THE LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA

Matt HoffmanAustin Heimark Stetson Miller

History of Marijuana

6000 BC - Cannabis Seeds used for food in China (Genus including Marijuana)Washington and Jefferson - Both grew hemp on their farms1936 - Government propaganda film “reefer madness”1937 - Marijuana Tax Act 1969 - Woodstock - 500,000 people - 9/10 smoking 1969 - Tax Act unconstitutional - outright illegal1970 - NORML - National Org. For the Reformation of Marijuana Laws created1973 - Oregon Decriminalizes small amounts of non-medical marijuana (small fine)1973 - Drug Enforcement Administration under Nixon2008 - Obama says he frequently smoked marijuana as a kid

Pros of Legalization

Government could tax marijuana

Alcohol and Cigarettes are legal - why not marijuana

People should choose what to put in their own bodies

Help people with certain diseases

Pros of Legalization

Drug crimes/convictions can be seen as a waste of money

Ruins the operations of drug cartels

Regulations could limit the amount of children who smoke the drug

Prohibition has failed

Simplify the development and farming of hemp

Cons of LegalizationCons of Legalization

Addictive Drug

Mind Altering Capabilities

Chronic use = anxiety, depression, schizophrenia

Decreased memory capacity

Marijuana smoking is likely to weaken the immune system

Cons of LegalizationCons of LegalizationDriver under influence = 10 times more likely to crash than a person under the influence of a comparable amount of alcohol

Increased chance of heart attack after smoking marijuana

“Gateway Drug”

Adults who smoked marijuana as children are 15 times more likely to use heroin later in life

Important Note

•The facts are extremely debatable. Many different sources claim to have produced contradictory results.

Interest Groups•NORML - National Organization for

the Reform of Marijuana Laws

•Made in 1970, first marijuana interest group

•For the non-medical usage of marijuana to become legal, which lets responsible adult usage of marijuana to go unpenalized

•Powerhouse of the pro legalization movement

Interest Groups•Partnership at Drugfree.org

•Against the legalization of Marijuana

•Runs campaigns against teenage drug abuse

•All about prevention at the community level

•Has the popular “this is your brain on drugs” tv commercials

•http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FtNm9CgA6U

Interest Groups

•Common Sense for Drug Policy

•For legalization of Marijuana

•“Dedicated to reforming drug policy and expanding harm reduction”

•Want marijuana sale to be similar to that of alcohol, legal but with restrictions

Facts and Stats

•25.2 million American adults reported using marijuana in 2003 (1/10th of population)

•13.8% of adolescents have reported using cannabis

•Annual American deaths caused by marijuana = 0 (tobacco = 400,000, alcohol = 100,000)

•Marijuana’s ratio of effective dose to fatal dose 1:30,000; alcohols is 1:10

•Been found that a compound of marijuana can shrink brain tumors

•44.2% of 2004’s arrests were related to marijuana

Facts and Stats•Over 6 million people have been arrested

on marijuana charges since 1991

•Increasing number of marijuana arrests annually

•83.8% of 12th graders claim marijuana is “fairly easy” to come by

•Marijuana commonly labeled the “gateway drug” - true or not?

•Marijuana not associated with violent crime, unlike the legal alcohol (3 million violent crimes per year)