Legalization

of Marijuana
Colton Cheviron and (no longer) Jeff Harnden

What is MArijuana
Marijuana is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried, shredded leaves and flowers of
Cannabis sativathe hemp plant.
The main mind altering chemical in marijuana, responsible for most of the
intoxicating effects sought by recreational users is THC. The chemical is found in
resin produced by the leaves and buds.

Fig. 1. Parts of the Cannabis Plant

Source:NIH Marijuana

Impacts of Marijuana
Giggles

Munchies

Tiredness

Redness of eyes
Altered heart rate
Muscle Relaxation
Lung Irritation
Memory Loss
Slow Reaction Time
Pain Relief
Dry Mouth

Fig. 2 The body

Source: Centrum A look inside the body

Current Outlook for

Marijuana Laws
With the past election, over fifty-percent of states have now legalized
marijuana whether for recreational or medicinal purposes

Fig. 3 Marijuana legal status(2015)

Source:Policy Facts about Marijuana to Know

Recreational USe
How is it put to use?
Eight states currently have made it legal to use marijuana
recreationally.
California

Washington

Alaska

Massachusetts

Nevada

Maine

Colorado

District of Columbia

Medicinal Use
FDA(Food Drug Administration) has not recognized marijuana as a
medicine.
Scientific study with chemicals in marijuana called cannabinoids
however shows that it does help certain illnesses

Users

Fig. 4 Percentage of marijuana users

Source: Gallop Who Smokes Pot?

Famous Users
Obama
Michael Phelps
Snoop Dog
Oprah
Bill Gates
Fig. 5 Michael Phelps
Source: Huffington Post

Fig. 6 Obama

Fig. 7. Americans views on Marijuana(2013)

Source: Gallup

Show me the Money

Brings in billions of dollars of extra revenue

A mature marijuana industry could generate up to

$28 billion in tax revenues for federal, state, and local
governments.

Fig. 8 U.S. cannabis sales(2014)

Source: Arcview Market Research

Colorado
Colorado sales:
2015:$996,184,788
Through August 2016: $846,492,422

Fig. 9 Recreational sales in Colorado(2015)

Source:Colorado Department of Revenue

Washington
As of July of 2016 pot shops have sold over $1 billion
worth of non-medicinal marijuana since July 2014, in
turn generating more than $250 million for
Washington state through excise taxes, the Seattle
Post-Intelligencer reported.

Fig. 10 Recreational marijuana sales(2015)

Source:Washington State Liquor Control Board

Where does the money go?

Fig. 11 Construction Workers

Source:Business Portal

Fig. 12 School

Federal Law
Despite medical cannabis laws in 40 states, cannabis is still illegal
under federal law. These laws are generally applied only against
persons who possess, cultivate, or distribute large quantities of
cannabis.

Crime

Fig. 13 War on Drugs

Source: FBI UCR(2014)

Crime if MArijuana was

Government could prioritize
other more dangerous drugs
legalized
Crime rates would drop exponentially
According to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the state saw an
overall decrease of one percent in reported crimes for 2014. The state
also saw an overall decrease of 2.5 percent in the crime rate per
100,000 people. Digging even deeper, Colorado experienced a 3.1
percent drop in property crimes.

How does it compare to

alcohol and other drugs?

Fig. 14 Annual U.S. deaths

Source: Gnostic Warrior

Fig. 15 Deaths per year

Source: Green Rush Advisors

In Conclusion...
Tax revenue up
Crime Rates Down
Public happy

Works Cited
What Is Marijuana?" What Is Marijuana? | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). NIH, Aug. 2016. Web. 04 Dec. 2016.

Maciag, Mike. "State Marijuana Laws in 2016 Map." State Marijuana Laws in 2016 Map.
Governing, 2016. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.
Wallace, Alicia. "Colorado Pot Shops Sold a Record-breaking Amount of Marijuana in August 2016." The Cannabist. N.p., 13 Oct.
.
2016. Web. 04 Dec. 2016. "
"Marijuana." DrugFacts:. N.p., Mar. 2016. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.

"NORML.org - Working to Reform Marijuana Laws." War Against Marijuana Consumers -.

N.p., 1 Dec. 2012. Web. 13 Nov. 2016.

Rahn, Bailey. "Cannabis Anatomy: The Parts of the Plant | Leafly." Leafly. N.p., 14 Nov. 2016. Web. 04 Dec. 2016.
Caulkins, Jonathon, et al. Marijuana Legalization. Oxford UP, 2012.
Ghaly, Sera. "2016: The Big Year for Marijuana." HERB. N.p., 07 Jan. 2016. Web. 04 Dec. 2016.
Blake, Andrew. "Marijuana Sales in Washington State Top $1 Billion: Report." The Washington Times. The Washington Times, 08 July
. 2016. Web. 04 Dec. 2016.
Tegna. "Where Does All That Colorado Pot Tax Go?" KUSA. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2016.
"Federal Marijuana Law." Americans for Safe Access. Americans For Safe Access, 2016. Web. 04 Dec. 2016.
Rogers, and Moss. "Rogers & Moss." Rogers and Moss: Criminal Defense Attorney and Civil Law in Lafayette, CO, Boulder County.
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N.p., 12 Feb. 2016. Web. 04 Dec. 2016.