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- Cannabis & Justice, 5/17
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Cannabis & Justice, 5/17
Cannabis was officially outlawed in the US for any use (medical included) with the passage of the 1970 Controlled Substances Act (CSA). However, various efforts at prohibition and restriction date back to the early 1900s, with a milestone of the "Marihuana Tax Act of 1937".
In the sections you will find resources about the history of prohibition, the impact of prohibition through the War on Drugs and restrictions on scientific research, and reflections on what recent state-level efforts to legalize medical and recreational use, and an opportunity to provide your own input about resources.
There are so very many angles to look at related to cannabis and justice, we are covering a few and a few resources related to learning more. We know that community members also have much to share, whether it is a resource, personal reflections, or lived experiences.
A note on research & how to use these resources. DC Public Libraries through their many collections has a wealth of information. As you research and read, you will find varying sometimes clashing viewpoints and opinions as well as new, tested, or debunked facts. Through the Knowledge Cafes we do not promote any specific viewpoints or opinions, and encourage participants to continue their own research as you work to discover and evaluate the information you are reviewing. When in, doubt, research further and ask a librarian for help!
HISTORICAL RESOURCES: Cannabis & Justice for 5/17
More articles and links of possible interest on the history of cannabis and justice.
The following articles are available through DC Public Library's digital collections, specifically the JSTOR database. To access these and more, use your library card to log in at www.dclibrary.org, and search JSTOR. Use your library card number one more time to access the database to find these and SO MANY more.
Cannabis Captiva: Freeing the World from Marijuana Prohibition, Stephen B. Duke, Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, 2010.
Covering international trends of cannabis prohibition following US prohibition.
MARIJUANA IN ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME? THE LITERARY EVIDENCE
Theodore F. Brunner, Bulletin of the History of Medicine, 1973
Historic references to cannabis use in ancient literature.
The Marijuana Myth in Ancient Egypt W. Benson Harer Jr., Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt, 2015.
Short statement suggesting myth originated
in 1934.
These are just a few examples of the varied content available from one of DCPL's online databases! Use your library card to sign online, explore databases, and when in doubt...
ask a librarian for help!
The Puzzle of the Social Origins of the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937
John F. Galliher and Allynn Walker,
Source: Social Problems, 1977.
Exploring the link of sensationalist news articles to the Federal Bureau of Narcotics in the 1930s.
Connecting sensationalist new articles to the Federal Bureau of Narcotics in the 1930s and overall prohibition interests across many varied types of drugs and alcohol.
American Concern Over MARIHUANA in the 1930's
William D. Armstrong, John Parascandola, Pharmacy in History, 1972.
(Multiple Authors) Artes de México, 2017.
Several translated and illustrated articles tracing interviewing histories of cultures that recognized and made use of plants with various psychoactive properties throughout history.
War on Drugs: Informational Resources
More articles and links of possible interest about the Ward on Drugs
- The War on Drugs and the New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander, Journal of Race, Poverty & the Environment, 2010.
Discussing the impact of increased incarceration and racial disparities due to the War on Drugs.
- The War on Drugs: American Democracy under Assault, Morris J. Blachman and Kenneth E. Sharpe, World Policy Journal, 1989/1990
Discussing the potential loss of civil liberties from the National Drug Control Strategy circa 1989. Excerpt below
- US Foreign Policy and the War on Drugs: Analysis of a Policy Failure, Bruce Michael Bagley, Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs, 1988.
Discussing 8 years of foreign and domestic policy. Excerpt below.
These are just a few examples of the varied content available from one of DCPL's online databases! Use your library card to sign online, explore databases, and when in doubt...ask a librarian for help!
Impact on People
More articles and links of possible interest related to cannabis and justice.
- What Does it Mean to Adopt a Human Rights-Based Approach to Drug Policy? DAMON BARRETT, JULIE HANNAH and RICK LINES, Health and Human Rights, 2020.
Explaining how using a human-rights framework for drug policy at the United Nations level would center human dignity.
- Retroactive Legality: Marijuana Convictions and Restorative Justice in an Era of Criminal Justice Reform, The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology (2020).
Proposing a legal framework for states with cannabis legalization to restore individuals with cannabis convictions with rights and civic status is prohibition had not happened.
Exploring the many post-sentence restrictions placed upon individuals with felony convictions.
Infographics and a fully developed research brief
Impact on Science
More articles and links of possible interest about the impact of prohibition on research.
Highlighting 3 main barriers to continuing research: US regulatory posture, supply, and funding.
- Federal barriers to Cannabis research, SARAH SEE STITH AND JACOB MIGUEL VIGIL , Letter to Science Magazine, 2016.
Detailing the years long process required to conduct cannabis research in the US.
These are just a few examples of the varied content available from one of DCPL's online databases! Use your library card to sign online, explore databases, and when in doubt...ask a librarian for help!
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