Section I:
Marijuana is a drug made from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. Marijuana can be smoked, chewed, or eaten for its desirable effects. This drug is more commonly called "pot," "grass," "reefer," "weed," or "herb." Marijuana became very popular in the 1960s and 1970s. The drug remains popular, especially among teens and college students. Marijuana is the second most popular drug after alcohol. Although marijuana is illegal in most countries, laws about usage and possession vary.
I want to find out who the largest consumers of marijuana are, what the effects are, and what type of legislation is in place against marijuana.
My targeted audience is anyone who wants to learn more about marijuana, especially teenagers and college students. Young people will be interested in this topic because marijuana use is more prevalent in this age group. Teenagers and college students may be uninformed about effects and legislation and find my research useful in becoming more educated about the drug and possible consequences of usage. Parents may also find this information useful resource to use before they talk to their children about marijuana.
Section I-B: Keywords
UNC Library Catalog:
Marijuana AND effects
Marijuana AND uses
Marijuana n3 laws
Marijuana use?
Marijuana n3 cons?
Academic Universe Lexis- Nexis
Marijuana use!
Marijuana w/2 la!
Marijuana AND effects
Marijuana AND laws AND effects
Search engine on Web http://www.altavista.com/.
Marijuana
Marijuana and laws
Marijuana and effects
Section II: Books, Videotapes and CD-ROMs from UNC-CH Libraries
Hellman, Arthur. Laws Against Marijuana: The Price We Pay. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1975. KF3891.M2 H4.
Hoerl, Arthur. Reefer Madness. Dir. By Louis Gasnier. 62 min. Media Home Entertainment, Inc., 1978. Videocassette.
Zimmer, Lynn. Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts: A Review of the Scientific Evidence. New York: Lindesmith Center, 1997. QP801.C27 Z56 1997.
Section III: Electronic Indexes and Databases Sources
Committee on Adolescence, Committee on Substance Abuse. (1991, November). Marijuana: A Continuing Concern for Pediatricians. Pediatrics. 992 words. Available: LEXIS NEXIS Academic Universe [2002, May 25].
Cooper, Claire. (2002, May 4). Ruling could doom medical pot clubs State loses its arguments as a judge says marijuana is subject to federal laws. Sacramento Bee. 506 words. Available: LEXIS NEXIS Academic Universe [2002, May 26].
Hall, Wayne. (1998, November 14). Adverse effects of cannabis. National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales. 4818 words. Available: LEXIS NEXUS Academic Universe [2002, May 26].
Office of National Drug Control Policy. (2001). Domestic Drug Consumption, Calendar Years 1996-2000. Congressional Information Service, Inc. American Statistics Index. viii+185 pages. Available: LEXIS NEXIS Statistical Universe [2002, May 26].
Schwartz, Richard. (2002, February). Marijuana: A Decade and a Half Later, Still a Crude Drug With Underappreciated Toxicity. Pediatrics. 4544 words. Available: LEXIS NEXIS Academic Universe [2002, May 25].
Vernon, Kristen. (2002, May 3). Marijuana Laws Have 'No Effect'. The Ottawa Citizen. 528 words. Available: LEXIS NEXIS Academic Universe [2002, May 27].
Section IV: Web Sources
Title of Web Page: State-By-State Medical Marijuana
Laws: How to Remove the Threat of Arrest
Web address: http://www.mpp.org/statelaw/index2.html
Brief Description: This site provides a wealth of information about marijuana
legislation. It details the change in state and federal marijuana laws,
the conflict between state and federal laws, and provides an overview
of individual state laws. The page is organized well, by topic and has
maps and tables to illustrate their findings.
Source of Web Site: The Marijuana Policy Project
Title of Web Page: Study says college marijuana
use a growing problem
Web address: http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/10/30/marijuana.college.ap/
Brief Description: This is an article from October 2000 that deals with
the consumption aspect of my research. The article discusses marijuana
use among college students and provides valuable information such as the
percentage of college students that use marijuana and how this number
has changed in recent years.
Source of Web Site: Cable News Network (CNN)
Title of Web Page: Drug Information: Marijuana
Web address:
http://www.theantidrug.com/drug_info/drugs_marijuana.html
Brief Description: This site provides basic information about what marijuana
is, how it is used, health hazards, and effects on the brain, lungs and
learning and social behavior. The information is presented in a very straightforward
and user friendly way. This is a great resource for basic information
on marijuana.
Source of Web Site: National Institute on Drug Abuse
Title of Web Page: The Forbidden Fruit and the Tree
of Knowledge: An Inquiry into the Legal History of American Marijuana
Web address:
http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/LIBRARY/studies/vlr/vlrtoc.htm
Brief Description: This site provides a comprehensive history of marijuana
legislation in the United States. It is organized well, using historical
periods to separate the information. This site is a bit dense. It is a
good resource for someone doing thorough research on marijuana legislation.
Source of Web Site: The Drug Reform Coordination Network's Drug Library
Title of Web Page: Marijuana Facts for Teens
Web address: http://www.nida.nih.gov/MarijBroch/Marijteens.html
Brief Description: This site, geared towards teens, provides a great deal
of valuable information in a Frequently Asked Question format. Topics
addressed include uses of marijuana, what happens when you use marijuana,
how many teens smoke marijuana, effects of marijuana, and how to quit
using the drug. It is organized very well and is great for teens, parents
and novice web users. It includes addresses to send away for further information
and resources.
Source of Web Site: National Institute on Drug Abuse
Title: To Blog or not to Blog?
(Topic Area: Net Trends)
Web logs, or blogs, have been around for years but have just recently
gained enormous popularity. The introduction of free online tools like
Blogger (www.blogger .com) has made Web publishing much easier, allowing
most "anyone with a modem" to express themselves online. (1)
Unlike personal web pages, web logs are updated more often, much like a journal. Blogs have an innocent agenda; they express opinion. (2) They are one-person pundit shows, free from the restrictions of television or print media. Free from deadlines and submission guidelines, blogs offer the author complete editorial control of content and style. For this reason, blogs become a very casual and personal way of expressing oneself. Because web logs are both easy to use and very accessible, they have becoming increasingly popular among college students. (1)
Blogs often offer links to similar blogs or related websites. They have moved from being mostly journal type entries in the early days to having many respected blogs and bloggers commenting on politics, health, domestic and foreign affairs. Blogs can be subject- specific and offer more insight into issues than major news can.
The range of blog topics is phenomenally far-reaching: emotional prose from a teenager, grumblings about travel and meetings from business executives, political rants from famous pundits, or blogs about nothing at all. Everybody, it seems, has something to say, and more and more, blogging has become the way to say it. (3)
About 500,000 blogs currently inhabit cyberspace.
(3) Whether you choose to be just a reader or to take the cyber plunge
and create a blog of your own, blogging can be addictive, but most participants
insist it's a healthy obsession. (3) There is much controversy about how
blogs will affect print media. While blogs are criticized as being unprofessional
and often narcissistic, they provide potential journalists with an opportunity
to practice their trade and allow for a much more in depth look at issues.
Notes:
(1) Galarneau, Andrew. (2002,May 30). "Cyber Site." The Buffalo News [Online], 750 words. Available: LEXIS- NEXIS Academic Universe. [2002, June 05].
(2) Shulevitz, Judith. (2002, May 05). "The Close Reader; At Large
in the Blogosphere." The New York Times [Online], 1115 words. Available:
LEXIS-NEXIS Academic Universe. [2002 June 05].
(3) Rudman, Michael. (2002, April 25). "Therefore I Am; Latest Internet
Trend Lets Just About Anyone Sound Off." The Hartford Courant [Online],
1159 words. Available: LEXIS-NEXIS Academic Universe. [2002, June 05].
Three Web Sites:
Title of Web Page: Blogger: A Web novice's design
tool
Web Address: http://www.cnn.com/2000/TECH/computing/09/05/blogger.review.idg/index.html
Brief Description: This site explains blogging and how to get set up with
your own blog.
Source of Web page: CNN
Title of Web Page: Blogdex
Web Address: http://blogdex.media.mit.edu
Brief Description: Blogdex is a system built to harness the power of personal
news, amalgamating and organizing personal news content into one navigable
source, moving democratic media to the masses
Source of Web page: MIT Media Laboratory
Title of Web Page: Blogger
Web Address: http://www.blogger.com/
Brief Description: Blooger.com is one of the most popular free online
tools for blogging. It also offers tips, links, and the history of blogging.
Source of Web page: Pyra Labs