Federal Government Could End Marijuana Prohibition

On Friday February 20^th, 2015 two separate bills were introduced in Congress to end federal prohibition on marijuana. Currently the federal government can supersede the local laws leaving the states vulnerable when approving marijuana for sale. The passive nature of the federal government has allowed states to legalize marijuana for medical and recreational use. This hands-off approach may change with a new president.

Democratic representative from Colorado Jared Polis introduced the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act. Rep. Polis calls for marijuana to be removed from the Controlled Substances Act. This would allow the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to regulate marijuana similar to alcohol.

On the same day house Democrat from Oregon Earl Blumenauer introduced the Marijuana Tax Revenue Act. This act would introduce a tax on marijuana sales similar to the Marihuana Tax of 1937. This tax was repealed in 1970. The new bill may impose more prosecution for possession.

Representative Polis bill is a positive direction for marijuana for many reasons. Removing the Drug Enforcement Agency from regulating allows the states laws to be fully legal and protected. Legalizing marijuana allows patients and the people that work in the industry to not fear prosecution. Removing marijuana from the label of a controlled substance will allow more research to be conducted. This will allow for safer medicine, a better understanding on how marijuana works in the body and new avenues for health care.

Source:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/20/marijuana-legalization-congress_n_6722686.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marihuana_Tax_Act_of_1937

Jamaica set to Decriminalize Marijuana

Jamaican flag

This Friday the Senate in the Country of Jamaica debated the legalization of marijuana. There couldn't be a more fitting day for the debate then the birthday of marijuana advocate Bob Marley. The Jamaican cabinet approved a bill in January 2015 that is now in need of approval with the senate.

With this ruling the 100 year prohibition of marijuana in Jamaica could soon be broken. The Rastafarian religion rooted in Jamaica uses the herb for religious purposes. They regard smoking marijuana as a sacrament. The bill would allow for a licensing authority to be established. This would grant permits for marijuana cultivation, distribution, research and medicinal use.

The legalization of marijuana in Jamaica would effect the community as well as the drug trade in the Caribbean. Prohibition has failed to reduce the drug prevalence in Central America. A different approach to these laws may reduce the criminal aspect in marijuana distribution.

Source:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-30926714

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2015/02/06/jamaican-senate-resumes-debate-on-decriminalizing-marijuana/

Cannabis use Lowers Alcohol Consumption

With the recent legalization of marijuana as a recreation use, alcohol consumption has gone down. This result was first theorized and studied in the late 1960's and 70's. DUI arrests, driving fatalities under alcohol influence, and drug overdose has gone down in Colorado and Washington where recreational marijuana use has become legal.

In 1968, Alfred R. Lindesmith, a sociologist talked about how pot smokers have an aversion to alcohol, much like how Hindus in India regard alcohol as taboo, while incorporating ganja as part of their ritual. John Kaplan from Stanford University in 1970 wrote, Marijuana, the New Prohibition states that a large percentage of marijuana users cut down alcohol use after starting use of marijuana. Richard Blum's data in the book showed that 54% of weekly marijuana users reduced alcohol use, while 89% of daily users reduced their consumption. (Source)

An online study in Australia surveyed 1,994 people broken up into groups of marijuana users, alcohol users and stimulant drugs such as ecstasy. The research purpose was to find if use of other drugs encourages people to drink more alcohol. With the three groups, ecstacy and alcohol users binged with excessive alcohol use, while marijuana users did not. (Source)

A study published in the Journal of Law and Economics showed that there is a 8-11% drop in traffic fatalities associated with legalizing medical marijuana. The findings were the same amount in alcohol related accidents which concluded that legalizing marijuana resulted in less drinking. (Source) This study has been put into practice in Colorado where as the miles driven goes up yearly, driving fatalities as legalization of marijuana takes effect has gone down by 9 percent. The study went on to report that after the legalization beer sales were down in the state by 5 percent. (Source) In Washington state, drunk driving arrests went down 11% after legalizing marijuana. (Source)

With a reduction of alcohol usage, one can infer that alcohol intoxication leading to overdose death will go down, but studies aren't out yet. Studies do show a reduction in opioid drug overdose deaths with the legalization of marijuana. (Source) The DEA has been pressured to remove marijuana as a schedule 1 drug, which would allow for more research regarding cannabis use and it's effects on society.(Source)

Source:

http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/studies/cu/cu58.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24975774

http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.1086/668812?uid=2&uid=4&sid=21103919484243

http://www.iza.org/en/webcontent/publications/papers/viewAbstract?dp_id=6112

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacobsullum/2014/04/03/more-pot-safer-roads-marijuana-legalization-could-bring-unexpected-benefits/

http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1898878

Legalizing Marijuana Reduces Crime

The use of marijuana has shown a two fold effect on the rate of crime. The first being the act of legalizing allows drug possession charges to go down dramatically. The other showing that the effect of the drug shows less tendency to commit violent crimes.

Colorado is almost one year into legalization of recreational use of marijuana. Millions of dollars have been saved by removing criminal penalties to possession of marijuana. Arrests for the possession of marijuana before legalization were upwards of 10,000 arrests a year.(Source) Colorado Center on Law & Policy projects a reduction in $12 million a year on criminal costs by legalizing marijuana. (Source) With the state tax excised on sales and other factors for legalization it is proposed to save upwards of $60 million for the state of Colorado. (Source)

A Study done in 2010 researched the crime rates after legalization of marijuana. They found that drug and property theft went up, while violent crime went down. Rates for aggravated assault, robbery and homicide show a large reduction in areas that legalize medical marijuana.(Source) In 2010 a study was conducted to see if marijuana users were repeat criminal offenders. The bulk of crime with the population was related to illegal possession and distribution of marijuana, not with any other crimes. By legalizing marijuana these crimes would cease to exist. (Source)

Dispensaries are a common target for theft and crime, in where they dispense large amounts of cannabis and manage sales in cash. Dispensaries because of the threat of theft implement security guards and camera surveillance which in turn has shown to reduce crime in the immediate vicinity of the dispensaries. (Source) The presence of dispensaries has not shown any increase in property theft or violent crime in the community. (Source)

Source:

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0092816

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3683594/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2950879/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19839964

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3364319/

http://cclponline.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/amendment_64_analysis_final.pdf

http://marijuana-arrests.com/210,000-Marijuana-Arrests-In-Colorado.html

The Dark Underworld

Forest in Oregon

Growing up in a small logging town in Oregon in the 70's, I grew up with an appreciation for nature and an understanding of a dark underworld. With rivers, lakes, trails and mountains at my footsteps, I also was continually made aware of danger of going off trail or not trespassing on property.

Logging was the biggest cash crop on the books for our region, but everyone knew cannabis far outdid logging as a cash crop off the books. The citizens that lived outside the city tightly held onto their constitutional rights on property rights, right to bear arms and simply being left alone. A simple pull into the driveway to turn around often was met with the owner and a rifle watching your every move. My father who worked in the national forests in our area left with a pistol on those trips, he told us it was in case he came upon a surprise farm with booby traps.

Oregon is anticipating legalizing marijuana by 2016 and bringing the cultivation out of the black market and into a full legal industry. Colorado that went legal this year has shown to still have illegal marijuana plantations hidden the the forests, grown for an illegal distribution in neighboring states. Brian Vincente, co founder of the campaign to legalize marijuana in Colorado stated “I think the black market is already on its way out,” says Vicente. “This is all a process and until our country legalizes marijuana there is always going to be some incentive for people to bring marijuana from Colorado to, say, Nebraska. There were bootleggers after prohibition ended, for a little while, but not for long.”

This is from an anonymous writer contributing to OUTCO who grew up witnessing the black market of marijuana in Oregon in the 1970's.

Source for continuing black market in Colorado: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/23/colorado-unregulated-marijuana-green-rush