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Chess

2021-09-11T18:51:03Z

Vaccineskill: Fixed a typo

[[Image:Staunton chess set.jpg|right|thumb|300px|A typical chess set and tournament clock.]]

'''Chess''' is an intellectually challenging [[board game|game]] of [[chivalry]] between two players. Based purely on skill and merit without any element of chance, chess has long been one of the most popular games in the world, and today chess is played by upwards of 800 million people worldwide. Chess sharpens the mind, improves decision-making skills, helps overcome [[addiction]] and procrastination, drives out [[anxiety]], and builds character. Promoters of chess include [[Benjamin Franklin]],<ref>https://phillybowtietours.wordpress.com/2017/02/08/benjamin-franklin-and-chess/</ref> [[Thomas Jefferson]], [[Humphrey Bogart]], Jesus Christ, and Stanley Kubrick.<ref>https://www.nybooks.com/daily/2010/04/05/playing-chess-with-kubrick/</ref>

Chess can be helpful in overcoming addictions exploiting images, patterns, or numbers, including [[pornography]], [[gambling]], [[video games]], and [[Unplug the NFL|televised football]]. Chess fills the mind with a healthy activity while reinforcing the devastating consequences ("checkmate") of bad decisions.<ref>https://chessimprover.com/chess-and-addiction/</ref> Temerity is punished in chess, as is timorousness. Chess seems to fend off obesity, unlike other hobbies.

Many women play and benefit from chess, charmingly elevating it as an art form in popular streaming commentaries on such as twitch.tv/chess.<ref>https://www.twitch.tv/chess</ref> While virtually all the top tournament chess players are male, and only about 1% of the 1500 grandmasters are female, many of the top chess streaming shows are hosted by women.

Chess emphasizes individualistic pieces, in contrast to more collectivist strategy game called "go". Chess is more hierarchical, more militaristic, and more clear-cut when someone wins. "Go", which is ancient Chinese incrementalist-type of board game, has far fewer decisive moves than in chess. "Go" tournaments feature almost entirely Asian players, while the top chess players are typically from the West or from [[India]].

Chess is nearly unique among games in having no element of chance and requiring a high degree of foresight and anticipation of an adversary's strategy. In competitive chess, a timer is used such that quick processing of information is advantageous, particularly at high skill levels.

One of the greatest chess players ever, [[Paul Morphy]] of [[New Orleans]], played in the mid-1800s and refused to wager on his games even though [[gambling]] on chess was common then, and even though he often won stunning victories unexpected at his young age.

Modern international chess has a powerful, sweeping [[queen]] who was not a piece provided in the original game. The long reach of bishops today was also lacking at first. Maneuvers such as castling or capturing ''en passant'' have been developed within the past few hundred years.

Today, chess is one of the most popular board games in the world. International competitions, including world [[champion]]ship events, are organized by an organization called FIDE and American competition organized by the USCF (United States Chess Federation). The only American world champion was [[Bobby Fischer]], although [[Paul Morphy]] of [[Louisiana]] was likely the strongest player in the world in the 1850s, before a formal world champion was determined. The current World Chess Champion is [[Norway|Norwegian]] [[Magnus Carlsen]]. Prior to that, the world champion was [[India]]n Viswanathan "Vishy" Anand.

Chess presents interesting intellectual challenges. It is said that {{Cquote|Chess has an advantage over most school subjects: it combines both [[theory and practice]]. Ideas are honed and tested in the crucible of competitive play. Poor formulation or poor execution of ideas loses games. Careless, faulty thinking is ruthlessly refuted on the chessboard.<ref>[http://users.eniinternet.com/bradleym/NoAlt.html]</ref>}}
Some countries, particularly nations like [[Uzbekistan]] from the former [[Soviet Union]], promote chess as a fundamental aspect of learning and mental development.

== Online Chess==
*[https://www.chess.com/play/computer Play a computer with easy-to-set levels of skill, which is helpful for achieving measurable improvement]
*[https://www.chess24.com Chess24 enables playing opponents online from around the world]

==Origins==
[[File:Alma Tadema Egyptian Chess Players 1865.jpg|thumb|[[Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema]], Egyptian Chess Players, 1865.]]
Modern chess is based on the [[Holy Roman Empire]], originating in the A.D. 1300s with bishops and knights as pieces and advanced moves like castling and pawn conversion available today. Perhaps to deny its [[Christian]]-affiliated roots, chess is attributed by some to [[India]], where a game called Shaturanga was played. The earliest extant description of the game is contained in the [[Bhavishya Purana]], which dates from A.D. 300 to A.D. 600. Shaturanga used [[dice]], but [[Hinduism]] bans gambling. As a result, a game of chess developed free from any dice or chance. The exact rules of Shaturanga are not known, but the game developed further in Persia into something similar to its modern form. The Persian game Shatranj - which remains popular in the middle east today - is nearly identical to modern chess. By A.D. 1200 the game reached southern Europe, and in the late fifteenth century the Europeans adopted a number of changes: the queen, which had formerly been a very weak piece, became the strongest piece on the board, and allowing pawns to move two squares on the first move became standard. These changes had the effect of speeding up play, and they brought the game into the form we know today.

In the 1500s [[castling]] was introduced into the game, which made attacks on the king far more difficult. Some [[grandmaster]]s lament that change.

There has been some speculation that chess has roots in [[China]]. It's clear that chess is in some way related to XiangQi (Chinese Chess) and Shogi (Japanese Chess which is played on a 9x9 rather than 8x8 board), but scholars disagree about whether either of these variants predates Shaturanga.

==The Board==
The chess board is a square, divided into 64 smaller squares arranged in eight rows of eight. The squares are alternating light and dark, with a light square in the bottom right hand corner.

The horizontal rows of squares are referred to as "ranks" and the vertical rows are referred to as "files". The goal of the game is to place the opposing king into ''checkmate'', that is, a position in which the king is under attack but cannot escape.

==Pieces==
[[Image:StauntonPieces.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Staunton Style chess pieces. From left to right: King, Queen, Bishop, Knight, Rook, and Pawn.]]
Each player has a total of 16 pieces; 8 pawns, 2 knights, 2 bishops, 2 rooks, 1 queen, and 1 king. 

===Relative Value of Pieces===
There are several different ideas about the relative value of the pieces. It is important to note that the "points" used to assign a value to each piece are hypothetical and do not constitute a score; they are merely an attempt to quantify the relative power that each piece can hypothetically exert upon the board.

The method most often used is:
*[[Image:chesspawn.jpg|20px]] Pawn—1
*[[Image:chessknight.jpg|20px]] Knight—3 (some say 2.5, as Knights are generally regarded as slightly inferior to Bishops in many middlegame and endgame situations)
*[[Image:chessbishop.jpg|20px]] Bishop—3
*[[Image:chessrook.jpg|20px]] Rook—5
*[[Image:chessqueen.jpg|20px]] Queen—9
*[[Image:chessking.jpg|20px]] King—Priceless, since its loss means the loss of the game. However, as an active piece in the endgame it is usually considered to have a value of 3.
 (The value to the player of some pieces will actually vary during the course of the game, for instance, in an endgame, the King has an attacking power of about 3)

===Style===
The most popular style of pieces are known as Staunton style pieces, the tournament standard for chess pieces, although other types exist. Often, popular themed chess sets will appear with characters from [[popular culture]] or [[fiction]] taking the places of the more common Staunton style pieces. These novelty pieces are not tournament sanctioned however, and can sometimes cause confusion during game play as to which piece is which.

Although chess pieces can come in a variety of materials, [[marble]] and [[glass]] tend to be very popular, but for most chess tournaments, simple [[plastic]] pieces are usually favored. Also, while many home chess sets use heavy boards made out of [[wood]] or [[stone]] or some [[polymer]] material, tournament boards are actually roll-able mats with the board printed on it.

==Gameplay ==

The object of the game is to checkmate the other player's '''King''' before he checkmates your king. When a pawn reaches the far side of the board, it may be promoted to any other piece (except a King).

*The player with the White pieces always moves first.
*The players alternate moving until the game has ended.

===Initial Conditions===
The pieces are put on the board in each player's side as follows:
*In the first row from left to right (with the leftmost square being black): '''rook''', '''knight''', '''bishop''', '''queen''', '''king''', '''bishop''', '''knight''' and '''rook'''.
*The second row is filled with '''pawns'''.

===Movement===
The pieces move as follows.
*The '''pawn''' moves one square forward, except when moving from its opening position, when it can optionally move two. The pawn is the only piece that captures in a way different from the way it moves. It captures opposing pieces by capturing one square diagonally forward. When another piece is on the square directly in front of a pawn it cannot move unless it is making a capture.
*The '''knight''', which is the only piece that can jump over other pieces, moves one square in one straight direction and two in the other (essentially, in an "L" shape).
*The '''bishop''' can move as many squares as desired diagonally.
*The '''rook''' can move as many squares as desired in a straight direction.
*The '''queen''' is the most powerful piece in the board. It can move as many squares as desired (without jumping over another piece), either straight or diagonally.
*The '''king''', which is the most important piece on the board, moves one square, either straight or diagonally.

====Capturing====

All pieces except for the pawn capture along their lines of motion. A capture is made by moving a piece to a square occupied by one of the opponent's pieces, and removing the opponent's piece from the board. If a piece can move to occupy the location of an opponent's piece, it can capture that piece. The '''pawn''', can only capture by moving diagonally forward one square. A piece is said to be undefended if it has no piece "supporting" its position - i.e., preventing an opponent from capturing it by threat of losing his attacking piece.

====Special Moves====
*'''Castling'''- When a player has no pieces between a rook and his king, and he has not moved either piece, he can move the king two squares in the direction of the rook, and then place the rook on the square that the king passed over. A player cannot castle if the King is currently in check, would be in check after castling, or would move through a square which is under attack.
*'''en passant'''- French for "In passing." In chess, if a player pushes his pawn far down to the end of the board, and his opponent pushes a starting pawn 2 spaces ahead, to put the pawn on the same row to avoid confrontation, the player may choose to invoke the "en passant" move, which treats the enemy pawn as though it had only moved one space. The player may capture diagonally on the square '''behind''' the enemy pawn, and remove the enemy pawn. The principle is that the two space rule for a pawn's first move cannot be used to avoid confrontation between two pawns. However, the player may only invoke "en passant" on the first turn after the opponent pushes his pawn. He cannot make it after that turn.

===The end of the game===
A chess game may end in a number of ways.
*'''Checkmate''': The winning player checkmates his opponent's King (see below).
*'''Resignation''': The losing player, facing an inevitable future checkmate, ''resigns'' rather than play out an extended series of hopeless moves. A player may indicate resignation by toppling his king on its side.
*'''Loss on Time''': In games with a time limit, a player may lose by failing to make a time control, causing his clock to run out.
*'''Draw''': The game may end in a draw, in which case neither player wins.

====Checkmate====
Checkmate is achieved when the following conditions are met.
* The King is ''in check''; that is, it is directly attacked by an opponent's piece.
* Every square that the King can move to is also attacked by an opponent's piece.
* The Piece that is attacking the King cannot be captured.
* Another Piece cannot be interposed between the attacking piece and the King to block the check.
When a King is checkmated, the game is over, and the player initiating the checkmate is the winner.

====Draw====
There are several ways that the game can end in a draw.
*'''Stalemate''': A player is said to be ''stalemated'' when he cannot make a legal move, and is not in check.
*'''Draw by agreement''': The players mutually agree to a draw. In competitive chess, a player may make a draw offer after he has made his move, but before he has started his opponent's clock.
*'''Draw by repetition''': Either player may claim a draw if the same position has appeared on the board three times. The three occasions need not be consecutive.
*'''50 move rule''': Either player may claim a draw if fifty moves have transpired without a capture or a pawn move.

==Notation==
Chess notation is used to record the moves of a chess game. This has several uses. Notation can be used to record games for review at a later time. There are two major methods of chess notation, Algebraic and Descriptive.

====For all forms of Notation====
The notation for a chess game is taken like this. At the top of the page are the players — white listed first — with their names under their colors. Numbers go down the left side of the page to indicate the move number. (see below) 
White, Black 
Name Name
1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 

Moves are recorded in columns, separated by commas.

Space is usually allotted on the top of tournament scoresheets to record the date and location of the game, and sometimes to record the time limit and opening name.

=====Pieces=====
Each piece is designated by its corresponding letter as follows: 
K = King 
Q = Queen 
R = Rook 
B = Bishop 
N = Knight (notice 'K' is reserved for the King) 
P = Pawn

(In strict chess parlance, the pawns are not considered pieces; officially, a standard chess set consists of sixteen pieces ''and'' sixteen pawns.)

=====Moves=====
- Moves to
x Captures
+ Check
++ Checkmate
0-0 Castles king-side
0-0-0 Castles queen-side
e.p. en passant
/ to indicate which square a piece moved from (only when needed to clarify)
/Q Pawn promotion. (use /Q for queen, /R for rook, etc.)
! A good move
!! A very good move
!? An interesting move
?! A dubious move
? A questionable move
?? A blunder

===Algebraic===
Algebraic is the most commonly used method of notation. [[Image:Chessboardanote1.jpg|right]]

====The Board====
In algebraic notation, each file is assigned a letter, and each rank is assigned a number. Each square is designated by the letter and number from its rank and file. a1 is the square in the bottom left corner for the white player.

====Movement====
Moves are recorded by indicating the piece to be moved and the square it is to be moved to, sometimes using a hyphen (-). For example, if white wants to move his Kingside Knight towards the center of the board to start the game, the notation would be:
White Black
1. Nf3, ....

or

White Black
1. N-f3, ....

In algebraic notation, a P is not used to indicate the pawn. A pawn move is implied when no piece is indicated. So if white wants to advance his king pawn 2 squares, and black responds by advancing his king pawn 2 squares, the notation would be:
White Black
1. e4, e5,
2. ....

Occasionally, two pieces of the same type can move to the same square. To eliminate ambiguity, the unique rank or file of the moving piece is identified after the piece symbol. For example, suppose both of Black's Rooks are on the 8th rank (on the squares f8 and a8), and there are no pieces in between them. Black moves the f8 Rook to d8. In other circumstances, the move would be annotated
17. .... Rd8
but because either Rook could have moved to d8, the identifying file for the f8 Rook must be included, as in
17. .... Rfd8

====Captures====
Captures by a piece or pawn are indicated by first transcribing the symbol for the piece performing the capture, followed by an 'x', followed by the square the capturing piece or pawn moved to. For example, if White uses his Queen to capture a piece on the square h7 on move 23, the correct notation is
23. Qxh7, ....

Because pawns are not designated with a symbol, the system is slightly different for pawn captures. The file originally occupied by the pawn is used to identify the pawn performing the capture. If a black pawn on e5 captures a white piece or pawn on d4 on move 5, the notation is
5. ...., exd4

===Descriptive===
In the more archaic descriptive notation, squares are described according to the starting piece positions. The square originally occupied by the Rook on the Queenside is referred to as "Queen's Rook One" (QR1), while "Queen's Rook Four" is the square directly in front of the Queen's Rook on the fourth rank. Thus, a typical opening move is described as "Pawn to King Four", and is written as
1. P-K4, ....

Note that in descriptive notation, pawns have the designation 'P'. The notation's disadvantages become apparent over the course of a complex game, especially because the same square has different names depending on the perspective of the White and Black pieces. King's Bishop Three (KB3) for White is King's Bishop Six (KB6) for Black.

Captures in descriptive notation operate similar to algebraic notation; for example,

45. .... R-xQN7

means that on his 45th move, Black captured a piece or pawn on his Queen's Knight Seven square (the b2 square in algebraic notation).

Although this method of recording is seldom used, it is advisable for new players to be familiar with it because many older text books use it.

==Tactics and strategy==
Chess players often refer to shorter, forcing sequences of moves that lead to clear advantages as ''tactics'', while moves designed to create or nurture long-term advantages are called ''strategic.''

For more information on specific tactics, see [[chess tactics]]. For more information on specific strategic themes, see [[chess strategies]].
=== Chess vs. Go ===

While chess is extremely popular strategic and tactical game in the [[Western World]], [[Go (game)|go]] is more popular in the Eastern World.

David Lai wrote on the difference between chess and go:
{{cquote|The philosophy behind chess is to win decisively. For the winner, victory is absolute, as is defeat for the loser. In chess, both players have the same clear and overriding objective―capturing the opposing king―and accomplish this objective by decimating whatever opposing forces are standing in the way. In go, total victory usually happens between two mismatched players. That kind of victory, as [[Sun Tzu]] puts it, is not the pinnacle of excellence. In a go game between two well-matched players, the margin between win and lose is usually very small, often decided by only a few points. The philosophy behind go therefore is to compete for relative gain rather than seeking complete annihilation of the opponent’s forces. It is dangerous to play go with the chess mindset. One can become overly aggressive so that he will stretch his force thin and expose his vulnerable parts in the battlefields.

In chess, the focus is on the king. All the moves are geared toward checking the king. In designs to capture the king, chess players always try to eliminate the powerful pieces such as the queen, knight, castle, and bishop. Chess players typically focus on these powerful military units as the ‘center of gravity’ and ‘decisive point’ (in [[Carl von Clausewitz|Clausewitz]] and [[Antoine-Henri Jomini|Jomini]]’s terms). Naturally, chess players are single-minded. In go, it is a war with multiple campaigns and battlefields. There is no one single focus on the board. A go player must always keep the whole situation in mind. Attacking the opponent’s strategy therefore is much more appropriate in go. As a prolonged and complex game, go players focus on building or creating rather than chess players’ emphases on removal and destruction.” <ref>David Lai, “''Learning From The Stones: A Go Approach To Mastering China’s Strategic Concept, Shi'', pp. 28-29</ref>}}

Another major difference between chess and go is that in go matches there is always a winner and a loser without any draws.

==Chess Variants==
There are a number of games based on chess with rule variations, and these are referred to as ''chess variants''. One of the most popular of these is ''Bughouse'', a partner-based game in which a player who captures his opponent's piece can give it to a partner on another board to drop on a square of his choosing. Another is ''Kriegspiel'', a game in which a player can see his pieces but not that of his opponent.<ref>http://www.chessvariants.com/incinf.dir/kriegspiel.html</ref> A simpler variant is ''Antichess'', which is also called ''Suicide chess'', in which a player must make a capturing move if any legal captures exist on the board, and in which the goal is to run out of pieces first.

In 1996, [[Bobby Fischer]] introduced a variant called FischerRandom Chess, which involves scrambling the positions of the pieces on the first and eighth ranks before starting play. A number of rules govern the precise manner in which the pieces can be arranged; for example, the king must be somewhere between the two rooks, so that castling to either side is still possible, and the black and white positions must mirror one another. The rules provide for 960 possible starting positions, and for this reason the game is sometimes called Chess960. Fischer hoped his variant would encourage creative thinking and avoid the memorization associated with opening play in modern chess.

==Computer Chess==
Deep Blue, a computer developed by IBM, was the first computer engine to beat a human world champion in 1997, when it defeated [[Garry Kasparov]] in a six-game series. This series was a rematch of 1996 series which Kasparov won, although Deep Blue had been upgraded since the first series. It should be noted that during this second match, Deep Blue was also upgraded between games to avoid falling into the same type of trap more than once.

Chess engines have increased in strength in recent years to the point where humans are falling behind. In 2005, Michael Adams, one of the top fifteen players in the world, played a six-game match against the engine Hydra, and lost five games with only one draw. Chess writer Eric Schiller, who uses computer assistance in writing his books, admits that "computers have taken some of the fun out of (chess)." Despite this, chess remains far from being a [[solved game]].

== Words from Chess ==

*check (noun, origin in 1400s)
*checkmate (origin in the 1300s)
*endgame (origin in 1884)
*[[gambit]] (origin in 1656)
*jeopardy (origin in the 1300s)
*stalemate (origin in 1765)

== Rankings in Chess ==

The four basic levels of high skill in chess are, in this order of ranking:
*Grandmaster ("GM")
*International Master ("IM") as recognized by FIDE (the International Chess Federation, known by the acronym for its French name, the Federation Internationale des Echecs)
*FIDE Master ("CM")
*Candidate Master ("CM")

==External links==
*[http://www.fide.com/ FIDE] - International Chess Federation based in [[Switzerland]], which posts rankings of players in multiple categories
*[http://www.uschess.org USCF] - United States Chess Federation
*[http://www.iccf.com/ ICCF] - International Correspondence Chess Federation
*[http://www.chess-players.org/eng/index.html ACP] - Association of Chess Professionals
*[http://www.freechess.org FICS] - Free Internet Chess Server

Online chess:

*[http://www.chess.com/ Chess.com]
*[https://lichess.org/ Lichess.org]
*[https://chess24.com/ Chess24.com]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}
[[Category:Chess]]

Marijuana

2021-09-11T18:44:54Z

Vaccineskill: Added a sentence of additional information and spelling

[[Image:Marijuana.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Indoor Marijuana Grow (DEA photo)]]
'''Marijuana''' (also spelled '''marihuana''', and colloquially known as "chronic", "ganja", "joint", "kush", "pot", "reefer", "hash", "cannabis" and "weed") is the name given to the flowering buds of the ''Cannabis'' genus of plant, divided into the species ''Sativa, Indica'' and ''Ruderalis'', prepared for human consumption. The main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana is [[tetrahydrocannabinol|THC]], or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, an [[organic chemistry|organic chemical]] compound which imitates natural cannabinoids produced in the human body. Because THC is considered harmful, marijuana is generally illegal to possess, cultivate and sell in most countries, although it is "legal" in some [[liberal]] states.<ref>The sale of marijuana is illegal virtually everywhere in the world (other than Uruguay, and as of mid-2018 Canada), and results in long prison sentences in many places. In Portugal, Argentina, California and South Australia, the use (rather than the sale) of small quantities of marijuana is allowed. In the United States it remains illegal under federal law, though the law is generally enforced only when dealing with large quantities indicating intent to distribute.</ref> In some extremely liberal jurisdictions, you can even buy it in a vending machine.<ref>E.g. [[Seattle]]</ref>
You want this it's the good stuff. Even Jesus loved it

'''''Marijuana is a highly addictive drug that causes short-term memory loss, malaise, psychosis in predisposed individuals, violence and violent fits, as well as impairment of physical and mental functioning'''''. Studies confirm and even defenders of marijuana admit that it causes violent paranoia.<ref>"Smoking Marijuana makes you Violent. Paranoia, a natural thought process that all humans will experience at one time or another, is often experienced by heavy smokers more often than non smokers." [https://listwand.com/top-7-reasons-you-should-run-away-from-marijuana-weed/]</ref> Marijuana use may contribute to a rise in brain tumors. While some pretend that cannabis has "medicinal" benefits (see [[Medical marijuana]]), many scientists debunk that fiction and observe that there are numerous federally approved medicines for the diseases that "medicinal" marijuana has been used to treat. Marijuana consumption impairs one's ability to drive, thereby creating enormous hazards on the road.

The media downplays or even conceals the role of marijuana in murders that result from extreme paranoia. There were many media reports about the brutal random murder of the 22-year-old rookie police officer Natalie Corona in Davis, [[California]] in January 2019, by Kevin Douglas Limbaugh, a white man aged 48. The toxicology report on Limbaugh showed that he had THC in his blood, which demonstrates his marijuana use.<ref>https://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/opinion/2019/04/17/dont-ignore-mental-illness-ties-marijuana/3491146002/</ref> Yet media reports about the murderer's marijuana use are very hard to find.

A study from New Zealand conducted in part by researchers at Duke University showed that people who started smoking marijuana heavily in their teens and had an ongoing marijuana use disorder lost an average of 8 IQ points between ages 13 and 38. The lost mental abilities didn't fully return in those who quit marijuana as adults. Those who started smoking marijuana as adults didn't show notable IQ declines. <ref>https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana</ref>

As of early 2019, only two countries have legalized recreational use of marijuana, as in 2013 socialist [[Uruguay]] legalized the drug, and [[Canada]], under Trudeau's Liberal Party, legalized marijuana in October 2018. In the United States, nine states have "legalized" the recreational use of marijuana: Alaska, California, Colorado, Oregon, Massachusetts, Maine, Nevada, Vermont and Washington, along with Washington D.C., but not all allow sales of marijuana. All but three conservative states have either decriminalized marijuana or allowed limited medical usage for specific medical conditions. However, due to the Supremacy Clause, federal law, under which marijuana is illegal, overrules those states which have legalized or decriminalized, so their "legalization" is only de facto effective to the degree to which the federal government refrains from enforcing federal law.

==Legal history==
===United States===
Marijuana was first restricted in the United States on the federal level in 1937, with [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]]'s signing of the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act.<ref name="Kidd1970">{{cite book|author=Jeannette Kidd|title=Marihuana Tax Act of 1937: Its Causes and Effects|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DStZAAAAMAAJ|year=1970|publisher=University of Wisconsin--Madison|page=57}}</ref> On May 19, 1969, the Supreme Court declared the Marihuana Tax Act unconstitutional due to illegal self-incrimination, a violation of the Fifth Amendment, in the case of Leary v. United States.<ref>https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/395/6/#tab-opinion-1948101</ref> As a result, President Richard Nixon signed into law the Controlled Substances Act on October 27, 1970, renewing the ban on marijuana.<ref>https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/21cfr/21usc/811.htm</ref> From 1973 to 1978, several US states "decriminalized" marijuana, meaning that they would not enforce state laws against minor marijuana use and possession. This began with Oregon, and was joined with Alaska, California, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Nebraska.<ref name="Dufton2017">{{cite book|author=Emily Dufton|title=Grass Roots: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Marijuana in America|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qo6YDgAAQBAJ|date=5 December 2017|publisher=Basic Books|isbn=978-0-465-09617-6}}</ref> In 1996 in California, a voter referendum legalized the use of marijuana for medical usages, allowing it to be used for any condition for which a patient presented a doctor's recommendation.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Balzar|first1=John|title=Voters Approve Measure to Use Pot as Medicine|url=http://articles.latimes.com/print/1996-11-06/news/mn-62740_1_voters-approve-measure|accessdate=February 9, 2018|work=Los Angeles Times|date=November 6, 1996}}</ref> [[Arizona]] also passed a medical cannabis ballot measure, but it was rendered ineffective on a technicality.<ref>{{citation|title=State-By-State Medical Marijuana Laws|url=https://www.mpp.org/issues/medical-marijuana/state-by-state-medical-marijuana-laws/state-by-state-medical-marijuana-laws-report/|publisher=Marijuana Policy Project|date=December 2016}}</ref> Other states followed, and in 2014 Utah became the first state to legalize only some derivatives of marijuana, not the full drug itself.<ref>{{cite news|title=First-of-its-kind medical marijuana law signed in Utah|url=https://www.rt.com/usa/utah-charlees-law-marijuana-409/|accessdate=February 10, 2018|work=RT|date=March 26, 2014}}</ref> In 2012, Washington and Colorado "legalized" recreational marijuana by voter initiative;<ref>https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/11/07/psychological-impact-legalizing-marijuana.html</ref> by early 2018 the number of recreational legal states reached nine with the addition of Vermont.<ref>https://www.reuters.com/article/us-vermont-marijuana/vermont-senate-passes-bill-to-legalize-marijuana-use-idUSKBN1EZ2KS</ref>

Marijuana is a [[Schedule I]] [[Controlled Substance]] in the United States of America, meaning that it is illegal under federal law of the United States, and considered to have no redeemable medical value. According to the FBI, in 2012, there were 658,000 arrests for marijuana possession compared with 256,000 for cocaine, heroin and their derivatives.<ref name=nyt>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/07/27/opinion/sunday/high-time-marijuana-legalization.html?_r=0|title=Repeal Prohibition, Again|work=New York Times|date=July 26, 2014|accessdate=July 27, 2014}}</ref>

Many liberals have advocated for decriminalization, including National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, Marijuana Policy Project, and Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.<ref>[http://www.leap.cc Law Enforcement Against Prohibition]</ref><ref>http://www.lp.org/issues/lp-oss.shtml</ref> On July 26, 2014, the ''New York Times'' published an editorial calling for removing federal controls over marijuana for people 21 and older, leaving the question to individual states.<ref name=nyt/> Many [[American]] [[conservative]]s, especially social conservatives, oppose legalization of marijuana in any form due to its perceived harmful medical and psychological effects and its likelihood of harm to third parties due to drug-related crime and reckless driving. A few libertarian-leaning conservatives, most notably [[Ron Paul]], [[William F. Buckley]], and [[Larry Elder]], have advocated the decriminalization of this drug. Some [[liberal]]s support legalization, but most instead advocate for drug treatment and rehabilitation. [[Libertarian]]s are usually the biggest supporters of marijuana legalization. [[Gary Johnson]], a former Republican and 2012 Libertarian Party Presidential candidate for president, is the highest ranking US politician to advocate for marijuana legalization. He was a two-term Governor of [[New Mexico]].

Legalization on a Federal level is virtually impossible, since the United States was a major leader in the international treaty known as the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs<ref>[url=https://www.unodc.org/pdf/convention_1961_en.pdf]</ref> of 1970. Said treaty is defined by the Constitution as carrying equal weight to an Amendment to the Constitution; therefore, the only way marijuana could ever be legal on a Federal level is if we withdrew from a treaty of our own creation as a prerequisite to legalization.

The [[H.R. 3884|Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act]] was passed through the U.S. House of Representatives on December 4th, 2020. Passage in the Senate is very unlikely.

===Overseas===
The [[Netherlands]] decriminalized the use of marijuana in 1976. As a result, marijuana use among the 18-25 age group doubled, however, despite its availability, marijuana use in the Netherlands is lower than the European average. The Netherlands also saw an influx of "drug tourists" and other undesirables, as well as an increase in crime. In 2013, the government of the Netherlands enacted a new toleration rule regarding the use of marijuana in order to combat drug tourism, essentially restricting access of marijuana to citizens<ref>https://www.government.nl/topics/drugs/toleration-policy-regarding-soft-drugs-and-coffee-shops</ref>. Crime has since leveled out, leaving the Netherlands with one of the lowest crime rates in Europe until recently<ref>https://www.osac.gov/Country/Netherlands/Content/Detail/Report/5854ae95-5573-449f-a294-1865caaef8ae</ref>.

In several countries, particularly in [[Western Europe]], cannabis use has been decriminalized. However, in many other countries, particularly those in the Middle East and Asia, possession of even small amounts of cannabis can be punishable by death.

In 2013, Uruguay initiated nationwide legalization of recreational marijuana, becoming the first developed nation to do so in the modern era.<ref name="FijnautRuyver2015">{{cite book|author1=Cyrille J.C.F. Fijnaut|author2=Brice de Ruyver|title=The Third Way: A Plea for a Balanced Cannabis Policy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bCdACgAAQBAJ&pg=PA57|date=24 July 2015|publisher=BRILL|isbn=978-90-04-29319-9|pages=57–}}</ref> Canada legalized recreational cannabis in October 2018, allowing "pot shops" that sold marijuana under the ruse of "medicinal" purposes to drop the pretense and begin selling marijuana openly for recreational purposes.

In December 2020, the United Nations voted to reclassify marijuana from the most restrictive Schedule IV classification (equivalent to the US Schedule I) to the less restrictive U.N. Schedule I, indicating that marijuana has a valid medicinal value, while still being highly addictive<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/02/world/europe/cannabis-united-nations-drug-policy.html</ref>. Should liberals have their way, this opens the window for the U.S. to classify marijuana as Schedule II without violating the Single Convention.

==Adverse effects==
[[File:Brain abnormalities of marijuana user.jpg|thumbnail|Areas of the brain negatively effected by THC]]
Marijuana contains many of the same carcinogens as tobacco, and some research suggests that when smoked, it shares the same risk of lung cancer<ref>[https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615095940.htm Science Daily 6/9/2009]</ref> If smoked, marijuana also leads to a temporary increase in heart rate and blood pressure resulting is a slight increase in the risk for heart related problems including heart attack.<ref>[http://www.askmen.com/sports/health/20_mens_health.html AskMen: Benefits of Marijuana]</ref> Chronic smokers often suffer from mild withdrawal symptoms, however marijuana is not believed to be physically addictive.<ref>[http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-teenage-mind/201012/is-marijuana-addictive Psychology Today: Is Marijuana Addictive?]</ref> Marijuana can impair judgment, motor skills, and balance.<ref>[http://www.acde.org/common/Marijana.htm]</ref> Prenatal exposure to marijuana has also been linked to impaired learning and developmental disability in children.<ref>[http://www.nature.com/npp/journal/v31/n10/full/1301068a.html Neuropsycopharmacology: High-Potency Marijuana Impairs Executive Function and Inhibitory Motor Control]</ref> If marijuana is consumed heavily and on a daily basis by children around the age of 12 for a period of years, even liberal scientists have been forced to conclude that humans have a 1/4th random chance of developing psychosis, based on a random genetic trait.<ref>[http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/schizophrenia/cannabis-psychosis-link] The Cannabis-Psychosis Link</ref> However, all of these adverse effects, which have been the motivation for making recreational use of marijuana illegal, are typically ignored by the liberal advocates of recreational marijuana use, who use deceitful and dismissive arguments (including the creation, publication and use of fraudulent "studies" which claim to "debunk" the science proving the negative effects of marijuana, without offering any legitimate proof behind their "debunking" claims) against keeping marijuana use illegal to justify its use and are motivated both by politics and simply by doing what they want at the expense of public health and safety.<ref name="pot debate">[https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/marijuana-legalization-debate-prompts-a-new-high-in-democratic-hypocrisy Marijuana legalization debate prompts a new high in Democratic hypocrisy] at Fox News</ref><ref>[https://canadafreepress.com/article/legalize-marijuana-be-careful-what-you-wish-for Legalize Marijuana? Be Careful What You Wish For!] at [[Canada Free Press]]</ref>

===Crime===
The [[liberal media]] typically downplay or completely ignore the role of marijuana in [[Young mass murderers|mass killings]], horrific accidents, and other types of harm to innocent people victimized by users of the drug. For example, authorities conceal from the public how much marijuana was in the system of "College Weed Dealer" [[Young mass murderers|Dzhokhar Tsarnaev]] when he went on his killing rampage.<ref>http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/04/dzhokhar-tsarnaev-dealing-drugs/64529/</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://canadafreepress.com/article/can-marijuana-fuel-jihad|title=Can Marijuana Fuel Jihad?|last=Kincaid|first=Cliff|date=|newspaper=Canada Free Press|access-date=February 17, 2017|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|work=|language=en|via=}}</ref> ''Rolling Stone'' magazine, which has often featured musicians who abuse drugs, put Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on its July 13, 2013 cover. The magazine's article described him as "a dedicated pot smoker" and local dealer who "always had big Tupperware containers of weed in his fridge." <ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/jahars-world-20130717|title=Jahar: The Making of a Monster|last=Reitman|first=Janet|date=July 17, 2013|newspaper=Rolling Stone|access-date=February 17, 2017|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|work=|via=}}</ref>

The current trend of marijuana becoming legal on the state level has lead to increased supply in the United States, which in turn has lead to Mexican drug cartels choosing to switch to heroin and methamphetamine, both far deadlier drugs, due to marijuana commanding a lesser profit margin.<ref>https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/02/20/mexican-cartels-switch-gears-after-u-s-states-relax-u-s-states-legalize-marijuana-mexicos-cartels-sw/343389002/</ref><ref>https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Heroin#section=Human-Toxicity-Values</ref><ref>https://inhomelandsecurity.com/mexican-cartels-marijuana-profit</ref><ref>https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3145326/</ref>

==Medical benefits==
Advocates of marijuana claim that the active ingredient in marijuana, [[Tetrahydrocannabinol|THC]], has been shown to produce some short-term psychological and medicinal "benefits", which are probably more than offset by the medical harm. For example, Harvard University conducted a study on the effect of Δ-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol on certain lung cancers, claiming that THC might help reduce a lung cancer tumor size by as much as half.<ref>[https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070417193338.htm Science Daily 4/7/2007]</ref> In addition to a significant reduction in tumor size, there was a reduction in lesions on the lungs by 60%, and a reduction in protein markers associated with the progression of cancer.<ref>[https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070417193338.htm Science Daily 4/17/2007]</ref>

Marijuana is used to relieve symptoms experienced by patients afflicted with [[amyotrophic lateral sclerosis|ALS]].<ref>[http://ajh.sagepub.com/content/18/4/264.short American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine]</ref>

Marijuana is an [[antispasmodic]] and [[anticonvulsant]] is used in the treatment of seizures.<ref>[http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=9586&page=106 National Academies Press: Marijuana and muscle spasticity]</ref> Marijuana is also used in the treatment of migraines, arthritis,<ref>[http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/art.1780090304/abstract Online Library: Treatment of adjuvant arthritis in rats with anti-inflammatory drugs]</ref> depression,<ref name="interestingfacts.org">[http://www.interestingfacts.org/fact/facts-about-marijuana Interesting Facts: Facts about marijuana]</ref> and glaucoma. However the effect of marijuana on intraocular pressure (IOC) is not as effective as those offered by other drugs on the market.<ref>[http://www.nei.nih.gov/news/statements/marij.asp National Eye Institue: Glaucoma and Marijuana use]</ref> In states where marijuana is legal (either completely or via medication), parents of young children have been known to seek out strains that are high in Cannabidiol (CBD) and low in THC; Cannabidiol is known to counteract the "high" of THC, and is believed to be the cause of the anti-seizure effects when consumed.

There have not been many in-depth and widely distributed studies into the possible medicinal effects of marijuana. However, with political pressure from [[liberal]]  advocates of marijuana, more accredited institutions are conducting research on the drug.

Despite state legality, physicians are reluctant to prescribe "medicinal" marijuana fearing it may jeopardize their DEA license to prescribe controlled substances.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/810356|title=Medical Marijuana: The Imperative of Educating Physicians|last=Schatman|first=Michael|date=September 6, 2013|website=Medscape|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=}}</ref> "Medicinal" marijuana is used by physicians as a last-resort in states where it is legal or semi-legal (under state law), but also misused by people who simply want to get high. "Medicinal" marijuana, however well-intentioned and beneficial, will also lead to abuses in that system.

===Marinol===
''Marinol'' (a brand formulation of dronabinol)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.drugscience.org/Archive/bcr3/n3_Marinol.html|title=The Bulletin of Cannabis Reform|website=www.drugscience.org|access-date=2017-02-17}}</ref> is a schedule III controlled substance, approved for relief of nausea and vomiting in persons undergoing cancer chemotherapy and to improve appetite in persons with AIDS. It is dispensed in gelatin capsules containing synthetic Δ-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol dissolved in sesame oil. Liberals advocating "medicinal" marijuana do their best to ignore this drug. A 1998 survey of physicians, addiction specialists and police demonstrated no evidence or concern about the abuse, dependence or diversion of Marinol.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Calhoun|first=S. R.|last2=Galloway|first2=G. P.|last3=Smith|first3=D. E.|date=1998-04-01|title=Abuse potential of dronabinol (Marinol)|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=9692381|journal=Journal of Psychoactive Drugs|volume=30|issue=2|pages=187–196|doi=10.1080/02791072.1998.10399689|issn=0279-1072|pmid=9692381}}</ref> About this time, the DEA moved the drug from schedule II to the less restrictive schedule III.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/fed_regs/rules/1998/fr1105.htm|title=Proposed Rules - 1998 - Schedules of Controlled Substances: Rescheduling of Synthetic Dronabinol (Martinol®; (-)-Δ9-(trans)-Tetrahydrocannabinol in Sesame oil and Encapsulated in Soft Gelatin Capsules) From Schedule II to Schedule III.|website=www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov|language=en-US|access-date=2017-02-17}}</ref>

===Cannabidiol (CBD)===
CBD is chemically extracted from the cannabis plant. It is legal in most states, and its oil has been proven to be effective in certain cases of epilepsy and insomnia. So far, any other effects have been demonstrated to be snake-oil. While CBD itself is safe, oils claiming to contain CBD are currently unregulated by the FDA.<ref>https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/cannabidiol-cbd-what-we-know-and-what-we-dont-2018082414476</ref>

== Atheism, marijuana usage and amotivational syndrome ==
*[[Atheism and amotivational syndrome]] (Marijuana usage is associated with amotivational syndrome)

==Tax revenue==
Marijuana advocates, ignoring the adverse health, cultural, and societal effects of legalized marijuana, point to increased tax revenue in states where it is legal and heavily taxed.<ref>https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewdepietro/2018/05/04/how-much-money-states-make-cannabis-sales/#19f8144af181</ref> Colorado alone has made over $1 billion in tax revenue over the course of its five years of legalization, roughly the same amount that the seven states where marijuana is both legal and taxed made in 2018.<ref>https://wjla.com/news/nation-world/colorado-made-1b-in-marijuana-tax-revenue-what-could-this-mean-for-federal-legalization</ref><ref>https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2019/03/26/which-states-made-the-most-tax-revenue-from-marijuana-in-2018-infographic/#6f3f0bc17085</ref>

==Trivia==
*[[Carl Sagan]] used recreational marijuana to help "open his mind".<ref>[http://boingboing.net/2009/10/07/carl-sagan-spaced-ou.html Boing Boing: Carl Sagan Spaced Out]</ref>
*Cannabis was first cultivated in China around 4000 B.C.<ref name="interestingfacts.org"/>
*U.S. [[Declaration of Independence]] was not written on hemp paper, despite popular belief by liberals.<ref>[http://www.usconstitution.net/constfaq_q145.html Constitutional FAQ Answer #145 - U.S. Constitution Online]</ref>
*[[George Washington]] grew marijuana.<ref>[http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/thepresidentandcabinet/a/gwtheman.htm The President and the Cabinet: George Washington the Man]</ref>
*An average human will pass out after consuming 1/14 of the LD-50 of weed, which is why no overdoses have ever been reported. Driving while high, however, is extremely dangerous.<ref>[https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/drugged-driving]</ref>
*[[Barack Hussein Obama|Barack Obama]] has admitted to use of marijuana. Former President [[Bill Clinton]] has also admitted to smoking marijuana, but claims that he "did not inhale". Former President [[George W. Bush]] privately admitted to smoking marijuana, but stated he wouldn't state it publicly "'Cause I don't want some little kid doing what I tried."
*Marijuana was originally a slang name, and as such, it is the only drug to be legally defined by its slang name
*Industrial marijuana was briefly made legal in World War II in order to keep up with the demand of rope, canvas and other materials traditionally made from hemp<ref>https://ministryofhemp.com/blog/hemp-for-victory-disappear</ref>
*Marijuana is called "weed" because it grows like one- heterogeneous marijuana grows in every part of the world except for the Arctic poles. In the United States, one can report the accidental growth of marijuana on ones' property to law enforcement without fear of criminal penalty
*Like many plants, marijuana was selectively bred over the course of millennia in order to increase its potency. Primitive marijuana plants, if smoked, would induce a headache rather than the desired "high"

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Drugs]]
[[Category:Illegal Substances]]
[[Category:Illegal Drugs]]
[[Category:Hollywood Values]]