NCJ Number
65988
Date Published
1980
Length
14 pages
Annotation
ASPECTS OF MARIJUANA USE ARE ANALYZED ON THE BASIS OF ANNUAL NATIONWIDE SURVEYS OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND DECRIMINALIZATION EFFECTS ARE ASSESSED.
Abstract
FUNDED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE, SURVEYS HAVE BEEN MADE EACH YEAR SINCE 1975 OF APPROXIMATELY 17,000 HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS FROM PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. QUESTIONNAIRES ASKED STUDENTS ABOUT THEIR OWN USE OF VARIOUS DRUGS, DRUG AVAILABILITY AND, THEIR ATTITUDES ABOUT DRUGS. THEIR OPINIONS WERE SOUGHT ON THE DECRIMINALIZATION OF MARIJUANA AND ON A HOST OF OTHER VALUES, ATTITUDES, AND BEHAVIORS. THE 1979 DATA REVEALED THAT 6 IN EVERY 10 SENIORS HAVE AT LEAST TRIED MARIJUANA; HALF HAD USED IT 12 MONTHS EARLIER, AND OVER A THIRD REPORTED USING IT IN THE MONTH BEFORE THE SURVEY. DAILY USE WAS REPORTED BY 1 PERSON IN 10, CONSUMING BETWEEN 1 AND 6 JOINTS IN A DAY. OF THESE DAILY USERS, 13 PERCENT SMOKED MORE THAN SEVEN JOINTS PER DAY. IT HAS BEEN FOUND THAT A TOTAL OF 60 PERCENT OF DAILY HIGH SCHOOL USERS ARE STILL USING MARIJUANA DAILY 2 YEARS AFTERWARD. NEVERTHELESS, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THIS DECADE, THE 1979 DATA INDICATE THAT MARIJUANA USE AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IS LEVELING OFF. SIGNIFICANTLY MORE 1979 SENIORS BELIEVED IN THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA USE THAN DID THOSE OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR, BUT THE MAJORITY OF THEIR PEERS STILL FEEL THAT THERE IS LITTLE OR NO RISK INVOLVED. INCREASED MARIJUANA USE HAS NOT DISPLACED ALCOHOL, LED TO THE USE OF OTHER ILLICIT DRUGS, OR INCREASED DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR. SINCE THE MAJORITY OF YOUNGER AGE GROUPS VIEW MARIJUANA USE WITH NORMS SIMILAR TO THOSE OF TRADITIONAL ALCOHOL USE, THE PREVAILING LAW IS OUT OF STEP WITH THE SOCIAL NORMS OF THIS POPULATION SEGMENT. SPECIFICALLY, ONLY A QUARTER OF THE CLASS OF '79 STATED THAT THEY THOUGHT MARIJUANA USE SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE A CRIMINAL OFFENSE, AND 60 PERCENT THOUGHT IT SHOULD EITHER BE DECRININALIZED OR MADE ENTIRELY LEGAL. THE MAJORITY, HOWEVER, DID FEEL THAT IT SHOULD NOT BE PERMISSIBLE IN PUBLIC PLACES, AND THAT LEGAL SALE SHOULD BE LIMITED TO ADULTS. THE MAJORITY OF ALL THE GROUPS SURVEYED INDICATED THAT THEY PERSONALLY WOULD BE LITTLE AFFECTED BY DECRIMINALIZATION OR LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA; ONLY 6 PERCENT SAID THEY WOULD USE IT MORE OFTEN. THE IMPACT OF DECRIMINALIZATION WAS STUDIED DIRECTLY IN STATES WHERE IT SHOULD EITHER BE DECRIMINALIZED OR MADE ENTIRELY LEGAL. THE MAJORITY, HOWEVER, DID FEEL THAT IT SHOULD NOT BE PERMISSIBLE IN PUBLIC PLACES, AND THAT LEGAL SALE SHOULD BE LIMITED TO ADULTS. THE MAJORITY OF ALL THE GROUPS SURVEYED INDICATED THAT THEY PERSONALLY WOULD BE LITTLE AFFECTED BY DECRIMINALIZATION OR LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA; ONLY 6 PERCENT SAID THEY WOULD USE IT MORE OFTEN. THE IMPACT OF DECRIMINALIZATION WAS STUDIED DIRECTLY IN STATES WHERE IT IS IN EFFECT, AND MARIJUANA USE WAS FOUND TO BE EQUAL OR LESS TO THAT OF STATES WHERE IT IS ILLEGAL. EFFECTS OF DECRIMINALIZATION WOULD PROBABLY BE GREATEST AMONG OLDER AGE GROUPS AND ADVERTISING WOULD DEFINITELY IMPACT INCREASED USE. TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED. (MRK)