the legalization of marijuana matt hoffman austin heimark stetson miller
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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)
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