THE LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA Matt Hoffman Austin 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 farms Government propaganda film “reefer madness” Marijuana Tax Act Woodstock - 500,000 people - 9/10 smoking Tax Act unconstitutional - outright illegal NORML - National Org. For the Reformation of Marijuana Laws created Oregon Decriminalizes small amounts of non- medical marijuana (small fine) Drug Enforcement Administration under Nixon 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 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 Legalization Driver 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 9CgA6U 9CgA6U

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)