So why do people want to legalize “small” amounts? What can an ounce hurt?

  • An ounce of marijuana produces 60-120 marijuana cigarettes or “joints” – that is more than a little bit of “pot.
    Source: Economics of Cannabis Legalization, written by Dale Gieringer, Ph.D., Coordinator, California NORML (National Organization for the Reformation of Marijuana Laws) “We will define a standard dose of THC to be that contained in the government's own marijuana joints, which NIDA supplies to researchers and selected human subjects…. A typical joint has been estimated to weigh about 0.4 grams. Taking this as a standard, we will define a ‘standard joint’ to be 0.4 grams of average-quality 6% buds. Thus an ounce of ‘standard pot’ equals 60 joints, an ounce of 12% sinsemilla 120, and an ounce of government pot only 30 joints.
  • Alcohol and tobacco are both proven to be damaging substances and adding another one, especially when scientific facts prove marijuana’s harms, is a slippery slope with far-reaching implications. What will we legalize next?
  • legalization of “small” amounts of marijuana makes law enforcement difficult as drug traffickers have been documented simply subverting trafficking laws by only carrying the minimum amount on them at any given time, despite large distribution channels.
  • legalization of “small” amounts of marijuana also creates conflicts for law enforcement on a state versus federal level, because federal law explicitly prohibits the usage, sale, growth and distribution of marijuana.