Looking at Marijuana from UNC to D.C.

The phrase "4/20" has the ability to spark several different topics within the mind depending on your level of knowledge concerning marijuana. Adolf Hitler was born on April 20th and the Columbine shooting occurred on April 20th, but neither of these are the topic that generally comes to mind when someone hears "4/20." In response to the current 4/20 celebration of marijuana subculture, The UNC Connection researched the controversial topic surrounding marijuana usage, ranging from the history of the criminalization of marijuana in the United States, to current attempts at legalization, to actual marijuana usage. The UNC Connection spoke to representatives from several different lobbying groups, citizens and professionals within the community, and even to individual marijuana users and dealers.

Momentum gained over the course of the 1970s to reverse stereotypes of marijuana as a social poison. In the early 1980s, however, the National Federation of Parents for Drug Free Youth (now known as the National Family Partnership) started the Red Ribbon Campaign with Nancy Reagan as the honorary Chair of the organization to oppose marijuana advocacy. In 1983, the D.A.R.E. program (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) was started in Los Angeles by the LAPD under Darryl Gates. These organizations and others like them have continued to exert social and political pressure on the issue. In 2007, for example, The Partnership for a Drug-Free America aired a TV commercial in which a teenager appears to come home from school and is told by her dog that she is "not the same" when she smokes weed (search youtube.com under "anti weed commercials").

In 2001, US Surgeon General David Satcher categorized D.A.R.E. as a program that "does not work," in a statement that can be read on surgeongeneral.gov. The year that Satcher made this statement, the War on Drugs cost $1 billion per year. Spending has increased, however, and The War on Drugs, a phrase first instituted by President Nixon in 1969 and significantly intensified under the administration of Ronald Reagan, has been costly and highly criticized.

According to drugsense.org, more than $15 billion has been spent by federal and state governments since Jan. 1, 2009.

The Associated Press reported on March 18, that Attorney General Eric Holder announced that under the Obama administration, the government would only pursue cases of distribution in which both federal and state laws had been violated. But while this represents a change in over-all policy and a change from the Bush Administration, it was reported by the AP in the same article (NPR.org) that DEA agents in Los Angeles raided four medical marijuana dispensaries not long after Obama took office.

The fight for legalization

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted by the National Institute of Drug Abuse reports that in 2007, 41.8% of high school seniors in the United States had smoked marijuana at least once in their lifetime. For some people, this creates debates over the health risks. For others, this appeals as a tool to lobby for the legalization of marijuana.

There are several different lobbying groups who are currently trying to legalize marijuana. Larger groups include the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP).

Bruce Mirken, the director of communications for MPP, said that legalizing marijuana and regulating it in the same way that alcohol is regulated would prove helpful on both a large and small scale. "Regulating marijuana similarly to alcoholic beverages would benefit society in many ways. Billions of dollars would be saved in law enforcement costs and billions, maybe tens of billions, raised in tax revenues," said Birken.

NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre, presented a mock check last week in Washington D.C. with $14 million printed on its face; the amount of tax revenue that NORML says the government could take in if marijuana was legal. Additionally, legalizing marijuana would help local businesses, who would then be allowed to legally sell marijuana, reducing drug-related crime and gang activity, said Birken.

Birken also said that marijuana should be legalized on account that marijuana-related infractions make it difficult for citizens to "get a job, vote, and obtain professional licensing."

SAFER (Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation), a lobbying group based in Denver, makes the argument that marijuana is actually safer than alcohol, and should be legalized on account of the fact that alcohol is already legal. According to Executive Director of SAFER Mason Tvert reported statistics from SAFER's research that supports SAFER's stance that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol.

SAFER has drawn research from several different sources including: the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Task Force on College Drinking, among others. Tvert said that there has never been a documented case of death caused from marijuana overdose, as opposed to alcohol use, which is the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Tvert also said, "Alcohol is addictive and highly intoxicating. Marijuana is far less addictive and intoxicating."

Some people aren't so sure that legalizing marijuana would be a good idea on a local level.

Greeley citizen Richard Brady said that he thinks legalizing marijuana would only contributed toward more problems due to an increase in marijuana usage. "We already have large problems with people driving while under the influence, be it alcohol or drugs. Legalizing marijuana would only increase the demand and supply by removing the legal and social stigma against using or dealing marijuana that keeps some people from using it," said Brady. In addition, Brady said that legalizing marijuana would not take care of the drug-related crime because marijuana would likely be taxed, which would therefore encourage an underground market.

Brady also said that an increase in marijuana smokers would contribute to health hazards such as second-hand smoke. "Alcohol restrictions and crack downs by the government on drunk driving seems to indicate society wants the current or tighter control on these substances not less," Brady said.

Jennifer Beebe, the program coordinator for DATE (Drug Alcohol Tobacco Education), provided links to information concerning the health hazards associated with marijuana usage. She was unable to comment on how prevalent of a problem marijuana abuse is on campus, compared to alcohol abuse.

The National Institute of Drug Abuse reports that marijuana usage can have many of the same health hazards that tobacco products entail. These include increased risk for developing pneumonia, common colds, possible decrease in immunity strength, and increased risk of using more hardcore drugs such as cocaine and heroin.

On the other hand, many hardcore drug users have used alcohol, caffeine and tobacco before venturing into harder drugs.

It is still uncertain as to whether or not the carcinogens within marijuana increase the risk of a user developing cancer. Short-term effects of smoking marijuana include dizziness, slowed reactions, giddiness, and trouble recalling facts and information. Although, for some people who have developed a wide array of medical problems, taking in prescribed marijuana helps reduce symptoms associated with their health problems.

Colorado has become known for its stance on marijuana, due to the ratification of the 20th Amendment to the Colorado Constitution, as well as its well-known usage.

Only exceeded by California, Colorado has become the largest marijuana dispenser for medical Cannabis since the ratification of the 20th Amendment legalized marijuana for medical use.

Since medical marijuana became legalized, several different dispensaries have been built.

The biggest distributor of medical marijuana, Cannabis Therapeutics in Colorado Springs, is in a strip mall with no signs indicating what is inside. To some, it resembles a doctor's office.

The application of medical marijuana can happen in numerous methods including distribution by joint, liquid, and food, and available in several different dosages, partially because the reasons for requiring treatment are diverse.

"One of the main ones is fibromyalgia. Quite a few cancer patients take it. Others take it for chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, muscle spasms, slipped discs," said Andreas (who did not give a last name), a manager at Cannabis Therapeutics.

A few patients are hesitant to use the drug, due to moral standards or worries about side effects.

In fact, according to an article recently published on WebMD, marijuana does not contribute to cancer, even though many of the same carcinogens that exist in tobacco are present in marijuana.

The chemical that creates the "high," THC, may also protect a smoker from the carcinogens in the drug, according to studies done by researcher Donald Tashkin, MD, of UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine, and researchers from CU.

The study, which consisted of roughly 1,200 patients without cancer and 1,000 patients with cancer, asked the participants to detail their history concerning marijuana, tobacco, alcohol, socioeconomics, occupation, and family lung-cancer history. Each of the participants in the study matched another participant according to age, sex, and neighborhood. The study found no evidence that heavy marijuana users -- smoking up to 22,000 joints in their lifetime -- experienced elevated risk for developing lung cancer.

Some people even think that usage of medical marijuana helps patients avoid having to make use of other treatments. "They (patients) would be taking morphine. A month later, they are almost off narcotics and clear headed. Significant others call us and thank us. We've even got diabetic patients, and they are even weaning off insulin," said Andreas.

One UNC student, who preferred to remain anonymous, has been prescribed medical marijuana to reduce stress. "It chillaxes me," she explained. "Medicinal users don't abuse it. They know the strains, how it was grown. Street users don't know, and can use it dangerously." She prefers smoking rather than taking any other medication because it is less processed and more natural to her. In fact, she does not take any other medication. "I think it should be legalized," she said. "I've smoked with so many doctors, lawyers, just your average everyday people. There would be less negativity around it if it were made legal." Instead of causing more problems for the law, she thinks legalizing marijuana will help the government regulate and apply provisions to the drug. "There would be more education about the drug. I say share the love."

Users and Dealers

Marijuana has become a recreational tool, capable of enhancing social experiences. "We had a bunch of friends over and just passed a bong. It's a great experience to share," said one student who wished to remain anonymous. "Personally, it sponsors creativity." Another student said if it could be done in a legitimate way, then it would be safer and better." It's already done across Europe, Amsterdam especially," said the student. She says she cannot sleep without it.

"I smoke by myself because it relaxes me, too. I don't worry so much about being caught."

One dealer said he is not worried about being caught either. "If you have a lot of traffic, people stopping by your house for a couple of seconds, that is when the cops notice," said the dealer, who is also a student. "I find clients at parties, and ask if they'd like to buy some." He says he doesn't sell to anyone who looks "sketch," which means shady-looking or liable to say or do the wrong thing at the wrong time. He said he has even been caught smoking by the police before, and they just asked for his drugs and paraphernalia. "I don't sell it to make money. It's cheaper to buy in bulk, so I buy some for me and sell the rest. If you want to make major money, you sell hard drugs. I'm not into that," said the dealer. If it were made legal, he believes it would be cheaper.

What marijuana usage boils down to are the choices and the beliefs of every individual -- just like any controversial topic.

The long arm of the law

According to George Slack with the UNC Police Department, there were 141 tickets/arrests issued for drug offenses on campus in 2008, many of which were marijuana related.

Slack also said that the police department takes a stance to address the topics of policy, education and enforcement in order to address the effects that marijuana has on a university.

Slack stated that the university works with the City of Greeley to help students who incur a first-time offense receive "educational rather than punitive sanctions should they receive a ticket."

"We believe education allows students to make informed choices concerning their behavior, including the decision to use or not alcohol, drugs, and tobacco products," Slack said.