Marijuana. What do you think? Should it be Legal? Illegal? Decriminalized? Medically Legal?

Marijuana

What do you think?

Should it be…

• Legal?• Illegal?• Decriminalized?• Medically Legal?

Thoughts on Marijuana

• Are you against smoking?- If so, why?

• Have you been taught that smoking will kill your brain cells?

- If so, you have been misinformed like I was.

Why is it illegal?

• Initially made illegal because of racism towards African Americans and Hispanics.

• Still illegal because…– Fear– Protection of Corporate Profits– Yellow Journalism– Ignorant, Incompetent, and/or Corrupt

Legislators– Personal Career Advancement and Greed

Gateway Drug?

• Many of those against smoking claim that Marijuana is a Gateway drug.

• However recent stats show that…- 1 out of every 104 users also use cocaine- Less than 1 out of 104 use heroin

The Numbers:

• Tobacco - 400,000 deaths in U.S. a year• Prescription Drugs - Over 100,000 deaths in U.S.

a year• Alcohol - 75,000 deaths in U.S. a year• Caffeine - 5,000 deaths in U.S. a year• Marijuana - 0 deaths ever!

Legalization

Recreational Use:

• The public gets what it wants

• Would create a $10-14 billion tax revenue

• Creates many job opportunities

• Used in 0 States

Medical Use:

• Cannabis provides more known medical benefits than any other drug.

• “One of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man”- Francis Young (DEA Judge)

• Used in 14 states and D.C.

Prop 19• Allowed adults 21 and over to possess up to an

ounce as long as:– They consume it in nonpublic places (without children

present)– Grow it in small private plots– Allowed Government to regulate activities– Allowed Government to impose and collect fees and taxes– Allowed Government to authorize various criminal and civil

penalties

No No 5,198,018 53.6%

Yes Yes 4,504,771 46.4%

Decriminalized

• Just an offence– Drug can be used or bought without any

criminal punishment– However it cannot be sold.

– Used in 13 states

Hemp

• Largest agricultural crop with thousands of uses

• Not allowed to be grown in the U.S. • Can be used to make…

– Fuel / diesel– Paper– Food (has fatty and amino acids)– Clothing

Arrests in 2005

• 786,546 marijuana arrests in U.S.• 88% of arrests were simply for possession.• Marijuana arrests = arrests for murder + rape +

aggravated assault + robbery.• 45,00 people in prison for weed violations

– This doesn’t count local or county jails• Some banks don’t give loans/grants for college if

arrested for one joint.– However you’ll probably get one if you are convicted of

murder or rape.

Rebellion

• During prohibition alcohol poisoning went up 600%– Rebel against Government

• Drug should be legalized because the tax payers are the only ones losing

Tax Payers are Only Losers

1) Prohibition has not stopped demand/desire or the supply

2) It is a steady source for organized crime

- Easier to attain (under 21)

3) Underground market creates crime and violence

Dr. Heath/Tulane Study 1974• Study said that marijuana use kills brain cells.• Instead of administering the 30 joints per day over a

one-year period like he was supposed to with the monkeys, Heath administered 63 joints in five minutes over just three months.

• He was suffocating them!• 3-5 minutes of oxygen deprivation causes dead brain

cells.• “With the concentration of smoke used, the monkeys were

a bit like a person running the engine of a car in a locked garage for 5, 10, 15 minutes at a time very day!”

Marijuana

Citation• Harvey, Brett, Dir. The Union: "The Business of Getting

High". Dir. Brett Harvey." Perf. Bennett, Chris. 2007, Film.• Inciardi, James. The Drug Legalization Debate. Second

Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc, 1999. 55-110. Print.

• "14 Legal Medical Marijuana States and DC." ProCon.org (2010): n. pag. Web. 6 Nov 2010. <http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000881>.

• "California Proposition 19, the Marijuana Legalization Initiative." Ballot Pedia (2010): n. pag. Web. 6 Nov 2010. <http://www.ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_Proposition_19,_the_Marijuana_Legalization_Initiative_(2010)>

Citation• Crary, David. "Legalize-marijuana measure loses in

California." Yahoo.com (2010): n. pag. Web. 6 Nov 2010. <http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101103/ap_on_el_ge/us_ballot_measures>.

• "The Top Ten Reasons Marijuana Should Be Legal." AlterNet.com (2007): n. pag. Web. 6 Nov 2010. <http://www.alternet.org/drugs/60959/>.

• Head, Tom. "Why is Marijuana Illegal?." About.com n. pag. Web. 6 Nov 2010. <http://civilliberty.about.com/od/drugpolicy/tp/Why-is-Marijuana-Illegal.htm>.

Citation• Guither, Pete. "Why is Marijuana Illegal?." DrugWarRant.com n.

pag. Web. 6 Nov 2010. <http://www.drugwarrant.com/articles/why-is-marijuana-illegal/>.

• Bonser, Kevin. "How Marijuana Works." Discovery Health n. pag. Web. 6 Nov 2010. <http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/drugs-alcohol/marijuana4.htm>.

• "NIDA InfoFacts: Marijuana." National Institute of Health (2009): n. pag. Web. 6 Nov 2010. <http://drugabuse.gov/infofacts/marijuana.html>.

• "Marijuana." Special Operations - Narcotics/Vice. Web. 30 Nov 2010. <http://www.ci.douglasville.ga.us/index.aspx?NID=158>.