"Now I want you to write a letter to me as if I'm a person who just came forward in time from the year 2004." A teacher walked around her desk as she talked to a room full of students.

It was a college classroom, with the seats set up in rows almost like a sporting event. On the middle of the large board was "Writing Assignment" in big letters. She leaned back against her desk. "I want you to tell them of the changes that happened between that time and this time, and how it helped us to become a greater nation.

I want you to only focus on one thing, think of it a chapter that would be added into a history book." One of the student's hand rose. "Yes."

"But how do we write a letter and a history chapter Miss Blake?"

"It was just an example Scott. You're going to want to explain it to me as if I were reading a history book, so you'll have to pick a chapter you wish to write about, and then teach it to me." She got up and walked up to the first row of seats.

"Now I know some of you have actually lived through this, 're one, so I expect yours to be extra good." She laughed. Nicholas, a man in his early thirty's, who had come back to college to get a degree raised his hand. "Go ahead."

"What if we just mentioned the other major events to lead up to the cause of the subject we decide to write about?"

"That's fine, but what I mean is to try and focus on one you need to rely on another in order to get your point across then by all means." Nicholas nodded as the buzzer rang and people started filing out. "I want this by Monday!" Miss Blake yelled out.

Nicholas smiled, that being his final class and headed out of the college down the block to a convenient store. He had run out of pot the night before, and considering he was planning on writing his paper on marijuana, decided that he would need some to get juiced flowing.

".lboro milds bubblegum." Someone said as he entered, he smiled to her holding the door as she passed and went up to the counter.

"Hey Nicholas, how are you doing?"

"Good, you?"

"Can't complain, what can I get ya?"

"Hmm." I thought for a second. "I think I'll take Newport Nuggets Northern Lights today."

The man nodded and pulled out a small packet that looked a little thicker then a lifesavers package, but made out of plastic with a Marijuana leaf logo going around it with Newport Nuggets on it and Northern Lights under that in lower size.

Nicholas dropped down a twenty on the counter and left the store, walking to his car. He waited until he got home to open up the pack and take out a small glass container of clear liquid. He reached into his backpack and took out a long silver metal case, and opened it up to pull out a long cylinder.

He put the container in the top, and then sucked on the bottom while he pushed the top in. He put the cylinder back in the case while exhaling and put the case down, his eyes turning glassy and a smile appearing on his face.

He walked into his kitchen getting a glass of water, then back into the living room to his computer, opening up Microsoft Word and began to type.

'Marijuana and the drug war

The war on drugs was probably the biggest-and longest-war that American's (and the world) ever fought. It ruined the lives of countless individuals; much more then any drug could have done on its own. It was ultimately.a waste of time.

In 2006 things were looking grim for America. Jobs were at an all time low in most every state. With the draft in place for the war in Iraq most family's were torn apart and women forced into low paying jobs barley unable to feed themselves and their families.

Funds were pulled from social security and welfare making it even harder for the lower classes to do anything but join the military(or wait to be drafted)in order to get a little food as more and more money was added to the war budget.

Iraq wasn't the only war America was fighting though, the government still held desperately onto the concepts of a war on terror, and a war on drugs. The latter now mostly concerned with Marijuana with little to no focus on any other more dangerous drugs.

So in reality, around 2006, the war on drugs just became a war on Marijuana, with a clause at the bottom saying if we happen to find you with anything else(cocaine, heroin, ect.), we'll probably arrest you as well.

Marijuana's been here for along time, thousands of it'll probably be here long after human beings are gone, which is why I never believed they would keep the charade of trying to eradicate it from the earth going for so by then neither did most people.

Medical Marijuana had been approved in 22 states at the beginning of 2007, with several states beginning to approve, and there were even a few counties in California and New York where one could find a Pot Café operating with the permission of the police.

It was still technically illegal, but most States just looked the other way due to the rising crime, they could tell what was more couldn't the president? The DEA continued to raid medical marijuana grow operations and shut down quite a few of the beginning pot café's before they were made a more underground thing.

By 2007 roughly 70% of American's were unemployed, and another 7% in prison for drug related charges. The USA had become the next Mexico, with their citizens fleeing north to Canada to escape the draft or find work. More funds were put into border control, putting America in even more debt.

When the second recession hit drug abuse was up higher then it had ever been before due to mass depression, which led to even more funds being pushed into the drug war, and people had had enough.

Steadily increasing brutality in police made the streets more like a prison camp then a city, and riots began to break out in late 2007. It was coined the second revolution, and most places in America were unsafe.

The National Guard was called in, but most of them had left and joined with the rioters. The army that was still on American soil took this chance to rebel as well, none of them really wanting to go to war anyway, and left the service. The American Government would never be the same.

In 2008 President Bush stepped down from office, as well as most of the politicians that were in place, replaced by America's first Independent (Reform) Party president, Steve Epstein, and a cabinet of newer generation politicians, ones who were not hung up on the policies of decades past.

Several new amendments were added to the constitution, further limiting power gained by future presidents. The Electoral College was put to rest, making the deciding factor in an election the popular vote of the public instead of the politicians so that no one could cheat their way into office.

The war in Iraq was the first priority, and by 2009 it was ended. During that time the war on Terrorism was also ended, and people were enlightened to the fact that it was mostly a scare tactic to keep the people too scared to become independent. The only reason anyone had to terrorize America was due to the policies and actions of the Government, and after that changed there were very few any.

The war on Marijuana was also put to an end soon after Epstein was elected. It was decriminalized in most states and completely legal by 2009. Other drugs were decriminalized too, but rehabilitation replaced prison for drugs like heroin and cocaine.

The new drug laws stated that every man has the right to decide what he puts in his own body, but not while it could be deemed inappropriate, or in the deciding factor to commit criminal acts.

What this basically meant was that if you wanted to do these drugs you could, but do them in the privacy of your own home. Drug raids had officially stopped, police were no longer actively looking for drugs, but if they found you doing them or selling them in public, especially near schools then you could be punished.

The appropriate place to do these drugs was in your home. I'm not really sure how they got these drugs.I'm sure the underground market was still working well for people who wanted those drugs.

If caught outside with them, you were given a choice for not everyone had coverage back then with the recession still affecting a lot of people. On your first or second offence you could choose no rehabilitation and get a warning, since as the law stated (and as America became more and more liberal) we have the choice to use it. On the third or greater offence however, or if you were caught committing a crime while high, or in possession of drugs you would be given the choice of jail or rehabilitation.

This sparked a lot of controversy forcing people into rehab for just possession, but was decided if they were careless enough to get caught (since the police never really looked for the drugs outside of schools it would be relatively easy to buy some and get home without being noticed) flaunting it or noticeably high (inappropriate use, in front of children was even worse and usually sent to rehabilitation even sometimes on first offences.) more then twice that there would be reasonable concern that the person had a problem and needed help. The law worked well, some people who wanted to quit but couldn't afford rehabilitation purposely got themselves arrested high to be able to get treatment.

If you were caught selling it was treated like a traffic ticket. A small fine was usually the worst you'd get, unless you were selling to someone who was carried a maximum sentence of a year.

LSD, MDMA and other psychedelic drugs were approved for medical testing after the SSRI's were banned mid 2009. They became an effective tool to use in psychotherapy, but usually only reserved for extreme cases and in safe settings.

By 2010 with the billions of dollars that would have been spent on one of America's past three wars lining their pockets, the recession was just about over and people's hopes were up. Marijuana smoking had become just as common as cigarette smoking (which few people did anymore) and other illegal drugs that were once hunted down so feverishly by law enforcement were cheap and easy to the country didn't fall apart.

In fact the world didn't fall apart. Most other countries, after American pressure was lifted followed suit in legalizing Marijuana, and lesser charges for other drugs.

Drug use actually went down, following Holland's trend when they decriminalized Marijuana in the 70's. Drug related violence and crime went down. Prison populations shrank after the President pardoned all of the drug war prisoners.

There were a lot of lost jobs in prisons as well as attorneys and law enforcement. Entire businesses that supplied drug testing technology went out of business, but with a more active (the war on terror did its job well, it had people too afraid to stand up for their basic rights. With that over a more peaceful and calm lifestyle was beginning) position the tests were deemed unconstitutional and no one was sad to see them leave.

The DEA was completely re-staffed and changed to the DEA, the key difference being E was for education and not enforcement. The DEA's job now was not to try and scare you into not taking drugs, but educate the public on the truth of every drug and let them make the choice for themselves.

Classes and programs were set up in schools similar to D.A.R.E. of the previous generation, only these classes taught the actual truth of each drug. They weighed its pro's and con's, went through safety tips and drills on what to if there was a drug emergency.

It was stressed though that if they did decide to try a drug to wait until they were 18. Part of the education was that using any drug while your brain is still developing is a bad idea, and most of these classes were set up in high interest in drugs seemed to peak (based on studies I guess.)

The general position for most with kids younger is that they are too young for it, like since drugs really weren't a big concern then and there wasn't so much hype around them most kids weren't really interested in doing them. Parents were able to talk to their kids about it easier and explain why they should wait if they ever want to do it.

Web sites were set up to spread the information faster, and a lot of the population at first were hesitant to believe it, after so many years of being lied eventually came to accept it. Erowid, a site popular during the drug war expanded with funds from the DEA, to provide even more about anything you'd ever want to know about a drug would be found on that site.

Flyers were handed out in clubs with safety tips, with a little Erowid logo on the bottom, and safe rooms and free water were allowed once again as well. There were certain regulations to follow such as where the club was, what time it would be operating, what days and no openly selling of drugs outside of the club. The DEA had truly become an organization that looked out for the health of the American people, and not the profit of organizations. (All of these steps, while always receiving some criticism, seemed to work out for the best, as we are still seeing lowering drug use each year.)

And in fact a lot of corporations lost money. After they banned SSRI's and reevaluated the FDA's staff and standards, as well as banned all commercial advertising for prescription drugs most Pharmaceutical companies lost billions. They stayed afloat by jumping on the new legal drug bandwagon and started making new pills containing Marijuana, for everything from motion sickness to sleep aids, and even high quality medical vaporizers.

Due to the steady decline in cigarette smoking in 2010 the big tobacco companies also decided to jump on the legal Marijuana bandwagon and upped their production. When it was first legalized in 2009 they had began selling it, but not really sure it would be worth their time didn't mass produce.

They did make money from the venture, each brand growing different strains and each getting a good amount of consumers. But most of the casual smokers went to one of the many café's that opened up, and a lot of the heavy smokers grew their own.

So mid 2010 the Tobacco/Marijuana companies unveiled their new project to the world. "A smokeless smoking experience" Was their tagline. It was a Marijuana vapor inhaler, based off the medical design of the Pharmaceutical companies.

High grade pot was grown and then the THC and cannabinoids extracted from the plant and made into a serum, which was then packaged up in a small glass about the width of a nickel and as long as your fingernail, with metal covers on both sides.

You put this in the device that they made for this which is a long plastic cylinder with a little compartment on the top (complete with flap to open and close so no dust or anything gets in.) This is where you put the container.

The compartment on the top is then pushed inside the cylinder into another little chamber with some sort of needle that connects to the hole on the bottom of the container and lets out a spray of vapor. On the street it's called a ciggapipe. Aside from the little plastic ones you can buy at convinent stores soon after its release the glass blowers began to make ciggapipes of their own with nice designs and carrying cases that looked like the old cigarette carrying cases.

It was the new bong, and since it was a lot healthier then smoking a lot more people turned to the ciggapipe. And what was special about the serum was that the companies could add more THC or cannabinoids to an already potent mixture.

By 2011 there were Marlboro Marijuana Milds; a mixture that used more cannabinol and marketed as a more peaceful and serene high, Newport Nuggets Ultras; that used more THC for a "trip to the moon" high and Camel's Cannabis Light, which used less THC then the regular brands for those casual smokers "that aren't looking to be blown away, just feel really nice."

By then most Marijuana strains had become Sativa based, instead of the Indica strains of the underground market since space was no longer a factor in growing. Because of this most highs were cerebral and energetic instead of sleepy couch lock, and even became a marketing gimmick when first released. (I'll including a magazine ad from 2010.)

"Tired of that old sleepy couch lock high? Want to actually be awake and enjoy your Mary Jane? Then try new Newport Nuggets! This revolutionary new smoking method filters out the carcinogens and impurities in grown weed while keeping those key ingredients of the Marijuana plant that make you feel so good into a handheld SMOKE-FREE experience!

Just place the capsule into the top of the cylinder and push down to release a stream of vapor into the cylinder and presto! You're high, without any sticky fingers, loaded bowls or large tools to carry around.

But just how good is the high? The amount of THC you can inhale in a vapor is much more then you could even with a bong! And you're doing it without harsh dangerous smoke or a burning throat. And with the already large list of strains sold by Newport being extracted to Newport Nuggets you get a different high with each pack! Try them all!"

Now, since it was completely legal, and now without any second hand smoke it was normal to see someone pull out a small tube and inhale.

Now each pack costs around twenty dollars, and each container, or nugget as they are commonly called contains enough serum to provide you with about a joint's worth of that particular strain of marijuana, witch each pack coming with 10 nuggets, which brings the cost to about 2 dollars per joint. Compare that to 2004's twenty dollar or more for one joint (probably more since these would be extremely high potency bud.) Even growing seemed a hassle for most when this was so easily available and cheap.

The corporations got what they wanted and the people got what they wanted. With the extra taxes from Marijuana sales and with the continued funds not spent on any wars by 2012 the recession just seemed like a bad story.

The 2012 election received a record breaking 97% voter turnout due to the shut down of the Electoral College, and Epstein was voted back in by a vote of 72%, the other parties mostly all Liberalistic, as most people had given up Democratic or Republican views by then.

With the decline of smoking the actual plant most café's were forced to shut down, while others transformed themselves into a sort of bar for potheads. One such business tried to combine both, but due to the aggression and violence of the alcohol drinkers few smokers ever went.

Now we are approaching 2013, with legislature working into legalizing the sale of MDMA in clubs, so that managers could regulate a federally controlled standard what is being sold is actually MDMA and not a fake (which some dealers still do to make a quick buck) in an attempt to stop overdoses of unknown drugs.

A few more legislatures that I forgot to mention are the clean needle programs across the country, the taxing of land used to grow marijuana by private citizens, (it is pretty outdated now since few people grow themselves anymore) and the tight FDA regulations on all companies nuggets ingredients and formula's.

And of course the ones I've mentioned like the safe room and free water at clubs, the FDA use and approval of Psychedelics for psychotherapy, the new DEA, and of course the most important ending of the war on drugs.

The change has killed the stigma associated with being a pothead. Back in the days of the war on drugs potheads were considered to be lazy people. And some fact I was one. But once the new strains came out, and we were no longer constantly couch locked (actually a lot of the time energetic, a little vapor in the morning replaced a lot of people's caffeine habit, seeing as marijuana is a lot safer and less addictive) and the pothead ideology was flipped.

I was able to get high and go out and work and do all the stuff I neglected to do early in my life because I was too busy getting high. Now I could do both at the same time and it is great. I always said that I thought I would never see the day when this would happen, and I am ecstatic that I did.'

Nicholas stretched his arms re-reading the report, and satisfied saved the document onto a disk. He looked at the clock surprised to see that three hours had passed, and decided he could use a celebration mist.