not had any FGM. Similarly there is a 70 per cent increase in numbers of women who suffer from postpartum haemorrhage in those with Type III compared to those women without FGM.

The study also found that FGM put the women’s babies in substantial danger during childbirth. Researchers found there was an increased need to resuscitate babies whose mother had had FGM (66% higher in women with FGM Type III). The death rate among babies during and immediately after birth is also much higher for those born to mothers with FGM: 15% higher in those with FGM Type I, 32% higher in those with FGM Type II, and 55% higher in those with FGM Type III. It is estimated that an additional 10 to 20 babies die per 1000 deliveries as a result of the practice.

“This research was carried out in hospitals where the obstetric staff are used to dealing with women who have undergone FGM. The consequences for the countless women and babies who deliver at home without the help of experienced staff are likely to be even worse,” added WHO’s Dr Paul Van Look, Director of the Special Programme for Human Reproduction Research (HRP) which organized the study.

Cultural and Societal Factors:

Given the brutality of the procedure and the permanency of the disfigurement to a woman’s body; the obvious question is WHY?? WHY is this procedure even permitted and WHY is it still prevalent in many countries?

The World Health Organization(WHO) and other similar international organizations have been for decades waging a battle to have the practice of FGM stopped. There are however significant cultural and societal obstacles that promote and perpetuate FGM. These include:

• Psycho-sexual reasons:

Reduction or elimination of the sensitive tissue of the outer genitalia, particularly the clitoris, in order to attenuate sexual desire in the female, maintain chastity and virginity before marriage and fidelity during marriage, and increase male sexual pleasure;

• Sociological reasons:

Identification with the cultural heritage, initiation of girls into womanhood, social integration and the maintenance of social cohesion;

• Hygiene and Aesthetic reasons:

The external female genitalia are considered dirty and unsightly and are to be removed to promote hygiene and provide aesthetic appeal;

• Religious reasons:

Some Muslim communities, however, practice FGM in the belief that it is demanded by the Islamic faith. The practice, however, predates Islam.

The justification for the operation appears to be largely grounded in a desire to terminate or reduce feelings of sexual arousal in women so that they will be much less likely to engage in pre-marital intercourse or adultery. The clitoris holds a massive number of nerve endings, and generates feelings of sexual arousal when stimulated.

Parents in those cultures where FGM is common often feel that it is the only way to guarantee that their girl children will remain “pure” until marriage. This belief is so strong that it can overcome the dangers to the girls: some do not survive the blood loss during the operation; others die from infection; most suffer life-long complications.

Uncircumcised women in countries where FGM is normally performed have difficulty finding a marriage partner. Men typically prefer a circumcised wife because they are considered more likely to be faithful.

FGM in AFRICA:

There are many countries in Africa that practice FGM, some of which continue the practice even though there are laws on the books against it. Although precise figures are hard to come by, the following indicates some of the countries where FGM is prevalent:

Somalia (98%) Djibouti (98%) Eritrea (95%) Mali (94%) Sierra Leone (90%) Sudan (90%) Egypt (85-95%) Ethiopia (70-90%) Guinea (65-90%) Nigeria (60-90%) Gambia (60-90%) Chad (60%) Kenya (50%) Liberia (50%)

In 14 African countries at least half the female population practice FGM. In most of these countries where some form of legislation exists against FGM, it is poorly prosecuted, if at all. See Basic Country FGM Facts for a country by country breakdown.

STORIES:

The following stories come from 4 Kenyan girls affected, one way or another, by FGM.

Grace’s Story

Grace starts by saying that FGM is very painful. She was only 12 years old when she was taken from her grandmother’s house at 5 am. They took her to the river she recalls how cold the water was, in order to numb her body. She was taken with other girls of her age. She went first; she was naked and had to sit on a special stone. A very strong woman covered her eyes and mouth. “If you scream, you bring omen in your family.”

The knife came down and it was painful, it wasn’t too sharp and cut everything off. The pain was so bad it went into her head. She was in the house for over a month and desperately ill when they took her to the hospital, looking for medication. Grace felt how inhumane it is, so she will never do it against her daughters’ wishes. God blessed her with 3 girls and she has kept her promise. Her daughters are adults now, almost married and performing well at school.

When the wound is healed, Grace continues, there is a scar that isn’t flexible. Therefore it is dangerous to give birth at home. Even the delivery in hospital is extremely painful. “For those of you that think about circumcision for yourself or daughters; DON’T DO IT!” she said.

Ester’s Story

Esther begins, “We are conquerors. We were given information and insight into FGM but it was difficult to resist the rite. We were seen as sources of friction in the community, we had a big problem with our grandmother who talked about it for years. I could resist because I was educated.”

Esther couldn’t stay with circumcised girls but persevered even after the other girls shut her out. Circumcised girls were brought gifts and good clothing but she wasn’t given anything. One day, she went to her cousin to talk about FGM.

“My grandmother came for my cousin forcefully but she resisted with the help of my parents. The community came as the girl screamed and said we brought shame to the community. It created conflict between family members as the cousin stayed with me. People said we will become prostitutes and smell, but that didn’t shake us. Now we say we are conquerors. Join your hands together and say no to FGM!!”

Zipporah’s Story

“I was brought up in a Christian family and I knew that one day I would be circumcised. When my time came my mum said. ‘Read from the Bible. Genesis 17 where Abraham was circumcised.’ In the old days only boys were circumcised. The Bible doesn’t say that girls should be circumcised. Mum said it was painful when she give birth to me. At that time I was so young I didn’t even know where babies came from. So we were left out while all the other girls were circumcised. This meant that I didn’t have any gifts and was teased at school and on the field. I couldn’t even speak to the teacher about it, but mum did. As a result the girls who teased me were caned. Since then they started using my proper name and never teased again.

Zipporah goes on seminars into communities to inform parents in the fight against FGM.

Nurse Mary’s Story

“Very young girls came to the hospital in the early hours. I put them in a small bed, washed my hands and put gloves on. I would disinfect and anaesthetize the vagina before cutting off the clitoris with a knife and scissors. Then I put disinfectant on the wound to prevent infections. Today we have come to say no to FGM because there are so many complications afterwards, for example, urine tube infections, HIV/Aids, hepatitis, and tetanus.

“Circumcised women do not enjoy sex with their husband, leading to broken families. The men go to the cities to look for women who aren’t circumcised, let’s put our hands together to fight against FGM.”

The following video is an interview with super model Waris Dirie who, herself, is a victim of FGM. She has written a book about her experience and is an outspoken advocate against the procedure.

Changing Attitudes:

Attitudes towards FGM are slowly changing. Campaigners have tried for decades to bring an end to FGM. But their tactics of providing alternative employment to the circumcisers, introducing alternative rites of passage for girls, or demanding legislation to outlaw the practice have all failed to make a dent: an estimated 2 million girls in about 26 African countries are circumcised every year. There is however a movement started in Senegal that is gradually spreading and making a difference:

Back in 1997, 13 Senegalese villages publicly declared that they would no longer permit female circumcision, or female genital mutilation. In the eight years since, the number has grown to 1,527, representing 30 percent of Senegalese communities where FGM has been practiced. Dozens more villages are preparing to make similar declarations.

The change in Senegal is being credited to a slow but steady program of human rights education that allows villagers to make up their own minds about whether to abandon female circumcision. Spearheaded by a local rights agency called Tostan, the program’s success is proving so eye-catching that the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is endorsing it as a model.

“The Tostan approach is working because it’s a holistic approach, and it works with communities,” says Lalla Toure, UNICEF’s regional adviser for women’s health. “The starting point is not female genital mutilation; it’s about rights, it’s about health, it’s about development. We think that’s the best approach.”

The program is being replicated with some success in Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Mali, and is currently being considered for one of the strongholds of FGM, Somalia, where nearly 100 percent of girls are circumcised. It’s this same power of social conformity that is helping the campaign to end FGM in Senegal. As more villages publicly announce that they are abandoning the practice, Tostan says others begin realizing it may no longer be a marriage requirement, momentum builds, and the number of villages following suit snowballs.

“People are realizing that the social convention is changing,” says Molly Melching, the Texas-born director of Tostan who has lived in Senegal for more than two decades.

The birthplace of the Tostan approach, Ker Simbara, Senegal, eventually declared in 1999 that its citizens would no longer practice female circumcision. Ramata Sow, who staffs the local clinic and nursery illustrates the transformation. She circumcised her eldest daughter, but her two youngest, Sadio, 13, and Nabou, 7, and her granddaughter Duma, 2, are not circumcised.

“I will never do it again,” she declares. “Things have changed.”

Manuel Uribe's Struggle

Manuel Uribe, 43, of Monterrey, Mexico was awarded the title “The Heaviest Man in the World” in Jan. 2006 by Guinness World Records. At that time he weighed 1,235 lbs. He has since lost over 500 lbs and now weighs about 700 lbs thanks to the Zone diet. He had been bed-ridden since 2001 and has one goal in mind – to be able to walk again.

Manuel Uribe is beyond the kind of overweight that comes from fast food and lack of exercise. Doctors call it morbid obesity. According to the National Institutes of Health, obesity means weighing 20 percent or more than your ideal body weight, and it’s a health risk. Morbid obesity is altogether different. Sometimes called “clinically severe obesity,” it means you’re 100 pounds or more over ideal body weight, with a body mass index of 40 or higher.

Uribe doesn’t gain weight like the rest of us. Brain chemistry, genetic mutation, addiction, psychological pain — or an unhappy combination of all of them — makes morbid obesity one of the biggest mysteries of medicine.

An operation in 2001 – to remove 180 lbs of growth tissue from his thighs and pelvic areas – proved unsuccessful and Manuel feared that he would not be able to walk again. In addition to his weight problems, his wife of 14 years left him. He continued to over-eat and became depressed and at one point contemplated suicide.

Things began to change after he was noticed by a local journalist, Jose Luis Garcia, who interviewed him and told his story to the world. In the interview Manuel asked for someone to help him lose weight. Doctors and dietitians visited him. After much consultation Manuel decided to go on a diet, the Zone diet, rather than undergo more surgery which came with significant risks to his health.

Manuel not only started losing weight on his new diet but he also found love again. He met Claudia Solis and they both decided to get married. The following video chronicles Manuel’s transformation from depression to romance.

Manuel Gets Married

Even though Manuel is still not able to walk, he has plans to be mobile. He is now having a 1989 Chevrolet Astrovan outfitted specially for him. The minivan is being converted into an open-air, flatbed pickup. Manuel says he will put a bed on the back of the van to drive around town, with his new wife at the wheel.

With his new found lease on life, Manuel now wants to open an auto parts store. He is also making plans to visit the beach soon with his wife. He plans to continue with his diet and exercise and maybe someday he will be able to walk again. Below is a clip with Dr. Barry Sears, the creator of the Zone diet.

done

Manuel Uribe sums it up like this:

“I love life , I love God and I have someone to love, Thank God!!”

Marijuana - The King of Drugs

Marijuana is by far the most popular illegal drug in the world. According to the 2007 World Drug Report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, it is grown in at least 172 countries. It has various names, including but not limited to: Cannabis, grass, weed, pot, ditch, dope, hemp, ganja, dagga, dimba, and chira. Worldwide consumption of all illegal drugs is estimated at 200 million people, marijuana accounts for 160 million. In other words marijuana accounts for 80% of all illegal drug use worldwide. The possession, use, or sale of psychoactive cannabis products became illegal in most parts of the world in the early 20th century. Since then, some countries have intensified the enforcement of marijuana prohibition while others have reduced the priority of enforcement, almost to the point of legalization, as is the case in the Netherlands. The production of marijuana for drug use remains illegal throughout most of the world.

Who Uses It?

If all the pot smokers lived in one country, that country would be the seventh largest country in the world.

Just under 4% of the global population uses marijuana however there are some countries where the percentage is much higher:

• Micronesia and Papua New Guinea (29%)
• Ghana (21.5%)
• Zambia (17.7%)
• Canada (16.8%)
• Australia/New Zealand (13.4%)
• US (12.6%)

If broken down by region, the countries with the highest percentage of users are:

• Africa: Ghana - 21.5%
• Asia/Middle East: Israel – 8.5%
• Europe: Cyprus – 14.1%
• Americas/Caribbean: Canada – 16.8%
• Oceania: Papua New Guinea – 29.5%

Who Produces It?

Global production of marijuana also dwarfs other illegal drugs:

• Marijuana – 42,000 metric tons
• Opium – 6,610 metric tons
  
• Cocaine – 984 metric tons
• Amphetamines – 480 metric tons
  

Marijuana is the most pervasive drug in the world. Most countries produce for local consumption and export to neighboring countries. Although most European countries grow their own supplies, it is the only region that relies on importation, mostly from Africa and Asia. Global production by region:

• The Americas (46%)
• Africa (26%)
• Asia (23%)
• Europe (5%)
• Oceania (1%)

In general, production of marijuana is declining in North America and Africa, due in part to eradication efforts in those regions, and increasing in Asia, Europe and South/Central America.

Trends

The use of marijuana has been declining in North America (including Canada and Mexico). In the US consumption has decreased from a 1979 high of 16.6% to 10.4% in 2005. The same situation is true for Oceania (including Australia, New Zealand and New Guinea). In Australia there has been a 37% decline between 1998 and 2004.

On the other hand in South America there has been an increase in demand, with Brazil leading the surge, from 1% in 2001 to 2.5% in 2005. In Africa, 17 countries reported an increase in use, 4 reported a decline and 4 reported no change. In both Europe and Asia there were mixed results.

Some Issues

Illegalization of Marijuana

Throughout history marijuana has played an integral part in various societies on multiple levels; culturally, religiously and for medicinal purposes. Starting in the early 1900s, in the US, marijuana gradually became an illegal substance. After 1937, with the passage of the federal Marijuana Tax Act, marijuana use became illegal nationwide.

What may be of surprise is that racism played an important role in the “illegalization” of marijuana. Around 1915 the Rocky mountain and Southwestern states (Montana, Texas, New Mexico and Colorado) experienced an influx of Mexican laborers who had migrated north looking for work. They were generally employed as field hands, working in beet fields and picking cotton. They also brought with them marijuana which was unknown to white people at that time. A Texan politician, from the senate floor, used the following logic to propose one of the first state laws making marijuana illegal:

“All Mexicans are crazy, and this stuff (referring to marijuana) is what makes them crazy.” Or, as the proponent of Montana’s first marijuana law said, (and imagine this on the floor of the state legislature) and I quote, “Give one of these Mexican beet field workers a couple of puffs on a marijuana cigarette and he thinks he is in the bullring at Barcelona.”

It wasn’t hostility to the drug, it was hostility to the newly arrived Mexican community that used it that prompted the first anti-marijuana laws. A few years later states in the Northeast (New York, Connecticut etc) looked at what had happened in Texas and Montana and also decided it was time to ban marijuana. These states, however, did not have significant numbers of Mexican laborers and marijuana was an unknown drug. They used a different but equally twisted logic to make marijuana illegal:

The New York Times in an editorial in 1919 said, “No one here in New York uses this drug marijuana. We have only just heard about it from down in the Southwest,” and here comes the substitution. “But,” said the New York Times, “we had better prohibit its use before it gets here. Otherwise” — here’s the substitution concept — “all the heroin and hard narcotics addicts cut off from their drug by the Harrison Act and all the alcohol drinkers cut off from their drug by 1919 alcohol Prohibition will substitute this new and unknown drug marijuana for the drugs they used to use.”

They feared that drug addicts and alcoholics would switch to marijuana, so to prevent that they made marijuana, this “new and unknown drug”, illegal. By the time the federal Marijuana Tax Act was made law in 1937, there were some 27 states that had already made marijuana illegal. For more on the history of marijuana in the US click here.

Medical and Religious use

The partnership of Cannabis and man has existed now probably for ten thousand years — since the discovery of agriculture in the Old World. One of our old cultivars, Cannabis has been a five-purpose plant: as a source of hempen fibers; for its oil; for its akenes or “seeds,” consumed by man for food; for its narcotic properties; and therapeutically to treat a wide spectrum of ills in folk medicine and in modern pharmacopoeias.

Ancient cultures of India, Persia, Egypt, Assyria, Greece and Rome used marijuana for medicinal purposes starting as far back as 1,600 BC. The use of marijuana as an intoxicant has been documented in India as far back as 1,000 BC and spread throughout Asia and the Middle East and thoroughly permeated Islamic culture within a few centuries. Because alcohol was prohibited to the followers of Mohammed, cannabis (marijuana) was accepted as a substitute.

The Rastafarians in Jamaica and the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church view ganga (marijuana) as a religious sacrament. Its use became a reactionary device to the society and an index of an authentic form of freedom from the establishment. It would therefore be right to assume that as a protest against society, ganja smoking was the first instrument of protest engaged in by the movement to show its freedom from the laws of “Babylon (society).” But ganja has other sides to it; its use produces psycho-spiritual effects and has socio-religious functions especially for people under stress. It produces visions, heightens unity and communal feelings, dispels gloom and fear, and brings tranquility to the mind of the dispossessed. So, ganja gradually became a dominant symbol among the cultists and has remained so to this day. One of the most popular reggae artists, Bob Marley, a Rastafarian, was a major voice for the cultural/spiritual use of marijuana. In the following interview he explains the Rastafarian religion and the part marijuana plays:

The following video is filmed in a marijuana field in Jamaica. It shows the environment in which the plant is grown on the island.

Recently in the US there has been much discussion surrounding the medicinal properties of marijuana. In twelve (12) states including California, Oregon, Nevada, Maine and New Mexico marijuana use is legal for approved medical conditions. Thirty-five (35) states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation recognizing marijuana’s medicinal value. This has caused a strain between the federal government and these states. The federal government considers all marijuana use as illegal, regardless of what it is used for. However medical experiments have proven that THC, the active ingredient in marijuana can be effective in the treatment of lung cancer. Marijuana is also “moderately well suited for particular conditions, such as chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting and AIDS wasting.” according to the Institute of Medicine.

The medical marijuana journal/newspaper O’Shaughnessy, spring 2004, lists the following conditions for which the California physicians found marijuana use to be effective: (1) AIDS wasting syndrome, (2) arthritis, osteo- and rheumatoid, (3) asthma (while not burning cannabis), (4) Crohn’s disease/inflammatory bowel disease, (5) depression, (6) mental illness–schizophrenia (pro and con articles have been reported), (7) degenerative neural diseases, (8) eating disorders/anorexia, (9) epilepsy/seizures, (10) glaucoma, (11) intractable breathlessness, (12) migraine, (13) multiple sclerosis, (14) nausea and vomiting, (15) obstetric problems (dysmenorrheal, morning sickness, uterine bleeding, and antimiscarriage), (16) pain, of all types, (17) phantom limb pain, (18) tumors ( blockade of a carcinogenesis enzyme), and (19) withdrawal symptoms of alcoholism, morphinism, cocaine addiction, chloral hydrate addiction, etc. (and probably tobacco addiction).

Marijuana Abuse

Many people smoke marijuana for reasons other than health or religion. In fact most people use it for experimental or recreational purposes:

In 2005, 14.6 million Americans aged 12 or older used marijuana at least once in the month prior to being surveyed, which is similar to the rate in 2004. About 6,000 people a day in 2005 used marijuana for the first time–2.1 million Americans. Of these, 59.1 percent were under age 18. As a percentage of those who had not used marijuana prior to the past year, youth marijuana initiation declined significantly, from 5.8 percent in 2004 to 5.2 percent in 2005.

The main active chemical in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). The membranes of certain nerve cells in the brain contain protein receptors that bind to THC. Once securely in place, THC kicks off a series of cellular reactions that ultimately lead to the high that users experience when they smoke marijuana. There have been many studies done on the effects of marijuana on the brain, the heart, the lungs and learning and social behavior:

The Brain: THC connects to specific sites called cannabinoid receptors on nerve cells and influences the activity of those cells. Many cannabinoid receptors are found in the parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thought, concentration, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement. The short-term effects of marijuana can include problems with memory and learning; distorted perception; difficulty in thinking and problem solving; loss of coordination; and increased heart rate.

The Heart: One study has indicated that an abuser’s risk of heart attack more than quadruples in the first hour after smoking marijuana. The researchers suggest that such an effect might occur from marijuana’s effects on blood pressure and heart rate and reduced oxygen-carrying capacity of blood.

The Lungs: Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers do, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illness, a heightened risk of lung infections, and a greater tendency to obstructed airways. Marijuana abuse also has the potential to promote cancer of the lungs and other parts of the respiratory tract because it contains irritants and carcinogens. Marijuana smoke contains 50 to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than does tobacco smoke. Marijuana users usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers do, which increases the lungs’ exposure to carcinogenic smoke. These facts suggest that, puff for puff, smoking marijuana may be more harmful to the lungs than smoking tobacco.

Learning and Social Behavior: Depression, anxiety, and personality disturbances have been associated with chronic marijuana use. Marijuana compromises the ability to learn and remember information, the more a person uses marijuana the more he or she is likely to fall behind in accumulating intellectual, job, or social skills. Moreover, research has shown that marijuana’s adverse impact on memory and learning can last for days or weeks after the acute effects of the drug wear off. As a result, someone who smokes marijuana every day may be functioning at a reduced intellectual level all of the time. In a study, heavy marijuana abusers reported that the drug impaired several important measures of life achievement including cognitive abilities, career status, social life, and physical and mental health.

The latest treatment data indicate that marijuana was the primary drug of abuse in about 15 percent (289,532) of all admissions to treatment facilities in the United States. Marijuana admissions were primarily male (75 percent), White (55 percent), and young (40 percent were in the 15–19 age range). Those in treatment for primary marijuana abuse had begun use at an early age; 56 percent had abused it by age 14 and 92 percent had abused it by 18.

Legalization??

With all the available data on the costs to individuals and society, there is still an argument for the legalization of marijuana. The following is taken from an article promoting the legalization of the drug using cost/benefit analysis to justify its conclusion. To see the entire article click here.

A society outlaws a behavior or a substance when the value in prohibition outweighs the cost of enforcing this ban.

The United States of America has unequivocally reached a point where the costs of criminalizing marijuana are greatly outweighed by the potential benefits of making the drug a controlled and regulated substance. The exorbitantly high costs to law enforcement (and therefore to taxpayers) as well as the benefits to public health that would accompany regulation both point to one undeniable fact: the public good would be served by the legalization of the possession of marijuana.

The most pressing reason for decriminalization of marijuana is the drain on government funds wrought by prohibition. In 2003, marijuana related arrests reached another all-time high of 755,186; 88 percent of these arrests were for possession, not the manufacture or distribution, of marijuana. The cost in imprisonment of these offenders amounts to $1.2 billion each year. The average prison sentence for cultivation of large numbers of marijuana plants (100 or more) is a minimum of five years, longer than the average sentence for manslaughter or grand theft auto. The total costs, including law enforcement, judicial proceedings and imprisonment is estimated to be between 5 and 15 billion dollars annually. That total amounts to roughly $10 billion dollars that could have been used to build new schools, to open homeless shelters or veterans hospitals, to preserve the environment or even to fund anti-drug programs in schools. When state and national budget deficits are reaching all time highs, the costs of prosecuting individuals for possession of marijuana is an unjustifiable waste of taxpayer’s money.

Currently, the market for marijuana exposes users to health hazards. Illegally sold marijuana often contains dangerous adulterants, contaminants and impurities such as herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers, which are hazardous to smokers. Legalization of marijuana would subject the production and sale of the drug to government inspection and regulation (a cost that would be offset by the taxing of marijuana sales) that would reduce the current dangers in smoking.

Unadulterated marijuana actually has relatively mild health effects when compared with other legal and illicit drugs. The National Academy of Sciences found “no conclusive link between marijuana and cancer, including cancers normally associated with tobacco.”

Although marijuana contains four times the amount of tar of a cigarette of equal weight, because it is not tightly packed, the smokable substance in one marijuana cigarette is about half that of a normal cigarette. Marijuana is less addictive (only nine percent of users become dependent) than alcohol (15 percent), tobacco (32 percent), cocaine (17 percent) or heroin (23 percent).

The Academy further declared the “gateway drug” theory, the idea that marijuana often leads to use of harder drugs, to be invalid when they stated that there is “no evidence that marijuana serves as a stepping stone on the basis of its particular physiological effect.”

Prohibition of marijuana is clearly a burden the American people no longer need to carry. Spending billions of dollars to prosecute individuals for using a drug with adverse health effects similar to, and in some cases milder than, those caused by other, legal drugs does not make sense. It is time the national government puts an end to the double standard, and makes marijuana a regulated substance for the good of those who use it, and for the benefit of those who do not.

United States Laws

Currently in the US, there are no uniform laws that states abide by. Some states like Arizona and Idaho have strict laws that involve incarceration for first time convictions and there are others like New York and Mississippi that have decriminalized the penalties for first time offenders. Federal laws are stricter than most state laws and possession of marijuana is punishable by up to one year in jail and a minimum fine of $1,000 for a first conviction, regardless of the amount involved.

You can check out the laws in various states regarding marijuana use by clicking here:

Click below for more information on marijuana-related subjects:

History of Marijuana Laws

Health-Related Marijuana Issues from the NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse)

History of Drug use in the US

Should Governments Legalize and Tax Marijuana?

Marijuana: Facts for Teens and Parents

Marijuana Convictions: State By State Laws

 

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Keith Bardwell Resigns and Faces Lawsuit

In the face unanimous and universal condemnation from politicians to civil rights organizations, Justice of the Peace Keith Bardwell did what everyone was telling him to do – he resigned. Read the background story here.

The office of Louisiana Secretary of State Jay Dardenne said it had received a statement from Mr Bardwell saying: “I do hereby resign the office of Justice of the Peace for the Eighth Ward of Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, effective November 3, 2009.”

Keith Bardwell was the JP who refused to marry an interracial couple in Louisiana because of his concern for the kids of such a union. He was unapologetic about his attitude and genuinely did not seem to realize what all the fuss was about, as seen in this interview with CBS:

Bardwell was first elected in 1975 as justice of the peace in Ponchatoula, La., a town 55 miles north of New Orleans. His term was set to run through 2014, and he had said that even before the flap, he hadn’t intended to run for re-election.

The couple Mr Bardwell refused to issue a license for – Beth Humphrey, 30, and Terence McKay, 32 – have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against him.

“We’re saddened that it took national attention to this issue, which was decided back in 1967 by the Supreme Court, and also that it took public admonishment from other elected leaders in order for him to resign,” said Laura Catlett, a lawyer for Humphrey and McKay.

The Governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal who had previously called for Bardwell to resign, said Bardwell made the right decision.

“What he did was clearly wrong and this resignation was long overdue,” the governor said in a statement.

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) said Bardwell’s refusal to marry the couple reflected terribly on the state.

“I am deeply disturbed by Justice Bardwell’s practices and comments concerning interracial marriages,” she said. “Not only does his decision directly contradict Supreme Court rulings, it is an example of the ugly bigotry that divided our country for too long.

“By resigning … and ending his embarrassing tenure in office, Justice Bardwell has finally consented to the will of the vast majority of Louisiana citizens and nearly every governmental official in Louisiana … We are better off without him in public service,” she said.

Catlett said the resignation won’t stop the lawsuit, which also names Bardwell’s wife as a defendant.

“This does not in any way change the fact that he, with his wife’s help, discriminated against an interracial couple while he was a public official,” Catlett said.

 

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New York State Bans Texting

As of November 1, 2009, New York State's law against texting while driving went into effect. The new law forbids the use of mobile devices for reading, typing and sending text messages while driving. Fines can be as much as $150. It does not apply to GPS or "hands free" phone use.

It is however, only a secondary offense. That means that in order to be ticketed for texting, a primary offense such as speeding or disobeying a traffic signal must occur first. You cannot be pulled over and ticketed just for texting behind the steering wheel.

If that is a comfort to some diehard enthusiasts of the practice, consider this video below. Produced by the Gwent Police Department in Wales, it shows the bloody outcome of texting while driving. It is very graphic in nature but illustrates the possible hazards of distracted driving.

In total, 18 states plan to have texting-while-driving bans on the books by January, 2010. But only New York and Washington state have the bans listed as secondary enforcement.

"Secondary enforcement is really sending the wrong message to the public," said Judith Stone, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. "It's basically saying this law is not that important."

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