Annotated Bib

Hoover, Brittany. “Study: Medical Marijuana Legalization Doesn’t Lead to More Crime.” UT

Dallas News Center.  27 Mar 2014. n.p. Web. 09 April 2014. <http://www.utdallas.edu/news/2014/3/27-29241_Study-Medical-Marijuana-Legalization-Doesnt-Lead-t_story-wide.html>.

Hoover’s article, “Study: Medical Marijuana Legalization Doesn’t Lead to More Crime,” follows its title in what it discusses. Hoover takes a well believed claim—that “medical marijuana’s legalization will lead to higher crime rates”—and presents information from a UT Dallas study that argues otherwise, making this article a significant source in the research of decriminalizing marijuana. The UT Dallas researchers conducted an observational study, tracking crime rates nationwide between the years of 1990 and 2006; the results show that in the seven crime types studied (“homicide, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, larceny, and auto theft”), there was no increase in the rates. This is critical in the argument of whether or not marijuana should be legalized, as it gives factual evidence in the change (or lack of) in crime rates instead of mere personal experiences and predispositions to back up claims. The results that this study shows are of no surprise. To have a connection between marijuana legalization and crime rate going up is the contradictory because the majority of marijuana related crimes are simply “possessing” marijuana in the first place. Remove that factor of the policy, basically decriminalizing marijuana, and if anything the crime rates should indeed fall, not rise. There is less incentive to make street deals, less incentive to kill and rob, and overall just less unsafe activity happening in the streets. However, this is strictly truthful only to now. While legalization of marijuana is safe now, as with alcohol, which was also once illegal, it can be abused.

Khatapoush Shereen and Denise Hallfors. “‘Sending the Wrong Message’: Did Medical Marijuana Legalization in California Change Attitudes about and use of Marijuana?” Sagepub. Florida State University College of Criminology and Criminal Justice. 1 Oct. 2004. Web. 8 April 2014.

<http://jod.sagepub.com/content/34/4/751.full.pdf+html>

Both the authors are accredited with Ph.Ds, with Khatapoush as director and Hallfors Senior Research Scientist The paper raises important questions and imposes studies to analyze the new views for younger audiences. As laws in California changed its policies on marijuana, their studies showed changes in the attitudes of young adults. Young adults now had new ways to go about the topic.  The paper states that the allowance of marijuana will not have a negative impact on use, but on view. The stereotype of marijuana will turn into a good one, though truthfully it is like any other strong medicine, dangerous. The studies conducted were extensive in time and length, revealing a part of the demographics of marijuana uses. The main audience intended for this kind of article for those who are concerned about the status of the legalization of marijuana. Also the demographic can include the youth themselves and researchers of the current marijuana policy. Research was conducted primarily through telephone survey data. The author states that further study is required before coming to a clear concise conclusion of how the marijuana policy will affect attitudes toward marijuana. The reliability of the article reiterates itself by stating the fact that the ages of those interviewed are 16 to 25 years old, and that there may be a bias connection between the use of marijuana and attitude. Of the source, there are plenty of tables and graphs, fluctuating on the difference in views and attitudes of California and other states.