Consequences of

Medical Marijuana Legalization

E205 BI01

Object of study: Marijuana

• 5th commonly used illegal drug (The Richest, 2013)

• Originated from India as “hemp” from the plant “Cannabis Sativa”

• Container of THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol)

• Uses: medical & recreational (others: textiles, paper)

Symptoms

• Rapid heart/breathing rate

• Red eyes

• Distorted sense of time

• Tendency to develop schizophrenia

• Magical or "random" thinking

• Short-term memory loss

Risk of lung cancer

Decreased testosterone and amount/quality

of sperm

Addiction

Aggression Anxiety

Depressed mood

Decreased appetite

Repercussions

for excessive

use

Marijuana Legalization

Consists approval of the State to use it for actual medical purposes

Making people realize that its usage goes further from being just to get the sensation of being “high”

Benefit society that requires of it to attend their ailments.

Problem

• Nowadays, U.S. is on debate among its states that have not yet decided whether to legalize marijuana or not.

• Government is indecisive on the matter as well, due to the fact that it cannot have a certainty of how their people will use it: for medical or recreational purposes.

Rationale

• It is relevant because it involves the disconformities of a society which forcefully gets divided into two groups: Con’s & Pro’s

• We should worry more about ending AIDS, cancer, hunger, etc.

• It actually helps people

Objectives • Provide information about a possible future along with

marijuana legalization in the Mexico.

• Give the audience information that will allow may help them to take a decision whether they are against its legalization/prohibition.

OR

Pros Cons

There had not been any deaths

caused by marijuana.

Will just make this drug more

accessible to everyone

Has medical properties that actually

benefits us May lead to death because of an

accident the person got involved in

Compared to other drugs like alcohol,

this one does less damage People would only use it for

recreational means

Source of income for taxes the

government invest on education, and on prevention/treatment of addictions.

It’s a gateway drug that could

lead to the consumption of other drugs such as alcohol

Medical properties

• Pain reliever

• Prevents Glaucoma disease from causing any more damage in the optic nerve

• Helps to control epileptic seizures

• Can stop cancer cells from spreading further

• Relieves side effects of chemotherapy such as anxiety and nausea

• Slows progression of Alzheimer’s disease

• Reduces inflammation from arthritis

• Helps to treat posttraumatic stress disorder

• Protects the brain from concussion and trauma

• Stimulates appetite

• Could help people to quit other harmful drugs for this less severe one

• Helps people to sleep more easily

• And much more

Research Approaches used

• Qualitative

• Quantitative

• Hermeneutics

• Case Study

Does legalizing

medical Marijuana

increase crime?

Colorado has not been showing any signs of increase in crimes.

“In the first months of 2014, the government collected $10 million worth in tax revenues

on Marijuana.”

“From 2013 to 2014, murder rate is down

by 42.1%”

“Marijuana Industry Group has 10,000

employees, generating 2,000 new jobs”

(Chris Miles from PolicyMic, 2014)

Case Study – Holland (Netherlands)

• Have Tolerant Drug Policy • Drugs are still illegal

• Coffeshops: limited to sell 5 grams

of cannabis and soft drugs. People under 18 cannot buy.

• Results: Successful

• Number of drug users isn’t greater than in other countries,

• Drug-related deaths in Holland (2.4 per million inhabitants)is the lowest in Europe.

Case Study - Portugal

Drugs decriminalization since 2001

You can legally purchase as maximum: 1 gram of heroin, 2 grams of cocaine, 25

grams of marijuana leaves.

Instead of going to jail, people receive medical/psychological rehab, which is

cheaper and more humane.

“The number of addicts […] who repeatedly use “hard” drugs and intravenous users — had fallen by half since the early 1990s, when the figure was estimated at around 100,000

people” said Joao Goulao, President of the Institute of Drugs and Drugs Addiction (2011).

References

•Kilmer, B., Caulins, J., Bond, B., Reuter, P. (2010). Reducing Drug Trafficking

Revenues and Violence in Mexico Would Legalizing Marijuana in California Help?.

RAND Corporation. Retrieved in 5 July 2014 from:

http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/occasional_papers/2010/RAND_OP325.pdf

•Morris, R., TenEyck , M., Barnes, J., Kovandzic, T.(2014). The Effect of Medical

Marijuana Laws on Crime: Evidence from State Panel Data, 1990-2006. PLOS ONE.

Volume 9, Issue 3. Retrieved in 5 July 2014 from

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0092816

•Diaz, L. (2014). Mexico Medical Marijuana Bill Introduced Leftist Lawmakers. The

Huffington Post. Retrieved in 5 July 2014 from:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/19/mexico-medical-marijuana_n_4811954.html

•Svrakic,D., Lustman, P., Mallya, A., Lynn,T., Finney, R., Svrakic, N. (2012).

Legalization, Decriminalization & Medicinal Use of Cannabis: A Scientific and Public

Health Perspective. Volume 190, Issue 2, pp. 90-98. Retrieved in 5th of July 2014 from:

http://www.msma.org/docs/communications/momed/Medicinal_Use_Cannabis.pdf

References

•Johns, A. (2001). Psychiatric effects of cannabis. British Journal of Psychiatry. Volume

178, pp. 12. Retrieved in 8 July 2014 from: http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/178/2/116.full

•Bostwick, J. (2012). Blurred Boundaries: The Therapeutics and Politics of Medical

Marijuana; IJMG, pp. 1. Retrieved in 8 July 2014 from:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22305029

•Janet, E., Watson, Jr S., Benson, J. (1999). Marijuana and Medicine. National Academy

Press: Washington D.C. pp. 13-16

•Courtwright, D. (2001). Las drogas y la formación del mundo moderno. Harvard

University Press. Pp. 75

•Ferner, M., Mathias, C. (2014). Here’s Why New York Needs to Legalize Medical

Marijuana Now. The Huffington Post. Retrieved in 8 July 2014 from:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/new-york-medical-marijuana/

•McKay, T. (2014). 6 Months Since Legalizing Pot, Washington Looks Very Different

Than Colorado. News Mic. Retrieved in 8 July 2014 from:

http://mic.com/articles/90565/6-months-since-legalizing-pot-washington-looks-very-

different-than-colorado