Although the debate regarding medical allowances for marijuana has received significant attention since the 1996 California and Arizona ballot initiatives, medical marijuana laws have existed in numerous states since the 1970s. Although most of these earlier laws are more restrictive than recent policies in that they simply establish therapeutic research programs (Illinois) or allow physicians to prescribe marijuana for a few specific ailments (Virginia), they still provide a medical defense for marijuana use. Medical allowances may increase both perceived acceptance of use, leading to greater demand, and access to marijuana because of leaks in legitimate distribution systems created by these laws. However, the strict enforcement of marijuana possession laws in these states for non-medical purposes may offset any increase in access/demand. Thus, the overall impact of medicalization may be unclear. This paper begins to explore the relationship between state marijuana laws and demand for marijuana by documenting across-state variation in laws pertaining to medical allowances and legal sanctions associated with marijuana possession. It is part of a larger research agenda, undertaken as part of the ImpacTeen Initiative, to explain the impact of specific marijuana policies on the use of marijuana among youth. The paper presents findings from original legal research conducted by the Mayatech Corporation and examines the degree to which states with more liberal allowances have stricter sanctions association with possession. We also examine the correlation of these state laws with arrest rates for possession offenses obtained from Uniform Crime Reports.
Learning Objectives: At the end of this presentation, the participant will: * recognize the variation in state medical marijuana laws currently in existence * assess the degree to which these policies are more/less likely to exist in states with aggressive possession laws * assess whether these policies are more/less likely to exist in states that aggressively enforce possession laws
Keywords: Policy/Policy Development, Marijuana
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Mayatech Corporation will be doing the legislative tracking of state marijuan laws for this project
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.