Millions of Dollars From the Sale of Legal Pot

Marijuana Use and Laws Relating to Marijuana

The difference between laws regarding marijuana in the 1950s and 1960s and public attitudes (and usage) regarding marijuana today is striking. Usage, laws, and attitudes regarding marijuana (or cannabis) have dramatically changed over the past 40 or 50 years. This paper will use data and journalistic research to present the huge changes in laws, usage, and public attitudes as regards the issues surrounding marijuana.

CEDRO -- Center for Drug Research, University of Amsterdam (Library Data)

According to research conducted by the Center for Drug Research at the University of Amsterdam, the first empirical survey on the use of marijuana was conducted in 1971. It was launched by the "Shafer Commission" (under the auspices of the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Use) and it conducted what is believed to be the very first in-depth survey of the American general population on drug use (in particular, use of cannabis) (Harrison, et al., 1996)

The results showed that 14% of young people (12-17 years of age) had tried the drug. About 18% of those over 18 years of age had tried cannabis; of those young people, 27% of the 16- to 17-year-olds had tried it and of those 18-21, 40% had tried cannabis (Harrison, p. 3).

Meanwhile, several years before the Shafer Commission report, in 1967, a Gallup poll (by telephone) -- not as precise as a survey -- showed that among college students in the U.S. 5% indicated they had a "lifetime prevalence of marijuana use" (Harrison, p. 3). In 1969, 12% of those in the 21-29 age group, 3% in the 30-49 age group and only 1% in the 50 years of age and older group reported ever trying marijuana. But by 1970, following the youth revolution -- combined with the anti-war movement against Vietnam War -- another Gallup poll showed that 43% of college students had experimented with marijuana (Harrison, p. 4).

In 1971, "over half (51%) of the nation's college students had at least tried marijuana," the CREDO report on Gallup Poll findings continued. Another "comprehensive national survey" in 1972 by the Shafer Commission found that "daily use" was rising among young people. The "startling" statistics showed that 5% of junior high students, 11% of high school students, and 8% of college students were daily users of marijuana. Continuing the data from a survey indicated a rapid growth in marijuana use in America: a) prior to the mid-1960s, less than a million people had even tried marijuana; b) by 1972, "twenty-four million people had smoked marijuana at least once, and eight million people were using it "regularly"; and c) 8 million people were using the drug daily (Harrison, p. 4).

Marijuana Use in the 1990s

The 1993 Household Survey reported that 13.6% of "youth," 26.6% of "young adults," and 17.4% of "middle adults" and 6.3% of "older adults" reported using "some illicit drug during the previous year" (Harrison, p. 5). About 5.1 million Americans reported that they were using marijuana on a weekly basis; the Household Survey also showed that alcohol use "…far exceeded marijuana use at all prevalence points" (Harrison, p. 5).

Looking at the age differences of those who use cannabis from the 1993 survey, 59.2% of middle-aged adults had been using marijuana for much of their adult lives; 47.4% of young adults reported long-term use; 26.6% of "older adults" and 11.7% of youthful persons had long-term habits.

The racial and ethnic breakdown from the 1993 survey -- of those who used marijuana -- reflected that 35.6% of Caucasians and 30.7% of African-Americans were reported to have used marijuana regularly. Only 28.1% of Latinos that reported using marijuana had regular habits (Harrison, p. 6).

Gallup Polls Reflect Changing Attitudes about Marijuana

The views of Americans regarding marijuana have changed, as was noted earlier in this paper. How much have they changed? According to a Gallup survey in November of 2014, some 51% of Americans support legalizing the drug. That compares with 12% who favored legalization in 1969 (Saad, 2014). By the late 70's, 28% of those polled agreed that marijuana should be legal, and by 2003 the percentage of those agreeing with the legalization rose to 34% (Saad, p. 2). In 2011, 50% supported legalization, which is a dramatic shift from 40 years before; and in 2013, the number supporting legalization rose to 58% (Saad, p. 2).

Writer Lydia explains that "…less than a third of conservative Americans" supported legalization in 2014, hence, those states that have legalized marijuana to date tend to be more liberal. That is backed up by the states that have legalized cannabis, including Oregon, Washington State, and Colorado; Alaska is not known at a liberal state, but it has opened the door to legalization as well. Saad notes that among those Americans in the 18 to 34 age bracket, 64% favor legalization.

Legalization and Laws on Marijuana Today

In the United States today, there are twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia that have laws legalizing medical cannabis. And there are four states that have legalized marijuana for recreational use (Colorado, Oregon, Washington State and Alaska).

It is interesting that U.S. Federal Laws list marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, which means it is illegal to distribute, posses, or to grow cannabis. In other words, while states are passing laws allowing medical marijuana sales and even sales for personal use, the federal government is still taking the position that marijuana is a dangerous drug with no medicinal value. However, a study that was published in August, 2014, by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) revealed that "…states that have legalized marijuana for managing chronic pain have significantly fewer deaths from prescription painkiller overdoses each year" (Boyette, et al., 2015).

Contrast between Two States -- Colorado and Texas

Currently in Colorado marijuana is legal and the state is collecting millions of dollars in taxes. For the first year of legalization in Colorado the state received $63 million dollars in taxes from legal marijuana sales (Hughes, 2015). Most of that money goes into the Colorado general fund, and "It is money we're trying to put to good use," said State Senator Pat Steadman, a member of Colorado's budget-writing committee (Hughes, p. 1).

Meanwhile in Texas, possession of up to one-fourth of an ounce results in a fine of up to $2,000 and up to 180 days in a Texas jail (or both) (Steiner, 2015). A person arrested for selling a quarter of an ounce or less results in a year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000, Steiner explains on page 1. If the person is arrested with four ounces or more, the fine is $10,000 and up to two years in a Texas prison (Steiner).