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Marijuana:
It's Nowhere Near As Scary
As They Want Us To Believe

"Marijuana is the single biggest area of ignorance that we have to correct. Today's marijuana is many times more potent ... We've had a doubling of emergency room cases involving marijuana, either people seeking treatment for addiction or as the result of accidents. Sixty percent of the estimated 7 million people we have to treat for addiction are dependent on marijuana. Nationally, more teens seek treatment for marijuana than for all other drugs combined.

-- U.S. Drug Czar John P. Walters, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Jun 3, 2004

While Mr. Walters beats his well worn drum about the dangers of marijuana, the realities about it are a lot less exciting than he would have us believe. Indeed, the government's own data (below) show that 99 percent of past year marijuana users do not end up in the ER to "mention" that they use marijuana. And the potency issue can't be all that scary since pure synthetic THC (marijuana's principle psychoactive agent) is available by prescription. If it's scary and dangerous, it seems illogical that it can be obtained in 100 percent strength as an FDA approved "safe and effective medicine." See for yourself: it's called Marinol. And why in the world would so many people try it -- and keep doing it -- if it were "dangerous?"

The data also show that nearly 99 percent of past year marijuana users were not in rehab -- even though Mr. Walters thinks a lot more of them are having problems and would like to send them to rehab too. Putting the data into the proper perspective is all that's required to see how insignificant the drug czar's claims actually are. Marijuana is simply not that dangerous -- and over 97 million Americans already know that, because they've used it themselves. I put together a tri-fold brochure to capture the essence of this page -- I mail it out in those postage paid envelopes we all get in our junk mail. You should too.

It's time to fight back!

Never before have so many paid so high a price
over the misfortunes of so few

Percent of Past Year Marijuana Users:
YearArrested In Rehab "Mention" it in the ER Death Blamed on Use
1990 1.7 -- 0.08 0.0000053
1991 1.6 -- 0.09 0
1992 2.1 0.57 0.15 0.0000123
1993 2.2 0.64 0.16 0.0000057
1994 2.7 0.80 0.23 0.0000112
1995 3.3 0.96 0.25 0
1996 3.5 1.05 0.29 0.0000163
1997 3.6 1.02 0.33 0.0000051
1998 3.6 1.18 0.41 0.0000321
1999 3.7 1.22 0.46 0.0000262
2000 4.0 1.33 0.52 0.0000161
2001 3.4 1.21 0.52 0.0000143
2002 2.7 1.10 0.46 0.0000039
2003 3.0 1.17 0.63 0.0000079
2004 3.0 1.19 0.85 0.0000236
2005 3.1 1.15 0.95 --

Sources:
National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)
FBI Uniform Crime Reports (Crime in the US)
Treatment Episode Data Sets (TEDS)
Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC Wonder)

Population and Overall Marijuana Use Data
Year Total Population Pop 12+ Past Year Users 12+ % of Pop 12+
1990 248,709,873 201,188,000 18,931,000 9.4
1991 252,177,000 202,859,000 18,067,000 8.9
1992 255,077,536 205,713,000 16,322,000 7.9
1993 257,783,004 207,199,000 17,510,000 8.5
1994 260,340,990 209,411,000 17,813,000 8.5
1995 262,755,270 211,532,000 17,755,000 8.4
1996 265,283,783 214,047,000 18,398,000 8.6
1997 267,636,061 216,206,000 19,446,000 9.0
1998 270,463,688 218,445,000 18,710,000 8.6
1999 272,690,813 221,123,000 19,102,000 8.6
2000 281,421,906 223,280,000 18,589,000 8.3
2001 285,317,559 225,636,000 21,086,000 9.3
2002 288,368,698 235,143,000 25,755,000 11.0
2003 290,809,777 237,682,000 25,231,000 10.6
2004 293,656,842 240,515,000 25,451,000 10.6
2005 296,410,404 243,220,000 25,375,000 10.4

Sources:
United States Census Bureau
National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)

Possible Consequence of Marijuana Use: ER Visit or Drug Rehab
  Overall ER Visits Marijuana Mentions Drug Treatment Admissions
Year Number % of Total Pop. Drug Mentions Number % of Drug Mentions % of Past Year Users Total Marijuana % of Past Year Users
1990 82,323,000 33.1 635,460 15,706 2.5 0.08 -- -- --
1991 84,189,000 33.4 674,861 16,251 2.4 0.09 -- -- --
1992 85,944,000 33.7 751,731 23,997 3.2 0.15 1,560,311 92,414 0.57
1993 87,651,000 34.0 796,762 28,873 3.6 0.16 1,618,597 111,259 0.64
1994 89,697,000 34.5 900,317 40,183 4.5 0.23 1,671,039 142,707 0.80
1995 88,548,056 33.7 899,977 45,259 5.0 0.25 1,680,697 171,344 0.96
1996 91,189,270 34.4 906,078 53,770 5.9 0.29 1,643,731 192,918 1.05
1997 89,719,807 33.5 941,627 64,720 6.9 0.33 1,607,957 197,840 1.02
1998 89,682,719 33.2 981,286 76,842 7.8 0.41 1,712,268 220,173 1.18
1999 91,099,635 33.4 1,013,688 87,068 8.6 0.46 1,725,885 232,105 1.22
2000 96,163,379 34.2 1,098,915 96,426 8.8 0.52 1,770,028 249,687 1.33
2001 100,517,664 35.2 1,165,148 110,512 9.5 0.52 1,821,054 272,165 1.21
2002 102,809,601 35.7 1,209,938 119,472 9.9 0.46 1,936,711 294,196 1.10
2003 104,672,704 36.0 1,255,846 159,326 12.7 0.63 1,897,164 294,834 1.17
2004 105,978,433 36.1 1,253,956 215,665 17.2 0.85 1,885,930 300,792 1.19
2005 108,373,604 36.6 1,449,154 242,200 16.7 0.95 1,849,548 292,250 1.15

-- data is not available

Sources:
National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)
Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN)
Treatment Episode Data Sets (TEDS)

Notes:

  • The DAWN data collection system was modified beginning in 2003 to count all drug "related" visits regardless of whether or not the use of the drug was the cause of the visit. Thus the apparent "huge increase" in marijuana mentions is due to changes in how the visits are recorded -- not because of todays's modern "super-weed."

  • About 85 percent of such mentions involve those 18 or older.

  • Over 90 percent of all drug treatment admissions involve those 18 or older.

Possible Consequence of Marijuana Use: Dying
  Overall Deaths Marijuana Related Compare To Deaths From:
Year Number % of Total Pop. Number % of All Deaths % of Past Year Users Pesticide Exposure Powered Household Appliances
1990 2,148,463 0.86 1 0.0000465 0.0000053 4 1
1991 2,169,518 0.86 0 0 0 8 7
1992 2,175,613 0.85 2 0.0000919 0.0000123 13 2
1993 2,268,553 0.88 1 0.0000441 0.0000057 7 3
1994 2,278,994 0.88 2 0.0000878 0.0000112 4 4
1995 2,312,132 0.88 0 0 0 5 5
1996 2,314,690 0.87 3 0.0001296 0.0000163 7 0
1997 2,314,245 0.86 1 0.0000432 0.0000051 2 0
1998 2,337,256 0.86 6 0.0002567 0.0000321 6 0
1999 2,391,399 0.88 5 0.0002091 0.0000262 12 6
2000 2,403,351 0.85 3 0.0001248 0.0000161 8 14
2001 2,416,425 0.85 3 0.0001241 0.0000143 7 13
2002 2,443,387 0.85 1 0.0000408 0.0000039 7 17
2003 2,448,288 0.84 2 0.0000816 0.0000079 3 11
2004 2,397,615 0.82 6 0.0002502 0.0000236 3 14
Grand Totals 34,821,406 -- 35 0.0001005 -- 96 97

Source:
Centers for Disease Control (CDC Wonder)

Yes, marijuana has been blamed as the "underlying cause of death" for some people, but it certainly isn't very likely. Indeed, it is so unlikely that is difficult to find other causes of death to compare it to. Meanwhile, beware of bug spray and electric knives!

Possible Consequence of Marijuana Use: Being Arrested
  Drug Law Arrests Marijuana Arrests
Year Total Arrests Number % of Total Number % for Possession % of Total % of Drug Law % of Past Year Users
1990 14,195,100 1,089,500 7.7 326,900 80.0 2.3 30.0 1.7
1991 14,211,900 1,010,000 7.1 282,800 78.6 2.0 28.0 1.6
1992 14,075,100 1,066,400 7.6 341,200 78.1 2.4 32.0 2.1
1993 14,036,300 1,126,300 8.0 382,900 82.4 2.7 34.0 2.2
1994 14,648,700 1,351,400 9.2 486,500 83.3 3.3 36.0 2.7
1995 15,119,800 1,476,100 9.8 590,400 85.0 3.9 40.0 3.3
1996 15,168,100 1,506,200 9.9 647,700 86.0 4.3 43.0 3.5
1997 15,284,300 1,583,600 10.4 695,200 86.3 4.5 43.9 3.6
1998 14,528,300 1,559,100 10.7 682,900 88.6 4.7 43.8 3.6
1999 14,031,070 1,557,100 11.1 704,800 87.0 5.0 45.3 3.7
2000 13,980,297 1,579,566 11.3 734,498 88.0 5.3 46.5 4.0
2001 13,699,254 1,586,902 11.6 723,626 88.6 5.3 45.6 3.4
2002 13,741,438 1,538,813 11.2 697,082 88.1 5.1 45.3 2.7
2003 13,639,479 1,678,192 12.3 755,186 87.8 5.5 45.0 3.0
2004 14,004,327 1,745,712 12.5 771,605 88.7 5.5 44.2 3.0
2005 14,094,186 1,846,351 13.1 786,545 88.5 5.6 42.6 3.1

Source:
FBI Uniform Crime Reports (Crime in the US)

Conclusion: the most dangerous thing about using marijuana
is that you may get caught with it!

Learn More:

truth: the Anti-drugwar Anti-drugwar Arsenal Accept the $1 Challenge