Report of the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse

Marihuana: A Signal of Misunderstanding

Commissioned by President Richard M. Nixon, March, 1972

Table of Contents

The Report

Letter of Transmittal

Introduction

I. Marihuana and the Problem of Marihuana

• Origins of the Marihuana Problem
  • Visibility
  • Perceived Threats
  • Symbolism
• The Need for Perspective
  • Historical Perspective
  • Cultural Perspective
    • The Search for Meaning
    • Skepticism
    • The Limits of Rationality
• Formulating Marihuana Policy
  • Scientific Oversimplification
  • Philosophical Oversimplification
  • Sociological Oversimplification
  • Legal Oversimplification
• The Report

II. Marihuana Use and Its Effects

• The Marihuana User
• Demographic Characteristics
• Patterns of Use
• Profiles of Users
  • Experimental Users
  • Intermittent Users
  • Moderate and Heavy Users
  • Very Heavy Users
• Becoming a Marihuana User
  • Parental Influence
  • Situational Factors and Behavioral Correlates
  • Social Group Factors
  • The Dynamics of Persistent Use
• Becoming a Multidrug User
  • Epidemiologic Studies
  • Profiles and Dynamics
  • Sociocultural Factors
• Effects of Marihuana on the User
• Botany and Chemistry
• Factors Influencing Drug Effect
  • Dosage
  • Method of Use
  • Metabolism
  • Set and Setting
  • Tolerance
  • Reverse Tolerance
  • Duration of Use
  • Patterns of Use
  • Definition of Dependence
• Effects Related to Pattern Use
• Immediate Drug Effects
  • Subjective Effects
  • Bodv Function
  • Mental Function
  • The Intoxicated State
  • Unpleasant Reactions
  • Anxiety States
  • Psychosis
  • Conclusions
• ShortTerm Effects
• Long Term Effects
• Very Long Term Effects
  • Tolerance and Dependence
  • General Body Function
  • Social Functioning
  • Mental Functioning
  • Motivation and Behavioral Change
• Summary

III. Social Impact of Marihuana Use

• Marihuana and Public Safety
  • Marihuana and Crime
    • The Issue of Cause and Effect
    • Marihuana and Violent Crime
    • Marihuana and Non Violent Crime
    • A Sociocultural Explanation
  • Marihuana and Driving
• Marihuana, Public Health and Welfare
  • A Public Health Approach
    • The Population at Risk
    • Confusion and Fact
  • Assessment of Perceived Risks
    • Lethality
    • Potential for Genetic Damage
    • Immediate Effects
    • Effects of LongTerm, Heavy Use
    • Addiction Potential
    • Progression to Other Drugs
  • Preventive Public Health Concerns
    • Summary
• Marihuana and the Dominant Social Order
  • Marihuana and the Dominant Social Order
    • The Adult Marihuana User
    • The Young Marihuana User
  • The World of Youth
  • Why Society Feels Threatened
    • Dropping Out
    • Dropping Down
    • Youth and Radical Politics
    • Youth and the Work Ethic
    • The Changing Social Scene

IV. Social Response to Marihuana Use

• The Initial Social Response
• The Change
• The Current Response
  • The Criminal Justice System
    • Law Enforcement Behavior
    • Law Enforcement Opinion
  • The Non-Legal Institutions
    • The Family
    • The Schools
    • The Churches
    • The Medical Community
    • Summary
  • The Public Response

V. Marihuana and Social Policy

• Drugs in a Free Society
  • Drugs and Social Responsibility
• A Social Control Policy for Marihuana
  • Approval of Use
  • Elimination of Use
  • Discouragement or Neutrality
• Implementing the Discouragement Policy
  • The Role of Law in Effective Social Control
  • Total Prohibition
  • Regulation
  • Partial Prohibition
  • Recommendations for Federal Law
  • Recommendations for State Law
  • Discussion of Federal Recommendations
  • Discussion of State Recommendations
  • Discussion of Potential Objections
• A Final Comment