Legalization of Marijuana

Legalization of Marijuana Hayden BridgesAndy Hahn

What is Marijuana? It is a plant that commonly grows in

tropical and temperate areas Marijuana is often referred to as Mary

Jane, weed, bud, pot, or herb Its scientific name is Cannabis Sativa The drug/chemical found in marijuana is

called THC “Tetrahydrocannabinol”

Contrary to some common belief, the marijuana flower or bud is what is smoked, not the leaves. The white crystal like hairs is where most of the THC is contained, which is what is associated with getting high.

(Plant)

Why is it used?Marijuana is intended for use as a psychoactive drug Used recreationally

It is used for medical purposes

It is used for spiritual and religious purposes

How is Marijuana consumed? Smoking- can be smoked in joints, blunts,

bongs, bubblers, pipes, and even out of fruits Vaporizing- used in vaporizers, doesn’t use

smoke but vapor Oil/wax- consumed out of bongs made for dabs Eating- can be made into almost any type of

edible including cookies, and brownies Pills- synthetic forms of THC can be taken Drinking- can be mixed or made into most

drinks which are commonly teas and coffee

History of Marijuana 2900 BC Chinese Emperor Fu His References Marijuana as a Popular Medicine

1000 BCBhang, a Drink of Cannabis and Milk, Is Used in India as an Painkiller

70 ADRoman Medical Text Cites Cannabis to Treat Earaches and Suppress Sexual Longing

(Historical Timeline - Medical Marijuana - ProCon.org)

1578 Chinese Medical Text Describes Medical Uses for Marijuana

1611-1762Jamestown Settlers Bring Marijuana to North America

1745-1775George Washington Grows Hemp

1918US Pharmaceutical Farms Grow 60,000 Pounds of Cannabis Annually


1937Marihuana Tax Act Leads to Decline in Marijuana Prescriptions

1970Controlled Substances Act Classifies Marijuana as a Drug with "No Accepted Medical Use"

May 1985Marinol, synthetic form of “THC” Approved by FDA

Nov. 5, 1996California Becomes First State to Legalize Medical Marijuana

Nov. 7, 2012Colorado and Washington legalize Marijuana recreationally


The effects of Marijuana when consumed Increase appetite Increase heart rate Euphoria Red glassy eyes Random bursts of laughter Slowed reaction time Short term memory loss Heightened thinking and long term memory

(Marijuana - Marijuana Use and Effects of Marijuana)

Marijuana ClassificationThe range of effects of marijuana make it hard to classify. • Increased appetite, and heart rate=

stimulant• Euphoria, random bursts of laughter,

and heightened thinking= hallucinogen• Slowed reaction time= depressant

Marijuana SchedulingMarijuana is currently classified as a schedule one drug in the United States. “Schedule one drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Schedule one drugs are the most dangerous drugs are the most dangerous drugs of all the drug schedules with potentially severe psychological or physical dependence” (DEA)

Medical Benefits AIDSFor HIV/AIDS patients trying to stay healthy in the face of appetite loss and wasting syndrome, cannabinoid drugs are a viable treatment that do not adversely affect other required medications. CancerNausea is one of the most common side effects of cancer treatment, but marijuana can help ease it,

(Medical Benefits of Cannabis)

Crohns DiseaseBritish research shows that cannabis might actually reverse the bowel leakage associated with Crohn's disease.

Chronic PainIt can relieve pain without nausea or other offensive side-effects.

DepressionCannabis may be a viable treatment for many forms of clinical depression, including bipolar disorder, where the cycles between depression and manic moods are less frequent while taking the drug.


GlaucomaStudies have shown that smoking pot does reduce the intraocular pressure associated with glaucoma, but they also raise concerns about decreased blood pressure and increased heart rates.

InsomniaInsomnia is a recognized disease in the medical community. What isn't recognized by most doctors however, is that they don't need pills and sedatives to treat this illness.


Multiple SclerosisCannabis may not just alleviate MS symptoms. New studies show it may halt the progression of the disease.

SeizuresEpileptic patients have said that, after using cannabis with their more conventional prescription drugs, they can wean themselves off the prescriptions and stay seizure-free as long as they continue using cannabis.

Tourettes SyndromeThough it's not yet on the acceptable conditions list for medical marijuana authorization in any state, both anecdotal and clinical evidence show that Tourette's Syndrome symptoms are eased by cannabis.


(Dependence Chart)

Random Facts about Marijuana Worldwide, it is estimated that about 162 million adults use

marijuana at least once per year, and 22.5 million use the drug daily Approximately 100 million Americans have tried marijuana at least

once It would take 800 joints to kill a person—but the cause of death would

be carbon monoxide poisoning(What Is the Lethal Dose of Marijuana) During the temperance movement of the 1890s, marijuana was

commonly recommended as a substitute for alcohol. There have been no recorded cases of marijuana use only causing an

overdose fatality, or lung cancer case to this day.

(DRUG FACTS)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7PlWcnIens

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7PlWcnIens

Famous/Successful People who use(d) Marijuana1. Michael Phelps Most decorated Olympian in history,

relies heavily on endurance and training to be successful.

(The 10 Most Successful Potheads on the Planet… Cool Enough to Admit It)

2. Michael Bloomberg Is the current mayor of New York City

and has been there since his election in 2002.

Famously quoted for saying, when asked if he smoked when he was younger: “You bet I did. And I enjoyed it!”

3. Montel Williams Former TV show host who was

diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 1999 and has used marijuana as his medicine of choice due to its lack of harmful side effects. (The 10 Most Successful Potheads on the

Planet… Cool Enough to Admit It)

4. Sir Richard Branson Known for owning multiple companies under

the Virgin name, mobile and airways to name two.

He is the 236th richest man in the world and he owns his own island.

5. Barack Obama Our current president of the United States and

he openly talks about his pot smoking past in high school and college in his book: “Dreams of my Father”

(The 10 Most Successful Potheads on the Planet… Cool Enough to Admit It)

State Laws and Classifications

(Moon)

Pennsylvania: Completely criminal Possession of 30 grams or less is a

misdemeanor with a 30 day maximum sentence in jail and a maximum $500 fine

Possession of more than 30 grams is still a misdemeanor with a penalty of up to 1 year in jail and up to a $5,000 fine.

Distribution of 30 grams or more is a felony with a possible 3 year sentence and $25,000 fine.

(Norml)

North Carolina: Decriminalized possession Possession of up to a .5 ounce is a class 3

misdemeanor with a max fine of $200. Possession of a half ounce to 1.5 ounces is

a class 1 misdemeanor with a max sentence of 45 days in jail or a $1,000 fine.

Possession with intent to sell from 10 to 50 pounds is a class H felony with up to 25-30 months in jail and a minimum fine of $5,000.

(Norml)

Vermont: Medical use of marijuana is legal All charges are without a prescription Possession of 2 ounces or less is a misdemeanor

with a max sentence of 6 months and max fine of $500, any possession over 2 ounces is a felony.

Distribution of .5 ounce or less is a misdemeanor with a maximum sentence of 2 years and fine of up to $10,000.

Distribution of more than .5 of an ounce to 1 ounce is a felony of up to 5 years in jail and a maximum fine of $100,000.

(Norml)

California: Decriminalized possession laws along with approved medical use Possession of 28.5 grams (just over an

ounce) is an infraction with a max fine of $100. If under 18 years of age it could be a 10 day sentence along with a $250 fine.

Possession of more than 28.5 grams it is a misdemeanor with up to 6 months in jail and a max fine of $500.

Any amount with intent to sell is a felony with a penalty of 16 months to 3 years in jail.

(Norml)

Colorado: Recreational use approved for 21 and older Private possession of up to 1 ounce is

approved. Possession of 2 ounces or more is a class 2

petty offense with a max fine of $100. Illegal sale of 5 pounds or more is a class 4

felony with a sentence of 2-6 years and a maximum fine of $20,000-$500,000.

(Norml)

Facts about Alcohol The peak Blood Alcohol Level occurs 60 to 90

minutes after ingestion when the stomach is empty.

Vomiting is part of the automatic defense system of the body activated to prevent more alcohol from being absorbed

More than 18 million people who use alcohol need substance abuse treatment

One third of suicides are associated with alcohol misuse

(Drinking Facts)

Alcohol consumption by college students is linked to at least 1,400 student deaths and 500,000 unintentional injuries each year

.40% blood alcohol content is generally considered lethal

One half of car accidents are associated with alcohol misuse

One third of homicides are associated with alcohol misuse

(Drinking Facts)

(Bushell)

Facts about Tobacco 50mg of nicotine is the average lethal dosage to kill a

human being 1964 and 2004, cigarette smoking caused an estimated

12 million deaths In 2010, more than 220,000 new cases of lung cancer

were reported Approximately 52% of smokers attempted to quit in

2010 For every person who dies from a smoking-related

disease, 20 more people suffer with at least one serious illness from smoking

(CDC)

Long-term users of smokeless tobacco have a 50% greater risk of developing oral cancers than non-users.

75% of cancers in the mouth, lips, tongue, throat, nose and larynx are due to tobacco use.

One can of snuff gives you as much nicotine as 60 cigarettes

(CDC)

$$$ The War on Drugs $$$ http://www.prohibitioncosts.org/ IS IT WORTH IT?

http://www.prohibitioncosts.org/

http://www.prohibitioncosts.org/

Works CitedBushell Amy. “More doctors smoke camels.” Online image. The Rise and Fall of Cigarette Advertising. Web. 21 April 2013. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 18 Dec. 2012. Web. 22 Apr. 2013.“DEA / Drug Scheduling. DEA / Drug Scheduling. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2013“Dependence Chart.” Online image. Really interesting chart: Comparing Dependence Potential vs. Active dose/Lethal Dose ratio of common drugs. Web. 21 April 2013. "Drinking Facts." Drinking Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr.2013.

"DRUG FACTS." Drug Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2013.

"Historical Timeline - Medical Marijuana - ProCon.org." Historical Timeline – Medical Marijuana ProCon.org. N.p., n.d. Web.22 Apr.2013.Norml Working to Reform Marijuana Laws.

Norml Foundation, n.d. norml.org Web. 3 Apr. 2013"Marijuana - Marijuana Use and Effects of

Marijuana." WebMD. WebMD, 02 Mar. 0001. Web. 22 Apr. 2013.

"Medical Benefits of Cannabis." RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2013.Moon David. “State Map.” Online Image.

Maryland Juice. Web. 21 April 2013.

The 10 Most Successful Potheads on the Planet… Cool Enough to Admit It." COED College Lifestyle Sexy Girls L Funny Photos L Beer Culture L Sports L Celebrities RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2013.“Plant.” Online image. Tylight. Web. 21 April 2013

The Union: The Business Behind Getting High. Dir. Brett Harvey. Perf. Tommy Chong, Joe Rogan, Norm Stamper, Larry Campbell, Jack A. Cole, Jeffery Miron, Steve Bloom, Marc Emery, Ian Mulgrew. Eagle Entertainment,2007. Online."What Is the Lethal Dose of Marijuana?" What Is the Lethal Dose of Marijuana? N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2013.

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Legalization of Marijuana