Marijuana Legalization: Risks and Strategies Insert Coalition Logo Here
Jul 12, 2015
Marijuana Legalization:Risks and Strategies
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Trends in drug useCurrent use among persons 12 and older: 2012
52.10%
26.70%
7.30%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Alcohol Tobacco Marijuana
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Legalization Timeline2008
Michigan Medical Marijuana Act Passes
2012 2013
Decriminalizationin Lansing, Ferndale, Jackson
2014
Decriminalization in Ann Arbor
1972 2004
Ann Arbor Medical Marijuana Initiative
Decriminalization in Flint, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Ypsilanti
Decriminal-ization in Oak Park, Hazel Park, Berkley, H.W., P.R., Mt. Pleasant, Saginaw, Port Huron
Marijuana Use: Past 30 DaysOakland County (MiPHY) – 7th Grade
1.4
2.9
1.72.1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
2008 2010 2012 2014
Pe
rce
nt
Year
Past 30 Day Marijuana Use• After the legalization
of Marijuana (2010), 7th grade Oakland county students were 2 times more likely to have used marijuana in the past 30 days than before the legalization of medical marijuana (2008).
Perception of Harm for MarijuanaOakland County (MiPHY) – 7th Grade
83.279.2 79.4
73.4
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
2008 2010 2012 2014
Pe
rce
nt
Year
Marijuana Use Moderate or Great Risk • 7th grade students in
Oakland County were 1.8 times more likely to report regular marijuana use as a moderate or great risk in 2008 than in 2014.
Marijuana Use: Past 30 Days (MiPHY) 9th and 11th Grade
15.1
19.2 19.7
16.6
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
2008 2010 2012 2014
Pe
rce
nt
Year
Past 30 Day Marijuana Use• The percent of 9th and
11th grade Oakland County students in 2014 who report having used marijuana in the past 30 days is not statistically different from the percent reported having used before medical marijuana was legalized (2008).
Perception of Harm for MarijuanaOakland County (MiPHY) – Grades 9 & 11
7264.3
58.7
49.5
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
2008 2010 2012 2014
Pe
rce
nt
Year
Regular Marijuana UseModerate or Great Risk• 9th and 11th grade
students in Oakland County in 2014 were 2.5 times less likely to report regular marijuana use to be a moderate or great risk than before the legalization of medical marijuana in Michigan (2008).
* The regular marijuana use question is asked slightly different in 2014 than previous years (regular use versus once or twice a week).
‘Big Marijuana’
Can we trust companies andbig Corporations not to target
youth and the vulnerable?
Big Tobacco = Big Business- Rely on addiction for profit
- Prey on disadvantaged communities
Long-time MarijuanaActivists and Investors
Steve DeAngelo owns the Harborside Health Center in California with annual sales over $30 million. He is also the President of the ArcviewGroup.
Troy Dayton is the CEO of the Arcview group, which is a venture capital group focused on legal marijuana business investments.
So What’s Happening
in Colorado?
Track, track, track!
www.legalizationviolations.com
Reporting car crashes, youth use, advertising, workplace and other costs
Nussbaum et al., Am J Psychiatry 168:778-781
2008
1st stores
2009
700 stores3.5% adults have MMJ license
2012
Legalized
2014
Stores open
Medical Marijuana passes
2001 2005
Denver legalizes
Colorado Legalization
Traffic Fatalities+ for Marijuana
1.1
4.2 4.14.5
5.9
10
0
3
6
9
12
1994 2009 2011
N o MMJ Colorado
U.S. Postal Inspection Service- parcel packages intercepted
Marijuana Taxes
33,500,000
12,000,000
0
5,000,000
10,000,000
15,000,000
20,000,000
25,000,000
30,000,000
35,000,000
40,000,000
Projected Jan '14 -June '14 Actual Jan. '14 - June '14
• Legislative economists in 2012 estimated the sales and excise taxes on retail pot would bring in $67 million in the 2014-15 fiscal year,and in March, they dropped that estimate to $54 million. Now they have dropped that estimate even further – to $30.6 million. (Colorado Fiscal Institute)
• Money is mainly going to help prevent harms of increased use under the new policy - $103.5 million of proposed tax revenue earmarked for prevention/treatment/education over 2-year period.
Early Indications in Colorado
• When asked, 10% of non-using youth said they would use, according to 10,000-student survey by an NYU researcher, published in peer-reviewed journal (Palamaret al, International Journal of Drug Policy)
• “Students Find Way to Sneak Marijuana Into Class”
• “Colorado students who ingested marijuana edibles treated at hospital”
• “Marijuana candy at Colorado middle school”
• “Marijuana superstore proposed in Eagle, Colorado”
Increased teen use
Marijuana use among Colorado teens is currently:
• fifth highest in the nation
• 50% above national average
10.7%
7.6%Colorado
National averageNSDUH, 2013
Distribution to minors
2007-2009 2010-2012
Drug-related referrals for high school students testing positive for marijuana increased
Average of 17.3% per year between 2010 to 2012
Average 5.6% of students per year between 2007 and 2009
Rose by over 150%
Rocky Mountain HIDTA, 2013
Distribution to minors
In 2007, tests positive for marijuana made up 33% of the total drug
screenings, by 2012 that number increased to 57%
Rocky Mountain HIDTA, 2013
Long-term, regular use of marijuana—starting in the teen years—may impair brain development and lower IQ, meaning the brain may not reach its full potential.
Harmful effects onmental health
Increased risk of mental illness
• Schizophrenia (6 fold)
• Psychosis
• Depression
• Anxiety
Andréasson S, Allebeck P, Engström A, Rydberg U. , 1987; Arseneault, L., 2002
Increased Potency
Today’s marijuana is not the marijuana of the 1960s.
In the past 15 years, marijuana potency has tripled and since 1960
it has grown 5 times stronger.
Medical marijuana is easily diverted to youth
• Teens who know somebody with a medical marijuana license are more like than those who don’t to report ‘fairly’ or ‘very’ easy access to marijuana
• 74% of Denver-area teens in treatment said they used somebody else’s medical marijuana an average of 50 times
Thurstone, 2013;Salomonsen-Sautel et al., 2012
While the total number of car crashes declined from 2007 to 2011, the number of fatal car crashes with drivers testing positive for marijuana rose sharply.
500
550
600
650
700
750
800
850
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Total car crashes
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Crashes with high drivers
Colorado Dept. of Transportation
Increased ER admissionsRise in marijuana-related ER visits from 2006 and 2012:
200%
60%
92%
Under 5 6 to 12 13 to 14
• 200% for kids under 5
• 60% for kids 6-12
• 92% for kids 13-14
Rocky Mountain HIDTA, 2013
According to a special report by
NBC News, the Animal Poison Control Center
has reported a 30 percent jump in the number
of calls reporting house pets suffering from
marijuana poisoning. The center said that
since 2009 these phone calls have risen from
213 to 320.Rocky Mountain HIDTA Vol. 2/August 2014
Colorado in 2014
• Colorado allowed retail sales to begin on January 1st
• Several stores opened for business
How did the first week go?
• Colorado marijuana store owner declares that the “high school senior” is his ideal target customer.
• State of Colorado is supposed to be IDing/tagging marijuana plants – but they weren’t ready on Day 1; sales went on anyway.
• Colorado marijuana already going to neighbor states as documented by users on Reddit.com
Tackling the issue
- Both Alcohol and Marijuana have risks associated with use
- Liver Problems? Alcohol
- Violence? Alcohol
- Lung issues? Marijuana
- IQ, school performance? Marijuana
- Driving? Both
What is the point?
Alcohol policy is broken;
but if your right arm is broken,
Do you break your left one in order to be consistent?
CAN YOU TELL THE DIFFERENCE?
NEITHER CAN YOUR KIDS.
“We don’t want another Big Tobacco.”
“Colorado is not going well.”
“Legalization brings with it marijuana candies and sodas that target kids.”
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