Governmental Response to Widespread Marijuana Use as Determined by a Comparison of 1969 and 1971 Statutes

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 The specified punishments of these drug laws have been deemed severe, and the statutes themselves are outdated.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.