Marijuana

On Thursday, October 13, ALCAP President and CEO Greg Davis joined with ALCAP advisor Christine Carr in releasing an open letter to Alabama urging them to be aware and act against the acceptance of medical marijuana in their community. They write that many innocent people with honest intentions are tricked into supporting a movement that only leads to addiction and other destructive practices. The letter is designed to help inform and educate its readers so that they will not believe lies on this important issue. The letter, published by The Alabama Baptist, states: “The profit-driven marijuana industry will wreak havoc in your community, as they have done in other states before us, if you do not speak out and help stem the coming tide.” Greg Davis and Christine Carr go on to discuss the devastation that marijuana causes, why the term “medical marijuana” is misleading, the money motives behind the

Prepared by Drug Free America Foundation, Inc.

Is marijuana really safer than alcohol? Parents Opposed to Pot tackles this common misconception with provoking facts. With the proliferation of ads for CBD products across the U.S., it is important to know what a Colorado psychiatrist has to say about such products. Joseph C. Godfrey, Executive Director, ALCAP

Chris Woodward (OneNewsNow.com) THE HEAD OF AN ORGANIZATION THAT BELIEVES THE PROBLEMS RELATING TO ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUGS ARE IN DIRECT PROPORTION TO CONSUMPTION IS SPEAKING OUT AGAINST THE FEDERAL EFFORT TO DECRIMINALIZE MARIJUANA. Dr. Joe Godfrey, president of the American Council on Addiction and Alcohol Problems (ACAAP)), says the House bill is all about money. “It’s being pushed by the marijuana industry, people who stand to make billions of dollars from people that get addicted to their drug,” Dr. Godfrey continues. He further acknowledges the argument that marijuana is not addictive as “bogus.” “State governments and the federal government see it as a tax revenue source, but they’re all ignoring the social costs,” Dr. Godfrey submits. “They don’t count the cost of broken homes and families and destroyed lives [or] lost time at work. The marijuana industry is ignoring all of that.” He believes the same could be said

National Public Radio www.npr.org The role of police dogs in Colorado to find drugs is changing. The state’s Supreme Court ruled last week that a dog trained to alert to marijuana cannot be used before an officer establishes probable cause. The ruling was over a 2015 arrest where a police dog alerted officers that drugs were inside a suspicious truck. Officers found drugs, a meth pipe and some residue. And the driver was convicted on two drug possession charges. Click here to read the article.

Kenneth Finn, MD / Meds / May 26, 2019 In recent years, a flood of cannabis and cannabis-derived products like CBD have entered the market – often claiming to cure or treat an array of health issues and ailments. These products are everywhere, but there is little scientific evidence to support the hype that surrounds them. As a doctor, I’m deeply concerned at where this industry is heading – and the potential risks to patients and consumers. I urge my peers to take this issue seriously and stand with me in addressing these growing concerns. As doctors, we strive to alleviate suffering Most people are unfamiliar with my chosen specialty, known as physical medicine and rehabilitation medicine. My peers and I are called physiatrists. Together, we seek to restore the functional abilities and enhance the quality of life of people that face a wide range of physical, psychological or emotional

By L.A. Williams, Christian Action League Even as pro-marijuana forces in North Carolina are preparing to push for local-option legalization, officials in Colorado are being forced to face the high cost of their state’s embrace of cannabis. Colorado approved medical marijuana in 2000. The substance became legal for recreational use in 2014 with, pardon the pun, high hopes for big revenues. While the money has come in — $247 million in tax revenue for 2017 — it has gone out even more quickly. According to a Centennial Institute report issued late last year, for every dollar gained in tax revenue, Coloradans spent approximately $4.50 to mitigate the effects of legalization, with healthcare costs and those related to high school drop-outs among the largest price tags. Car accidents involving impaired drivers cost the state nearly $84 million, the report shows. Driving Under the Influence court costs for those who tested positive

The Denver PostBy BOB TROYER | Guest Commentary In 2012 we were told Colorado would lead the nation on a grand experiment in commercialized marijuana. Six years later — with two major industry reports just released and the state legislature and Denver City Council about to consider more expansion measures — it’s a perfect time to pause and assess some results of that experiment. Where has our breathless sprint into full-scale marijuana commercialization led Colorado? Well, recent reports from the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, from Denver Health, from Energy Associates, from the Colorado Department of Revenue and from the City of Denver should be enough to give everyone in this race pause. Now Colorado’s youth use marijuana at a rate 85 percent higher than the national average. Now marijuana-related traffic fatalities are up by 151 percent. Now 70 percent of 400 licensed pot shops surveyed recommend that

Parents Opposed to Pothttp://www.poppot.orgSEPTEMBER 25, 2018 EDITOR A former New York Times reporter and now a best-selling author, Alex Berenson has an important new book, Tell Your Children: The truth about marijuana, violence and mental health. Simon & Schuster will publish and release it on January 8, 2019. Indeed Berenson’s book promises to confirm the facts that we’ve been warning about: the marijuana-psychosis links; that pot use often makes people violent; that it leads to more crime, more overall drug abuse and more fatalities. As we try to “tell our children,” NO amount of marijuana use is worth the risks. The Inconvenient TruthAlmost no one is in prison for marijuana;A tiny fraction of doctors write most authorizations for medical marijuana, mostly for people who have already used;Marijuana use is linked to opiate and cocaine use. Since 2008, the US and Canada have seen soaring marijuana use and an opiate epidemic.

VOLUME 5 UPDATE 9/2018 the 2018 Rocky Mountain HIDTA report contains the most up-to-date facts on the impact of legal marijuana in Colorado. RMHIDTA has published annual reports every year since 2013 tracking the impact of legalizing recreational marijuana in Colorado. The purpose is to provide data and information so that policy makers and citizens can make informed decisions on the issue of marijuana legalization. This year (2018) RMHIDTA elected to provide an update to the 2017 Volume 5 report rather than another detailed report. Executive Summary Section I: Traffic Fatalities & Impaired Driving Since recreational marijuana was legalized, marijuana related traffic deaths increased 151 percent while all Colorado traffic deaths increased 35 percent. Since recreational marijuana was legalized, traffic deaths involving drivers who tested positive for marijuana more than doubled from 55 in 2013 to 138 people killed in 2017. This equates to one person killed every 2 ½

BY THE PARTNERSHIP Hardly a week goes by without another news article about vaping. In 2014, vaping was selected as Oxford Dictionary’s word of the year, beating out other candidates like “Bae” and “Budtender”. If they were picking a word today, it would more likely be JUUL or Juuling, the wildly popular “stealth vape” of adolescents. Juuling kids are vaporizing flavored e-juices with nicotine, but what about vaping marijuana? According to Monitoring the Future, an annual survey of nearly 50,000 adolescents, 3 percent, 8 percent and 10 percent of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders respectively had vaped marijuana in 2017. According to a study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, e-cigarettes use may lead to marijuana initiation. The authors hypothesize that e-cigarette use may be a marker of risk-taking behaviors, and that e-cigarette users are more likely to smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol, which are associated with marijuana use.

The United States is currently experiencing what has commonly been referred to as the “worst drug epidemic in U.S. history.” As it stands today, the abuse of opioids, such as prescription opiates, heroin, and illegally manufactured fentanyl, is the leading cause of death for people under the age of 50 in the country. There are an estimated 115 deaths per day caused by opioid overdose with 16,000 deaths a year from prescription opioids alone. In light of this, there has been a lot of talk surrounding the relationship with marijuana and opioids. The only firmly established relationship in the literature is one showing that marijuana use can often be a precursor to opioid use. It’s true that most people who use marijuana don’t go on to misusing opiates, but it’s also true that most people who misused opiates used marijuana first. But the for-profit pot industry wants to say something

Click here for the supplement to the following report, “The Legalization of Marijuana in Colorado The Impact, Volume 3.” Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (RMHIDTA) report shows significant increases in traffic fatalities, child poison control exposures, hospitalizations, youth use, amongst other alarming data, detailing how Colorado’s experiment with retail marijuana regulation is a public health and safety failure. DENVER, CO – The Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (RMHIDTA) has released its updated report, “The Legalization of Marijuana in Colorado The Impact, Volume 3,” which outlines the most alarming data to date, demonstrating how Colorado marijuana legalization policies have harmed public safety and health. Click here for a pdf copy of this report. Highlights from the report show serious changes since 2014, when retail marijuana businesses began operating in Colorado, including: Traffic deaths:  A 32 percent increase in marijuana-related traffic deaths in just one year from 2013

http://gazette.com The Colorado Springs, Colorado newspaper The Gazette kicks off a four-day perspective series, “Clearing the Haze,” that examines health, social, regulatory and financial issues associated with the world’s boldest experiment with legal marijuana. CLICK HERE TO START WITH DAY 1: REGULATION “… The ugly truth is that Colorado was suckered. It was promised regulation and has been met by an industry that fights tooth and nail any restrictions that limit its profitability. ”– Ben Cort, Director of Professional Relations for the Center for Addiction Recovery and Rehabilitation at the University of Colorado Hospital

The GordonDrugAbusePrevention.com website has been created as a public service to help address the problem of the use of marijuana and other mood- and mind-altering substances in the United States and around the world. A purpose is help inform the public, the media, and those in positions of public responsibility of the challenges facing the nation as a result of the widespread use of psychoactive and mood-altering substances, particularly marijuana and designer drugs. Click here for lists of references and resources on Marijuana, key legal developments, presentations, testimony, articles, reports, and open letters.

By AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION NEWShttp://news.heart.org Secondhand marijuana smoke may damage your blood vessels even more than tobacco smoke. In a new study, arteries in rats that inhaled secondhand marijuana smoke for one minute carried blood less efficiently for at least 90 minutes. Similar exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke caused blood vessel impairment for 30 minutes. “While the effect is temporary for both cigarette and marijuana smoke, these temporary problems can turn into long-term problems if exposures occur often enough and may increase the chances of developing hardened and clogged arteries,” said Matthew Springer, Ph.D., study senior author and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco’s Division of Cardiology. Click here to read the rest of the article.

AAA research suggests legalizing marijuana for recreational use poses risks to traffic safetywww.alabama.aaa.com This election year, voters in five states will decide whether to legalize recreational marijuana use. Among them are California with Proposition 64 and Maine with Question 1. Any states that do will join the four others where the drug is already legal for recreational use. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety analyzed cannabis use by drivers in one of those states, Washington, and found that the proportion of drivers involved in fatal crashes who had recently used marijuana more than doubled after Washington legalized the drug for recreational use. In addition, there’s currently no easy way to test whether a driver is impaired by marijuana: Unlike alcohol, it can’t be determined by breath or blood tests. Click here to read the rest of the article.

by Amanda Chicago Lewiswww.buzzfeed.com CERTAIN COMPOUNDS IN CANNABIS HAVE SERIOUS MEDICAL POTENTIAL FOR EVERYONE FROM CANCER PATIENTS TO CHILDREN SUFFERING FROM SEIZURES. BUT PATIENTS AND PARENTS HAVE NO WAY TO DISTINGUISH THE SNAKE OIL SALESMEN FROM THE TRUSTWORTHY COMPANIES. Now that 38 states have legalized some form of cannabis, many people assume the plant’s therapeutic uses are being carefully regulated, dosed, and studied. This is not the case. Marijuana is still illegal everywhere under federal law, which prevents the agencies that would traditionally provide oversight from getting involved. Consumers have no way to know for sure what they are actually buying. Click here to read the article.

By Lizzie Parry For Dailymail.com Smoking cannabis alters a person’s DNA, causing mutations, experts say These mutations can trigger serious illness, including cancer Mutations passed to children and future generations, raising their risk too = Smoking cannabis can alter a person’s DNA, causing mutations that expose a user to serious illnesses, experts have warned. Furthermore, the heightened risk is not exclusive to the marijuana user, a study has shown. The disease-causing mutations are passed on to their children, and several future generations, it has emerged. Though the link between cannabis and severe illnesses, such as cancer, has previously been documented, how this occurs and the implications for future generations was not well understood. Dr Stuart Reece, and Professor Gary Hulse from the University of Western Australia’s School of Psychiatry, analyzed literary and research material to understand the likely causes. Dr Reece said: ‘Through our research we found that cancers and

Kenneth Finn, MD, President Springs Rehab, PCRochelle Salmore, MSN, RN, NE-B, Nurse Scientist, Penrose St. Francis Health Services (retired) ABSTRACT Purpose: This study aims to assess potential health care costs and adverse health effects related to cannabis use in an acute care community hospital in Colorado, comparing study findings to those medical diagnoses noted in the literature. Little information is available about specific hospital health care costs, thus this study will add to the knowledge gap and describe charges and collections from visits of these patients in one hospital’s Emergency Department (ED). Objective: Review diagnoses of cannabis users visiting a local ED and outline the potential financial and health effects of these patients on the health care system. Design: An Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved retrospective observational study of patients seen in the ED from 2009 to 2014 with cannabis diagnoses and positive urine drug analyses (UDA) matched with hospital

The truth is it can indeed mean trouble, especially for young people.By Dr. Sushrut JangiThe Boston Globe These days, it’s become fairly square to criticize marijuana and its rush toward legalization. Twenty-three states have condoned the drug in some form, with four permitting recreational use, and Massachusetts is set to vote on permitting it next year. The proposed federal CARERS Act of 2015 would let states legalize medical marijuana without federal interference and demote pot from a Schedule I drug — one with high abuse potential — to Schedule II. The path toward nationwide decriminalization is looking unobstructed. But underscoring the incredible momentum to legalize marijuana is the misconception that the drug can’t hurt anybody. It can, especially young people. The myth that marijuana is not habit-forming is constantly challenged by physicians. “There’s no question at all that marijuana is addictive,” Dr. Sharon Levy tells me. She is the director of the Adolescent Substance

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (RMHIDTA) report shows significant increases in traffic fatalities, child poison control exposures, hospitalizations, youth use, amongst other alarming data, detailing how Colorado’s experiment with retail marijuana regulation is a public health and safety failure. DENVER, CO – The Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (RMHIDTA) has released its updated report, “The Legalization of Marijuana in Colorado The Impact, Volume 3,” which outlines the most alarming data to date, demonstrating how Colorado marijuana legalization policies have harmed public safety and health. Click here for a pdf copy of this report. Highlights from the report show serious changes since 2014, when retail marijuana businesses began operating in Colorado, including:Traffic deaths: A 32 percent increase in marijuana-related traffic deaths in just one year from 2013Driving under the influence: Toxicology reports with positive marijuana results of active THC for primarily driving under the

Denver is home to the most number of marijuana stores – and leads the state with 18.5% of adults as current users (DENVER, CO) – A new statewide study funded by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment found that 13.6% of Colorado adults are regular users of marijuana – almost double the rate (7.4%) of the entire country, according to recent Health and Human Services studies. 1 in 5 marijuana users in the state also reported driving after using marijuana. DETAILS OF THE SURVEY INCLUDED: 1 in 3 users are daily users Black adults in Colorado are using at almost 50% higher than the state average for adults; Hispanics have the lowest use rates Low income Colorado adults are using at higher rates than the state average Almost a third of 18-24 year olds are using marijuana Almost a third of gay and lesbian adults are using marijuana

Researchers urge states to put child safety requirements in place when considering marijuana legalization NATIONWIDE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL Debates about legalizing marijuana have focused on crime rates, economic benefits, and health effects among adults. But a study published today from researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital shows that the risk to young children of swallowing, breathing in or otherwise being exposed to marijuana also needs to be considered. The study, published online today in Clinical Pediatrics, found that the rate of marijuana exposure among children 5 years of age and younger rose 147.5 percent from 2006 through 2013 across the United States. The rate increased almost 610 percent during the same period in states that legalized marijuana for medical use before 2000. In states that legalized marijuana from 2000 through 2013, the rate increased almost 16 percent per year after legalization, with a particular jump in the year that marijuana was legalized.

By samadmin Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), co-founded by fmr. Congressman Patrick Kennedy, organizes broad coalition and responds to recent legalization editorial WASHINGTON– Project SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana), a nonpartisan alliance of lawmakers, scientists and other concerned citizens, chaired by former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy and directed by former White House adviser Kevin A. Sabet, was joined by the American Society of Addiction Medicine and dozens of other groups in launching a new, full-page ad in the New York Times today in response to the recent pro-marijuana editorial. The ad – “Perception/Reality” – depicts a young laid-back man’s face (“perception”) juxtaposed over the body of high-powered business executive’s body (“reality”) implying that if America is not careful, we will soon have a very large, powerful marijuana industry on our hands. Below the image, the copy reads:“The legalization of marijuana means ushering in an entirely new group of corporations whose

by David Brumbelow(David is a pastor and author of “Ancient Wine and the Bible.” gulfcoastpastor.blogspot.com.) Washington State has become the second state to legalize marijuana. Christians need to be prepared to speak to this issue. REASONS TO OPPOSE MARIJUANA ARE HERE GIVEN IN THE FORM OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. Marijuana is no more harmful than alcohol, and alcohol is legal.  Alcohol is America’s number one drug problem.  Why should we now unleash another harmful drug on America? When marijuana has been legalized, it has led to an increase in crime and societal problems.  Alcohol and marijuana have been classified as “gateway drugs,” drugs that often lead to harder drugs.  Isn’t one legal gateway drug enough? We have not won the war against drugs, including marijuana.  So why not legalize it?  We haven’t won the war against murder either.  Should we therefore legalize murder?  Should we just tax murder?  Of course not. Passing

By Join Together Staff A growing number of people are smoking marijuana out of e-cigarettes, NBC New York reports. Marijuana in liquid and wax forms used in e-cigarettes and vapor pens does not create an odor. Because the devices don’t produce a flame, a person smoking marijuana in an e-cigarette can take a puff and then quickly put it in a pocket. Local law enforcement officials and drug counselors are concerned about the trend, particularly in minors. Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a survey that showed use of e-cigarettes among middle and high schools students doubled from 2011 to 2012. The CDC found 10 percent of high school students had tried an e-cigarette last year, compared with 5 percent the previous year. According to the survey, 1.8 million middle and high school students said they tried e-cigarettes last year. Detective Lt. Kevin Smith, who

By Kevin A. Sabet, Special to CNNupdated 12:58 PM EDT, Wed October 2, 2013 (CNN)– “The war on drugs has failed” is a mantra often heard in policy and media circles these days. But not only is the phrase outdated (the 1980s called — they want their slogan back), it is far too simplistic to describe both current drug policy and its outcomes. The latest incarnation of this ill-advised saying can be found in a report arguing that since cannabis and heroin prices have fallen while their purity has increased, efforts to curb drug use and its supply are doomed to failure. This leads some to highlight the possibility of alternatives in the form of “regulation” (e.g., legalization) of drugs. But a closer look at the data — and the implications for a policy change to legalization — should give us pause if we care about the dire consequences drug