Transcript Marijuana Presentation

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…
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–
–
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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:
Medical Use:
• The public gets what it
wants
• Would create a $10-14
billion tax revenue
• Creates many job
opportunities
• Used in 0 States
• 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
Yes
Yes 4,504,771
46.4%
No
No 5,198,018
53.6%
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?re
sourceID=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_Prop
osition_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-isMarijuana-Illegal.htm>.
Citation
• Guither, Pete. "Why is Marijuana Illegal?."
DrugWarRant.com n. pag. Web. 6 Nov 2010.
<http://www.drugwarrant.com/articles/why-is-marijuanaillegal/>.
• Bonser, Kevin. "How Marijuana Works." Discovery Health
n. pag. Web. 6 Nov 2010.
<http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/drugsalcohol/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>.