Opposition to Efforts to Label or Classify Marijuana as Medicine Submitted by: Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Committee NDD.006.a09

WHEREAS, there is an organized and well-funded movement in the United States and other countries to legalize or decriminalize the use of marijuana by marketing marijuana as medicine and by including it in a variety of candy, foodstuffs, and other products in packaging attractive to children; and

WHEREAS, these efforts have fueled a growing misconception that marijuana can be used safely, smoked and ingested, and is a cure-all for everything from headaches to bi-polar disease; and

WHEREAS, the scientific evidence surrounding smoked marijuana has been repeatedly reviewed by international experts and consistently found to have no medicinal use; and

WHEREAS, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates an existing, well-defined process for determining whether a substance may be labeled a medicine and for ensuring that medicinal products are safe, have an established purity level, and are effective; and

WHEREAS, the FDA has studied the effectiveness of smoked marijuana and determined that it is not suitable for use as a medicine; and

WHEREAS, the National Institute on Drug Abuse has reported that there are a number of studies which have shown an association between chronic marijuana use and increased rates of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and schizophrenia; and

WHEREAS, the National Institute of Health found that a person who smokes 5 joints per week may be taking into their lungs as much tar and cancer-causing chemicals as a person who smokes a pack of cigarettes a day; and WHEREAS, a 2007 Yale School of Medicine Study found that long-term exposure to marijuana smoking is linked to the same health problems as tobacco smoke, such as increased respiratory symptoms; and

WHEREAS, a study conducted by Columbia University found smoking marijuana weakens the immune system and raises the risk of lung infections; and

WHEREAS, the American Medical Association, the American Cancer Society, the American Academy of Pediatrics, do not endorse the use of marijuana for medical purposes; and WHEREAS, the University of Mississippi found that the average THC content of marijuana has risen from 2.83% in 1985 to 9.96% in 2008; and

WHEREAS, on May 8, 2008, the British Government reclassified marijuana as a Class B drug, after observing an increase in crime and various health problems when marijuana was downgraded to a Class C drug; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) duly assembled at its 116th Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado, opposes any attempt to circumvent the established medical and scientific criteria for determining when a drug has a bona fide medical purpose, and therefore, opposes all laws and initiatives that legalize marijuana on the premise that the substance has medicinal value; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that, in keeping with the long-standing position of the IACP; which has been outlined in A Police Chiefs Guide to the Legalization Issues (1997 and 2001), and affirmed and re-affirmed in numerous IACP resolutions and position papers, the IACP strongly encourages state and local law enforcement agencies to become involved in discussions about the dangers of marijuana use and to support public education efforts to dispel the myths that marijuana has medicinal value and can be smoked and ingested without causing physical harm; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP strongly urges that all citizens recognize that legalization of marijuana will lead to greater availability and use of marijuana, and an increase of criminal behavior and health risks; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP strongly urges all citizens to vote against initiatives and actively oppose existing legislation that seeks to legalize or decriminalize marijuana.