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Decriminalization of Marijuana - A Brief Overview of Research-Relevant Policy Issues

NCJ Number
88795
Journal
Contemporary Drug Problems Volume: 10 Issue: 3 Dated: (Fall 1981) Pages: 265-275
Author(s)
R C Petersen
Date Published
1982
Length
11 pages
Annotation
The author reviews the contradictory results from research on the effects of decriminalizing marijuana and identifies problems that arise when marijuana policy research focuses solely on the decriminalization issue.
Abstract
Assessing the impact of decriminalizing marijuana seems simple by using an experimental and a control site, but in reality police and court discretion influences law enforcement, and a user's evaluation of the probability of being caught affects deterrent values. Even when research studies are conducted carefully, their interpretation poses problems. For example, marijuana use in Oregon did not change in the 2 years immediately following decriminalization but then jumped by 20 percent in 1 year. While some proponents claim that decriminalization decreases costs to the taxpayer of arrests and court processing, California experienced a marked increase in arrests for driving under the influence of a drug in the 6 months following decriminalization. Moreover, data from California suggest that decriminalization does not have an equally deterrent effect on all segments of society but produces the greatest increase in use among older, more established members of the community. Research can never prove that marijuana has no deleterious effects, but providing evidence that it has harmful effects to health does not automatically lead to a sound legal or social policy. As with alcohol and tobacco, researchers must consider how users collectively reckon the cost-benefit ratio in their decision to use marijuana and at what level. Researchable issues include the shift to younger age use, enforcement policy before and after legal change, economics of the illicit drug marketplace as they affect consumption patterns, and the impact of economic conditions on drug use. The paper contains nine footnotes.

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