

Piers Morgan this past Monday night had as his guest the defense attorney for George Zimmerman, Mark O’Mara, to discuss his client’s case. The discussion went very odd quickly, when the discussion turned to marijuana use. Here’s the video:

Mark O’Mara had these gems to share:

Any level of pot in his system could have some effect. And of course that falls in line with what Zimmerman stated in his first couple of moments with the non-emergency operator when he said that it looks like he’s on drugs or something.

When Piers Morgan pressed for more information, Mr. O’Mara continued:

Well, actually, there are some studies out there — particularly with young males — that suggest that even low levels of cannabis use can lead to aggression. So, the question is not how much, but if in fact there has been some effect and if that effect was noticed by George Zimmerman then I think it is relevant. After all, if we’re going to talk about what George Zimmerman may have read in coursework two, three, four years ago then I think what Trayvon Martin had smoked or had in his system somewhere between two and four hours before the event is certainly something the jury should consider.

And then it was brought up that George Zimmerman himself was not tested, a fact which the lawyer dismissed. This is a highly unorthodox tactic by the legal team, and one which could backfire on them very badly.

As found on the Honolulu Civil Beat, while there have been studies which do indicate a link between marijuana and violence, the link is not to the drug itself, but to the illegal trafficking of that drug. Studies on the actual effects of marijuana itself are inconclusive, but trends show a reduced level of violence for marijuana users.

The argument that marijuana leads to violence is not a new one. A famous exploitation movie, Reefer Madness, was even created on this idea. The resulting movie has become a running joke for its campy production values, unrealistic depictions, and has been spoofed on stage and screen since rediscovery in 1971. Unfortunately, a lot of the sensationalized claims it made over marijuana have persisted. You can watch this movie, now in the public domain, for yourself here:

It is not surprising that Mr. O’Mara would turn to sensationalism to try to save his client. To hold up the old arguments from a 1930’s exploitation movie in a discussion about defense options being mulled over is showing desperation on the part of the attorneys.

This is not the 1930’s, with the hysteria surrounding marijuana. There have been years of legal use in multiple states from which studies are being conducted. While the finished results of these studies are not yet complete, they point in a direction against the idea of marijuana causing an increase in violence, especially with the trace amounts being discussed in the George Zimmerman case.

The facts in the case are not looking good, and Mr. Zimmerman’s defense may potentially be making things worse for him. Only time will tell.