LEGALIZE POT

Educate Support your stance with facts. A lack of community cannabis education is a significant factor to its prohibition. On this page, we are offering facts to contribute to clearing the misconceptions and helpful key points to start the discussion for legalization. Common cannabis myths Cannabis kills brain cells: Studies have shown marijuana does not kill brain cells. Cannabis decreases motivation: Studies have shown no real difference in motivation levels between users and non-users. Cannabis is a gateway drug: There is no evidence that cannabis use leads to the use of hard drugs. Cannabis leads to crime: States with legalized cannabis have not seen and increase in crime rates. In fact, crimes rate have decreased. Problems with prohibition Prohibition does not work: Between 2001 and 2010, over 7 million people were busted for cannabis. In 2010, someone was busted for marijuana every 37 seconds. Prohibition discriminates: African Americans are nearly four times more likely than Caucasians to be arrested for marijuana, even though usage rates are roughly the same. Prohibition is great for drugs cartels: Drug cartels make a large percentage of their money from the production and sale of cannabis. Prohibition does not decrease crime rates: Since legalizing marijuana, Colorado has seen a 10% decrease in crime rates. That covers all kinds of crime, not just marijuana arrests. Why you should support legalization Legalization does not increase teen drug use rates: Studies have shown that when a state legalizes cannabis, teen drug use rates do not increase. Legalization brings in tax revenue: In March of 2014, the state of Colorado made $1.9 million from the sale of recreational cannabis alone. Cannabis is less harmful than alcohol and tobacco: Alcohol has been linked to 75,000deaths per year in the United States. According to the CDC, tobacco use causes more than 5 million deaths per year in the United States. There are zero recorded cannabis deaths. Also, cannabis is less addictive than nicotine and alcohol. Cannabis and cannabinoids have a multitude of medicinal uses: Scientific research over the past 15 years reveals cannabis and cannabinoids to be potentially therapeutic for those diagnosed with epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, fibromyalgia, dystonia, hepatitis C, diabetes, osteoporosis, MRSA, Huntington’s disease, multiple sclerosis, ALS, chronic pain, HIV, arthritis, and the list goes on. Resources to learn more National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) Texas Cannabis Report International Association for Cannabinoid Medicines