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Alcohol And Cocaine 窶� But Not Cannabis 窶� Linked To Violent Behavior, Study Says
Denver Voters To Decide On Pot ‘Deprioritization’ Ordinance
Warren Wilson College Named Top School For “Higher” LearningVictoria, British Columbia: Alcohol And Cocaine 窶� But Not Cannabis 窶� Linked To Violent Behavior, Study Says Cannabis use is not independently associated with causing violence, according to the results of a multivariate analysis to be published in the journal Addictive Behaviors. Investigators at the University of Victoria, Centre for Addictions Research assessed how frequently subjects in a substance abuse treatment facility reported using cocaine, alcohol, and/or cannabis in the hours immediately prior to committing a violent act. Researchers also evaluated subjects’ personality for characteristics associated with violent behavior, such as risk-taking, impulsivity, and/or disrespect for the law. Investigators concluded: "When analyses were conducted controlling for covariates, the frequency of alcohol and cocaine use was significantly related to violence, suggesting that pharmacological effects [of the drugs] may play a role in violence. Frequency of cannabis use, however, was not significantly related to violence when controlling for other factors." The study’s conclusions are similar to the findings of a pair of recent government reports refuting allegations that cannabis use triggers violent behavior. The first, published by the Canadian Senate in 2002, determined: "Cannabis use does not induce users to commit other forms of crime. Cannabis use does not increase aggressiveness or anti-social behavior." The second review, published by the British Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, reported: "Cannabis differs from alcohol in one major respect. It does not seem to increase risk-taking behavior. This means that cannabis rarely contributes to violence either to others or to oneself, whereas alcohol use is a major factor in deliberate self-harm, domestic accidents and violence." Most recently, a logistical regression analysis of approximately 900 trauma patients published in the Journal of TRAUMA Injury, Infection, and Critical Care, determined that the use of cannabis is not independently associated with either violent or non-violent injuries requiring hospitalization. By contrast, alcohol and cocaine use are associated with violence-related injuries, the study found. Denver, CO: Denver Voters To Decide On Pot ‘Deprioritization’ Ordinance Denver voters will decide on a municipal measure this November that instructs city officials to deemphasize marijuana law enforcement. Sponsored by Citizens for a Safer Denver, the ballot initiative directs the Denver Police Department and the City Attorney's Office to make activities related to the investigation, citation, and/or arrest of adult cannabis users their lowest law enforcement priority. It would also appoint an eleven-member "Marijuana Policy Review Panel" to monitor police activity as it pertains to cannabis law enforcement. Seattle voters passed a similar law in 2003, which has led to a 75 percent reduction in citywide marijuana arrests. Several other cities 窶� including Santa Cruz, California; Missoula, Montana; and Columbia, Missouri 窶� have enacted similar initiatives in recent years. Supporters of the Denver measure note that non-felony pot arrests in the city rose dramatically between 2005 and 2006 and are now at record levels. In 2005, Denver voters approved an ordinance that sought to abolish civil and criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana by citizens age 21 and older. However, local police disregarded the municipal ordinance 窶� instead electing to enforce state cannabis laws which mandate a civil fine for minor marijuana possession offenses. "Denver officials could have directed police and city attorneys to stop arresting and prosecuting adults, but instead they choose to fight the voters and needlessly enforce the state marijuana possession law," said SAFER Executive Director Mason Tvert, who is leading the campaign for this November’s initiative. New York, NY: Warren Wilson College Named Top School For “Higher” Learning Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina is the nation's most marijuana-friendly campus, according to ThePrinceton Review's annual sourcebook, "The Best 366 Colleges," released this week. The report, which is based on candid survey results from 120,000 students nationwide, ranks hundreds of colleges in various categories such as academic achievement and quality of life. Warren Wilson College topped Bard College (New York), the University of Vermont, the University of California at Santa Cruz, and Lewis & Clark College (Oregon) to emerge as this year's top school for "higher" learning. The US Air Force Academy ranked #1 on Princeton's "Top 20" list of least pot-friendly campuses. Warren Wilson College was also ranked by The Princeton Review as one of the most politically active campuses in America. |
