Are US Senators Using Fake Statistics To Keep Marijuana Illegal?

Posted By: Olivia Walker


US Senators Chuck Grassley and Diane Feinstein have been using false statistics about young people in Colorado in order to send a message to US states everywhere. 

One of the most interesting US policy debates going on in recent years may just be the debate about legalization of marijuana. Why exactly is this debate so interesting? Because it raises fundamental questions about the power of the federal government and the sovereignty of US states.

As of right now, marijuana is still classified as an illegal drug in the United States. That is true at the same time that certain states, such as Colorado, have recreationally legalized marijuana. Essentially, what that means is that entire states are defying the law of the federal government, raising the question of how much power they really have over the sovereignty of states.

The way this debate will move forward is uncertain, but several lawmakers are not letting the power of the US government go lightly. Lawmakers have been using false statistics to continuously advocate for keeping marijuana illegal and sending states a message that they are, indeed, breaking the law.

Grassland and Feinstein have mentioned a study that marijuana use among young people in Colorado which states that recreational use has increased since it has become legal:
“When comparing the two-year average before and after legalization, current marijuana use among 12-to-17-year-olds increased by 20 percent…while the national average decreased by 4 percent”, states Senator Diane Feinstein.

This study was conducted by Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. Notable issues exist with this methodologies, including the fact that marijuana use in this age group was already increasing by about 20% per two years. Additionally, according to the National Survey of Drug Use and Health, there is no way to determine, because of the very small sample size of the study, that the number reflected in this study is accurate.

According to the director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, “we’ve always had a high use rate among youth and adults. It’s something we’ve had to contend with, whether or not marijuana is legal. So that’s not news. it’s easy to get misled by numbers if you don’t understand what’s behind those numbers.”

Recently, an aide of the Nixon administration has admitted that prohibition of marijuana began as an attempt to put “hippies and black people” in jail.