One of the primary goals of our Omaha drug attorney blog is to spread accurate information about laws and the various substances the clients at Stockmann Law are routinely charged with having or selling. Clarifying the truth from the misinformation online is no easy task, as there’s a wealth of data to sort through. On this page, we’ll explore some of the most popular marijuana myths we’ve heard, and explain why they’re less than credible, if not outright mistruths.
1) People Who Use Marijuana Become Addicted
In reality, people can become addicted to almost anything, even video games. However, marijuana has a very low addiction rate, and it tends to only be heavy users who become addicted. In all, about 9% of people who try marijuana will develop dependence, compared to 15% who try cocaine and 24% who try heroin, according to research published by the National Institutes of Health. Alcohol and nicotine also top marijuana for dependence rates, coming in at 15% and 32% respectively. Although there aren’t any studies which compare dependence rates amongst all people who have tried video games, one study revealed that 8.5% of all youths were addicted to video games. Ergo, if we’re looking to addiction as a “smoking gun” to keep marijuana illegal, it may make more sense to outlaw alcohol, cigarettes, and video games first.
2) Marijuana is a “Gateway Drug”
One of the major worries people have about legalizing marijuana is that it will encourage people to try hard drugs. There is proof to indicate that people try marijuana before they try hard drugs, but the problem is it doesn’t mean marijuana was the catalyst. It simply means it comes before, just as cigarettes and alcohol are usually tried by people before they try hard drugs, and you don’t hear people saying a drink of beer is going to make someone try heroin. The two aren’t linked. Experts who study it think it’s simply a matter of availability. Now that we have data from states which have legalized marijuana, the myth of marijuana being a gateway drug is totally blown out of the water. Since Colorado legalized marijuana, drug use is down among teens. What’s more, legalizing marijuana actually reduced the number of teens who use it.
3) Marijuana Increases Criminal Behavior
The idea that crime and marijuana use are somehow linked together is a blatant skewing of statistics. Studies have previously looked at people who were incarcerated for crimes, and then determined that those folks have a higher likelihood of having tried pot in their lifetime than those who were never convicted of crimes. Like the gateway drug argument, the two concepts, though related, don’t signal that one causes the other. i.e. Correlation does not equal causation. Thanks to Colorado, we now have data to prove marijuana doesn’t cause more criminal behaviors. In fact, crime has reduced, particularly violent crimes and property crimes. Perhaps more interesting is the fact that the areas surrounding dispensaries statistically have lower rates of assaults and homicides than other parts of the same city.
Contact an Omaha Drug Attorney Who Understands
Nebraska still outlaws marijuana, even though the rest of the country has already legalized weed or is moving toward it. That means if you are caught with it, you could well be looking at jail time and heavy fines. Omaha drug attorney Daniel Stockmann has built his practice around marijuana defense. He not only understands the laws, but also the industry, culture, and difficult situation those arrested for marijuana-related crimes are put in. He also has an amazing track record for courtroom victories. If you or a loved one is facing charges, retain an Omaha drug attorney who understands and will help you rebuild your life swiftly. Call (402) 884-1031 to schedule a free consultation with Mr. Stockmann today.
