(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008-12-15)
Farmer, Kathryn Elizabeth
Medical marijuana is a pertinent and controversial topic in contemporary American society. Those against medical marijuana cite the "dangers" the drug presents to society and claim that there is no, and has never been, any medical utility of marijuana. Advocates of medical marijuana refute preconceived ideas of marijuana being dangerous and cite thousands of years of historical evidence that lends credence to the proposed therapeutic effects. Since the prohibition of marijuana in 1937, the federal government has portrayed a negative image of marijuana that remained dominant in public opinion until it began to be challenged forty years ago. Contrary to the statements of the federal government that marijuana has no medical use, world history and modern science has indicated its therapeutic potential. As a result of several medical marijuana laws being enacted since 1996, Congress held a hearing in 2001 to discuss the issues of medical marijuana, federal law enforcement, and the supremacy clause. Many images of marijuana and the user were presented that represented old, traditional beliefs, as well as new images that represent the emerging medical marijuana culture. The disparate views of marijuana can be explained by each person’s own special perception of the drug, which is shaped by one’s own pre-conceived notions, environment, personal experiences, and special view of "reality."
Marijuana
Medical marijuana
(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008-05-05)
Turbiville, Natalie F.
Beginning in 1999, J.K. Rowling began to receive criticism about her Harry Potter series, which was first published in 1997. Christian Fundamentalists in opposition to the books argued that occult themes present in the series were harmful to the spiritual development of children. Those in opposition cited the negative response to the popular TV series Bewitched during its initial airing in the 1960s as grounds for rejecting Harry Potter. This connection was made because the popular television series and the successful book series both contained witchcraft elements; however, this connection is false. Primary sources show that Bewitched was not challenged based on the issue of witchcraft during its initial airing in the 1960s and 1970s. Despite modern Christian fundamentalistsâ claims, the modern negative response to Bewitched is built on contemporary reflection. When Christian fundamentalists seek to prove that their outcry against the witchcraft used in Harry Potter is not unique it is suggested that America had rejected a form of media based on witchcraft when the public spoke out against Bewitched in the 1960s. In fact, the claim that Bewitched received criticism during its initial airing is incorrect. My research shows a direct contemporary correlation between the protest to Harry Potter beginning in 1999 and the rejection of Bewitched by Christian fundamentalists based on the issue of witchcraft.