Prohibition

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Table of Contents I. II. III. IV. V. VI. Thesis3 The History of Marijuana and Why It is Illegal4 Prohibition and Why It Fails to Work.16 Marijuanas Effects on the Individual.23 Conclusion...29 Works Cited.30

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Thesis
Since the beginning of human history, marijuana has been utilized for its purposes ranging from industrial to recreational. It wasnt until the 20th century however, that the plant became regarded as a scourge of man and the criminalization of its use began. Prohibition violates the rights to life and liberty protected by the Constitution of the United States, as well as incriminates American citizens and result in the arrest of hundreds of thousands each year. Studies by the US government and various medical and science organizations around the globe have concluded that the use of marijuana is legitimate and its prohibition holds no ground when presented with the factual data. This report reviews the history of marijuana prohibition, government statistics concerning prohibition and its effectiveness, as well as scientific studies concerning its effects on the individual.

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The History of Marijuana and Why It Is Illegal

By looking at the history of marijuana one can better understand that it has been criminalized by racial tension, misconception, propaganda, and a state of fear during the Cold War. Understanding the reasons for marijuanas prohibition is crucial to understanding the legitimacy of its use and the destructive effects of its prohibition. For most of human history, cannabis, commonly known as marijuana, has been legal and legitimate. Its uses have been traced back further than 7,000BC. It wasnt until the 20th century that the plant became criminalized and misperceived. One of the causes of prohibition is racism during the early 20th century. In 1910 when revolution broke out in Mexico, racial tensions began between Americans and Latinos. Later in the same decade, American farmers began hiring Mexican workers who were willing to work for cheaper pay than Americans. Americans in the west began to associate marijuana to Mexicans who brought the plant with them from their homeland. This would lead to the first state passing a prohibition law, California, which made preparations of hemp, or loco weed illegal. By 1927, eight other states would follow, including Wyoming (1915), Texas (1919), Iowa (1923), Nevada (1923), Oregon (1923), Washington (1923), Arkansas (1923), and Nebraska (1927) (The History of the Non-Medical Use of Drugs in the United States Whitebread). When Montana outlawed marijuana in 1927, the

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Butte Montana Standard reported a legislators comment: When some beet field peon takes a few traces of this stuff he thinks he has just been elected president of Mexico, so he starts out to execute all his political enemies (Bonnie, Whitebread THE GENESIS OF MARIJUANA PROHIBITION). In Texas, a senator said on the floor of the Senate: All Mexicans are crazy, and this stuff [marijuana] is what makes them crazy. In the east, marijuana was associated to Latino and Black jazz musicians fueled by racist ideology. The American public, many of which had racially prejudiced ideology, quickly accepted the propaganda about marijuana, increasing the momentum for the anti-marijuana movement. By the 1930s, the projection of marijuana had changed. Dr. A. E. Fossier wrote in the 1931 New Orleans Medical and Surgical Journal: Under the influence of hashish those fanatics would madly rush at their enemies, and ruthlessly massacre every one within their grasp (Fossier 44). Within a very short time, marijuana started to be linked to violent behavior. It was also during this time that alcohol was prohibited through a constitutional amendment, because government prohibition of drugs and alcohol was not seen as constitutional. But it wasnt until 1930, when the Federal Bureau of Narcotics was founded and led by Harry J. Anslinger, which began the real prohibition of marijuana. Anslinger was extremely ambitious and saw the Bureau of Narcatics as a career opportunity. He realized that as head of the Bureau, he could both define the problem marijuana poses, and its solution. Anslinger immediately associated the themes of racism

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and violence to marijuana in order to draw national attention to the problem that he wanted to create. He also promoted and often read from Gore Files, an extreme reefer madness-style exploitation of marijuana with stories of axmurderers strung out on the drug. (reefermadnessmuseum.org) His quotes include: Marijuana is an addictive drug which produces in its users insanity, criminality, and death. Reefer makes darkies think theyre as good as white men. Marihuana leads to pacifism and communist brainwashing You smoke a joint and youre likely to kill your brother. And, Marijuana is the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind. ("Anslingers' Gore File") Anslinger was mostly a businessman and not a man fit for the position he portrayed, to help protect the American people in ways suited to their best interest. It was his ambition, however, that led the public to a demonized view of the drug. Harry Anslinger also got help for his cause from William Randolf Hearst, owner of a large chain of newspapers. Hearst had reasons for why he wanted to see marijuana prohibited. First, he had racial prejudice against Mexicans. Second, he had large investments in timberlands and didnt want to lose his investment to the raising competition that hemp was producing (Turner, Anslinger, Hearst, and

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the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act, ephidrina.org). Hemp is both cheaper and more efficient than timber. One acre of hemp yields the same amount of paper as four acres of timber. Third, telling propaganda about Mexicans and their association with marijuana and violence sold newspapers, making him extremely wealthy. Annie Laurie, a columnist for Hearst Newspapers wrote, Was it marijuana, the new Mexican drug, that nerved the murderous arm of Clara Phillips when she hammered out her victims life in Los Angeles? . . . THREE-FOURTHS OF THE CRIMES of violence in this country today are committed by DOPE SLAVES that is a matter of cold record. (reefermadness.org) Dupont chemical company and various pharmaceutical companies also supported Hearst and Anslinger in the effort to outlaw cannabis. Dupont had patented nylon, and wanted hemp removed as competition. The pharmaceutical companies could neither identify nor standardize cannabis dosages, making it impossible to prescribe. Marijuana users were also able to grow their own medicine, removing the need to purchase it from pharmaceutical companies. This would then lead to the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, written secretively over the course of two years, by Ansligner. Anslinger brought his plan to Congress, complete with documents of sensational Hearst editorials, stories of reefer madness, and racial slurs. However, an appearance by Dr. William C. Woodward, Legislative Council of the American Medical Association proposed

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an alternate view. First, Woodward began to slam Anslinger for distorting AMA statements about marijuana in order to further indorse his case. Then Woodward went on to say: That there is a certain amount of narcotic addiction of an objectionable character no one will deny. The newspapers have called attention to it so prominently that there must be some grounds for [their] statements. It has surprised me, however, that the facts on which these statements have been based have not been brought before this committee by competent primary evidence. We are referred to newspaper publications concerning the prevalence of marihuana addiction. We are told that the use of marihuana causes crime. But yet no one has been produced from the Bureau of Prisons to show the number of prisoners who have been found addicted to the marihuana habit. An informed inquiry shows that the Bureau of Prisons has no evidence on that point. (Marijuana - The First Twelve Thousand Years - Outlawing Marijuana, druglibrary.org) However, Congress had already been persuaded by Anslingers false claims of the drug and the bill was passed, prohibiting the possession of marijuana without first obtaining a marijuana tax stamp, which was never produced. (Blanchard, How Cannabis was Criminalised, idmu.co.uk)

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The view of marijuana was changing, however. Anslinger was successful at convincing the American public and government of the drugs harmful effects, despite that none of his claims could be reinforced with factual data, but that would soon change when reports in the 1940s and following decades concluded that the prohibition of marijuana simply held no legitimacy when presented the facts. In 1944, a government study of marijuana by the La Guardia Committee released a report stating: 1. "Under the influence of marihuana the basic personality structure of the individual does not change but some of the more superficial aspects of his behavior show alteration. 2. With the use of marihuana the individual experiences increased feelings of relaxation, disinhibition and self-confidence. 3. The new feeling of self-confidence induced by the drug expresses itself primarily through oral rather than through physical activity. There is some indication of a diminution in physical activity. 4. The disinhibition which results from the use of marihuana releases what is latent in the individual's thoughts and emotions but does not evoke responses which would be totally alien to him in his undrugged state. 5. Marihuana not only releases pleasant reactions but also feelings of anxiety.

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6. Individuals with a limited capacity for effective experience and who have difficulty in making social contacts are more likely to resort to marihuana than those more capable of outgoing responses." (The La Guardia Report on Marihuana, procon.org) In the 1950s, Henry J. Anslinger began producing new propaganda claiming that marijuana was a gateway drug to heroin. Americans were concerned about a growing number of teens using heroin; Anslinger used that concern as an opening to push his marijuana message once again. The media popularized the myth that most heroin-addicts were led down the path to disaster by marijuana and that most marijuana users become addicted to harder drugs. Anslinger then pushed for even tougher drug laws and also got President Eisenhower to support him. The Narcotic Control Act of 1956 put marijuana in the same drug class as heroin and added more severe penalties. A first conviction of marijuana possession was punishable by a mandatory two to 10 years in prison. State drug laws also toughened up. In Missouri, a second conviction for possession of marijuana was eligible for a life sentence (Schlosser, Reefer Madness theatlantic.com). Propelled by his success in criminalizing marijuana and adding stricter drug laws, Anslinger went even further going to the U.N. In 1961, using the large influence of the United States, he convinced over 100 countries to consolidate

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their drug agreements into a single convention that would make marijuana illegal around the world. (The History of the Drug Laws, druglibrary.org) In the 1960s, anti-marijuana propaganda was widely distributed with the message that smoking marijuana would not only make the user lazy and irresponsible, but that the user was also out of touch with reality and a threat to national security. Dr. Leo E. Hollister, the associate chief of staff and the Palo Alto Veterans Hospital in California conducted a study of the effects of marijuana and found that smoking marijuana makes people happy, friendly, intoxicated and sleepy. He found no reason to believe that smoking pot made people aggressive or led to addiction to other drugs (Marijuana (Weed) History and Facts brainz.org). However, despite the propaganda, marijuana increased in popularity with young adults on college campuses, contributed to the rising popularity of the counterculture. Students spoke out about their marijuana use and gradually changed the public's misperceived view of the drug. By 1965, an estimated 1 million Americans had tried marijuana (Marijuana (Weed) History and Facts brainz.org). Smoking marijuana became an acceptable thing in pop-culture and no longer only associated with the counterculture. By 1972, approximately 24 million Americans had tried marijuana (Marijuana (Weed) History and Facts brainz.org).

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In 1969, there was a push for marijuana reform as the public began to realize that marijuana laws were not effective and that the penalties were too harsh. A big wake-up call for many middle-class people was the fact that their children were the top demographic for arrests and prosecution. Dr. Stanley Yolles estimated that 8 to 12 million people in the United States smoked marijuana and pressed Congress to abolish mandatory minimum sentencing for marijuana offenses. Congress took the advice and passed the Controlled Substances Act, which eliminated mandatory minimums and reduced penalties for possession of marijuana. (Thirty Years of Americas Drug War, PBS.org) In 1972, The National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse released a report, which would be the most comprehensive study on marijuana ever done. The commission took the position that smoking marijuana in one's own home should not be criminalized. Nixon threw the report in the garbage can without ever reading it. Also in 1972, all of the government's existing drug agencies were combined into one the Drug Enforcement Agency. The DEA was given the authority to enter homes without a warrant, use wiretaps, and gather intelligence on anyone, violating constitutional rights. (Marijuana (Weed) History and Facts brainz.org). In the 1980s, President Reagans administration launched its own war on drugs. An average of one person every 38 seconds was arrested for violating

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marijuana laws, the majority of which for simple possession. Also in this decade, Jude Frances Law, an administrative law judge for the DEA held hearings for medical marijuana and recommended that medical marijuana be rescheduled as a prescription drug. No action would be taken. ("Your Government Is Lying To You (Again) About Marijuana." NORML.org) Still, despite multiple Presidents and the DEAs struggle to keep the movement against marijuana alive, the public has begun to realize the truth about the drug and accept it even more around the globe. Though Canada became the first country in the world to legalize medical marijuana in 2003, the U.S. Federal Government has been reluctant to changing marijuana laws. California passed Proposition 215 in 1996, the first U.S. law making marijuana legal to use for medicinal purposes. Obtaining a medical license today in states that have medical marijuana is extremely easy. Medical marijuana is prescribed for a ride wage of symptoms as simple as headaches, stomachaches, minstrel cramps, and more. Today Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington have passed medical marijuana laws. Several other states are also considering legalizing medical marijuana, and the state of Washington is currently proposing a new bill to regulate marijuana similar to that of alcohol, making its use legal for recreational use. (Dobuzinskis, Alex.

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"Washington State Marijuana Legalization Headed for Ballot." Reuters.com) The proposition is being proposed for the 2012 ballot. In the most recent decade, support for marijuanas legalization has grown to a majority of Americans. Multiple polls conducted by multiple sources ranging from CBS to CNN have concluded that the majority of all Americans support the legalization or decriminalization of marijuana ("Record-High 50% of Americans Favor Legalizing Marijuana Use." Gallup Politics). Despite this however, on May 18, 2009, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a dispute over California's medical marijuana law. Opponents of Californias Compassionate Use Act claim that it violates federal drug laws. In 2010, a California appeals court ruled that the state's medical marijuana law does not supersede federal drug laws, making medical marijuana users criminals on the federal level ("Supreme Court Action Upholds California's Medical Pot Law." Los Angeles Times). Today, marijuana remains illegal in part because of lobbyist groups paying for it to remain illegal. John Lovell is a Sacramento police union lobbyist who told TIME Magazine that he wanted marijuana illegal because the last thing we need is yet another mind-altering substance to be legalized. But lobbying contracts reveal that during the campaign for Proposition 19 in California, which would legalize and tax marijuana in a manner like alcohol, found that Lovells firm was paid over $386,350 from a wide array of police unions, including the California Police Chiefs Association. Police unions also contributed about

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$100,500 to a campaign account used to coordinate opposition to Prop 19.("Why Cant You Smoke Pot? Because Lobbyists Are Getting Rich Off of the War on Drugs." Republic Report). The history of marijuana dates back to the beginning of history itself, and its criminalization not even a hundred years. Understanding that its prohibition was purely created in the pursuit of money, career opportunity, and for racial discrimination, is crucial to understanding that prohibition holds no truth, especially in light of the factual data discovered about the drug since the 1940s, which states repeatedly that the drug has little harmful effect to the individual or society.

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Prohibition and Why It Fails to Work

In the 20th and 21st centuries, scientific studies held by the US Government, universities, and medical organizations have found that the prohibition of marijuana holds no legitimacy when presented with the factual data recorded by these studies. These studies have concluded marijuanas legitimacy as a medicine and as a recreational drug with no upending threat to the individual or their ability to carry out a respectable role in our society. Few claims against the drug have held any factual evidence and the myths have been debunked. Still, in loo of this evidence, the US Government refuses to decriminalize or legalize marijuana, disregarding the factual data being presented. Prohibition criminalizes natural law, inherent human rights, present in the United States Constitution under the First Amendment, the right to liberty. Thomas Jefferson is quoted saying, Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth & protection of the country, and President George Washington is also quoted saying in 1794, Make the most of the Indian Hemp seed and sow it everywhere ("HEMP." Rosenlake.net). Prohibition not only violates fundamental rights, but also causes destruction and harm to our society and individual lives. Prohibition not only incriminates the 14 million regular marijuana smokers in the US but also causes the arrest of more than 853,000 individuals per year and costs taxpayers $10 billion annually with failed results. ("About Marijuana." NORML)

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In October of 2010, the International Centre for Science in Drug Policy released a report confirming that despite increased funding, the United States policy on marijuana was ineffective. The report consists of mostly information from US Government data, which finds that increased funding for marijuana law enforcement is not associated with any demonstrable reduction in marijuana availability, arrests, potency, or rates of cannabis-related harm. (U.S. federal government data on cannabis prohibition 5). The report shows that the annual overall federal anti-drug budget as reported by the US Office of National Drug Control Policy increased by over 600% from $1.5 billion in 1981 to more than $18 billion in 2002, the last year the budget was consistently recorded. (Armentado, Paul. U.S. Government Data Shows That Marijuana Prohibition Has Clearly Failed To Achieve Its Stated Objectives NORML.org). While only a portion of this budget funded programs specific to cannabis prohibition, increased federal and state funding nevertheless coincided with a greater than 150% increase in cannabis-related arrests and a greater than 420% increase in cannabis-related seizures between 1990 and 2006 (Armentado, U.S. Government Data Shows That Marijuana Prohibition Has Clearly Failed To Achieve Its Stated Objectives). The 2010 report goes further to state:

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[E]vidence of prohibitions failure to reduce the supply of cannabis is demonstrated by the estimated decrease of approximately 58% (inflation adjusted) in the retail price of US cannabis between 1990 and 2007 The report finds that marijuana is almost universally available to American 12th graders with 80-90% of those studied saying that the drug is very-easy to obtain. The report continues to states: [R]ates of cannabis use among American youth do not inversely correlate with levels of funding for cannabis prohibition. Instead, the estimated annual prevalence of cannabis use among US grade 12 students rose from 27% in 1990 to 32% in 2008, whereas among 19- to 28-year-olds it went from 26% in 1990 to 29% in 2008. (Armentado, U.S. Government Data Shows That Marijuana Prohibition Has Clearly Failed To Achieve Its Stated Objectives). Many officials argue that stricter penalties yield more successful results, however, this argument is inconsistent with available scientific evidence which indicates that patterns of drug law enforcement are not strongly correlated with rates of cannabis use (Armentado, U.S. Government Data Shows That Marijuana Prohibition Has Clearly Failed To Achieve Its Stated Objectives). The report concludes in stating:

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Increased funding for cannabis prohibition has increased cannabis seizures and arrests, but the assumption that this reduces cannabis potency, increases price or meaningfully reduces availability or use, is inconsistent with surveillance data the US federal government has itself collected. Prohibition has proven unsuccessful now and in the past. The prohibition of marijuana simply places the drug on the black market, and users of the drug are forced to obtain it through this lucrative system while also risking criminal charges. The prohibition of marijuana neither makes the drug less prevalent nor reduces the amount of users. Aside from criminal charges, marijuana smokers are also subject to rehabilitation centers. Rehabilitation can often times be mandated and not at the will of the user. Rehabilitation centers yield little result and most simply dont allow researchers to see their results. Probably the best-known rehabilitation program in our country is Alcoholics Anonymous, which also doesnt share their success rate results (Carey, Benedict. "THE EVIDENCE GAP; Drug Rehabilitation or Revolving Door?" The New York Times). A. Thomas McClellan, chief executive of the nonprofit Treatment Research Institute, based in Philadelphia states: What we have in this country is a washing-machine model of addiction treatment You go to Shady Acres for 30 days, or to some clinic for 60 visits or 60 doses, whatever it is. And then youre discharged and

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everyones crying and hugging and feeling proud and youre supposed to be cured. (Carey, Benedict. "THE EVIDENCE GAP; Drug Rehabilitation or Revolving Door?" The New York Times). Americas drug rehabilitation field also has no standard guidelines. Each program runs how they feel suits best, and their individual counselors for that matter. No one is exactly sure what works best and helps patients, ranging from marijuana addiction to alcohol and heroin addiction. Rehabilitation centers seem like a good solution to many people, believing that their addiction to marijuana will be cured, and along with it their chances of doing any other drugs like cocaine, LSD, or heroin. However, research shows that marijuana does not cause people to use hard drugs. ("Marijuana Not A Gateway To Hard Drug Use, Rand Study Says Conclusions Raise Serious Doubts Regarding The Legitimacy Of U.S. Drug Policy." Norml.org.) Marijuana is the most popular drug in America, and so most hard drug users such as cocaine users also use or have used marijuana, which is easily available on the black market. Most marijuana users, however, have never used any other illegal drug and the vast majority of those who have tried another drug never become addicted or go on to have associated problems. Indeed, for the large majority of people, marijuana is the extent to which the user is willing to go and not a so-called gateway drug. The gateway for some, unfortunately, remains the black market, which allows easy access to not only marijuana but also harder drugs.

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Decriminalization solves this issue. One of the most non-incriminating countries in terms of drug policy in Europe and the world is the Netherlands. For more than two decades, Dutch citizens over the age of eighteen have been permitted to buy and use marijuana and hashish in government-regulated coffee shops. This policy has not resulted in a dramatic escalation of marijuana use ("Marijuana Decriminalization & Its Impact on Use." NORML.org). For most age groups, rates of marijuana use in the Netherlands are similar to those in the United States. However, for young adolescents, rates of marijuana use are lower in the Netherlands than in the United States. The Dutch government remains committed to their stance on decriminalization, while occasionally revising marijuana policies ("Marijuana Facts." Drugpolicy.org. Drug Policy Alliance). Prohibition continues to fail and has since it began in 1937. Prohibition violates constitutional rights, as well as cost the taxpayer high amounts of money only to incriminate American citizens while yielding failed results. Carl Sagan, an American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, and author, winner of the 1994 Public Welfare Medal, the highest award of the National Academy of Sciences, states: The illegality of cannabis is outrageous, an impediment to full utilization of a drug which helps produce the serenity and insight, sensitivity and fellowship so desperately needed in this increasingly mad and dangerous

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world (Sagan, Carl. "Mr. X." Marihuana Reconsidered. By Lester Grinspoon). Those who understand these facts but still continue to allow prohibition to be enforced break the principle that this country was founded upon, the right to life and liberty, which Thomas Jefferson explains in a letter to Isaac H. Tiffany in 1819: Of liberty I would say that, in the whole plenitude of its extent, it is unobstructed action according to our will. But rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add 'within the limits of the law,' because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the right of an individual. (Jefferson, Thomas. Letter to Isaac H. Tiffany) Any person understanding these truths with good moral judgment understands that to allow the violation of these rights is unethical to the human perception. Albert Einstein once said, If I were to remain silent, I'd be guilty of complicity (Petrie, John. "Collection of Einstein Quotes." The Greatest Albert Einstein Quotes. University of Georgia).

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Marijuanas Effects on the Individual

Many studies have been done to prove marijuanas medical benefits and disprove the long-time speculation that the drug causes forms of mental illness and brain damage. Studies have also been conducted to prove there is no link between motor vehicle accidents and marijuana intoxication. Some effects of marijuana ingestion may include feelings of panic, anxiety, and paranoia. Such experiences can be frightening, but the effects are temporary. None of this however suggests that there may not be some correlation between marijuana use and certain psychiatric ailments. People often turn to the alleviating effects of marijuana to treat symptoms of distress. A study performed in Germany showed that marijuana offsets certain cognitive declines in schizophrenic patients (Jockers-Scherbl, and Bahri. "Cannabis Induces Different Cognitive Changes in Schizophrenic Patients and in Controls."). Another study demonstrated that psychotic symptoms predict later use of marijuana, suggesting that people might turn to the plant for help rather than become ill after use (Cannabis induces different cognitive changes in schizophrenic patients and in controls 38). Marijuana use has shown to impair but not damage mental health, usually symptoms subside after the peak high point, as the London Telegraph stated in January 2006. The short-term effects of marijuana include immediate, temporary

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changes in thoughts, perceptions, and information processing. The cognitive process that is most clearly affected by marijuana is short-term memory. In laboratory studies, subjects under the influence of marijuana have no trouble remembering things they have learned previously. Rather, they display diminished capacity to learn and recall new information. However, this diminishment only lasts for the duration of the intoxication. There is no convincing evidence that heavy long-term marijuana use permanently impairs memory or other cognitive functions ("Marijuana Facts." Drugpolicy.org.). At some doses, marijuana does affect perception and psychomotor performance, changes that could impair driving ability. However, in driving studies, marijuana produces little or no car-handling impairment, consistently less than produced by low to moderate doses of alcohol and many other legal drugs. Opposite to alcohol, which tends to increase risky driving practices, marijuana tends to make subjects more cautious. Surveys of fatally injured drivers have shown that in the vast majority of cases, when THC is detected in the blood, alcohol is also detected. For some individuals, marijuana may play a role in bad driving and no person should operate a vehicle under the influence of any drug, but studies suggest that the overall rate of highway accidents does not appear to be significantly affected by marijuana's widespread use in our society ("Marijuana Facts." Drugpolicy.org.). Another interesting point to be made is the finding that Canadian researchers at the University of Saskatchewan discovered in 2005 that marijuana causes brain

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cell growth in the hippocampus region of the brain, which controls mood and emotions. Other drugs including alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, and heroin cause destruction of nerve cells in the hippocampus. Debunking the common myth, marijuana kills brain cells (Kleiner, Kurt. "Marijuana Might Cause New Cell Growth in the Brain." Newscientist.com). Another speculation is that marijuana smokers are at an elevated risk for developing smoking-related cancers. Others argue that though a link has not been made between the two, it is still possible. Studies confirm the rather. Several longitudinal studies have established that long-term use of marijuana via smoking (in humans) is not associated with elevated cancer risk, including tobacco-related cancers or colorectal, lung, melanoma, prostate, breast, and cervix cancers. A 2009 population-based case-control study found that moderate marijuana smoking over a 20 year period was correlated with reduced risk of head and neck cancer. A 5-year-long population-based case control study found that even long-term heavy marijuana smoking was not associated with lung cancer or upper aero-digestive tract cancers ("Marijuana Facts." Drugpolicy.org.). Another common myth is that marijuana potency has drastically risen in recent decades, and that this increase in potency can be associated with higher risk of dependency or damaging health impacts. There is no scientific evidence to support that speculation. US Government data shows that domestically grown marijuana, the bulk of marijuana sold in the US, has risen in THC potency from

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3% in 1980 to less than 5% in present day. Regardless of potency, THC is still virtually non-toxic and does not cause damage to healthy or vital cells. It is impossible for one to successfully overdose on THC. High potency may induce a more intense high but usually not without the discretion of the user, and users who do encounter unusually potent marijuana adjust their intake and smoke less ("Marijuana Facts." Drugpolicy.org.). Marijuana use in adolescence is almost universally discouraged. It is a well-known fact that brain development continues until the age of 21. However, studies report that moderate use in teenagers over the age of 15 may actually be beneficial. Researchers at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland surveyed 5,263 students, 455 of which smoke marijuana solely, 1,703 who smoke marijuana and tobacco, and 3,105 who smoked neither one. The researchers found that marijuana-only smokers had better relationships with friends, better grades and were more likely to play sports than teens that smoked tobacco and those who abstained from both substances. Marijuana-only smokers were also less likely to have drunk alcohol in the past 30 days and less likely to use marijuana before the age of 15. They were also found to be less likely to use any other illicit drug besides marijuana (Gwynne, Kristen. "Study: Why Teen Pot Smoking Could Be a Good Thing (And What We Can Learn From Teens Who Choose Weed Over Beer)." Alternet.org.).

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As rates of marijuana use in teens in the US raises, the adverse effect occurs in the rates of alcohol and tobacco use. In 2011, the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) reported that 25% of teens surveyed admitted to using marijuana at least once in the past year, while 6.6% of 12th graders surveyed admit to using the drug daily. Frequent marijuana use is at the highest it has been since 1981, however alcohol and tobacco use has reached historic lows. 11.7% of U.S. teens reported having smoked a cigarette in the last 30 days, compared to 12.8% in 2010. According to the report, "Over the past 20 years, from 1991 to 2011, the proportion of 8th graders reporting any use of alcohol in the prior 30 days has fallen by about half (from 25% to 13%), among 10th graders by more than one third (from 43% to 27%), and among 12th graders by about one fourth (from 54% to 40%)". This study proves that US teens are using their resources to understand that while marijuana use may not be perfectly harmless, its effects are extremely less harmful than potentially fatal alcohol and tobacco (Gwynne, Kristen. "Study: Why Teen Pot Smoking Could Be a Good Thing (And What We Can Learn From Teens Who Choose Weed Over Beer)." Alternet.org.). Accurate education about marijuana and other drugs is the only way to defer teens from using them. A seemingly inaccurate depiction of marijuana by authorities may lead teens to question what theyve been told about other drugs

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and try them as well. It has been proven that prohibition and/or rehabilitation does not yield satisfying results and only causes the incrimination of responsible Americans, both adults and minors. The only effective alternative to prohibition I see is comprehensive education about drugs instead of scare-tactics and propaganda, just as comprehensive education about sex has proven more effective than pro-abstinence campaigns ("Comprehensive Sex Education: Research and Results." Advocatesforyouth.org.).

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Conclusion

Given the information provided by the findings of this essay, it seems evident that the current system of marijuana prohibition does not work. The history of prohibition shows that marijuana has not been outlawed due to an issue of public safety, but rather in the pursuit of wealth and career opportunity by those given the authority to induct the law. Government data reveals that despite the amount of funding prohibition receives, it is still ineffective in reducing the amount of users, the cost of the drug, or the drugs prevalence in our society. Scientific data further concludes that despite the Drug Enforcement Agencys stance on marijuana, it has significantly less harmful effects than other legal drugs such as tobacco and alcohol. Because marijuana does not produce any significant threat to our society or an individuals well being, it seems rational to conclude that the prohibition of the drug is unconstitutional, in violation of First Amendment rights. It also seems evident that the destructive capabilities of the drug are not directly contributed to the drug itself, but rather its illegality. Prohibition causes the arrest of more than 800,000 Americans annually, which results in lost jobs, detainment, and criminal records which follow an individual throughout their life, creating difficulty for one who wishes to achieve their goals and live a success life.

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Works Cited
"The History of the Non-Medical Use of Drugs in the United States." History of the Non-Medical Use of Drugs in the United States. Web. 08 May 2012. "Marijuana - The First Twelve Thousand Years - Outlawing Marijuana." Marijuana - The First Twelve Thousand Years - Outlawing Marijuana. Web. 08 May 2012. "Marijuana - The First Twelve Thousand Years - The Jazz Era." Marijuana - The First Twelve Thousand Years - The Jazz Era. Web. 08 May 2012. "History of the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 by David F. Musto." History of the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 by David F. Musto. Web. 08 May 2012. "The Genesis of Marijuana Prohibition." The Genesis of Marijuana Prohibition. Web. 08 May 2012. "The History of The Drug Laws." The History of The Drug Laws. Web. 08 May 2012. A. E. Fossier, "The Marihuana Menace", New Orleans Medical and Surgical Journal 44 (1931): 247 "Reefer Madness!: Through the Ages." Reefer Madness!: Through the Ages. Web. 08 PBS. PBS. Web. 08 May 2012. "The Marihuana Tax Act 1937." The Marihuana Tax Act 1937. Web. 08 May 2012. "Independent Drug Monitoring Unit." Independent Drug Monitoring Unit. Web. 08 May 2012.

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