America is Being Denied the Right to Information

A few months ago I wrote my most popular blog to date entitled “Don’t Tell Me What I Can Do To My Body!” which argued that the Government has no right dictating what substance I willfully choose to consume. Now I wish to discuss another topic which is just as important and directly parallels this argument, which is the right to information. Not only are we being denied the right to govern our own bodies as we wish but we are also being denied our most sacred right of information and education. It is an absolute travesty that our Government is withholding the facts about marijuana by not allowing scientific research to examine both the positive and negative aspects of this plant. Instead we are force fed half truths and outright myths about cannabis in substitute.

                Education is the foundation of our ideals and personal opinions and this applies not just in America but the world. Every country that employs public education at the national level is always a more developed country. Every country that denies education to its people or feeds them misinformation will always be a third world country and or a country that is ruled over by dictators whether they be national or local (such as warlords). Education is the very element that makes us free! The ability to analyze and apply critical thinking to make judgments and form opinions is the most powerful weapon we posses against tyranny, injustice, and exploitation. To deny people of education is to steal life itself from them. It is one of the worst human rights offenses and yet we as Americans are experiencing this very offense, albeit on a small scale. This seems blasphemous to say but as we take a closer look and you will find that the Government has limited the research of cannabis thereby denying us our right to the proper information.

                There was an attempt to study marijuana and its effects on personal and social issues that was initiated by the government. This study was known as the “Shafer Commission” in which president Nixon launched in order to support the war on drugs. However this plan back fired and instead of a scathing report on marijuana Nixon received a report which dispelled many of the widely accepted myths about the plant. This report was not surprisingly rejected and the “Controlled Substance Act” (which this commission was intended to support) was passed through Congress and signed into law. This is the first major case of information (concerning marijuana) which was denied to the public because the outcome was the opposite of what the Government wanted. We were denied the right to information and as such we continued to believe all of the common myths associated with marijuana. We are still feeling the effects of this outcome from the slew of misinformation we receive about this plant. Every day we are bombarded by public service announcements and political scare tactics that pounds outdated and incorrect information into our heads. This bombardment is amplified by the fact that the Government does not fund additional studies about marijuana so that we might learn more about it. God forbid the information discovered would counter what has previously been believed as true. It is this denial of additional studies and information that stagnates us from discovering the truth about marijuana.

                We cannot and should not allow the government to dictate our right to information and education. We have to demand more unbiased scientific studies involving marijuana so that we as a country can make a more informed decision in the case of prohibition. The more informed decision is the right decision.