Research Paper

Joachim Austin

7/21/16

English 312

Lori Steadman

Cannabis Maximus: The Social and Moral Considerations for Federal Legalization of Marijuana

            Cannabis, more commonly referred to as marijuana, has been cultivated and used by humans for thousands of years. It is classified as a psychoactive drug which alters the perception and consciousness of the consumer. Its production, distribution, and use have been criminalized across many different countries, including the United States, beginning in the early 20^th century; violators of this prohibition will face criminal charges including years of jail time and thousands of dollars in fines. In the last several decades public dissent has been growing against the federal government’s hardline stance on the drug, and several states across the union have decriminalized or legalized its medical and even recreational use. Opponents of these legal changes often argue that widespread use of the drug will diminish the social and moral values that constitute the very foundation of our society. Although full federal legalization of marijuana will likely include its own set of societal issues, assertions of its potential to erode social mores and religious values in American society are largely unfounded; its status as a “gateway drug,” its potential to promote social maladjustment, and the undermining of religious convictions are all claims that are flawed on a fundamental level.

            Labelling marijuana as a “gateway drug” is not only misleading but is also not fully accepted by experts in the field. The term refers to a substance that tends to lead the user to consume “harder” drugs, or ones that have more severe physical and psychological side-effects. According to an online publication by the National Institution of Drug Abuse, the primary psychotropic compound in cannabis called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) seems to induce a phenomenon called “cross-sensitization” on animal test subjects in laboratory experiments. Rats that were previously exposed to THC showed more responsiveness to the drug as well as other substances such as morphine. The article observes that, although this seems to support the identification of marijuana as a gateway drug so far as such animal tests can be generalized to humans, “the majority of people who use marijuana do not go on to use other, ‘harder’ substances” (Volkow). It also points out that alcohol and nicotine, which are fully legal and regulated substances in the United States, exhibit the same cross-sensitization phenomenon. These conclusions suggest that if the gateway theory is statistically consistent, the potential for marijuana consumption to increase illegal drug use is no greater than that of beer and cigarettes, which are available at your local convenience store.

            The designation of marijuana as a gateway drug is not widely accepted across the medical field. In a study published in the academic journal Addiction, researchers Andrew R. Morral, Daniel F. McCaffrey, and Susan M. Paddock analyzed data from parameter estimates of drug use taken from household surveys conducted between 1982 and 1994. Their goal was to examine the relationship between the use of marijuana and other illicit drugs to see if there was an intrinsic connection or if the phenomenon could be explained by a common-factor model, such as a natural propensity for heavy drug use. They report that the claims supporting the gateway effect were statistically reproduced, but that no causal relationships were indicated. The popular gateway theory may still exist, the article states, but the findings show that “the phenomena used to motivate belief in such an effect are consistent with an alternative simple, plausible common-factor model. No gateway effect is required to explain them” (Morral et al. 1493). This, along with other similar academic studies, indicates that the true causes behind the escalation of illegal substance abuse may lie less in precursory marijuana consumption and more in the natural proclivities of the users. In this case, increased marijuana use would not promote illicit drugs any more than tobacco or alcohol currently do.

            Even with little to no evidence to support the gateway theory, there have been concerns that THC’s psychotropic effects significantly change behavior and deteriorate quality of life; however, marijuana use has not been shown to contribute appreciably to social maladjustment or life functioning. In a study published by the scholarly journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, authors Helene R. White, Jordan B. Bechtold, Rolf Loeber, and Dustin Pardini examined data from a longitudinal study which followed about five hundred men from early adolescence to adulthood (mid-30s). The information focused on in the study included marijuana use and “adult functioning outcomes,” which covered a broad range of indicators such as education levels, socioeconomic status, relationship quality, and social support. After adjusting for early confounding factors and co-occurring other substance use, the article concludes that “chronic marijuana use in adolescence and emerging adulthood had little effect on interpersonal relationships and life satisfaction in the mid-30s” (White et al. 68). Individuals who smoked marijuana regularly did not lose the ability to make and sustain important relationships, nor did it hinder their ability to find gainful employment or contribute to their communities.

            Compared to statistics on personal and professional success, the propensity of widespread availability of cannabis to erode personal spirituality and religious involvement is somewhat more difficult to determine, though research suggests that it will not produce an appreciable impact. In a study published in the journal Deviant Behavior, researchers found that youth who consistently identified with a specific religion that generally opposes drug use were very likely to either avoid using it altogether (Ulmer et al. 464). This suggests that preexisting religious convictions are a much more consistent indicator of marijuana use than accessibility, so an increase in the latter will likely have much less of an impact on the activity of a religious community than behaviors and tendencies that would exist otherwise.

            Across most major religions, doctrinal grounds for supporting marijuana prohibition are, at best, fairly indirect. Among Christian sects who consider the Bible to be the only real source of truth, there is no clear scriptural precedent against using marijuana since it does not refer to it when dictating commands and counsel. There are numerous calls for moderation, primarily in regards to alcohol consumption, but there are no prescribed limitations on any other drug or psychotropic substance. In the LDS community, the book of Doctrine and Covenants provides additional instruction on diet and consumption in section 89 (known as the “Word of Wisdom”), though no explicit wording is offered concerning cannabis use. In February of 2016, the First Presidency released an official statement addressing recent legal changes regarding medical use the drug, acknowledging that “the Church understands that there are some individuals who may benefit from the medical use of compounds found in marijuana” (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, “Church Urges ‘Cautious Approach’”). Joseph Fielding Smith, who served as the LDS church president from 1970 to 1972, said the following in response to questions about the Word of Wisdom on marijuana and other drugs:

Such revelation is unnecessary. The Word of Wisdom is a basic law. It points the way and gives us ample instruction in regard to both food and drink, good for the body and also detrimental. If we sincerely follow what is written with the aid of the Spirit of the Lord, we need no further counsel. (Church, “Doctrine” 209)

In one of the most recent official statements from the LDS church directly regarding the use of marijuana, President Smith refuses to specifically condone or condemn it, placing the obligation of moral decision on the individual and their desire to “follow what is written.” These dogmatic sentiments, echoed by the majority of the rest of America’s religious community, may indicate undesirable outcomes from marijuana use on an individual level; they do not, however, specify negative consequences directly resulting from the drug’s legalization, either spiritually or socially.

            Ultimately, the decision to use cannabis and the consequences of such are matters of individual concern and pose no appreciable threat to the tenants of American society. The laws that criminalize it are protecting neither upright citizens from degenerate addicts nor saints from a plague of sin, but rather autonomous individuals from a natural right. Considering the doubt experts cast over its “gateway” status, the research indicating it doesn’t deteriorate social behavior or a sense of well-being, and the insubstantial effect it has on core religious values, legalizing the use and distribution of marijuana on a federal level can only serve to broaden our personal freedoms and shorten our law books.

Works Cited

Nora D. Volkow. “Is Marijuana a Gateway Drug?” National Institute on Drug Abuse. National Institute on Drug Abuse, March 2016. Web. 17 July 2016.

Morral, Andrew R., McCaffrey, Daniel F., and Paddock, Susan M. “Reassessing the Marijuana Gateway Effect.” Addiction. 97.12 (2002): 1493-1504. Wiley Online Library. Web. 17 July 2016.

White, Helene R., Bechtold, Jordan, Loeber, Rolf, and Pardini, Justin. “Divergent marijuana trajectories among men: Socioeconomic, relationship, and life satisfaction outcomes in the mid-30s.” Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 156 (2015): 62-69. Science Direct. Web. 17 July 2016.

Ulmer, Jeffery T., Scott A. Desmond, Sung Joon Jang, and Bryon R. Johnson. "Religious Involvement and Dynamics of Marijuana Use: Initiation, Persistence, and Desistence." Deviant Behavior 33.6 (2016): 448-68. Taylor & Francis Online. Web. 17 July 2016.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. "Church Urges 'Cautious Approach' on Medical Marijuana Issue in Utah." Mormon News Room. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 12 Feb. 2016. Web. 17 July 2016.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual. 2nd ed. Salt Lake City: CES Editing, 2001. Print.