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 High Crimes: As marijuana use rises among America's youth, legislators and users debate legalization Tasha Manoranjan Marijuana. Pot. Weed. Bud. These words often echo down high school halls. They were also heard in the debate between Republican Gov. Bob Taft and Democratic challenger Timothy Hagan Oct. 15. Hagan, when asked his opinion on the medicinal use of marijuana, said he would have obtained the drug for his dying father to "ease his pain" had it een requested of him. In response, Taft said he opposed legalizing addictive drugs. This political debate reflects current questions reverberating in America's and Upper Arlington's culture regarding marijuana and its possible legalization. Reports show marijuana to be drug of choice nationally and locally More young Americans use marijuana than any other illegal drug, according to a 2000 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse. Approximately 60 percent of teenagers who use illegal substances use marijuana. According to the 2000 UA Primary Prevention Awareness, Attitude & Use Survey, a range of 14-24 percent of UAHS students reported smoking marijuana monthly or more often. Naomi*, a senior who said she has smoked marijuana since she was 15, said marijuana use is very prevalent among students. "A ton of students use marijuana," Naomi said. "A lot more students use than parents and non-users think. It's a drug that brings people together." However, sophomore Artem Zagorodnov said he sees alcohol as more prevalent than marijuana. "More students use alcohol," Zagorodnov said, "because it's easier to obtain." Students cite variety of reasons for marijuana use Gabe*, a junior who smoked marijuana in the past, said he used it to escape pressure. "Smoking marijuana was my way of coping with everything- with stress, worry and fear," Gabe said. "It was self-medication. I used it to deal with ... life. Life was perfect when I was high. I had no problems; everything was okay." Jordan*, a junior who formerly used marijuana and quit after fights with his girlfriend about the drug, said he smoked solely for relief it brought. "It was a lot of fun," Jordan said. "You can be someone else for a while. Someone who doesn't need to deal with all the problems I have." Health teacher Stacey Hoover said students' motives for using marijuana are often similar throughout one student population. "A lot of students smoke pot for [one of] two reasons," Hoover said. "One being curiosity, and the other is to do what others are doing. Some do it to escape reality and not have to deal with issues." Senior Kurt Knisley said many of his friends use marijuana as a pastime. "Some people use it out of boredom," Knisley said. "It becomes a habit, a recreational activity." Naomi* said peer pressure had nothing to do with her decision and desire to smoke marijuana. "I started using it because I was curious about it," Naomi said. "And I've kept using it because it makes me mellow and peaceful." Possible legalization of use has benefits, hazards to consider A report released June 2002 from the Ohio Patient Network found 68 percent of Americans support using marijuana for medicinal purposes. The report also noted public support of medical use has grown significantly from previous years. Freshman Sirisha Bendapodi said she strongly favors the legalization of marijuana. "Other substances that are legal are more harmful, such as alcohol and tobacco," Bendapodi said. "I am more concerned about those substances, especially since both of them are physically addictive. But marijuana is not physically addictive; it's as addictive as cereal." Junior Baris Gencer said marijuana should be legalized because it would make the drug safer. "Legalizing marijuana would regulate the quality of it," Gencer said. "It would also make the teenagers who use it just to rebel stop using it. Studies show marijuana is only psychologically addictive, where as cigarettes are legal and are physically addictive." Since 1996 Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Nevada, Oregon and Washington have approved ballot initiatives to legalize medical marijuana. In Ohio, marijuana cannot currently be used legally to any ends. Jeffrey Berndt, an Ohio lawyer on the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws Executive Committee, said our government should legalize marijuana nationally as a prescription painkiller. He said marijuana is very useful for glaucoma patients because it lessens pressure behind eyes. "There is no question it should be legalized," he said. "It has many medicinal benefits." However, Allison Sharer, the Prevention Coordinator for Alcohol and Drug Abuse at the Columbus Health Department, said marijuana's medicinal benefits are dubious; the drug only helps decrease nausea caused by chemotherapy-a function many other prescription drugs serve. The American Civil Liberties Union states marijuana alleviates symptoms of asthma, glaucoma, muscle spasms, loss of appetite and nausea due to AIDS and chemotherapy. Similarly, a report released in March, 1999 by the National Academy of Science's Institute of Medicine on governmentally-funded research concluded marijuana has beneficial medical effects. The report also recommended allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana. A 2001 survey from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University stated legalization and subsequent regulation of marijuana would likely result in reduced use by teens. Principal Kip Greenhill said he believes legalization would result in higher student use. "Research shows marijuana is a gateway substance," Greenhill said. "Legalization would lead to harder substance abuse." District prevention coordinator Andy Zweizig also said legalization will result in heavier use of marijuana. "Legalizing marijuana would create more problems than it would solve," Zweizig said. "If it were legalized, we would see higher levels of addiction. More people would use the drug; it would be the beginning of a bigger problem. The dangers of legalization far outweigh the possible benefits." However, current criminal punishments for marijuana use are not proportionate to the crime, Gencer said. For example, 23-year-old Clayton Helriggle was killed in Preble County, OH by a police officer during a government raid of his home Sept. 27. More people die from possession-related consequences than from marijuana itself, according to Ohio Cannabis Society. Sharer said the legalization of marijuana would heighten use. "In our culture, if something is illegal then it's not safe; but if it's legal, lots of people think it's safe," Sharer said. "The law doesn't speak to safety-tobacco is a legal substance that is extremely unsafe and unhealthy. But in people's minds, the law does speak to safety. If marijuana were legalized, people would think they had permission to use it and that it was safe." However, Berndt said it is absurd that more destructive substances are legal while marijuana is an illegal substance. "It is incredibly inconsistent that alcohol and cigarettes are legal substances," Berndt said. "Cigarettes have proven to lead directly to horrible consequences. There are no tests that show marijuana's symptoms are as drastic. At least if cigarettes were illegal, then our policy would be consistent. But cigarettes are a legal substance. Marijuana has medicinal value, and so should be a legal substance." Foreign legalization provides facts to consider The use of marijuana is legalized (with restrictions) in Australia, Holland, Great Britain, Canada, and Luxembourg. Australia has removed criminal penalties for marijuana in two of its eight territories; currently, offenders face a small fine or a "caution." A 1996 survey funded by the Australian government found no substantial difference in reported use rates. Holland decriminalized marijuana in 1976, allowing the cultivation, sale and possession of small amounts. Though technically illegal, prosecutional discretion allows more than 1,000 retail marijuana businesses, called "coffee shops," to operate freely. Anti-marijuana laws are enforced only for socially disruptive shops, according to the Marijuana Policy Project. Freshman Sirisha Bendapodi said she thought Amsterdam's policy was sucessfully implemented. "After Amsterdam changed its policy," Bendapodi said, "the use of hard drugs dropped significantly. So if the United States followed a similar policy, we would likely see a drop. Also, legalizing marijuana would be a step towards ending the drug war, which has already failed." A 1997 report from State University of New York professors Lynn Zimmer, Ph. D., and John P. Morgan, M.D., stated a lower percentage of young adults have used marijuana in the Netherlands than in the United States, despite the former's legalization of the drug. The Marijuana Policy Project said the decriminalization of marijuana regulates the Netherlands' market and thus separates marijuana from more dangerous drugs such as cocaine and heroin. Great Britain relaxed its marijuana laws July 10, 2002. Marijuana is theoretically illegal, but private use in discreet amounts (for personal use) is no longer a serious offense or grounds for arrest. According to the New York Times, an estimated five million people in Great Britain use marijuana regularly. Government data showed its use had risen sharply prior to its decriminalization. The reduction in punishment followed recommendations from a parliamentary committee, which said marijuana's tolerance would give drug policy more credibility among young people and would emphasize the nation's battle against heroin. As of July 30, 2002, Canada allows the cultivating and smoking of marijuana for the terminally ill. In Flin Flon, Manitoba, Prarie Plant Systems grows marijuana under a government contract worth more than $3.5 million, because the Canadian ruling allows others to grow marijuana for the terminally ill, according to the Marijuana Policy Project. Luxembourg has also decriminalized marijuana, abolishing jail sentences for marijuana possession. Similarly, Spain and Italy do not jail people for possession of drugs for personal use. In 2001, Portugal also eliminated jail time for possession of small amounts of any illegal drug. Finding sources poses little problem for most students Todd*, a junior who said he smoked marijuana approximately 15 times in the past year, said he never purchased the drug himself. "I never actually owned it," Todd said. "My friends always just gave it to me; because they did it is why I first started. Some of them are drug dealers. Pot brought us closer together because we were able to open up more. It also gave us more in common." However, after a friend of Todd's was caught smoking marijuana and was sent to a rehabilitation clinic, Todd said he decided to stop using the drug. "I just realized there was no real motivation to use it," Todd said. "I knew if I was caught, my punishment would be similar." District prevention coordinator Andy Zweizig said he is not certain where students obtain marijuana, but believes the majority obtain it from friends. "It would be naive to say kids cannot get marijuana right in UA, but I don't think it's all over the place," Zweizig said. "If a student really wants it, he or she can find a way [to get it]. The far majority of people get marijuana from their friends, according to the PPAAUS survey." Principal Kip Greenhill said students have many options to obtain marijuana. "Students who want to smoke it can get it any where they want," Greenhill said. "I have kids; I've heard the horror stories of how easy it is to get marijuana." Gabe* said he would purchase a large quantity of marijuana near The Ohio State University campus, sell half, and use the rest. However, Gabe said he now regrets his actions. "I never made a profit," Gabe said. "I just sold enough to pay for my part. Now I regret selling drugs to other students. I hadn't thought about the consequences, and now I regret that." PPAAUS indicated that in 1999, 15 percent of seniors said they had sold drugs at least once, and some as many as 10 times. Prevention Coordinator for Alcohol and Drug Abuse at the Columbus Health Department Allison Sharer said student drug dealers only further teens' misconceptions regarding the safety of marijuana. "Student drug dealers make others think marijuana is okay," Sharer said. "Today's perception is that unsafe things come from strangers-the bad guys are obvious. But when it's just another student behind the gym or in the parking lot, [the familiarity] implies marijuana can't be all bad." Police officer Matt Smith said harsh legal consequences exist for selling marijuana or other drugs. "It's a fifth-degree penalty," Smith said. "It's a criminal charge, and violators probably get jail time or rehabilitation." Health Consequences of marijuana use raise concerns on the impact of legalization Popular culture considers marijuana a harmless high, Allison Sharer, the Prevention Coordinator for Alcohol and Drug Abuse at the Columbus Health Department said. However, a 2000 report from the Drug Enforcement Administration's Office of Domestic Intelligence states the potency, or strength, of commercial marijuana purchased on the street rose 89 percent from 1990 to 1999. This shows the amount of chemicals in marijuana is increasing, Sharer said. Sophomore Artem Zagorodnov said he thinks possible health consequences should not be a factor in legalization. "If it makes people feel better, they should be allowed to use it," Zagorodnov said. "It should be a personal choice for smokers whether to consider possible health consequences." Gabe* said he never worried about the consequences marijuana had on his health, especially when compared to cigarettes, which are legal to smoke. "I was never concerned of marijuana's effect on my health," Gabe said. "It's practically nothing, especially compared to cigarettes. That's why it makes no sense for cigarettes to be legal and for marijuana not to be." However, Sharer said many people mispercieve the dangers of marijuana. "People say it is safer than alcohol, it cures cancer, it prevents cancer, and it makes people better drivers," Sharer said. "These misconceptions lead to heavier, more frequent usage." According to NIDA, marijuana is as cancerous as tobacco. Marijuana contains the same destructive chemicals, such as tar and carbon monoxide, in higher concentrations. Smoking five marijuana cigarettes per week is equivalent to smoking a pack of tobacco cigarettes daily. Marijuana's smoke contains three to five times more tar than cigarette smoke. A regular cigarette holds approximately seven to 15 milligrams of tar. However, Jeffrey Berndt, an Ohio lawyer on the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws Executive Committee, said the hazardous health effects of marijuana are minimal. "There are certainly not as many ill effects of marijuana use as with other drugs," Berndt said. "It's no more harmful than cigarettes, an already legalized substance; that's why it makes no sense for marijuana to be illegal." Sharer said the comparison that cigarettes are more dangerous than marijuana is common and disastrous. "Marijuana is absolutely not safer than tobacco," Sharer said. "Two joints do as much damage to the lungs as 28 cigarettes because there's more tar in marijuana. It burns hotter and is unfiltered. Also, ith marijuana, people tend to take a deeper inhale and hold it longer in their lungs; this burns the cilia and gives the tar more time to settle. There is four times more tar left behind in the lungs after exhaling marijuana than tobacco. That's why I hope marijuana is never legalized." |