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Should Laws Prohibiting Marijuana Use Be Relaxed?

Join the discussion on whether laws prohibiting marijuana use should be relaxed. Explore the historical context, social effects, health implications, and potential benefits of legalization.

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Should Laws Prohibiting Marijuana Use Be Relaxed?

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  1. Eddie Cooke Shannon Miller Should Laws Prohibiting Marijuana Use Be Relaxed?

  2. Rules For Discussion • No interrupting • No degrading or rude comments to other students. Everyone has a right to their own opinion • Do not use names if talking about a situation

  3. Background Information • Marijuana use dates back 5000 years ago • 2737BC Chinese emperor ShenNung recommended for medical use • No increase in recreational use in states that legalized marijuana for medical use Page 92

  4. Yes! This side written by Kevin Drum… “I’ve never smoked a joint in my life. I’ve only seen one once, and that was 30 years ago. I barely drink , I don’t smoke, and I don’t like coffee.” –Kevin Drum

  5. Does decriminalizing Cannabis have any effect at all? “Most of the evidence suggests that decriminalization has no effect” –Robert MacCoun Professor of law and public policy at the University of California-Berkeley But…decriminalization is not legalization

  6. So would people just smoke more and drink less? • Substitute goods meaning replace some things with other things. • Study by John DiNardo- comparing cannibis use in the states that raised the drinking age early and those that did it later. • On average, among high school seniors 4.5% decrease in drinking produced a 2.4% increase in getting high

  7. What about the gateway effect? • Starting with marijuana and leading to other drugs because -the dealers selling marijuana also sell other drugs -creates an affinity for increasing intense narcotic experiences

  8. Can we still afford prohibition? • The cost of cannabis prohibition in the US is approximately at $13 billion annually -44,000 people are currently serving prison time for cannabis charges -800,000 people are arrested for cannabis possession every single year • The lost tax revenue at nearly $7 billion

  9. What are the odds of legalization? • The US, along with pretty much every other country is a signatory to the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs -this prohibits legalization of cannabis • The real action of cannabis legalization is at the state level

  10. California and legalization…Amendment 64 • “Personal use of marijuana is now permissed under Colorado law for adults 21 years of age and older. Adult residents of Colorado can possess, use, purchase and transport up to one ounce or less of marijuana, and possess and grow up to 6 marijuana plants in their home.”

  11. NO! Reefer Madness Marijuana… “the drug that caused sexual perversions and violent behavior”

  12. Effects on the brain and general physical health • Euphoria, relaxation, heightened sensory perception, impaired ability to for new memories and shift focus • Occasional: anxiety, fear, distrust and panic • With high doses: acute psychosis (hallucinations, delusions, and loss of personal sense of identity)

  13. General Physical Health Continued • Heart rate increases (risk of heart attack in the first hour of smoking is 4x his/her usual risk) • Bronchial passages relax and become enlarged, respiratory problems (chronic cough, more frequent upper respiratory infections, increase risk of lung cancer) • Blood vessels in eyes dilate • Adverse effects on immune system

  14. Is there a link between Marijuana use and mental illness? • Strongest evidence shows a link between cannabis and psychosis. • Worsens course of certain mental illness (ex. Schizophrenia) • Amotivational syndrome – “diminished or absent drive to engage in typically rewarding activities”

  15. Is Marijuana Addictive? • Long term marijuana use can lead to addiction • 9% of people who use marijuana will become dependent on it • Linked to withdrawal syndrome (similar to that of nicotine withdrawal)

  16. How does marijuana use affect school, work, and social life? • Negative affects on attention, memory and learning • Those who do smoke marijuana tend to have lower grades and drop out of high school • “Marijuana users themselves report poor outcomes on a variety of life satisfaction and achievement measures.”

  17. Does marijuana use affect driving? Driving Test • Impairs judgment, motor coordination, and slows reaction time

  18. Can marijuana use during pregnancy harm the baby? • Consequences for both brain and behavior • Altered responses to visual stimuli, increased tremulousness, and a high pitched cry (indicative of problems with neurological development)

  19. Available treatments for marijuana use disorders • Marijuana use often co-occurs with other drug use • Common among people suffering from psychiatric disorders • Treat disorder first • 50% of patients enrolled achieve an initial 2-week period of abstinence

  20. Citation Blake, D., & Finlaw, J. (2014). Marijuana legalization in Colorado: Learned lessons. Harvard Law & Policy Review, 8(2), 359-380. Goldberg, R. (2011). Issue 9: Should laws prohibiting marijuana use be relaxed? In R. Goldberg (RG.), Taking sides: Clashing view in drugs and society (10th ed.) (pp. 201-217). New York: McGraw Hill.

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