Running head: ISSUE EXPLORATION ESSAY

Issue Exploration Essay: Issues Sieging the Legalization of Marijuana in the United States Paula Rutter Salt Lake Community College

English 1010 - 004 December 6, 2013

ISSUE EXPLORATION ESSAY Issue Exploration Essay: Issues Sieging the Legalization of Marijuana in the United States When exploring topics I wanted to research and learn about, it was very clear that social issues that are influencing the moral health of my community, state and country are very important to me. In the November elections last month, both Washington state and Colorado voted to legalize and regulate the sale of marijuana within their respective states, which is in direct conflict with the current federal drug policy that marijuana is illegal under the Controlled

Substance Act. Being a resident of Utah, which borders Colorado and is near Washington State, it was of great concern to me to explore the possible implications and understand the details of their recent marijuana legislation. I desired to ascertain what possible social mandates this new legislation could influence the views and opinions of the citizens of my own home state and community. It was important to understand how the complex issues surrounding the growing use of medicinal marijuana as well as the controversial issue of decriminalizing recreational marijuana use would change the moral, physical and social health of citizens in our country. State Legislation Legalizing Marijuana One source I researched, Kamin (2012) spoke directly to Colorados medical marijuana industry and the potential effect it could have on the future of marijuana regulation in the United States. Two different bills were debated in Colorado this past year. The law enforcement bill would have limited marijuana caregivers to five patients and impair the for-profit medical marijuana dispensary industry. The industry bill would leave the current situation intact but would freeze any new dispensaries from developing. The final medical marijuana bill passed in Colorado was a modified version of the industry bill which required the licensing of the states marijuana industry as well as allowing the commercial for-profit sale of marijuana. It is clear to me that this historic new legislation will ultimately be the role model for

ISSUE EXPLORATION ESSAY other states to watch and learn from as Colorado and Washington State ventures into the marijuana management challenges ahead. It is evident to me that both states law enforcement agencies will be on the front line of public scrutiny as they move ahead in enforcing this new legislation with their respective states. Opinions on Medicinal Marijuana Usage

Understanding why 25% of our nations states now have some form of legislation for the use of medical marijuana led me to research an article by Uritsky and Pradel (2011), who did an assessment on the views of hospice health professionals regarding whether they support the use of medicinal marijuana to relieve pain symptoms for terminally ill patients. A questionnaire given to 400 hospice professionals to ascertain whether they support the use of medicinal use of marijuana to relieve pain symptoms for terminally ill patients provided credible data from the 52% who responded. The majority of respondents were in agreement on the legalization and medical benefits of marijuana as well as agreement on the various ways patients show be able to obtain the marijuana. I can understand how important is would be to healthcare providers to be able to provide a drug that would relieve the intense suffering and pain of a chemotherapy patient. Palliative care professionals are treating end of life situations where their patients oft times will need pain management care instead of aggressive medical treatment. This would explain why many physicians would likely be in favor of prescribing medicinal marijuana to provide relief from pain for their terminally ill patients. This evidence alone is very persuasive in selling the benefits of legalizing medicinal marijuana use. It is no wonder that various marijuana advocate groups are confident that with the increasing state level legalization policies taking effect, this issue will ultimately cause more citizens and politicians to rethink the medicinal marijuana

ISSUE EXPLORATION ESSAY legalization issue nationwide. It is interesting to note that even though the healthcare providers polled in Uritsky and Pradels study approved of using marijuana for medicinal uses, the same respondents were equally divided on whether marijuana is addictive or not. This led me to explore for evidence on marijuanas potential negative characteristics and addictive behavior. Marijuanas Potential Negative Effects, Addictive or Not? In order to better understand the concerns on the addictive characteristics and potential negative effects on long term impairment of cognitive skills, I researched a study done by Jaffe & Klein (2010) on how psychiatrists are treating their adolescent patients with medical marijuana in their article Medical Marijuana and Adolescent Treatment. The authors voiced their concerns on the notable increase in prescribing legalized medical marijuana to adolescent patients and the negative effects it has on adolescent cognitive skills. Of a survey given to 733 California child and adolescent psychiatrists, 14% responded to the survey, with the majority responding that their adolescent patients have been influenced by the legalization of medical marijuana to now view marijuana use as beneficial. They also reported that their adolescent

patients were having more problems complicated by marijuana use including negative effects on learning, memory loss and attention skills. Though this pilot survey had a limited response, it did raise many concerns about the negative effects of medical marijuana treatment for young adolescent patients, especially in prescribing medical marijuana for the treatment of ADHD and bipolar disorders without scientific substantiation to support its use. I agree with the authors that further research and larger definitive studies need to be done to provide additional information on negative side effects of medicinal marijuana use. While this article was helpful to understand the potential negative side effects of marijuana use, the complexity on the issue of whether marijuana has any

ISSUE EXPLORATION ESSAY addictive qualities continues to be a controversial issue in the arena of public opinion. Another source I researched presented medical evidence directed at measured increased cueelicited brain activity when regular marijuana users, who have abstained for 72 hours, were presented with marijuana-related stimuli. The relationship between cue-elicited cravings and drug use behavior shows a notably positive correlation between marijuana drug use and increased physical brain activity. Understanding this medical phenomenon helped me realize

what I already suspected, that there is direct medical evidence that the consumption of marijuana in various forms is psychologically addictive and can potentially develop into a cannabis dependency in many people (Filbey et al., 2009). Understanding the Legal Ramifications for both Federal and State Governments Contrary to the medical evidence and research done on marijuanas potential addictive properties and established danger of long term cognitive damage in adolescences, there is still great disparity in the way marijuana is treated at the federal and state level. One concern voiced by skeptics was using a states medical marijuana laws as a shield for activity that is not designed to comport what the state laws intention was (Cockburn 2012). In a newspaper article, David Usborne cited a new Gallup survey that reports that for the first time, a majority of Americans would support the legalization of marijuana. Mr. Usborne provides possible contributing factors such as additional medical research showing the medicinal benefits of marijuana to alleviate severe pain symptoms for patients with chronic diseases and cancer treatments. The decriminalization movement has gained support from elected public officials in states having medical marijuana provisions on their books, to the delight of drug advocates. This
Figure 1

ISSUE EXPLORATION ESSAY poll also revealed that the strongest support for legalization was coming from younger Americans and citizens who identify themselves as political independents (Usborne 2013). In the graph provided in the article (Fig.1), Usborne shows an increasing trend towards legalization of marijuana as far back as the early 1970s during a time of changing attitudes across America towards social drug use. This Gallup poll should be a sounding alarm for citizens who oppose the legalization of marijuana to take action. Much like a snowball rolling down a snow covered hill, as the number of people speaking opening in favor of legalizing marijuana increases, others are swayed to think that

because so many people are openly voicing their approval of marijuana use, that marijuana must be innocuous. So the snowball continues to grow as people become more vocal on their position for or against decriminalizing marijuana. I have found that change occurs at different speeds depending on the complexity or volatility of the issue debated. In an article in The Bulletin newspaper (July 2013) located in Bend, Oregon, Nancy Benac and Alicia Caldwell compared the 50 year time period that elapsed for a change in American attitudes towards the culturally unacceptable use of marijuana and the increasing acceptance of marijuana use today. They examined the correlation of acceptance with the increased medical research on the active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, found in marijuana that is useful in pain management during treatment of cancer patients. Benac and Caldwell also noted that as states vote to legalize marijuana use in their own jurisdiction, even though this legislation is in direct violation of current federal laws prohibiting its use, the general public is getting a mixed message with the insignificant enforcement of federal jurisdiction over the non-compliant states (Benac & Caldwell, 2013). I have observed that when people are getting mixed messages on important issues being

ISSUE EXPLORATION ESSAY debated, they can be swayed by those in powerful positions of authority. The citizens of our

nation have historically given great reverence for the office of the president of the United States. Those elected to this honor are expected to represent us with the highest of conduct and behavior. In recent times, however, we have had acting presidents behave in inappropriate behaviors which have caused some disgrace to the office of the presidency. In Barack Obama: The Story, biographer David Maraniss writes that the current president spent his youth in Hawaii getting stoned. Obama loved weed so much, Maraniss writes, he thanked his pot dealer, but not his mother, in his high school yearbook. When an acting president of the United States avoids making his position clear on which side of the marijuana issue he personally stands, the mixed message is lost in the gray area of unknown (Gwynne 2013). Adults have a moral responsibility to set a good example for children. It would be wise for our elected officials to remember a quote from Albert Einstein, A leader leads by example, whether he intends to or not. Acceptance or Condemnation, What is our Responsibility on the War on Drugs. Researching the issues surrounding the controversy over the growing number of states legalizing marijuana has opening a Pandoras Box of additional arguments, debates, concerns and legal ramifications at both the state and federal level. I have found that regardless of which side of this issue a person is on, it is so important to speak up and make your voice be heard. It is our duty to search the facts and examine the issues to become better informed on all aspects and opinions regarding the legalization of medicinal marijuana as well as the more controversial decriminalization of recreational use of marijuana. As citizens, we must exercise our right to vote for officials and policies we feel support our point of view and values. Trends can turn and the voice of reason can be persuasive. In the

ISSUE EXPLORATION ESSAY end, there may be some positive ground that both sides can agree upon in the marijuana debate.

The only way to find this common ground is to work together to find the good, if it is there to be found. We owe this to our children and the future generations of this great country.

ISSUE EXPLORATION ESSAY References: Benac, N., & Caldwell, A. A. (2013, Jul 01). Marijuana's march toward mainstream confounds feds. The Bulletin. Retrieved from http://sks.sirs.com

Cockburn, A. (2012). Obama and marijuana: A great betrayal? Nation, 294(25), 10. Filbey, F. M., Schacht, J. P., Myers, U. S., Chavez, R. S., Hutchison, K. E., & Iversen, L. L. (2009). Marijuana Craving in the Brain. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 106(31), 13016-13021 Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40484642

Gwynne, K. (2013). Turning the Tide on Drug Reform. Nation, 296(7), 22-24. Jaffe, S. L., & Klein, M. (2010). Medical Marijuana and Adolescent Treatment. American Journal on Addictions, 19(5), 460-461. doi:10.1111/j.1521-0391.2010.00063.x

Kamin, S. (2012). Medical marijuana in Colorado and the future of marijuana regulation in the United States. Mcgeorge Law Review, 43(1), 147-167.

Uritsky, T. J., McPherson, M., & Pradel, F. (2011). Assessment of Hospice Health Professionals' Knowledge, Views, and Experience with Medical Marijuana. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 14(12), 1291-1295. doi:10.1089/jpm.2011.0113

Usborne, D. (2013, Oct 24). Support for legalizing marijuana in the US reaches all-time high. The Independent. Retrieved from http://sks.sirs.com