National Overview for Marijuana Summit Tampa, Florida February 18-19, 2013

National Overview forMarijuana Summit

Tampa, FloridaFebruary 18-19, 2013

By: Calvina FayExecutive Director

Drug Free America Foundation, Inc.And

Save Our Society From Drugs

America is under attack!

Marijuana is portrayed as harmless Marijuana use is glorified Efforts to legalize and/or decriminalize

marijuana are well-funded and picking up strength

The 1990s’ Ploys of the Drug Culture Mainstream America approach Prison overcrowding Harm reduction – responsible/safe use Marijuana and other Schedule One drugs as

“medicine” Drug war has failed Hemp for the environment

Societal shifts that aided the drug legalization movement

• Due to both parents working and many single parent homes, parents have less time to be involved in lives of kids

• Fewer family meals• Fewer families attend religious services• Loss of teachers’ and parent’s rights to discipline children• Baby boomers became parents and thought marijuana

harmless because they weren’t harmed• Public perception that pot is benign or safer than alcohol

and people are too busy to read and learn from legitimate sources

• The Internet has become an effective tool for propagating misinformation

Societal shifts that aided the drug legalization movement

• With many new designer drugs and more awareness of prevalence of drugs, public perceives drug war as failure

• More and more family members have been arrested for drugs, resulting in an attitude shift away from incarceration

• Media bias has increased enormously as many members are themselves current or former drug users

• The other side has received huge amounts of funding to mobilize and train – and misinform

• When government took over the job of preventing and treating drug problems, parents handed it over

• With so many lawsuits pushed by the ACLU, even employers have somewhat abandoned the issue

Risk vs. Use

Disapproval vs. Use

The Involvement of Marijuana in CA Fatal Motor Vehicle The Involvement of Marijuana in CA Fatal Motor Vehicle Crashes 1998-2008 –Crashes 1998-2008 – Alfred Crancer and Alan CrancerAlfred Crancer and Alan Crancer

The Involvement of Marijuana in CA Fatal The Involvement of Marijuana in CA Fatal Motor Vehicle Crashes 1998-2008 – Alfred Motor Vehicle Crashes 1998-2008 – Alfred

Crancer and Alan CrancerCrancer and Alan Crancer

2012 CA Roadside Survey of Nighttime Weekend Drivers’ Alcohol and Drug Use – Pacific Institute for

Research and Evaluation

• Drivers were allowed to opt out and 20% did• 14% tested positive for one drug vs. 7.3%

alcohol• 14% marijuana users admitted using within 2

hrs. of driving• 17% of marijuana users had BAC .05-.08 also

Decriminalization

Medical Marijuana Decriminalization

Medical Marijuana Decriminalization

Legalized

Medical Decriminalization

Legalized

Targeted for Legalization

Medical Decriminalization

Legalized

Targeted for Legalization Targeted for Medical

State Legislation Overview• In 2012 we tracked 116 pieces of pro-drug

legislation introduced in 31 states• 31 are bills that sought to establish medi-pot

programs• 12 sought to decriminalize marijuana• 10 sought to tax and/or regulate marijuana• 28 sought to expand current medi-pot programs• Remaining were misc. drug bills such as hemp bills,

rescheduling MJ, & restructuring criminal penalties

We defeated 94 bills

• Medi-pot bills in AL, FL, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, MD, MS, MO, NH, NY, OH, PA, TN, WV, WI

• Decrim bills in AZ, HI, IL, IN, NH, NY, VT• Legalize, tax & regulate bills in CA, CT, MA,

MI, NH, RI• 16 bills were carried over to the 2013 session

We only lost 6 bills

• Decrim bills in MD & RI• Dispensary bill in RI• Medi-pot bill in CT• Hemp bill in CO• Bill to create medi-pot fund in NM• Expansion of medi-pot law as to who can

recommend in RI

90 Pro-Drug bills have been introduced already in 2013!

• Medi-pot bills in AL, IL, IA, KS, KY, MS, NH, NY, NC, SD, TX

• Legalize, tax & regulate bills in HI, NH, RI• Expansion of medi-pot bills in CO, HI, MT, OR, VT,

WA • Decrim bills in HI, IN, MD, MN, MO, NH, NM, NY,

OK, SD, VT

Unfortunately, we lost 3 significant ballot initiatives in 2012

• Marijuana legalized under the guise of medicine in MA

• Full legalization of marijuana in CO• Full legalization of marijuana in WA

Conflicts with laws and treaties exit

• Federal Controlled Substances Act• International Drug Control Treaties

More current data shows state prisons currently are not clogged with low-level

nonviolent marijuana users

1.598 million prisoners in state systems in 2011 vs. 1.262 million in 2004

53% sentenced for violent offenses 17% drug crimes (all drugs) 18% property offenses 14% murder and manslaughter 12% sexual assault

Source: Prisoners in 2011, Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs