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Colorado amends marijuana regulations to include child resistant, regulated sales, potency, serving size, harms...

Colorado, Controlled Sale
position paper, Resolution

In summary, marijuana use is harmful to children and adolescents.  For this reason, the American College of Pediatricians opposes its legalization for recreational use and urges extreme caution in legalizing it for medicinal use.  Likewise, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) recently offered their own policy statement opposing efforts to legalize marijuana. They similarly pointed out that “marijuana’s deleterious effects on adolescent brain development, cognition, and social functioning may have immediate and long-term implications, including increased risk of motor vehicle accidents, sexual victimization, academic failure, lasting decline in intelligence measures, psychopathology, addiction, and psychosocial and occupational impairment.” Thus the AACAP (a) opposes efforts to legalize marijuana, (b) supports initiatives to increase awareness of marijuana’s harmful effects on adolescents, (c) supports improved access to evidence-based treatment, rather than emphasis on criminal charges, for adolescents with cannabis use disorder, and (d) supports careful monitoring of the effects of marijuana-related policy changes on child and adolescent mental health.49 The College agrees with this position on marijuana.

American Academy of Pediatrics, youth, Research, Side-Effects
AAA, alcohol, driving, Impairment
driving, Infographics

legalization

Furthermore, the study shows that people engaged in the non-medical use of prescription opioids rarely use heroin. Also, the transition to heroin for people abusing prescription opioids occurs at a lower rate than for others. The research indicates that the primary causes in the increase in heroin use and associated overdoses are lower market prices and higher purity for heroin.
 

opioid, heroin

What makes this new study more compelling than previous studies is that the researchers followed the same individuals for over 50 years from a young age to adulthood.  This is precisely what one needs to solve the chicken or egg riddle with respect to cannabis and violence:  just look and see which one happens first.
One fifth of those who were pot smokers (22%) reported violent behavior that began after beginning to use cannabis, whereas only 0.3% reported violence before using weed.  Continued use of cannabis over the life-time of the study was the strongest predictor of violent convictions, even when the other factors that contribute to violent behavior were considered in the statistical analysis.
 In conclusion, the results show that continued cannabis use is associated with a 7-fold greater odds for subsequent commission of violent crimes.  This level of risk is similar to the increased risk of lung cancer from smoking cigarettes over a similar duration (40 years).  The authors suggest that impairments in neurological circuits controlling behavior may underlie impulsive, violent behavior, as a result of cannabis altering the normal neural functioning in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex. 

violence, Studies, crime
buckhorn, legalization

On public record, one application for an indoor grow states they will use over 9,700 gallons a day at full production. The purpose of indoor growing is year-round full production, right? So that’s 3,540,500 gallons per year, or 5.36 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Imagine me putting that pool in my backyard, draining and refilling it every 10 weeks because it makes me a ton of money, keeps a lot of people stoned, and you voted for it.
Where is the outrage? Pot drains water & electric resources #Waste&wasted

Colorado, Water, conservation

The American Epilepsy Society is very sympathetic to the desperation of parents whose children have severe, treatment-resistant epilepsy. Our members, face these families daily at the clinic and at their bedside and are highly attuned to the need for compassionate use of promising new therapies in appropriate and controlled circumstances. AES urges all people touched by epilepsy to consult with an epilepsy specialist and explore the many existing treatment options, so that they can make informed decisions with their specialist that weighs the risks and benefits of the different treatment options. 

american epiliepsy society, epilepsy

By study’s end, the Epidiolex group had a median 39 percent reduction in the number of convulsive seizures in a month, while the placebo group had a 13 percent reduction. It was a difference the researchers called highly statistically significant.
Epidiolex, however, would be the first proposed drug made solely from cannabidiol, the plant’s second major chemical component, though one that’s steadily being bred out of existence in commercial stocks.
Ten patients, or 16 percent, experienced more severe side effects, and 8 patients decided to stop using the treatment altogether, compared to one in the placebo group. Overall, though, 84 percent of patients who experienced adverse events rated them mild or moderate.

Epidiolex, seizure

Every case of epilepsy is different and the disease is highly variable. Scientific studies help the entire epilepsy community to understand how and why various treatments work and for whom they are effective. Research also helps us understand the correct dose, side effects, and potential interactions with other medications. At present, the epilepsy community does not know if marijuana is a safe and effective treatment nor do we know the long-term effects
that marijuana will have on learning, memory and behavior, especially in infants and young children. This knowledge gap is of particular concern because both clinical data in adolescents and adults and laboratory data in animals demonstrate that there are potential negative effects of marijuana on these critical brain functions. 

AES, position paper, Resolution

Naomi Pomerance loved music and dance. And judging by the 500 people who turned out for her funeral, the 16-year-old Wellington girl was herself much beloved.
Naomi was killed March 28 when the Honda Rukus scooter on which she was a passenger ran a red light and T-boned a Toyota 4Runner, according to a police report.

Florida, Fatalities, car crashes

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) advocates for careful consideration of potential direct and downstream effects of marijuana policy changes on children and adolescents, and involvement of the medical and research community in policy-related discussions.  Legalization of marijuana for medicinal or recreational purposes, even if restricted to adults, is likely to be associated with (a) decreased adolescent perceptions of marijuana’s harmful effects, (b) increased marijuana use among parents and caretakers, and (c) increased adolescent access to marijuana, all of which reliably predict increased rates of adolescent marijuana use and associated problems.

position paper, AACAP, Resolution

• Rates of cannabis use are approximately 2 times greater in persons with psychosis
• Cannabis has negative effects on cognition that are qualitatively similar in the general population, in people with psychotic disorders and in people at risk for psychotic disorders
• Adolescence is an important but vulnerable period of development for both the general population and especially for individuals at high risk for psychotic disorders

Psychosis, Studies

Drug use impacts any person's ability to get a job far more than their arrest record. Several suggestions were offered to help make this citation an avenue for reducing future drug use and criminal activity.

OpEd

Alcohol and Cannabis

AAA, alcohol, Metabolism, Impairment
AAA, driving, alcohol

What is the bottom line for information that a person with Parkinson’s disease will need to know if considering medical marijuana. Marijuana should never be thought of as a replacement for dopaminergic and other approved therapies for Parkinson’s disease. Second, though most available large studies have not shown a benefit, that does not mean that there will not be a benefit. Much more research will be needed to understand which patients, which symptoms, and how best to safely administer medical marijuana in Parkinson’s disease, especially over the long-term. It may turn out that non-motor features such as depression, anxiety, and pain respond best, but studies are desperately needed to sort this out.

Parkinson’s

WHEREAS, the legalization of marijuana would be contrary to the interests of the public health, safety and welfare, and would undermine the quality of life of the citizens of the state of Florida.

Resolution, postition statement, Sheriff

A new study suggests marijuana smokers may be significantly more likely to develop an addiction to other drugs and alcohol than people who don’t use marijuana.
The study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, included almost 35,000 adults who were interviewed three years apart. At the time of the first interview, almost 1,300 used marijuana. After three years, two-thirds of people who used marijuana had some form of substance use disorder, compared with less than 20 percent of people who did not use marijuana in the previous year.

addiction, youth, Studies
alcohol, Legislators

"Many adolescents and young adults hear that marijuana is harmless," Miller said. "This is a myth. Research shows that the brain continues to grow until the age of 25. Marijuana is extremely harmful to the developing brain."
Officials in St. Petersburg also have discussed a similar de-escalation of the war on this particular drug. Last year, Miami-Dade, Miami Beach, Fernandina Beach and Hallandale Beach all launched citation programs.

tampa, Florida, decriminalization

The National Narcotic Officers’ Associations’ Coalition (NNOAC) opposes all efforts at the local, state, and Federal levels to decriminalize, legalize, or normalize marijuana possession, production, and use, including legalize “medical” marijuana.

Marijuana is a dangerous psychoactive substance that has caused untold pain and suffering to individuals, families, and communities. 

position paper, NNOAC

Citrus Park, Florida -- Two students at Sergeant Smith Middle School were rushed to the hospital on Thursday after they ate marijuana-infused candy.   According to a source, the boys were given the edible marijuana that looked like Fruit Loops by a third student.

edibles, Florida, tampa

“It’s really difficult to document drugged driving in a relevant way, [because of] the simple fact that THC is fat soluble,” said Margaret Haney, a neurobiologist at Columbia University. “That makes it absorbed in a very different way and much more difficult to relate behavior to, say, [blood] levels of THC or develop a breathalyzer.”

driving, drugged driving, drug testing

Medina's back seat passenger, Daniela Benavides San Miguel, 18, was killed in the crash. Benavides San Miguel had graduated from Gulliver Preparatory last spring and was a freshman at Pepperdine University in California.
A passenger in the front seat, Mathew Saldana, 17, was injured in the crash. Medina and Saldana were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center with head injuries.
According to a court document, toxicology reports showed that Medina tested positive for marijuana.

Fatalities, car crashes, Florida

The simple fact that THC is fat soluble. That makes it absorbed in a very different way and much more difficult to relate behavior to, say, [blood] levels of THC or develop a breathalyzer."  The height of your intoxication isn't at the moment when blood THC levels peak, and the high doesn't rise and fall uniformly based on how much THC leaves and enters your bodily fluids, says Marilyn Huestis, who headed the chemistry and drug metabolism section at the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Potency, impaired, drugged driving, DUI

Pot is becoming more potent, a new study suggests.
In the study, the researchers looked at more than 38,600 samples of illegal marijuana seized by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration over 20 years. They found that the level of THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol— marijuana's main psychoactive ingredient — in the marijuana samples rose from about 4 percent in 1995 to about 12 percent in 2014.
Conversely, the level of CBD, or cannabidiol — an ingredient sometimes touted for its potential health benefits — fell from about 0.28 percent in 2001 to less than 0.15 percent in 2014.
But smoking marijuana with high doses of THC may involve a higher risk of negative health effects, such as psychosis orpanic attacks, he said.
"Great article- clearly based on the previous posted comments  marijuana severely impairs a person's ability to understand and process information. Their anecdotal evidence continues to validate scientific statistics. " -No2Pot

CBD, Psychosis, Potency

In its recommendations, the AAP opposes:
·      Marijuana use by children and adolescents (aged through 21 years) given evidence on the negative health and brain development effects.
·      Medical marijuana use outside the regulatory process of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), although it recognizes it may be an option for children with life-limiting or severely debilitating conditions for whom current therapies are inadequate.
·      Legalization of marijuana because of the potential harms to children and adolescents.
·      Use of smoked marijuana because smoking causes lung damage.

AAP, American Academy of Pediatrics

Acceptance of employee marijuana use means increased accidents and injuries, loss of workplace productivity, increased workers' compensation claims, and employee turnover, to name a few problems (National Institutes of Health). These losses have real dollar value that impacts small-business owners considerably. Ultimately, the most costly battles will be fought in the courts at the employers' expense. Weakening or removing employers' rights for a safe and drug free workplace ultimately threatens all of us.

Employer, Employees, drug free workplace
Myth, beer

According to the Institute for a Drug Free Workplace, the U.S. Department of Justice reports that 50 percent of all on-the-job accidents and up to 40 percent of employee theft is due to drug abuse. The Institute says that drug-abusing employees are absent from work ten times more frequently than their non-using peers, and the turnover rate is 30 percent higher than for those employees who do not engage in abuse of illicit drugs.
Between safety concerns and cost savings, companies are very invested in keeping pot users out of the workplace. Something to think about if Florida ever legalizes marijuana: getting fired is a real buzz kill.

Employer, drug free workplace, Business

DENVER — The Colorado Department of Transportation says traffic deaths rose by 10 percent last year to 545, the highest total since 2008.
 
#NoCoincidence  

car crashes, Fatalities, Colorado

December showed Bradley’s PAC maintaining its consistency: $59,500 raised pushed his PAC’s total up to $405,775.
A big contributor: Costa Farms of Miami, one of five nurseries approved to grow medical cannabis, and the biggest nursery in the state.
Costa Farms’ $25,000 contibution adds up to a lot of green.
Notable: in 2014, Costa Farms filed a lawsuit objecting to the lottery system for choosing dispensing organizations, reported the Miami Herald. Since then, the hurt feelings have been healed.

bradley, funding, PAC

Five companies were awarded licenses in November to grow and distribute the new low-THC forms of the drug and some have now hired lobbyists. Costa Farms, a giant Miami-based grower of fruits and vegetables, wants to expand the list of ailments for which low-THC marijuana can be prescribed so it can broaden its market. It gave $88,000 to the political committees of the top players, including $35,000 each to the sponsors of their bills -- Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island and Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Shalimar.  #bribes
 

funding, PAC, special interests, bradley, Gaetz

Our data indicate that persistent cannabis users constitute a burden on families, communities, and national social-welfare systems. Moreover, heavy cannabis use and dependence was not associated with fewer harmful economic and social problems than was alcohol dependence. Our study underscores the need for prevention and early treatment of individuals dependent on cannabis. 

alcohol, addiction, Studies

The good news, however, is to be found in the very restrictive guidelines they have imposed, including prohibiting smoking it, and pot edibles, as well as Not including psychological issues as debilitating conditions, ie  PTSD, or "pain" to justify physician recommendation for patients. There is also no providing immunity for physicians or dispensers for civil liability. Patient warnings on the packaging are also required because of the risks of use, including addiction. While it is still unfortunate they approved it at all, it is encouraging that they are setting a precedent of how it should be made available to the public considering much of the risks involved in use. 

new york, marijuana program

Thus, adolescent THC exposure induced behavioral abnormalities resembling positive and negative schizophrenia-related endophenotypes and a state of neuronal hyperactivity in the mesocorticolimbic dopamine (DA) pathway. Furthermore, we observed profound alterations in several prefrontal cortical molecular pathways consistent with sub-cortical DAergic dysregulation. Our findings demonstrate a profound dissociation in relative risk profiles for adolescent versus adulthood exposure to THC in terms of neuronal, behavioral, and molecular markers resembling neuropsychiatric pathology.  

Brain, adolescent, Research

"At a minimum, dabs are four times as strong as a joint, and the high is administered all at once,"

dabbing

The top 10 states with the highest adolescent marijuana use rates in 2013-2014 were all states that legalized pot as medicine or as recreation. The lowest adolescent use rates were reported in states where marijuana has not been legalized as medicine or as recreation. How can pro-pots argue that legalization will reduce youth marijuana use? Stats prove otherwise!

--Of the 10 states with the highest rates of past month marijuana use among adolescents, 5 were in the Northeast (Vermont, Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts), 4 were in the West (Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska), and 1 was in the South (District of Columbia)

 

SAMHSA, youth usage

January 2016 Update:
YOUTH USAGE: 
• In the two year average (2013/2014) since Colorado legalized recreational marijuana, youth past month marijuana use increased 20 percent compared to the two year average prior to legalization (2011/2012). o Nationally youth past month marijuana use declined 4 percent during the same time.
• The latest 2013/2014 results show Colorado youth ranked #1 in the nation for past month marijuana use, up from #4 in 2011/2012.
COLLEGE USAGE:
•Colorado college age past month marijuana use for 2013/2014 was 62 percent higher than the national average
ADULT USAGE:
•The latest 2013/2014 results show Colorado adults ranked #1 in the nation for past month marijuana use, up from #7 in 2011/2012.
• Colorado adult past month marijuana use for 2013/2014 was 104 percent higher than the national average compared to 51 percent higher in 2011/2012.

Colorado, impact, youth

Although studies are beginning to show that some ingredients in marijuana are likely to be helpful for people with certain conditions, the findings have yet to nail down the specifics about the dose, the frequency, the best form to take (such as getting the active compounds from edible products or smoking it), the risks from frequent use, and whether marijuana works as well as or better than other available treatments

medicine, standards of care

Although studies are beginning to show that some ingredients in marijuana are likely to be helpful for people with certain conditions, the findings have yet to nail down the specifics about the dose, the frequency, the best form to take (such as getting the active compounds from edible products or smoking it), the risks from frequent use, and whether marijuana works as well as or better than other available treatments, Budney said.
Usage Doubles & Addiction Doubles:  Over this 12-year period, the estimated number of U.S. adults who had used marijuana in the previous 12 months grew from 4.1 percent in 2001 to 9.5 percent in 2013. Marijuana-use disorders, which include problems with drug addiction and dependence, also rose, increasing from 1.5 percent of the adult population in 2001 to 2.9 percent in 2013, the study showed.
 
 College students smoke more pot than cigarettes: The survey found that 5.9 percent of college students said they had smoked pot 20 or more times in the past month. For comparison, 5.2 percent of students reported they had smoked cigarettes 20 or more times in the past month, according to the study. 
Inaccurate Labeling Edibles: Only 13 of the 75 tested pot food products — such as baked goods, beverages and candy — bought from dispensaries in California and Washington state had labels that accurately listed the amount of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, 
Teen Brain:  The researchers found that teens who had smoked marijuana — even once — had smaller brain volume in the amygdala compared with teens who never tried pot.
 

Research, usage, college, Resource Paper, edibles, Teens

In conclusion, if the states' initiative to legalize medical marijuana is merely a veiled step toward allowing access to recreational marijuana, then the medical community should be left out of the process, and instead marijuana should be decriminalized. Conversely, if the goal is to make marijuana available for medical purposes, then it is unclear why the approval process should be different from that used for other medications.

blog, medcine, legalization

Analysis of Impaired Drivers - Three years ago, about 19 percent of the samples contained THC, the key ingredient in pot. This year, that percentage is up to 33 percent.  

Washington, driving, Fatalities, car crashes

he Washington Poison and Drug Information Center is reporting a record number of marijuana exposures in Washington State since before recreational marijuana was legalized in 2012. The majority of calls occurred within the 13 – 19 year age range followed quickly by the 20 – 29 years of age group. The majority of exposures were a result of intentional abuse (n= 108) in ages 13 years and older followed by unintentional, unsupervised ingestion (n=36), predominantly in children less than 12 years of age. Marijuana products implicated in these exposures included but were not limited to marijuana chocolate bars, brownies, butane hash oil, marijuana-infused drinks, and marijuana gummy bears.

Washington, edibles, exposure

The evidence of harm, however, is only getting clearing. And the latest rise in use, addiction and death by car crash numbers add clarity to the picture of harms associated with widespread use of the drug.

legalization, usage

 "During this time of drought, San Diegans should be concerned that our water is being stolen for a criminal enterprise."

Environment, Water, california

These results from an uncontrolled study support the animal studies and prior reports showing that CBD may be a promising treatment for TRE and it is generally well-tolerated in doses up to 25mg/kg/day. Epidiolex is now being investigated in randomized controlled studies in DS and LGS.

Charlotte's Web, american epiliepsy society, AES, Studies

"He had drugs influenced on him. Just cannabis. It give him mental problem. Bit paranoia. He was diagnosed by a doctors and treated in 2007 for paranoia.

London, mental health

According to Kevin Merill, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) officer in charge in Denver, "more and more criminals are moving to Colorado to exploit our drug laws, sell marijuana through the U.S. and line their pockets with drug money."
The Colorado experience is certainly troubling and has not been the panacea purported by legalization advocates.
In 2010, medical marijuana was legalized in Colorado.  In 2012, it legalized marijuana and in 2014 retail businesses began selling it to anyone 21 years or older. The consequences? In 2014, there was a 32 percent increase in marijuana related traffic deaths and since 2010 the number has increased by 92 percent. 

Colorado, car crashes, legalization, Fatalities

State after state is legalizing medical marijuana, but doctors and patient groups aren’t demanding these laws. The AMA doesn’t want them, nor does the American Cancer Society. The American Academy of Pediatrics is against medical marijuana and the Glaucoma Foundation warns patients not to use it.

Prescription cannabinoids are also much less likely to be abused or diverted to teenage use. And they’re more long acting, which is good for genuine patients who don’t want to be stoned all the time. So there’s no reason for anyone to smoke marijuana.

The main people who benefit from medical marijuana laws are people who want to get high or who want to sell the drug.

legalization, medical association, opinion

Recent federally funded reports show that: 
▪ The majority of DUI drug arrests involve marijuana.
▪ Youth consumption has increased.
▪ Drug-related suspensions/expulsions (mostly for marijuana) increased 32 percent over a five-year period.
▪ The number of college users has increased.
▪ Almost 50 percent of Denver arrestees tested positive for marijuana.
▪ Marijuana-related emergency room visits increased 57 percent from 2011 to 2013.
▪ Marijuana-related hospitalizations increased 82 percent since 2008.
Yet despite Big Pot’s $25 million cash infusion into the effort, voters rejected the spin that marijuana legalization is safe or in the best interests of citizens.

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/article43481448.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/article43481448.html#storylink=cpy
 

Colorado, Heritage Foundation

California seized

Infographics, Environment, motherjones

Arizona Families F.I.R.S.T., a statewide recovery program, found that 84 percent of program participants in 2014 struggled with substance abuse, 54 percent of which said they used marijuana

Arizona, abuse, addiction

"We found that frequent use of high-potency cannabis significantly affects the structure of white matter fibres in the brain, whether you have psychosis or not," 
The main psychoactive ingredient in weed, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is much more concentrated in modern skunk strains as compared to traditional pot and hash -- up 14 percent as compared to 4 percent.

Studies, Brain, Potency

And yes, my friends, there are many problems associated with use of marijuana, such as the risk of addiction, risk for vehicle crashes, emergency department visits, psychiatric symptoms, poor quality of life, cognitive decline, and the use of other drugs.
Marijuana’s immediate effects include distorted perception, difficulty with thinking and problems solving, and loss of motor coordination. Marijuana use can also cause space and time distortion, delusional thinking, and even hallucinations.
Long–term use of the drug can contribute to respiratory infection, impaired memory, and exposure to cancer-causing compounds. Of major importance among youth who are heavy users of the drug is that its use is linked to increased risk for developing mental illness and poorer cognitive functioning.

risks, Long-term
guns


By the end of 2014, the number of total crimes was 24 percent higher than in 2012. Property crimes increased 14 percent from 2012 to 2013, and the 2014 data was 26 percent higher than the pre-pot legalization period.

 

crime, Washington, blog

Children whose mothers use marijuana during pregnancy have a higher risk of stunted growth and of developing ADHD, anxiety, and depression later in life.
When THC enters the body, it interferes with endocannabinoid’s actions, competing with it for binding sites on target cells and generally getting its way.

Pregnancy

Children whose mothers use marijuana during pregnancy have a higher risk of stunted growth and of developing ADHD, anxiety, and depression later in life.
When THC enters the body, it interferes with endocannabinoid’s actions, competing with it for binding sites on target cells and generally getting its way.

Inside the home, police found drug paraphernalia, and plastic baggies containing what appeared to be pot-laced push pops, chocolate bars, and other various marijuana infused candies.

edibles, Florida

 “It is important to know that legalizing marijuana would not mean greater access to potentially effective treatment for children and adults with a medical illness such as epilepsy. Cannabidiol, or CBD, is not at all marijuana.”

CBD is not medical marijuana. CBD does not get anyone high nor does it increase appetite. It may be beneficial in treating children with rare forms of epilepsy, often difficult to control with medication or other available treatments, but it does not work for everyone with seizures.

“The stories of kids having fewer seizures described in the media are heartwarming and can possibly be of some benefit – just like many other medications available to treat seizures,” Dr. Patel adds.

What are the possible side effects?
CBD can cause nausea, diarrhea, or worse, affect the liver.

Dr. Patel states, “There is nothing natural about marijuana and its components. It is broken down in a person’s liver, similar to many other medications. It has interactions with other medications and is still not fully understood. If further studies show that CBD is safe and effective, it will be sent to the FDA for official approval. If the FDA approves this medication, it will be available in the form of a prescription and no laws will need to be changed.”

“Legalization would make our jobs as medical providers more difficult as we will not know what changing, non-tested preparations a child may be getting. I understand that parents are desperate and want to help their children, however, it is dangerous to give a child or patient a product unless it has been studied properly and is the same consistent product each time.” If the ongoing trials show that Epidiolex is safe and effective, then all people can have access to it through a prescription and know that it has been properly tested and is consistent each month. Medical providers will know how to dose it and it will be regulated by the FDA.

Charlotte's Web, epilepsy, legalization, Children, chronic

"What most people don't realize is that growing marijuana is a very intense power use," Roger Blank, the utility's director of safety, said in a statement. Using older, less-efficient standard lights to grow four plants is akin to running 29 refrigerators, he said.

Environment

The project is intended to treat 50 children from ages 2 to 16 living with epilepsy that have exhausted most of their treatment options, Carney said.
Every step of the three-year study will be meticulously tracked. Patients will check-in at regular intervals and the researchers will examine how the children are responding, Carney said.
All subjects will be clinically evaluated and seizure frequency will be recorded in a diary given to patients, according to the ClinicalTrials.gov website.
“Through this research, we want to learn about what type of children respond, if they can tolerate the medication and if there are any side effects we need to worry about,” Carney said.
The study will begin later this summer and participants are still being accepted, Carney said.The project is intended to treat 50 children from ages 2 to 16 living with epilepsy that have exhausted most of their treatment options, Carney said.
Every step of the three-year study will be meticulously tracked. Patients will check-in at regular intervals and the researchers will examine how the children are responding, Carney said.
All subjects will be clinically evaluated and seizure frequency will be recorded in a diary given to patients, according to the ClinicalTrials.gov website.
“Through this research, we want to learn about what type of children respond, if they can tolerate the medication and if there are any side effects we need to worry about,” Carney said.
The study will begin later this summer and participants are still being accepted, Carney said.

Epidiolex, Orphan Study, Florida

1. The first major change involves the rising concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).As the potency of this drug increased over time, a number of thresholds of toxicity have been exceeded.
2. The anxiety and depression problems resulting from THC consumption are nothing new, but they are much more common now. (I have seen more cases in the last year than in the 4 years prior combined.)
3. Schizophrenia:  All who have suffered this complication have experienced a major decline in functional capacity, often becoming permanently disabled. The prognosis for this condition is very poor. Similar presentations can result from contaminated marijuana.
 
 

Most of the deaths occurred in the spring, when fishers come out to mate and raise their kits, and all of the poisoned animals were found in remote areas but within the vicinity of illegal marijuana farms.

animals, pesticide

More Positive Results With Cannabidiol in Epilepsy (You will need to google this title in order to get the article to avoid creating an account)
They found a reduction of the total number of seizures by a median of 38% at 3 months and 31% at 6 months.
These patients started on a cannabidiol (CBD) dose of 2 mg/kg per day, which was increased to a maximum tolerated dose or to 25 mg/kg per day.
Of the 25 patients enrolled in the study, two discontinued treatment before 6 months. One boy stopped medication after a few months because of intolerable diarrhea, and another patient discontinued the drug because of persistent nausea/vomiting. One patient didn't report 6-month data at the time of the analysis.
More than three quarters (77%) of the 22 remaining patients experienced fewer seizures after 6 months.
However, he stressed that the study was uncontrolled, symptoms were self-reported by families, and there has been a lot of news coverage of medical marijuana for the treatment of epilepsy. "Many parents had been avidly desirous of their child going on this cannabidiol because of what they had read in the lay press, so they were primed to believe this cannabidiol might be beneficial." On the other hand, he said, it's important to keep in mind that these children have "horrible epilepsy" and most have been on more than 10 medications for seizure without success. "Any improvement to that degree in this population that is sustained is a pretty dramatic response."

Epidiolex, Studies, Orphan Study, gw pharm
Colorado, heroin

alcohol, youth usage

Adolescent cannabis use increased the odds of non-progression with formal education.

  • Associations for adolescent alcohol use were inconsistent and weaker.
  • Cannabis use accounted for a greater proportion of the overall rate of educational underachievement than alcohol use.
  • Findings inform the debate about the relative harms of cannabis and alcohol use.
alcohol, adolescent

With considerable discussion about Arizona’s education funding, along with high school and college graduation rates, shouldn’t we do all we can to improve our state of education instead of making it much worse by legalizing marijuana?
The Journal Clinical Pediatrics has also found an over 600 percent increase in the amount of marijuana exposure to children six and under in states with marijuana-friendly legislation.

Arizona, education, exposure

§Puff for puff, smoking marijuana is more dangerous than smoking cigarettes.  http://162.99.3.213/products/manuals/matrix/ppt/marijuana.ppt

 

  • 22.2 million (8.4%) people were current (past month) users of marijuana in 2014, making it the most used illicit drug.
  • Marijuana use was most prevalent among people age 18 to 25 (with 19.6% using it in the past month).
  • 7.4% of people aged 12 to 17 reported using marijuana.
  • A higher percentage of males (10.9%) used marijuana in the past month than females (6%).

 

SAMSHA, cigarettes

 But at a bare minimum, these findings suggest we should be avoiding recreational cannabis use during pregnancy. 

Utero, Pregnancy

The overstuffed vehicles parked outside Pueblo’s Posada, a nonprofit organization that helps homeless families, have license plates from as far away as South Carolina, Louisiana, Arkansas, Florida and Texas.
Those families have come in what social service agencies here see as a perfect storm: legal marijuana, Colorado’s Medicaid expansion (which extends coverage to all qualified adults under the 2010 Affordable Care Act), and Pueblo’s ranking as one of the least expensive cities to live in the US.
Is this what we want in Florida?

Colorado, Pueblo, homeless, medicaid

Known as hash oil, wax, dabs, and shatter, concentrates deliver a high so fast and intense many users refer to them as “green crack.” One ounce of the highest potency THC concentrate can yield 560 average tokes on an electronic cigarette. In edibles, Colorado law defines an average serving of THC as 10 milligrams.

The 10-milligram serving size established by Colorado lawmakers means one 1 ounce of high-potency THC oil — the amount one adult is allowed to buy or possess at any given time — also can equal 2,800 average servings. That’s a well-stocked bakery.

Edibles make up about 45 percent of Colorado’s marijuana sales, based on state figures, and are projected to quickly surpass the sale of THC products that are smoked.

edibles, clearing the haze
edibles, Arizona

No "anatomic or toxicological" causes of death were found, autopsy documents show. Drug tests revealed only the presence of THC, a chemical found in both prescription drugs and marijuana. The body showed no signs of external injury. The Kentucky medical examiner's office concluded excited delirium killed Gibson.
Excited delirium typically affects those who suffer from mental illness or use illicit drugs. It can manifest as extreme hostility, agitation, super strength and erratic behavior.

pets, vet

The Justice Department estimated that 3.6 percent of state inmates in 2013 had drug possession as their most serious offense. That includes possession charges for all drugs, not just marijuana. To gauge the marijuana-only percentage, we have to go back to data that’s about a decade old.

http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/sisfcf04_q.pdf

political, prisons

Is legal 'medical' marijuana linked to high youth substance abuse rates?

Let's look at Colorado's substance abuse rates in 2011- 2012 when medical marijuana was legal but recreational pot was not, Colorado youth ages 12- 17 and 18- 25 ranked in the top percentiles for most substance abuse rates: illicit drugs, marijuana, cocaine, non-medical use of painkillers and ranked the lowest for perception of great risk of smoking marijuana.

youth, Medical

Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Colorado saw a 29 percent increase in emergency room visits, and a 38 percent increase in hospitalizations during retail marijuana’s first year.

Colorado, parents

Kembel's is the highest-profile death associated with cannabis since it became legal for adults to purchase recreational marijuana in Oregon last week. Police said Tuesday it was unclear to what extent marijuana impairment had been a factor in the crash.

Oregon, Gresham, Death

But “having medical value” isn’t the same thing as “being a medicine.” A medicine is a material of known chemical composition and dosage that has been shown in clinical trials to be safe and effective in the management of some condition in some patient population. By that standard, natural cannabis can’t be a medicine, simply because natural cannabis varies so widely in its chemical content: not only from one strain to another, but from one plant to another and even from one bud to another from the same plant.

Fraud, Medical, UCLA

The American Medical Association (AMA) has opposed legalizing marijuana for medical use for many years due to the lack of evidence to support such action. In addition to AMA, the following medical associations also oppose legalizing marijuana or any of its components for medical use before FDA-quality evidence is available.

response, medical association, Research

At the moment, there simply isn’t enough evidence to prove that cannabinoids – whether natural or synthetic – works to treat cancer in patients, although research is ongoing. And there’s certainly no evidence that ‘street’ cannabis can treat cancer.

cancer, hash oil, Research

Levy says. “We are simply not prepared for the fallout of marijuana legalization.”
Each hit of THC rewires the function of this critical cognitive system: Early evidence in mice has shown that repeated exposure to THC causes these receptors to disappear altogether, blunting the natural response to positive behaviors and requiring higher doses to achieve the same effect. Marijuana exploits essential pathways we’ve evolved to retrieve a memory, to delicately regulate our metabolism, and to derive happiness from everyday life.

Myth, news article, THC, youth, Harmless

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic investigations are also required. Finally, the health consequences of passive vaping should be also considered.  
In conclusion, the new social phenomenon of vaping may slide from nicotine towards other psychoactive drugs (e.g., THC); it therefore deserves the urgent scientific investigation and strict risk assessments which are especially important when young people are concerned. In particular, the presence of toxic substances in the cannabis aerosols generated by e-cigs—from multiple models, brands, BHO and e-liquid manufacturers—need to be investigated.
A synthesis of the practical recipes and experiments reported on the Internet (in addition to our own experiments) shows that the simple, direct use of purified cannabis extracts in e-cigs is not easy because cannabinoids are poorly soluble in e-liquids. Indeed, used pure or in mixture with glycerol, the propylene glycol (PG, or propane-1,2-diol) that is commonly used in e-liquids has both hygroscopic and hydrophilic properties. Consequently, it is not miscible with mineral and vegetable oils and fats. In contrast, cannabinoid concentrates are very lipid soluble, but water insoluble. Furthermore, PG, glycerol, terpenoids, plant fats and waxes, cannabinoid concentrates and THC are very viscous substances. Accordingly, the manufacture of a homogeneous solution using these viscous liquids is a tedious task. Cannabinoid concentrates resemble more a thick, sticky, gummy resin than a liquid. We can infer from these facts that they do not mix readily with glycols, and even less so with glycerol. The addition of terpenoids (e.g., limonene) or lecithin has been advocated to help make cannabis oils miscible...

cannabis, Vaping, electronic cigarette, adolescence, youth, e-cig

“I think we’re going to be seeing a lot of similar lawsuits in other states,” Malsbury said, pointing out that the nation’s largest marijuana producer, California, has no pot regulations at all. Medical marijuana is grown and sold in California but recreational sales remain against state law.

pesticide, lawsuit

My main finding is that it's primarily women who were younger when they become mothers who do continue to use marijuana overtime. Also women who are depressed over longer periods of time, women who smoke, women who use more than the recommended amount of alcohol are more likely to continue to use marijuana while pregnant as well as when they're raising their children. So the take-home messages is to ask women about marijuana use. We know that marijuana use is considered more and more acceptable by women and that they may continue to use while they are pregnant and while they are having children.

NIDA, Pregnancy, vidoe, Dr. Genna, Dr. Natacha, interview

“Every state must take steps to reduce drug-impaired driving, regardless of the legal status of marijuana,” said Jonathan Adkins, Executive Director of GHSA. “This is the first report to provide states and other stakeholders with the information they need. And we encourage NHTSA to issue guidance on best practices to prevent marijuana-impaired driving. We look to the federal government to take a leadership role in this issue similar to that of drunk driving and seat belt use.”

car crashes, Report, GHSA

There has not been an overall change in the amount of pain that Americans report,1,2 yet the amount of prescription painkillers dispensed in the U.S. quadrupled since 1999.3 Changes in how providers prescribe painkillers has helped fuel this epidemic. There is wide variation in painkiller prescribing between states which can't be explained by differences in health issues from state to state.

Deaths from prescription painkillers have also quadrupled since 1999, killing more than 16,000 people in the U.S. in 2013.4Nearly two million Americans, aged 12 or older, either abused or were dependent on opioids in 2013.5

Statistical Reports

quadrupling in the use of prescription drugs since 1999, and legalization of marijuana use in some states are cited among the reasons drug use has become an increasing threat to roadway safety, according to a report released today by the Governors Highway Safety Association, an organization of state highway safety officers.

car crashes, Fatalities

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) is the primary source of information on the prevalence, patterns, and consequences of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drug use and abuse and mental disorders in the U.S. civilian, non-institutionalized population, age 12 and older. The survey generates estimates at the National, state, and substate levels.

Statistical Reports, SAMHSA

Background Paper on Legalization of Marijuana for Medical Use  Prepared for the Members of the Georgia Medical Cannabis Commission by National Families in Action
1. Reviewing the conditions, needs, issues, and problems of medical cannabis 
1a. No Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials 
1b. Most Medical Marijuana States Do Not Test for Potency or Contaminants 
1c. FDA Cracking Down on CBD Producers Making Unsubstantiated Medical Claims 
1d. Five percent THC Makes People High 
1e. Marijuana Edibles Are Hurting Children 
1f.  Pharmaceutical CBD Products in FDA Clinical Trials vs Artisanal CBD 
1g. What is a medical marijuana doctor? 
1h. Is marijuana about medicine or money?

 2. Evaluating the Best Practices, Experiences, and Results of Medical Cannabis in Other States
2a. Advocacy vs Reality
2b. A Commercial Medical Marijuana Industry Increases Marijuana Use
2c. Availability Drives Use among Children
2d. Doctors, Scientists Dismayed at States’ Legalizing Marijuana for Medical Use
2e. Questions Commission Members Might Want to Consider
 3. Recommending Any Proposed Action or Legislation You Deem Necessary
Determining Which State Department or Departments Should Have Oversight of Such a System
3a. Recommendations     4. Addendum    5. References

Report, Resource Paper, Charlotte's Web

The impact of those changes can be seen not just in marijuana sales, but also in lives lost and harmed. In 2014, the report notes, there was a 32 percent increase in marijuana-related traffic deaths in Colorado compared with 2013. Marijuana-related traffic deaths increased 92 percent from 2010 to 2014.
In contrast, the increase in all traffic deaths during that time period was just 8 percent. Had it not been for marijuana-related traffic deaths, the state would have experienced adecline in traffic fatalities.
There's reason to think this problem won't go away soon. According to the report, an estimated 485,000 Colorado adults regularly use marijuana. Adults who consume marijuana almost daily make up the top 21.8 percent of that population — but they account for 66.9 percent of the demand for marijuana.

Colorado, Fatalities, car crashes, usage

Olympia, WA – Newly released data from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) shows that marijuana is increasing as a factor in deadly crashes. The number of drivers involved in deadly crashes who tested positive for marijuana increased 48 percent from 2013 to 2014. 
“This study is a step towards answering the myriad of questions we have about the impact of legalized marijuana on driving.

Washington, car crashes, driving

Survey highlights:

  • Parents still have a big influence over their children when it comes to using marijuana.
  • More than 60 percent of marijuana users don't think it's addictive or damaging to the brain.
  • One in 10 surveyed report being high at school and while driving, on a daily basis.
parenting, youth

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