Drug Survey Dynamites Marijuana Myths
Marijuana Use Rates, Age 12 and Up
The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration recently released its annual state-by-state breakdown of drug use rates from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. And once again, the data (based on the 2006 and 2007 surveys) don’t match the official mythology — namely, that tough anti-marijuana laws reduce marijuana use.
As of the survey dates, 11 states had decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana, while 39 retained the threat of arrest and jail for even small-time marijuana possession. And, like previous surveys, use rates in the decriminalized states were statistically indistinguishable from the non-decriminalized states. Some decriminalized states, such as Nebraska and Mississippi, had use rates well below the national average. And some that maintain criminal penalties, such as New Hampshire and the District of Columbia, were well above the national average.
Sometimes decriminalized states had lower marijuana use rates than neighboring states that still jail marijuana users. Mississippi, for example, was lower than Louisiana; Nebraska was lower than Kansas.
This trend has been consistent in the nearly a decade that SAMHSA has been doing these state breakdowns, yet it didn’t stop decriminalization opponents in Massachusetts from claiming last year that decriminalization would somehow turn their state into a sea of potheads.
The other persistent myth is that medical marijuana laws increase teen marijuana use by “sending the wrong message to kids.” Again, the real-world trend doesn’t quite match the myth. Year-to-year changes in past-month marijuana use for 12-to-17-year-olds were almost all statistically insignificant. A few medical marijuana states showed increases while others showed drops, but none of the changes were large enough to be proof of a real trend. And state-based surveys, which have much larger samples within each state and thus are far more reliable, have consistently shown teen marijuana use decreasing in medical marijuana states since the laws took effect.
Wouldn’t it be nice if legislators everywhere could be persuaded to base laws on facts instead of myths?
Tagged with: decriminalization and drug war and marijuana and Medical Marijuana by the author
30 comments
Hey Bruce…why doesnt mpp and norml print out all of their FACTs and introduce it to Congress on their door steps? Then, have a shit load of press there to interview the REPS and then when they say that they dont support MJ for any reason, tell them that we WILL VOTE THEM THE FUCK OUT OF OFFICE! and watch their mouth drop, cuz I have news for my Rep. who sent me a letter back saying that his opinions didnt match mine: YOU WILL NO LONGER BE IN OFFICE!
yes it whould be nice if legisators looked at facts but why change now when you can run on autopilot the status quoe sends money back to their home turf if you leaglize now you whould turn their world upside down …when you look at our legisators change is not in their best intrest older folks vote and until the under 35 voters get with it this won’t be change the last election showed a big improvement hopfuly this continues ..
At least look on the bright side Next week CNN will be doing coverage on our cause for the whole week and can be found here:
http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/
When it is aired we all need to attend and have our voices heard then but till then all we can do is what we are doing…… in short when it airs lets educate them as well as show that we wont give up our fight through the online live blog when aired. I will be there and am sure a hell of a lot of others from MPP , NORML and others with us on the cause will be. So we all have time to prep our speach that we want every one to hear. the only thing is we have a rule to follow for us to be heard and they are listed below as well as on the site:
1) Keep it short (we don’t have time to read a “book”)
2) Don’t write in ALL CAPS (there’s no need to yell)
3) Use your real name (first name only is fine)
4) No links
5) Watch your language (keep it G-rated; PG at worst — and that includes $#&*)
This is our chance to be heard by millions……
http://www.taxcannabis2010.org/
This just in: Charles Lynch has been sentenced to a year in prison. Here’s the link:
http://www.opposingviews.com/articles/news-medical-marijuana-provider-charles-lynch-gets-1-year-in-prison-r-1244748938
Time to write a polite letter to the President, asking that he pardon Mr. Lynch and return his confiscated property.
Megan Fox Calls For Marijuana Legalization
http://iblowminds.com/2009/06/06/megan-fox-calls-for-marijuana-legalization/
Im tired of looking on the bright side of a turd sandwich. There is no dam bright side of anything about what our Congressmen are doing. I dont know why this isnt just being voted upon by the VOTERS of the country? Maybe MPP and Norml can answer that one. WHY is there not a yearly vote for legalization and taxation of pot on ANY AND ALL ballots voted on by WE THE PEOPLE. it is very apparent that our Representatives do not have the balls to legalize it, lord have mercy if they go against the BIG government. WHY ARE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE NOT VOTING ON THIS? CALIFORNIANS VOTED IN MEDICAL MARIJUANA….WHY NOT FEDERAL VOTE? LEGALIZE MY POT, SO I DONT HAVE TO LOOK OUT MY WINDOW EVERY TIME A CAR DOOR SLAMS CAUSE IT MIGHT BE THE COPS…
iM WITH JJ ON THIS…….i FEEL THE SAME WAY BRO! IM SICK AND TIRED OF KEEPING THIS ON THE LOW NOT JUST FROM THE COPS BUT MY PARENTS ALSO BUT DONT GET IT TWISTED IM 22. BUT IT WILL BE A BIG RELIEF IF I TELL MY PARENTS THAT I SMOKE MJ BUT WITH BEEN ILEGAL AND ALL I CANT SAY SHIT!
The thing that bothers me is this,And some of you hit on this , I to have gotten letters back from my reps saying they dont support my views. Now how many thousnads or many more have been told by thier reps that YOUR opinion doesnt matter!This tells me that WE THE PEOPLE are NOT being repersented. How is it a rep can tell us his veiw is the right one,how can a rep tell thousands they can only ask but not be heard. Since when can reps force there views on the people? Yes I say vote them out,but to what end? I dont see anything better than whos in there. Politcians speak big during elections but usually flip once they have thier power. Is that what its going to have to come down to? By pasing reps and politicians because they do as they please? The people should get a vote on everything,not just vote in a guy who will do as he pleases. When will WE THE PEOPLE STAND FOR OUR SELVES ?! They wont do it.They are not doing it.not just on this issue but many many others. LOL ffs they vote them selves raises and tell us we have to tighten our belts! I say bs! If we want freedom or things done we cant just ask for it,we have to demand it. As a kid how many times did you ask for a cookie before you just took one? Time to take that cookie!
Its time to schedule an ole fashion smokeout on the steps of Congress! PROTEST!
Thanks #3, I will be jionning that survay and I urge everyone to do the same .
ROE, its like this, if you take your current Representative and tell him, listen MOFO, if you dont vote the way that WE THE PEOPLE want you to vote, then you will not be getting that free paycheck from our tax money. Then, you make a big statement as to why they are getting voted out, BECAUSE THEY DONT SUPPORT THE PEOPLE, then the next Rep, vote for the one that says, I WILL SUPPORT THE WISHES OF THE PEOPLE. IF they lie, then VOTE THEIR ASS OUT. After about 3 times of doing this, and I know that it would take about 10 years or so to get the point across, but it might only take 1 time. Look at how bad McCain and Palin got voted against. I hate Borack Obama and I voted for the least of the evils in the latest election. I watch with my own eyes McCain turn his back on a person that had cancer and asked him about the MMJ and if McCain would support it. He didnt answer, just turned his back. THATS BULLSHIT. WE THE PEOPLE ARE DONE WITH BEING PUSHED OVER AND THEN STOMPED ON. I SEND A MESSAGE WITH THIS BLOG, IF YOU FUCK WITH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, WE WILL IMPEACH, VOTE YOU OUT OF OFFICE, OR DO WHAT EVER IT TAKES TO EXPOSE YOUR LIEING ASS TO THE PUBLIC.
HERE IS A QUESTION, NIXON DECLARED THE WAR ON DRUGS. NIXON DID WATERGATE SCANDEL, OR MASTERBATION SCANDEL, WHATEVER IT WAS. HE WAS IMPEACHED. WHY DO PEOPLE NOT REALIZE THAT HIS WAS ON DRUGS WAS JUST A COVER UP SO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WOULDNT SEE HE WAS A CROOK. WHY DO HIS POLICIES STILL MEAN ANYTHING?
Also, yes, thank you #3. I took the survey as well. everyone should do anything that it takes to legalize MJ.
“If marijuana were to dissappear tomorrow it would be a disaster for the prohibitionists” Ed Rosenthal
It is important to be a one issue voter. When our elected officials do not represent our views anymore, then it is time to vote them out. You can say, “although you support Medical Marijuana but will not end Prohibition, you no longer are required to represent me in your job. You can thank them for their services, but tell them they will not get your vote in the coming election. Be Polite. Write.
I’m with you JJ. It does no good to write a letter to these evil scums. I pay over 20,000.00 a year in income tax so those basturds can use my money to arrest my brothers and sisters in the war on freedom. Along with legalization we need to banish all drug war scum. Their relatives should spend the rest of their lives working to pay back drug war victims.
I’m a current resident of Missoula, Montana. We have medical marijuana laws statewide and our city has made minor marijuana possessions our lowest priority crime. Guess what? Montana’s marijuana usage by teens (12-17) DECREASED from 2006 to 2007. I have written my state representative urging him to cosponsor this legislation. I hope I am not disappointed.
^by “this legislation” I meant H.R. 2835. Everyone should write their representatives about this very important piece of legislation.
Guy & Gals. First I will be the first to admit I am not very good at writing these types of things so bare with me if you will..
I would like to briefly touch on one reason there just is not much incentive for current Rep. and Senators to push for legalization, even for medicinal use. The number one reason I see is, even of the estimated 75% of people in a recent poll who felt marijuana should be legal for medicinal use, only about 0.05% of those people take any action on the issue of legalization.
Another reason is there is not a strong lobbyist organization behind the effort to decriminalize marijuana for any reason. I am not saying the organizations that do lobby are not making a huge effort, I’m just saying our Lobby is not that strong in numbers nor in funds and influence.
Another major issue is the Police do have a strong lobby against any type of legalization of marijuana, even if their argument is based on flawed logic.
Many of us here on this website have had bad experiences writing our Representatives, this is very common, one of the reasons is the Representatives do not realize how many people are actually for legalization in one form or another and they feel the topic is poisonous to their career. Yes Career, most of our Representatives are life long politicians, they are not in office to take a stand for the people they represent, they want to keep away from sensitive issues as much as possible so they can keep their cushy jobs! And due to decades of misinformation, skewed data (like the government telling the journal of medicine to suppress certain information) and the fact marijuana is wrongly classified as a Schedule I drug, it is a dangerous area for career politicians.
So it boils down to this, we the people have to change their minds, now I know this is not a unique statement, far from it! But it is not something that most people want to do. Visiting other websites, I find all kinds of people stating “marijuana should be legal and it is time to take action!” But what they really mean is marijuana should be legal and it is time for OTHER people to take action. They will do nothing more than write about it in their blogs, comment on videos, comment on articles, anything but actually doing something to help change the minds of our Representatives. They do not write to their Representatives, they do not attend rallies, smoke-ins or donate money…. But they want it legalized, at the very least for medical use. So next time you see, or hear someone talking about legalization challenge them! Invite them to join you at the next rally, (You are active right? If not you need to be!!!), show them how easy it is to write to their Congressman, Senators, and other Representatives, because in reality this has to change at not only the State level but at a National level. Yes many States have legalized marijuana for medical use, but look at what the federal government has done to doctors, providers and a few users. Amazingly they are smart enough to realize going after the patients makes them look cruel, even though it is just as cruel to arrest physicians and providers it just doesn’t look as bad.
But do you want your Federal dollars spent investigating and busting physicians, medical marijuana providers, or even gulp! the patients that use it? No? Well that is what they are doing! MILLIONS of our tax money is going for these very purposes and it has to stop. And people need to be active in every way possible.
We as a nation have to come to the realization marijuana is here to stay, it is no more harmful than alcohol, (much less so in my opinion) and the alcohol industry has a very strong lobby by the way, and just the savings in police time, court time, jail and prison costs should be enough to show the wisdom in decriminalizing marijuana! So be loud and proud and I’ll see you at the next rally!
I told every one when I found out more on the CNN coverage that I would post it so here every one it is. Go to http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2009/06/13/americas-high-the-case-for-and-against-pot/comment-page-1/#comment-746478
for the update on it also post a comment on there . Look forward to seeing you all on AC360 this Monday at 10pm est.
JJ I apprectiate your view but this is what is wrong here,they make us play the game. We shouldn’t have to vote SEVERAL politicains out to get things done because they impose thier veiws on us. We shouldnt have to play games with these people.They hold out a carrot and stick and people follow and play the game. Stop following people. I dont see where we will get real change by voting for it. If you ask for it,thats all your doing is asking. Demand It! This goes for all issues,not just legalizing cannabis. How many of you voted for the crap the government is doing now? If you ask them to stop..do they? See what I mean?
Carrot and stick..Lead or follow…Ask or demand. Its up to the people.
As to my above post. I have a stack of letters on a number of issues from my reps. All saying they dont support my postion. So whos postions do they support?…other than thier own? This is why I post,this is why I talk to people,this is why I have a big “NO BIG GOVERNMENT” sign. I’m sick of talking to these”REPS” as they call them selves.
ROE, Im right there with you bro…but the thing about it is that I have demanded too, and I have tried not to play any game. My demand is simple, and the thing is, the reason it will be so easy to one issue vote, is I think that with the legalization of marijuana, people will see people stop fighting, global peace will be within our reaches, and people might MIGHT start having some kinda compation. I am like you, I have emails and letters, and it dont mean shit. Every new elected official is the same, but why dont someone that is BRAND NEW run for office.. I say we vote a joe schmo in that wants peoples rights over state or federal rights
When AC360 is aired to join the live blog here:
http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/category/live-blog/
It will start at 10pm Est.
Why is poison ivy legal?
I love to smoke herb after work, before watching a movie, etc, but my job has random drug tests and I feel that it is unfair that something I do on my own time, affects my career.
I think that we need a way to detect when a person is under the influence, similar to a breathalizer for alcohol.
Example:
I was pulled over onceand was cited with a DUI for being high. The officer gave me a urine test to try to prove that I was high while I was driving.
Needless to say, roughly $3,500 later for my attorneyand court costs/fines, it was reduced to a reckless operation because all the urine test could prove was that I smoked in the previous month.
Anyways, what can I do to help with the movement?
I think people need to start electing people who actually linsten to the facts and the people who vote for them. Or just start voting for and electing politicans who are actually gonna help get done what the majorty of the country wants to get done not only what they think should or is right. We can all complain about this solid evedence ,that any sane person might make them take another look at how medicnal marijuana could really help the people dick and dieing in the states who don’t support it,not getting taken seriously or even looked at but we elected the ones not looking at it.So I think people should start asking more why wont these people, I helped put in a postion to have great power over the laws i follow,take in all the facts, surveys, and opinions of the people? Thats just my opinion on it though and unforunitly I’m not legal to vote but you all can. So someone please just try to start voting for the people who will actually make a really good diferance for the teenagers and preteens who are the ones mainly said to be doing almost all of the smoking.
I was just railroaded in arizona. I was given a ticket for what the cop testified in open court was that I tailgated him for one mile at 1/2 to one car lenght. The cop was arrogant and abusive. Threatened to draw blood if I didn’t give a urine sampe. Well the urine sample proved I had a inactive metobolite in my body, I had smoked three days previously.
I had a lawyer who spoke to the lab guy (criminalogist) who told my lawyer I could not have been high. My lawyer taped the criminalogist but was not permitted to present this as evidence in court. The jury also consisted of 4 former law enforcement types, out of six jurors.
Now I’m a criminal, I spent two days in jail and the costs are well into 50k or more, needless to say I’m out of this country forever.
Justice is nothing more than a transfer of money from the poor to the corporations. amerika is doomed.
Voters are mad about the inaction. The science finally backs people up and yet the criminal penalties remain. Thank goodness states have taken action.
ya, when it come to finding out who in congress and other offices are for or against this issue, we need to sort out who the joker are and who the supporters if the smokers are.
Make a database and publish it online for all to check .
We need to get the non supporters out of office and most importantly , we need to let them know, that we are after their jobs if they dont want to support america and its citizens who pay their overpriced saleries.
I am also from montana and think our state has the best system. so far i can smoke j’s in my car next to cops and they dont know the difference. it would be nice to not feel like your breaking the LAW by inhaling something with no bad side effects unlike all there drug companies that put money in Their pockets…
PEACE
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