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Marijuana Legalization: A Review of the Literature

Dahkel Maddox
University of Texas at El Paso





















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Abstract
Marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug in America, next to alcohol and tobacco.
Many Americans would argue that marijuana is far less dangerous than alcohol and tobacco but
there are also people who would agree upon more harsh crimes for the citizens that use
marijuana. This literature review will inform people about how marijuana may cause physical
and mental destruction. This literature review will also help understand what the U.S. will be like
if marijuana is legalized for citizens that are 21 and over. A survey and statistical data will
contribute to how people perceive cannabis in their everyday lives.















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Marijuana Legalization: A Review of the Literature
Marijuana has been illegal in the United States since the beginning of the 20
th
century.
Marijuana is grown from the plant called cannabis sativa and is used around the world as a
medical drug and also abused as a recreation drug as one might argue. Marijuana contains a main
ingredient of THC that gives the user a high that can last for hours at a time. When smoking
marijuana, THC is absorbed into the blood stream where it then travels to the brain. It is nearly
impossible to overdose on marijuana as the dosage needed to overdose on marijuana cannot be
inhaled in a short enough amount of time to make the drug lethal.
Marijuana is legally used in some states while in the rest of the states the drug is used
illegally. Although states in different regions are starting to legalize marijuana other states are
still on the fence about the drug being used and abused by the younger generation. Many
Americans smoke weed on a daily basis, whether it be legally or illegally, but to the people that
have never participated in smoking weed they will be able to form better opinions because of the
four questions that will be introduced and considered:
1. Is marijuana a harmful drug that can cause physical and mental destruction to the
human body?
2. Should marijuana be legalized on a national level?
3. What are the current laws and regulations against marijuana?
4. Which state(s) will be the last to legalize marijuana?
Since 1996, 20 states and Washington, DC have passed laws allowing smoked marijuana to be
used for a variety of medical conditions.The final review on literature will: Provide information
about how marijuana may cause harm to the body, why marijuana should and should not be
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legalized, the current laws against marijuana and how they might change, and also which states
may be the last states to legalize marijuana.
Is marijuana a harmful drug that can cause physical and mental destruction to the human
body?
For the reader to determine whether marijuana should be legal or stay illegal the reader
will have to understand what marijuana does to the body and how it may be harmful, but what
may be harmful for one person may not be harmful for another person. Marijuana is said to be
harmful for teenagers and children under the age of 18 because the brain is still in developmental
stages which will cause poor results in school and at home. There is a generally held notion that
early involvement with marijuana will negatively impair human capital formation and result in
poor schooling outcomes because marijuana use impairs memory and attention and thus
interferes with learning(Ross, Ringel, Pacula, 2003). There has also been a large positive
correlation of dropouts linked to the consumption of marijuana. While there are instances where
pre-teens and even children are introduced to marijuana, most teenagers experiment with
marijuana in their high school years where the drug is most popular. Through a survey that was
taken of 18 people, about 88% of the 94% of people that are younger than 21 years old smoke
marijuana. (See Figures 1 and 2):
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People may also argue that marijuana is used to help with cancer and glaucoma disease.
According the Research Letter written by Alan C. Ogborne, Reginald G. Smart, and Edward M.
Adlaf, Marijuana is also used for HIV patients. There are indications that marijuana is
sometimes used to alleviate pain from cancer, to reduce nausea from chemotherapy, to mitigate
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the wasting syndrome of AIDS, and for the treatment of glaucoma, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis
and a variety of other disorders(Ogborne, Smart, Adlaf, 2000). Marijuana is always compared
to alcohol and tobacco because these recreational drugs happen to be legal yet they kill millions
on a yearly basis. According to a recent study from Time Magazine, there have only been 2
deaths related to marijuana use. While researchers studied 15 people whose deaths were
allegedly linked to marijuana use, 13 of those deaths were confirmed to be caused by other
factors(Stampler, 2013). Although these deaths were said to be caused by marijuana there were
also other factors that played a role in these deaths. For one of the young adults, researchers had
found a serious undetected heart problem suggesting that people with cardiological issues should
stay away from the drug. For the other young adult, researchers found that the person had prior
alcohol and heavy drug use.
Should marijuana be legalized on a national level?
Cannabis is the most popular illicit drug in the U.S. The debate on whether marijuana
should be legal in the U.S. can sometimes end up in a heated argument on how marijuana ruins
lives and how marijuana saves lives. During the survey that was conducted, most of the people
that answered the survey thought that marijuana should become legal on a national level. In fact,
there were only two people that thought otherwise on the topic. (See figures 3 and 4):




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The people that answered no to the question that was provided were people that had relatives
and friends that smoke weed on a regular bases according to the data received from the survey.
Many people would agree that marijuana should not be used by young children. When marijuana
becomes legal on a national level you will have to be 21 years or over to smoke marijuana in the
United States.
The young adults who answered the question with a yes also had some interesting
thoughts on the subject matter. One person even stated that if the drug isnt legal that it should at
least be decriminalized in America. 600,000, or 87 percent, of marijuana arrests are for nothing
more than possession of small amounts(Nadelmann, 2004) (See Figures 5 and 6):




Millions of Americans support legalization of marijuana for medical use but when Americans are
asked about marijuana for broader legalization the people have different answers. There are other
dangerous drugs in America that are legal for people that are 21 years and over. No drug is
perfectly safe, and every psychoactive drug can be used in ways that are problematic
(Nadelmann, 2004).
What are the current laws and regulations against marijuana?
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Amongst Americans, there is much confusion regarding the prevalence of marijuana and
what the laws against marijuana actually allow. While there are still a lot of states that are really
strict on laws against marijuana, there are states that allow marijuana for medical use. States like
Texas and Florida consider marijuana possession a criminal act and can have pricey fines. (See
Figure 7):

Texas is one of the worst places to be caught with the posession of marijuana in America. Texas also
arrests and procecutes the most people for pot than any other state in America. In Texas marijuana may
be outlawed heavily, but in California having a large amount of marijuana on you may only result in a
one hundred dollar fine. The law for marijuana varies from state to state meaning that marijauna laws
may not be as harsh 100 miles from where you live. According to the white house website, since, 1996
has become legal for many states. Since 1996, 20 states and Washington, DC have passed laws allowing
smoked marijuana to be used for a variety of medical conditions (Marijuana Recource Center, pg.1).
In the very few states where marijuana is completely legal for citizens 21 years and older there
are very few laws were the person is actually permitted to pay a fine or surve a large amount of jail time.
The longost amount of time you can spend in jail in colorado for a marijuana offense is 12 years, which
isnt long enough according to some states. (See Figure 8):

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Which state(s) will be the last to legalize marijuana?
While Texas is strict on citizens with posession of marijuana you may think that Texas will be the
last state out of all 50 states to legalize marijuana. According to the survey, even the people who
answered the survey questions think that Texas will be the last state to legalize pot (See Figure 9). There
might actually be a couple states that will take even longer than Texas to legalize recreational use of
marijuana for citizens. States like North Dakota, Iowa and Arizona could be holding off the legalization
until they are the last batch of people to hop on the wagon.

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There have been many polls that saught out to see what types of people are against the legalization of
marijuana and what region they come from. In Texas, a large portion of the younger generation would
like to see the legalization of marijuana take form for Texas. Although it may be a longshot for Texas,
their opinions do matter. The older generations think that marijuana should stay illigal without any
decriminilization or less harsh punishments.
Conclustion
Legalizing pot will continue to be heated heavy weight debate amongst Americans for years as
more and more states begin to do more research on the habbit forming drug. What is agreed upon
between many citizens is that marijuana can be legalized for medical use and that the drug can actually
help people in certain ways according to science. No one knows what the future holds for the long-time
outlawed drug, but people are starting to think that marijuana might just have a bright future in the
United States.
















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References
Nadelmann, Ethan. (2004) AN END TO Marijuana Prohibition. Retrieved from
http://www.mamacoca.org/docs_de_base/Debate_despenalizacion_Colombia/Nadelmann_Natio
nal_Review_Article_with_Footnotes.pdf.
Stampler, Laura. (2014) Study Claims to Find First Two Deaths Caused by Marijuana. Retrieved
from http://time.com/10372/marijuana-deaths-german-study/.
Ogborne, Smart, Adlaf. (2000) Self-reported medical use of marijuana: a survey of the general
population
Ross, Ringel, Pacula. (2003) DOES MARIJUANA USE IMPAIR HUMAN CAPITAL
FORMATION? NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH
Roleff, Tamara (2004). War on drugs : opposing viewpoints
Arbor, Ann (1990). ABC News "Nightline" Drugs and Alcohol Poll, August 1988
Ruschmann, Paul (2011). Legalizing marijuana
Fielding, Amanda (2010). moving beyond stalemate