BY RYAN WATTERS, CONTRIBUTOR

On November 4, 2014, Washingtonians voted to pass Initiative 71, which allows marijuana legalization in the nation’s capital.  Initiative 71 allows adults 21 and over to possess two ounces or less of marijuana, grow up to six plants at home, and transfer up to an ounce at a time to other adults, without remuneration. Support for Initiative 71 was tremendous, passing with 70% of voters in favor of legalization.  Prior to that referendum, the city also relaxed and liberalized marijuana laws on July 17, 2014, when Mayor Vincent Gray signed a bill decriminalizing marijuana possession.

However, the U.S. Congress has taken aim at Initiative 71, because many Republican lawmakers are opposed to the legalization of marijuana in the nation’s capital.  In language passed in a federal spending on December 9, 2014,  Congress blocked implementation of Initiative 71.  As it now stands, under the federal spending bill, the city will not be allowed to legally transfer or tax marijuana, and even the decriminalization law may be in jeopardy, because the $25 citation for possession may revert to a more severe penalty.  The city’s new mayor, Muriel Bowser, has vowed to support implementation of Initiative 71, stating that she believes it is “self-enacting”, meaning that Congress can’t effectively stop the city from legalizing pot.

Although the future of marijuana legalization and decriminalization is in limbo in DC, the question in some people’s minds remains:  Is the legalization of marijuana really a good thing?  Misinformation and embellishments regarding the effects of marijuana are prevalent.  Two examples of misinformed statements used by proponents of marijuana are “marijuana is not addicting” and “marijuana does not hinder brain function”.  According to an October 29, 2014 New York Times article, This Is Your Brain on Drugs, however, both of these statements are questionable. All of the evidence used by current marijuana supporters claiming that marijuana is harmless is based on research from over a decade ago.

THC, one of the primary components of marijuana, is responsible for the drug’s significant effect on mental processes, such as impaired memory and judgement, lowered IQ,  daily cough and phlegm production, and increased respiratory illnesses.   It is also responsible for the dependence (addiction) that can develop in marijuana users.   According to The New England Journal of Medicine, high levels of THC are associated with paranoia and psychosis.  Also, the potency of THC has become progressively greater over the last couple decades.   In the October 29, 2014 New York Times article, it was noted that the THC concentration in marijuana confiscated by the Drug Enforcement Agency in 1995 was an average of 3.75%, compared to 2013, where the average was 13%.

Since the legalization of marijuana in Colorado, the THC concentration in strains sold there has ranged from 8% to 70%.  Nationwide the increase of THC in marijuana has lead to an increase in the frequency of emergency room visits related to the drug.   According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, emergency room visits related to marijuana almost doubled from 66,000 in 2004 to 129,000 in 2011.

Stronger marijuana poses the largest threat to habitual users under the age of 25.   According to a 2012 study conducted by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, individuals who used marijuana regularly before the age of 18 and continued to use into adulthood lost an average of 8 IQ points by age 38. This is not good news for teenagers and college students who indulge regularly, because their working memory and ability to perform can be greatly impacted.

At this point, it is uncertain whether marijuana will be remain legalized in DC.
However, if it does occur, marijuana will become another substance that is legally abused in our society like alcohol and tobacco.

GRAPHIC BY SARAH TORRESEN, VISUAL CONTENT EDITOR