The process by which society detects and interprets information from the external world in a utilitarian theory claims: one should always do the greatest good for the greatest number of people. When one has the motivation to reach goals for the benefit of one’s self it is known as ethical egoism. In this paper we shall consider a brief history of cannabis, the parallels of legalizing medical marijuana and prohibition of alcohol in the 1920’s with regard to ethical egoism and utilitarian theories. The earliest record of man’s use of cannabis comes from the island of Taiwan located off the coast of mainland China. Archaeologists have unearthed an ancient village site dating back over 10,000 years to the Stone Age. With the pottery that was found were rod-shaped tools, resembling in appearance to those later used to loosen cannabis fibers from their stems. The pottery with their patterns of twisted fiber embedded in their sides, suggest that men have been using the marijuana plant in some manner since the dawn of history. (Chang, 1959) Once an assumption by society, especially over time has been established, it becomes a great effort to alter. Marijuana was first acknowledged as a narcotic in the 1920s and 1930s. Based almost completely on information designed to mislead or persuade against the evils of marijuana, embellished reports of violent crimes committed by immigrants intoxicated by marijuana were publicized by tabloid newspapers. With the vast emotion and widespread paranoia the upsurge of the women’s temperance movement incited one could consider that the temperance movement had a large part in forming the Federal Bureau of Narcotics and the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937. The 1937 marijuana Tax Act Pub. 238, 75th Cong.
. .ved on January 12, 2001: htttp://www.tokeofthetown.com/2009/12/bill_to_legalize_marijuana_introduced_in_washingto.php Chang, K., The Archaeology of Ancient China (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1968), pp. 111-12; C.T. Kung, Archeology in China (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1959), 1:131. American College of Physicians. Supporting Research into the Therapeutic Role of Marijuana. Philadelphia: American College of Physicians; 2008: Position Paper. (Available from American College of Physicians, 190 N. Independence Mall West, Philadelphia, PA 19106.) Retrieved from: http://www.acponline.org/advocacy/where_we_stand/other_issues/medmarijuana.pdf Schieszer, J., Nonaspirin NSAIDs May Raise RCC Risk Renal & Urology News. August 18, 2009 Retrieved from http://www.renalandurologynews.com/nonaspirin-nsaids-may-raise-rcc-risk/article/146731/
