cannabisnews.com: Decriminalize Marijuana










  Decriminalize Marijuana

Posted by FoM on April 12, 2002 at 08:30:25 PT
By David M. DeBartolo & The Crimson Staff 
Source: Harvard Crimson  

Last Saturday, Gov. Gary Johnson of New Mexico and Dr. Lester Grinspoon of the Harvard Medical School rightly advocated the decriminalization of marijuana. These men should be commended for having the courage to address issues that most politicians and academics choose to avoid. As they pointed out, the prohibition of marijuana causes more injustice and social problems than the drug itself—similar to the alcohol prohibition in the 1920s—and thus the ban on its use should end.
Last year, the government spent approximately $30 billion of state, local and federal tax dollars and arrested more than 734,000 individuals to support the futile and destructive prohibition of marijuana. But even with all the government’s money and arrests, last year 89 percent of high school seniors said marijuana was “fairly or very easy” to get.Not surprisingly, marijuana enjoys widespread use and is far from dangerous. Eighty million Americans have tried marijuana, making it the third most popular drug in the United States. The only two more popular drugs, alcohol and tobacco, are both far more dangerous (and yet legal), with alcohol poisoning causing approximately 50,000 deaths per year and tobacco use causing over 400,000. America should adopt a system resembling that of the Netherlands, which allows adults to use marijuana responsibly and minimizes minors’ exposure—leading to lower use among adolescents than in the United States. Marijuana is sold in government-regulated “coffee shops,” which must follow five basic regulations: no advertising, no sales of hard drugs, no nuisance, no sales to people under 18 and no sales of more than five grams per transaction. Individual municipalities can regulate closing times and other rules for coffee shops. In general, individuals are allowed to possess up to 30 grams (about one ounce) for personal use.By regulating rather than prohibiting the marijuana market, America can benefit greatly from tax revenue brought in by shops like these. The marijuana trade, estimated by some to be the biggest cash crop in the United States, would generate revenues in the billions with a moderate tax of 50 cents per joint. Even with higher taxes, the legally distributed marijuana would still undercut the illegal prices because black market price inflation is so high. Thus decriminalization would eliminate the black market for marijuana. Marijuana has long been called a gateway drug, with opponents alleging that its use leads to harder narcotics. But in 2001, a study published by a federal agency, the National Institute of Justice, found that even though marijuana use rose during the 1990s among 18- to 20-year-olds arrested, young offenders did not seem to be using marijuana to get into harder drugs. It went on to state that this trend would be “good news” if it meant a “rejection of crack and heroin due to their potentially devastating consequences.” Although people who have used cocaine are statistically more likely than the general population to have tried marijuana, this proves only a correlation, not causation. Certain personality types are more likely to take risks—and thus more likely to break the law and use drugs. These people will choose to use hard drugs whether or not marijuana is decriminalized.The only direct connection between marijuana use and hard drug use is that many drug dealers who sell marijuana also sell hard drugs. This means marijuana users can often get hard drugs with ease. If the government were to separate the two markets by decriminalizing marijuana, as has been done in Amsterdam, it would give marijuana users less access to—and temptation to use—hard drugs.Decriminalization would also allow ill patients to use marijuana for medical reasons. Marijuana is currently used to relieve nausea caused by cancer chemotherapy, increase appetite in AIDS patients, relieve intraocular pressure in glaucoma patients and reduce muscle spasms in multiple sclerosis sufferers. While 10 states have moved to legalize medical marijuana, federal law keeps patients in fear of being arrested and prevents many doctors from recommending marijuana to patients who could benefit from it. Medical marijuana would be cheap, versatile and beneficial. Decriminalization will clearly improve the lives of many ill Americans.Several government-appointed commissions, President Nixon’s 1972 National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse being the most well known, have recommended decriminalizing marijuana. President Carter’s words in 1977 are especially true today: “Penalties against drug use should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against the possession of marijuana in private for personal use.” Congress should immediately move towards decriminalization. Dissent: Keep A Lid on the Pot Not only is it very likely that marijuana harms its users; it is a gateway drug that, in many cases, starts teenagers on a slippery slope towards abusing even more dangerous narcotics. Though the war on drugs has its problems, the billions of dollars spent fighting it have prevented immeasurable tragedy.The cost of enforcement may be high, but throwing up our hands in defeat and decriminalizing marijuana is not the solution.Complete Title: Decriminalize Marijuana: With Regulation, Drug’s Harms Would Disappear—Along With the Cost of Enforcement—David M. DeBartolo ’03 By The Crimson StaffSource: Harvard Crimson (MA Edu)Author: David M. DeBartolo & The Crimson Staff Published: Friday, April 12, 2002 Copyright: 2002 The Harvard Crimson, Inc.Contact: letters thecrimson.comWebsite: http://www.thecrimson.harvard.edu/Related Articles & Web Site:Marijuana The Forbidden Medicinehttp://www.rxmarihuana.com/Governor Defends Drug Legalizationhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12463.shtmlMarijuana Reconsideredhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12457.shtmlJohnson Hints That Drug Reform Will Be His Career http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12140.shtml

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Comment #12 posted by potpal on April 13, 2002 at 05:23:06 PT
Last 3 lines...
...were a dissenting viewpoint, a feeble, old and tired one.
How many crack users smoked a cigarette or drank a beer or cup of coffee at one time before using crack? This article mentions the money that taxation of mj would bring in but doesn't mention the money saved by not waging war on American cannabis users. 50 cents/joint or grow your own...In any case, now we're finally getting around to talking sense.Yay, team!
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Comment #11 posted by E_Johnson on April 12, 2002 at 17:02:14 PT
So much for that beeyatch who writes for the NYT
Remember that article by Linda Carroll in the NYT pseudoscience section about how marijuana destroys the intellectual potential of husbands and daughters everywhere?Waah waah waah because of marijuana I couldn't get into the Ivy League! Poor me, I'm an innocent victim of the evil weed.Linda Carroll, go hijack somebody else's brain cells with your melodramatic tales of weedy woe. The tokers of Harvard are flipping you the birdie bigtime.
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Comment #10 posted by Morgan on April 12, 2002 at 15:00:21 PT
Harvard surges ahead!
Really? I did not know that. I blame my inferior education. :-)Harvard 7 - Yale 5Go! Fighting ...uh...hmmm... Harvard people!
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Comment #9 posted by idbsne1 on April 12, 2002 at 13:27:58 PT
Morgan....
Actually, Harvard made the same announcement to help students with drug convictions first, LAST WEEK....:)So, you might have to adjust that score....lol.....(BTW, same here....went to UCLA....)idbsne1
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Comment #8 posted by Morgan on April 12, 2002 at 12:15:17 PT
What's the score?
By Yale granting funds to students to counteract the government's blacklisting of those convicted of drug charges... I'd give Yale 5 points.The 2(?) articles from Harvard condemning the drug war...2 points.So (in my book at least) it's Yale 5, Harvard 2. Boolah-boolah! (No, I didn't go to Yale. I got my higher edjemication from a Texas state school.) This is coming from a viewpoint of actions speaking louder than words.And there may be more going on at these schools than we know.
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Comment #7 posted by TroutMask on April 12, 2002 at 12:04:27 PT
great one p4me
That's great to read. The War on Marijuana is falling to pieces. It's beautiful.-TM
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on April 12, 2002 at 12:04:04 PT
EJ isn't it something!
I'm dazzled by what is going on. I love it!
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on April 12, 2002 at 12:00:20 PT

p4me
When I get discouraged I can think about what is going on in the UK and it makes me smile. At least somewhere in the world sense is happening. Please feel free to pass these links around. I think I found all the articles that I have posted on Coffee Shops but might have missed a few.

The Dutch Experience
http://www.dutchexperience.org/

Cannabis Cafe Champion 
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12505.shtml

Cannabis Entrepreneurs Go Dutch 
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12482.shtml

No Business Like Cannabizness
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12375.shtml

Cafes To Test Cannabis Laws 
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12297.shtml 

Cannabis Cafes Set To Open All Around Britain 
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12260.shtml

Cannabis Cleared - With a Warning 
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12245.shtml

City Must Go Dutch To Win The Drugs War 
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread12183.shtml

News Poll Shows Huge Yes Vote for Drugs Café 
http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11498.shtml 

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Comment #4 posted by p4me on April 12, 2002 at 11:45:51 PT

the European Liberation
I do not want to say much about the American insanity regarding marijuana. I am just thankful that sanity is making a comeback somewhere in the world. This is a link to the DE messageboard where they have pasted a report in a Newspaper called the Observer talking about a dozen coffeshops opening soon as in maybe a couple of weeks. Jimmy Ward says that he is receiving good community support and will go to jail but will not close the DE2 at Bournemouth. http://212.129.240.114/upload/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2327VAAI
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Comment #3 posted by E_Johnson on April 12, 2002 at 11:41:41 PT

Beat Yale!
Wow the Drug Reform Bowl competition is heating up. Harvard's really fighting to win here.Maybe this will change Bush policy. What better way for Yale to fight back?
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Comment #2 posted by TroutMask on April 12, 2002 at 09:35:45 PT

There are 2 opinions
one from the Pro-reform and one from the dissenting view, much like the US Supreme Court provides statements from the majority and from the dissenters.the eloquence of the dissenting opinion is, uh, not unbad.-TM
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Comment #1 posted by idbsne1 on April 12, 2002 at 09:32:39 PT

I'm confused.....
by those last few lines?I thought they were saying TO decrim MJ....but the last 3 lines say the opposite...was this a misprint?....idbsne1
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