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California Marijuana Decriminalization Drops Youth Crime Rate To Record Low
Between 2010 and 2011, California experienced a drastic 20 percent decrease in juvenile crime--bringing the underage crime rate to the lowest level since the state started keeping records in 1954.
According to a recently released study, much of that improvement can be credited to the decriminalization of marijuana.
The study, entitled "California Youth Crime Plunges to All-Time Low" and released by the San Francisco-based Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, looked at the number of people under the age of 18 who were arrested in the state over the past eight decades. The research not only found juvenile crime to be at its lowest level ever but, in the wake of then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signing a bill reducing the punishment for possessing a small amount of marijuana from a misdemeanor to simply an infraction, the drop in rates was particularity significant.
In that one-year period, the number of arrests for violent crimes dropped by 16 percent, homicide went down by 26 percent and drug arrests decreased by nearly 50 percent.
The category of drug arrests showed decreases in every type of crime; however, the vast majority of the drop resulted from far fewer arrests for marijuana possession. In 2010, marijuana possession accounted for 64 percent of all drug arrests, and in 2011, that number decreased to only 46 percent.
California's drop in serious youth crime has decreased faster than in the rest of the nation.
According to a recently released study, much of that improvement can be credited to the decriminalization of marijuana.
The study, entitled "California Youth Crime Plunges to All-Time Low" and released by the San Francisco-based Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, looked at the number of people under the age of 18 who were arrested in the state over the past eight decades. The research not only found juvenile crime to be at its lowest level ever but, in the wake of then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signing a bill reducing the punishment for possessing a small amount of marijuana from a misdemeanor to simply an infraction, the drop in rates was particularity significant.
In that one-year period, the number of arrests for violent crimes dropped by 16 percent, homicide went down by 26 percent and drug arrests decreased by nearly 50 percent.
The category of drug arrests showed decreases in every type of crime; however, the vast majority of the drop resulted from far fewer arrests for marijuana possession. In 2010, marijuana possession accounted for 64 percent of all drug arrests, and in 2011, that number decreased to only 46 percent.
California's drop in serious youth crime has decreased faster than in the rest of the nation.
SM~Hope this doesn't offend you, but I'm not surprised you're middle-aged. I think people who wait until they are older to have kids are often more protective.
We got a late night phone call when my step son was 16 and had just started driving. The cops picked him up because he sat at a stop light for 5 full minutes before slowly driving away. He was incredibly drunk.
( We thought he was spending the night at a friend's house)
He went to court and landed up doing community service. Both embarrassed the heck out of him.
He learned a good lesson and never drove when drinking again, not to my knowledge anyway.
Before this happened, he'd been told he could always call us no matter what and we'd pick him up.
He'd been warned and knew better but once out of parental control, they often like to find things out for themselves.
I was grateful that the punishment was appropriate for the crime and he did not land up in jail.
We got a late night phone call when my step son was 16 and had just started driving. The cops picked him up because he sat at a stop light for 5 full minutes before slowly driving away. He was incredibly drunk.
( We thought he was spending the night at a friend's house)
He went to court and landed up doing community service. Both embarrassed the heck out of him.
He learned a good lesson and never drove when drinking again, not to my knowledge anyway.
Before this happened, he'd been told he could always call us no matter what and we'd pick him up.
He'd been warned and knew better but once out of parental control, they often like to find things out for themselves.
I was grateful that the punishment was appropriate for the crime and he did not land up in jail.
Oh no. I can't imagine a time in which they don't want to hang out with me constantly!! LOL My boys will probably want to have me arrested for stalking as I follow them around just so I can be near them still!
Ha, well--- yes. You can sit back and enjoy their 'parent pain' as their kids do what they did as teens! They'll call you and you can say "um hm. See how it feels?!!"
Ha, well--- yes. You can sit back and enjoy their 'parent pain' as their kids do what they did as teens! They'll call you and you can say "um hm. See how it feels?!!"
You teach them what is good and right and they will come back to it for the most part, just be prepared for them to experiment a bit. I was totally dumbfounded when my children told me what all they had done as young teens. I had one son that climbed out his window after we all went to bed and had his friends pick him up down the road and they went around smashing mailboxes during the wee hours of the morning! He laughs now that I was soooo trusting! Imp! Just wait till theirs get that age and I will sit back and see how funny they think it is! LOL
Very true, I don't know what will happen with my kids. I do hope to live in a country though that has the same principles as I do to help back up the lessons that I gave my kids growing up.
We already talk about 'real life' with my kids. That you work hard in school and do your best because that is how you 'get ahead'. That you have things that you do to keep your body strong such as athletics and fitness. That you make good choices that will play into the person you say you want to be. That you avoid things that aren't safe. I'm hoping I placed these ideas deep inside of them. I hope it takes root and blooms so that they avoid the pitfalls that can crop up.
I'm not naive. But I am hopeful. And a little back up from outside sources that say these are bad and dangerous choices is a good thing in my opinion. And a law making it illegal is the utmost back up that they should think twice before doing it.
We already talk about 'real life' with my kids. That you work hard in school and do your best because that is how you 'get ahead'. That you have things that you do to keep your body strong such as athletics and fitness. That you make good choices that will play into the person you say you want to be. That you avoid things that aren't safe. I'm hoping I placed these ideas deep inside of them. I hope it takes root and blooms so that they avoid the pitfalls that can crop up.
I'm not naive. But I am hopeful. And a little back up from outside sources that say these are bad and dangerous choices is a good thing in my opinion. And a law making it illegal is the utmost back up that they should think twice before doing it.
You have control of your children while they are young and dependent on you. Enjoy it while it lasts because at some point they are more likely to want to do what their peers do than what you want them to. By the time the small children these days grow up, they will not be experimenting with pot, it will be something else, a new trend.
Nobody raises their kids hoping they will get into drugs. My kids were never exposed to drugs of any kind. But when they got into high school each and everyone of them except the middle girl had tried pot with their friends, shared porn with their friends, had alcohol with their friends, at their friends houses at that! Granted I didnt know about it until many years later but yep, as shocked as I was, they all admitted it. Said everyone was doing it and it wasnt a big deal. Do they do it now? NO, but they tried it and one went on to have a real problem with it. I do agree that pot is a gateway drug and not all but lots of people go from there to get onto more serious things. Now the big thing in college is to take is it adderal? To study with, hand it out like candy amongst them. So take it from someone who has been there. Never say never cause you have control over your children for about a nano second of their life. LOL
Nobody raises their kids hoping they will get into drugs. My kids were never exposed to drugs of any kind. But when they got into high school each and everyone of them except the middle girl had tried pot with their friends, shared porn with their friends, had alcohol with their friends, at their friends houses at that! Granted I didnt know about it until many years later but yep, as shocked as I was, they all admitted it. Said everyone was doing it and it wasnt a big deal. Do they do it now? NO, but they tried it and one went on to have a real problem with it. I do agree that pot is a gateway drug and not all but lots of people go from there to get onto more serious things. Now the big thing in college is to take is it adderal? To study with, hand it out like candy amongst them. So take it from someone who has been there. Never say never cause you have control over your children for about a nano second of their life. LOL
I understand and respect your point of view, SM.
:)
:)
My last paragraph means that medical marijauna is a seperate issue to me and do think that should be available to people who have legitimate needs but would like to see it dispensed differently.
Rivll, I'm sure many like you ---- feel like it should be legal but don't condone the use. I can appreciate the difference for sure.
and it is all just a difference of opinion on a subject like any other subject.
Rivll, I'm sure many like you ---- feel like it should be legal but don't condone the use. I can appreciate the difference for sure.
and it is all just a difference of opinion on a subject like any other subject.
Well, it is true that I am deep in the child rearing years but I am thinking that this won't change as once a mother always a mother and I will never want my kids whether they are adults or not to have the message that doing drugs including pot is acceptable.
This is more my personality. You'd probably find me a bore at a party because I don't need alcohol or drugs or anything but good conversation to be thoroughly entertained. And even if good conversation is absent, I can entertain myself just fine by observing people.
I'm not into drugs. I had minor experimentation as a youth and realized what it did to my mind and didn't like it. I like a clear mind with nothing hindering it. That is my personality.
Who know s what will happen when my kids are older, you are right. But I'd rather there be a very VERY clear message that drugs are the wrong choice both from society and legally.
Although, Adgal and i are on the same page and she's given me something to think about.
PS: you might be surprised at my age. Ha, I'm not exactly a spring chicken as I had my children l later in life. I'm firmly middle aged and sincerely doubt I'll loosen up regarding drug use--- my own and otherwise.
Now, I'm not talking about drugs used for medical purposes. I was disheartened to hear how they are dispensed and think it should be sold ONLY through a legitimate pharmacy as a controlled medication rather than some of these 'shops'.
This is more my personality. You'd probably find me a bore at a party because I don't need alcohol or drugs or anything but good conversation to be thoroughly entertained. And even if good conversation is absent, I can entertain myself just fine by observing people.
I'm not into drugs. I had minor experimentation as a youth and realized what it did to my mind and didn't like it. I like a clear mind with nothing hindering it. That is my personality.
Who know s what will happen when my kids are older, you are right. But I'd rather there be a very VERY clear message that drugs are the wrong choice both from society and legally.
Although, Adgal and i are on the same page and she's given me something to think about.
PS: you might be surprised at my age. Ha, I'm not exactly a spring chicken as I had my children l later in life. I'm firmly middle aged and sincerely doubt I'll loosen up regarding drug use--- my own and otherwise.
Now, I'm not talking about drugs used for medical purposes. I was disheartened to hear how they are dispensed and think it should be sold ONLY through a legitimate pharmacy as a controlled medication rather than some of these 'shops'.
I am more for decriminalization than anything else. It is not like I think pot is the next best thing to sliced bread...it is a drug and like any drug (I include nicotine and alcohol in this category) it needs to be regulated.
I didn't smoke MJ while my kids were growing up, nor did I ever drink. I warned them about the dangers of using anything, including drugs commonly prescribed by the medical establishment. I gave examples of people I know who became lazy and nearly paralyzed by smoking pot on a regular basis as I warned them about the toxicity and terrible consequences of alcohol abuse. (I do believe alcohol is a much more serious drug and would be a prohibitionist if it came up again.)
2 of my four do not use MJ , one uses it occasionally and recreationally and one , in my opinion is addicted to it.
My children like many of my students live in a world where drugs are a reality, no matter how seriously we educate them.
I grew up in a world where pot was considered a terrible and dangerous drug but the adults in around me drank like there was no tomorrow and used prescription drugs that were addictive. They mostly died young and really were not the best they could have been, being so wrapped up in their own toxic worlds.
These are the lessons I tried to impart to my children. There comes a time when we really don't have control over the decisions they make and all we can do is hope it doesn't become a criminal issue.
I don't see that my focus on decriminalizing weed is condoning it's use.
I didn't smoke MJ while my kids were growing up, nor did I ever drink. I warned them about the dangers of using anything, including drugs commonly prescribed by the medical establishment. I gave examples of people I know who became lazy and nearly paralyzed by smoking pot on a regular basis as I warned them about the toxicity and terrible consequences of alcohol abuse. (I do believe alcohol is a much more serious drug and would be a prohibitionist if it came up again.)
2 of my four do not use MJ , one uses it occasionally and recreationally and one , in my opinion is addicted to it.
My children like many of my students live in a world where drugs are a reality, no matter how seriously we educate them.
I grew up in a world where pot was considered a terrible and dangerous drug but the adults in around me drank like there was no tomorrow and used prescription drugs that were addictive. They mostly died young and really were not the best they could have been, being so wrapped up in their own toxic worlds.
These are the lessons I tried to impart to my children. There comes a time when we really don't have control over the decisions they make and all we can do is hope it doesn't become a criminal issue.
I don't see that my focus on decriminalizing weed is condoning it's use.
I wasn't equating eating a hamburger to smoking pot.
My point was simply that anything can be abused, including food.
( I don't eat beef so maybe that's why I used that as an example. I don't care for meat pumped full of hormones eating food treated with chemicals~ yuck.)
One difference I feel between some of us is simply based on age and our place in life. When you have young kids you tend to be very protective, I think it's a natural response.
My kids are grown, I've had to adjust my attitudes based on my experience with teens and young adults.
They don't always do what we want or would like no matter how well we think we've parented them. I'd hate for my kid or any kid to land up in jail based on youthful indiscretion.
My point was simply that anything can be abused, including food.
( I don't eat beef so maybe that's why I used that as an example. I don't care for meat pumped full of hormones eating food treated with chemicals~ yuck.)
One difference I feel between some of us is simply based on age and our place in life. When you have young kids you tend to be very protective, I think it's a natural response.
My kids are grown, I've had to adjust my attitudes based on my experience with teens and young adults.
They don't always do what we want or would like no matter how well we think we've parented them. I'd hate for my kid or any kid to land up in jail based on youthful indiscretion.
Well said, SM!
I too think it's the complacency and cavalier attitudes that sends the message that it's okay....it's "only pot". I think peple voting to legalize it sends a HUGE message to kids and teens. And, not a good one, IMO.
I too think it's the complacency and cavalier attitudes that sends the message that it's okay....it's "only pot". I think peple voting to legalize it sends a HUGE message to kids and teens. And, not a good one, IMO.
Social pressure to not use it (unless for legitimate purposes) is exactly what I would like to see with our youth. Kids often make poor decisions - it's the nature of being kids. So I would like to see more emphasis on drugs being "uncool". Part of my push for decriminilization is that I do believe kids will go after the forbidden fruit, but also because I do not want to see a young person wind up with a felony record for trying any drug. Same thing for adults. Getting caught with drugs, and getting a record is awful. It can make it even more challenging to turn things around - get jobs, etc. I don't want to see drug use become a free for all, but I do want people to have an easier time seeking treatment if necessary, etc. Right now, if you are a parent and seek drug treatment, it is possible that you risk having your kids removed. People are so afraid of that, they often don't get the help they need. So again, not sure about all out legalization (I go back and forth on that), but I am for decriminilization of all drugs. Users and dealers should be treated differently in our legal system.
Probably if people didn't so readily say it is just fine and hey, my kids are already exposed to things that are bad for them I'd be less fearful. It is the cavalier attitude that scares me the most. Adgal makes points that I can listen to because she fears the same things I do. I can't relate to someone just wanting to make marijauna legal for their own consumption and seeing it as no big deal.
I'll bow out of this conversation. I don't want to appear judgemental but don't relate to casual drug use nor do I care to. Nor do i want my kids to live in a world where someone says having a hamburger is equal to smoking pot.
And by the way, if it ever does become legal, I hope the same thing happens to it as what's happened to smoking tobacco. It is socially unacceptable in most settings and looked down upon. My aunt is a smoker and says she often feels like a second class citizen because she is a smoker. I don't like that she feels that way but it is a deterrent to her smoking. She now smokes only occasionally and in private which cuts down on the overall amount she smokes (which is a good thing for her health). Right now, it's cool to say legalize pot. My hope is that pot will become very uncool if it is ever legalized.
Clearly, I'm against smoking pot for recreational use. But again, in the minority here on this forum. I just hope my peers who feel like I do show up to vote if it ever comes to that in my state.
I'll bow out of this conversation. I don't want to appear judgemental but don't relate to casual drug use nor do I care to. Nor do i want my kids to live in a world where someone says having a hamburger is equal to smoking pot.
And by the way, if it ever does become legal, I hope the same thing happens to it as what's happened to smoking tobacco. It is socially unacceptable in most settings and looked down upon. My aunt is a smoker and says she often feels like a second class citizen because she is a smoker. I don't like that she feels that way but it is a deterrent to her smoking. She now smokes only occasionally and in private which cuts down on the overall amount she smokes (which is a good thing for her health). Right now, it's cool to say legalize pot. My hope is that pot will become very uncool if it is ever legalized.
Clearly, I'm against smoking pot for recreational use. But again, in the minority here on this forum. I just hope my peers who feel like I do show up to vote if it ever comes to that in my state.
Very good points, OH.
In complete agreement.
In complete agreement.
You already walk into convenience stores and your kids see people buying cigarettes and booze~ both which do more harm to people than cannabis.
Nobody's died from an overdose of pot or landed up with an emergency liver transplant which has happened with tylenol.
Sure it can be harmful, so can be hamburgers, sodas, candy and anything else if you abuse it.
Where I live it is essentially legal. I do walk down the street and smell it sometimes and you know what? I often look around and wonder who was smoking it because I simply can't tell from their actions ! People walking down the street~ oh, maybe it's that one with a big smile on their face?
Just as nobody should drive after a beer or two, nobody should drive if impaired by anything including pot.
Lets stop wasting money trying to prohibit something that so many people already use.
Legalize it, and of course have restrictions for underage use.
Nobody's died from an overdose of pot or landed up with an emergency liver transplant which has happened with tylenol.
Sure it can be harmful, so can be hamburgers, sodas, candy and anything else if you abuse it.
Where I live it is essentially legal. I do walk down the street and smell it sometimes and you know what? I often look around and wonder who was smoking it because I simply can't tell from their actions ! People walking down the street~ oh, maybe it's that one with a big smile on their face?
Just as nobody should drive after a beer or two, nobody should drive if impaired by anything including pot.
Lets stop wasting money trying to prohibit something that so many people already use.
Legalize it, and of course have restrictions for underage use.
I am not about making it easier to access at all. I too do not want my child using it. I will be honest with you - my first trip to the US as an adult, I was completey shocked that you can buy alcohol in convenience stores and even gas stations. Here, it is only available in liquor stores, period. And you have to be of age, or accompanied by your parent to even go into the store, let alone purchase it. I would still view marijuana as a controlled substance, and think it should remain that way. However, I don't think jail time is the answer. I do think we should go hard after dealers, and if you are caught attempting to sell to a child, the sentence should be even tougher. For adults, if they are caught with just personal amounts, no big deal as far as I am concerned. Education for me is still the key - much like what they are doing with cigarette smoking and drinking and driving. And just as we all work to keep alcohol out of the hands of minors, so should it be with marijuana. Same thing with driving under the influence. I just don't think the laws are doing anything about prevention, and that for me is where the answers lie. It's a tough one for sure.
Say what you want about the legalization of marijuana. Tobacco and alcohol are still illegal for kids to possess and they have little problem getting those. Heroin, cocaine, meth are still illegal and anyone who wants to can get some of those substances with little effort, depending where you are. (It can be found in the prisons which are supposed to be the most stringent atmospheres out there.) Where there's a will, there's a way.
It is what it is....
It is what it is....
"Using hemp for various uses such as paper or clothing to me is different than smoking it"
I agree, however to add to the above post
Were the Presidents Hemp Smokers?
Dr. Burke, who is a president of the American Historical Reference Society, has noted seven of the earliest presidents as hemp smokers: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, Zachary Taylor and Franklin Pierce. According to Dr. Burke, “Early letters from our founding fathers refer to the pleasures of hemp smoking,”
I know you are a strong opponent of the legalization of MJ and I truly admire your standing by what you believe in, it is a great quality and I wouldn't expect anything less from you :)
I agree, however to add to the above post
Were the Presidents Hemp Smokers?
Dr. Burke, who is a president of the American Historical Reference Society, has noted seven of the earliest presidents as hemp smokers: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, Zachary Taylor and Franklin Pierce. According to Dr. Burke, “Early letters from our founding fathers refer to the pleasures of hemp smoking,”
I know you are a strong opponent of the legalization of MJ and I truly admire your standing by what you believe in, it is a great quality and I wouldn't expect anything less from you :)
Cigarettes, again, apples and oranges, IMO. Nicotine is not a substance that causes intoxication, or impairment.
Using hemp for various uses such as paper or clothing to me is different than smoking it. Our culture is just going in a direction that bothers me. This board is very pro legalization and it seems some states agree with them. However, if I am ever given a chance to vote on it in my state, I will vote against it. If I am in the minority, well, that is life. But I see it as such a shame that so many want this to be the direction our country takes. The message that pot is not legal, a crime to smoke is one I count on to help drive home to my children that it is a bad idea. And in my heart of hearts, I think it IS a bad idea.
"IDIOTS"
Thomas Jefferson received the United States fist patent; A hemp thrashing machine. He also smuggled new strains of the cannabis seed from China, to France, Then to America, all awhile serving as ambassador to France. Jefferson also wrote about the advantages of hemp over tobacco, in use, labor and for the sake of the land, probably on hemp paper.
Benjamin Franklin owned one of the first paper mills that processed hemp into parchment, that of which was used in many first drafts that later became the documents that America stands by. The Declaration of Independence, Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense”, the Federalist (and Anti-Federalist) Papers, the Articles of Confederation, and of course the United States Constitution were all written on hemp paper.
George Washington not only grew hemp for clothes (home spun), he actually has a quote from his diary from August 7, 1765: "— began to separate the male from the female hemp at Do — rather too late." It is debatable, but today that technique is used solely for drug potency in marijuana. There are a few trace evidences to the idea that our founding fathers smoked hemp for pleasure, but it seems likely.
Thomas Jefferson received the United States fist patent; A hemp thrashing machine. He also smuggled new strains of the cannabis seed from China, to France, Then to America, all awhile serving as ambassador to France. Jefferson also wrote about the advantages of hemp over tobacco, in use, labor and for the sake of the land, probably on hemp paper.
Benjamin Franklin owned one of the first paper mills that processed hemp into parchment, that of which was used in many first drafts that later became the documents that America stands by. The Declaration of Independence, Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense”, the Federalist (and Anti-Federalist) Papers, the Articles of Confederation, and of course the United States Constitution were all written on hemp paper.
George Washington not only grew hemp for clothes (home spun), he actually has a quote from his diary from August 7, 1765: "— began to separate the male from the female hemp at Do — rather too late." It is debatable, but today that technique is used solely for drug potency in marijuana. There are a few trace evidences to the idea that our founding fathers smoked hemp for pleasure, but it seems likely.
IDIOTS
Oh yes, I'd be thrilled to walk into a convenience store and watching people buy pot when getting milk for my kids. That would be lovely.
I'm hoping that there are enough people like me to make anything like legalizing EVERYWHERE difficult.
And if it is legalized, it should take some time with all the laws they'd have to add to the books. Where sold, who can buy (will there be an age in which we say "hey, it's fine. Go get high, smell bad, have glazed eyes, and do sub par work be it school or your job." Speaking of jobs, okay to toke up during the work day? What about driving? What is the legal limit or is it SOOOO safe that we don't need to worry about a legal limit?
tongue in cheek on the safe part because marijauna is not harmless. It is a dangerous drug when abused.
I hope I help my kids understand the dangers of using pot or any drug in a recreational fashion even if my government won't help me anymore.
I'm hoping that there are enough people like me to make anything like legalizing EVERYWHERE difficult.
And if it is legalized, it should take some time with all the laws they'd have to add to the books. Where sold, who can buy (will there be an age in which we say "hey, it's fine. Go get high, smell bad, have glazed eyes, and do sub par work be it school or your job." Speaking of jobs, okay to toke up during the work day? What about driving? What is the legal limit or is it SOOOO safe that we don't need to worry about a legal limit?
tongue in cheek on the safe part because marijauna is not harmless. It is a dangerous drug when abused.
I hope I help my kids understand the dangers of using pot or any drug in a recreational fashion even if my government won't help me anymore.
Legalize it EVERYWHERE....It's a excellent money maker for the government...Just look at cigarettes..Almost $10 a pack and they kill you eventually.....
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