Annotated Bibliography: The Illegality of Marijuana

Brook, Judith S., et al. "Adolescent illegal drug use: The impact of personality, family, and environmental factors." Journal of behavioral medicine 24.2 (2001): 183-203.

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This survey investigated how environmental factors, personality attributes, and child-rearing practices determined the use of illegal drugs; in particular, marijuana. Young people and their mothers were interviewed so as to determine the parent-child relationships and how they influenced the use of marijuana. The study found out that environmental factors such as drug availability and poor parent-child relationship make adolescents vulnerable to the abuse of the drug.

Carreon Mary. "New study highlights the social impacts of cannabis legalization in California 2018". Forbes. May 17, 2018. Retrieved October 28, 2018, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/marycarreon/2018/05/17/new-study-highlights-the-social-impacts-of-cannabis-legalization-in-california/#6a60dc032194

This article explains the social impact of legalizing marijuana on the residents of California. It uses a survey that was carried out on Californians so as to determine these impacts. According to the article, the survey found out that the number of people using marijuana had increased by 5% while that of those rejecting it reduced by 2%. This data was used to emphasize that despite the illegality of marijuana, it is still abused.

Chu, Yu-Wei Luke. "The effects of medical marijuana laws on illegal marijuana use." Journal of Health Economics 38 (2014): 43-61.

This study was carried out to determine the arrest cases related to marijuana between 1998 and 2008 after passing laws that allowed the use of marijuana in medicine. It found out that the illegal use of marijuana had increased with the passage of laws legalizing its medical use. The researchers considered arrests and data from rehabilitation centers. Information from these areas formed the basis of their argument.

Hari Johann. "Why is marijuana banned? The real reasons are worse than you think." Huffington Post (February 11, 2016). Web. Retrieved October 28, 2018, from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-influence/real-reasons-marijuana-is-banned_b_9210248.html

This article traces the reasons behind the illegality of marijuana. The earliest one is by Harry Anslinger is said to have provided scientific evidence that marijuana is more harmful than common drugs such as cigarettes and alcohol. Marijuana was then declared illegal. However, some states have allowed it with time while others have only done so for medical reasons. The writer seems to agree with Wang et al., who concluded that the abuse of marijuana has adverse effects on the user.

Hilliker Joel. "Marijuana Legalization-What Are the Effects?" The trumpet. November 17, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2018, from https://www.thetrumpet.com/16516-marijuana-legalization-what-are-the-effects.

This article looks at the effects of the legalization of marijuana. According to the article, marijuana is more harmful than beneficial to the body. This echoes the information in the report submitted by Wang et al., who found out that there are major and devastating effects of marijuana use. Some of these effects according to the report include delinquency and homelessness. The author notes that the effects of marijuana are adverse as the consumption of marijuana goes up.

Monte, Andrew A., Richard D. Zane, and Kennon J. Heard. "The implications of marijuana legalization in Colorado." Jama 313.3 (2015): 241-242.

This longitudinal study was carried out to determine the effects of the legalization of marijuana in Colorado. The study demonstrated that the use of marijuana has both risks and potential health benefits. However, it showed that the risks outweigh the benefits thus the illegality of the drug. This study recommended the use of marijuana for medical purposes only.

Wang, George Sam, Kennon Heard, and Genie Roosevelt. "The Unintended Consequences of Marijuana Legalization." JAMA (2017): 12-13.

This study was carried out on the inadvertent consequences of legalizing marijuana. According to the survey, over half of the states in the US have endorsed marijuana for medical purposes while eight have done it for recreational purposes. This is despite the categorization of the drug by the federal government as a Schedule 1 drug. In the process, there are negative consequences. This study echoes the results of a study carried out by Wagner et al., which showed that the categorization of drugs does not necessarily mean that people do not abuse them.

Wilkinson, Samuel T., et al. "Marijuana legalization: impact on physicians and public health." Annual review of medicine 67 (2016): 453-466.

This survey investigated the effect of legalizing marijuana to the public and physicians. Just like the study by Wang et al., this one found out that some states have legalized marijuana for both medical and recreational purposes. The study revealed that there exists controversy with regard to this kind of arrangement. The controversy is what shows that the drug is better if classified as an illegal one. The same results were established by Monte et al., who found out that the legalization of marijuana had an impact on the whole population.

Wang, George Sam, et al. "Marijuana legalization and adolescent health." Journal of Adolescent Health 63.3 (2018): 367.

This study was carried out on adolescents over a period of ten years to determine the impact of legalizing marijuana on adolescents. The researchers mainly focused on adolescents so as to establish if their health was determined by the use of marijuana. It found out that marijuana has a negative effect on their health as it mainly affects the brain. The findings of this study are related to those of the survey conducted by Monte et al., which revealed that there are various risks associated with the consumption of marijuana thus its illegality.

Wagner, Fernando A., and James C. Anthony. "Into the world of illegal drug use: exposure opportunity and other mechanisms linking the use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and cocaine." American Journal of Epidemiology 155.10 (2002): 918-925.

This study investigated the use of marijuana among other drugs in the context of their illegality. It drew upon the concept of exposure opportunity and other mechanisms that account for the abuse of marijuana. According to the study, exposure to other drugs leads to the abuse of marijuana in the backdrop of legalization.

Watts, W. David, and Loyd S. Wright. "The Relationship of Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana, and Other Illegal Drug Use to Delinquency among Mexican-American, Black, and White Adolescent Males." Adolescence 25.97 (1990): 171.

This research was carried out to determine the relationship between the use of illegal drugs such as tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana on the behavior of young people. The researchers used a sample of 348 male students who were in high school then. The study found out that 60% of those adolescents who abused marijuana portrayed delinquent behavior. Blacks and Mexican-Americans were the most affected. Just like the survey by Brook et al., this study reveals that marijuana impacts on the behavior of the consumer.

Eddy, Mark. "Medical marijuana: Review and analysis of federal and state policies." Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, 2007.

In this study, the researcher sought to examine the growth of illegal marijuana use in relation to state and federal policies. The researcher reviewed and analyzed these policies with regard to the illegality of marijuana. It found out that despite the cases of the legalization of marijuana, the policymakers failed to examine the efficacy and safety of the medical-grade marijuana. In the process, the quality of the medical-grade marijuana is often compromised according to this report.

Works Cited

Brook, Judith S., et al. "Adolescent illegal drug use: The impact of personality, family, and environmental factors." Journal of behavioral medicine 24.2 (2001): 183-203.

Carreon Mary. "New study highlights the social impacts of cannabis legalization in California 2018". Forbes. May 17, 2018. Retrieved October 28, 2018, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/marycarreon/2018/05/17/new-study-highlights-the-social-impacts-of-cannabis-legalization-in-california/#6a60dc032194

Chu, Yu-Wei Luke. "The effects of medical marijuana laws on illegal marijuana use." Journal of Health Economics 38 (2014): 43-61.

Eddy, Mark. "Medical marijuana: Review and analysis of federal and state policies." Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, 2007.

Hari Johann. "Why is marijuana banned? The real reasons are worse than you think." Huffington Post (February 11, 2016). Web. Retrieved October 28, 2018, from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-influence/real-reasons-marijuana-is-banned_b_9210248.html

Hilliker Joel. "Marijuana Legalization-What Are the Effects?" The trumpet. November 17, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2018, from https://www.thetrumpet.com/16516-marijuana-legalization-what-are-the-effects.

Monte, Andrew A., Richard D. Zane, and Kennon J. Heard. "The implications of marijuana legalization in Colorado." Jama 313.3 (2015): 241-242.

Wagner, Fernando A., and James C. Anthony. "Into the world of illegal drug use: exposure opportunity and other mechanisms linking the use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and cocaine." American Journal of Epidemiology 155.10 (2002): 918-925.

Wang, George Sam, et al. "Marijuana legalization and adolescent health." Journal of Adolescent Health 63.3 (2018): 367.

Wilkinson, Samuel T., et al. "Marijuana legalization: impact on physicians and public health." Annual review of medicine 67 (2016): 453-466.

Watts, W. David, and Loyd S. Wright. "The Relationship of Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana, and Other Illegal Drug Use to Delinquency among Mexican-American, Black, and White Adolescent Males." Adolescence 25.97 (1990): 171.