The widespread use of marijuana across all strata of our social system has led to scrutiny and criticism of the state statutes governing its use. The specified punishments of these drug laws have been deemed severe, and the statutes themselves are outdated. The purpose of this article is to determine the extent of state statute amendment and the severity of the incarceration inherent in the revised laws.
Data, presented both in context and tabular form reveal that statute revisions have been oriented toward the first-time offender and that the penalties for subsequent possession of marijuana continue to be harsh.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BonnieR. J. and WhitebreadC. H., Current Marijuana Laws, Virginia Law Review, 56(6), October, 1970.
2.
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, Criminal Penalties Under the Current Marijuana Laws, Unpublished manuscript, 1971.
3.
SwisherJ. D. and RitterD. R., An Analysis of State Penalties for Possession and Sale of Marijuana, Grassroots, in press.
4.
GoodeE., The Marijuana Smokers, Basic Books, Inc., New York, 1970.
5.
RitterD. R., Rehabilitation of the Drug Addict: Medical Treatment Versus Incarceration, Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, in press.
