Colorado

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Title
What is the Social Impact of Legalizing Marijuana?
01/01/2013

Alcohol is legal and regulated. Its use is our nation’s No. 3 cause of preventable death, behind diet related illness. Alcohol use costs our country at least $185 billion annually — which is also roughly 10 times the amount of money our state and federal governments collect from today’s taxes on the substance (HHS)
Marijuana: According to the 2010 National Study on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) • Marijuana accounted for 4.5 million of the estimated 7.1 million Americans dependent on or abusing illicit drugs • In 2009, approximately 18 percent of people aged 12 and older entering drug abuse treatment programs reported marijuana as their primary drug of abuse • 61 percent of persons under 15 reported marijuana as their primary drug of abuse


impact, social costs, Colorado
Pediatric Marijuana Exposures in a Medical Marijuana State
07/01/2013

In Colorado, the combination of decriminalizing medical marijuana and declining federal prosecution was associated with a significant increase in the exposure of young children to marijuana. Physicians, especially in states that have decriminalized medical marijuana, need to be cognizant of the potential for marijuana exposures and be familiar with the symptoms of marijuana ingestion. This unintended outcome may suggest a role for public health interventions in this emerging industry, such as child-resistant containers and warning labels for medical marijuana. The consequences of marijuana exposure in children should be part of the ongoing debate on legalizing marijuana.


Colorado, ingestion, Children
Pot problems in Colorado schools increase with legalization
11/11/2013
legalization, Colorado, School
Drug Abuse Patterns and Trends in Colorado and the Denver/Boulder Metropolitan Area—Update: January 2014
01/01/2014

Overview of Findings: The most important finding for this reporting period in the Denver/Colorado CEWG area was the upward trend in indicators for methamphetamine, heroin, and prescription opioids/opiates other than heroin.


Rx Drugs, Colorado, NIDA
Pot Fuels Surge in Drugged Driving Deaths
02/15/2014
car crashes 2, car crashes, Colorado
Pot-related fatalities up
03/11/2014
Drugged Driving- over 1/2 deaths are marijuana related
  • Drugged driving kills an average of two people per week in Colorado. That’s more than four times the number of deaths of Columbine and Century Theater combined.
  • One half of those deaths are caused by marijuana use.
  • Deaths caused by drugged driving are increasing at the same time overall traffic deaths are decreasing. The most rapidly increasing cause of drugged driving deaths is marijuana use.
  • Fatalities caused by drivers who tested positive for marijuana increased 26 percent.

Fatalities, car crashes 2, car crashes, Colorado
Colorado's High Burns Loews
05/04/2014

Lowe’s doesn’t want people acutely or sub-acutely under the influence of marijuana operating forklifts, using circular saws, cutting ceramic tiles, driving company trucks — or cleaning its toilets. And no, the company isn’t interested in lowering its hiring standards, either, said Amy, the friendly and always-approachable manager at my favorite Lowe’s store....  “We’re trying to find the best people to hire, and it’s really hard these days,” Amy the manager told me....However, one thing is certain: Lowe’s isn’t the only Colorado employer struggling to find drug-free workers to fill decent jobs.


Colorado, Employer, drug testing
Deadly Impact of Medical Marijuana in Colorado
05/28/2014
video, statistics, crime, Colorado, Death
Legalise cannabis – and children will pay the price
07/07/2014

The emerging marijuana industry in Colorado is trying to appeal to teenagers by offering cannabis-infused soda, chocolate taffy and jujubes.


youth, mafia, Potency, Colorado, edibles
Denver Crime Rate Up Almost 7 percent
07/23/2014

Other information:  http://drthurstone.com/the-big-deal/neuroimages/


crime, denver, Colorado
Denver Crime Rate up almost 7%
07/30/2014
Colorado, crime
Pueblo West marijuana dispensary robbed
08/06/2014
Colorado, crime
Two polls show support for legal marijuana waning in Colorado, nationally
09/30/2014
Colorado, legalization
Brad King: Do not let the ‘Colorado Calamity’ spread to Florida
10/18/2014
Colorado, OpEd, Amendment 2, crime, youth, emergency room, highways, car crashes, Fatalities
Legally High
10/29/2014
Colorado, abuse
Boulder skier dies after suspected collision with tree at Eldora Mountain Resort
12/09/2014
Death, Colorado-0, Colorado
2014 Marijuana Use In Colorado
01/01/2015
  • 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 - more than twice the state average for adults
  • Almost 1 in five reported driving after using marijuana

Colorado, usage, youth, Impairment
Marijuana use increases in Colorado, according to new federal survey
01/04/2015

study commissioned by Colorado's Marijuana Enforcement Division this year found that people who use marijuana almost every day account for about 22 percent of cannabis users in Colorado but consume nearly 67 percent of the marijuana used. Other studies have warned about a possible uptick in heavy marijuana use.


Colorado, Colorado-0
Colorado estimates state annual pot consumption at 130 metric tons
01/04/2015
Colorado, Colorado-0, usage
Monitoring Health Concerns Related to Marijuana in Colorado: 2014
01/15/2015

Appendix

Changes in Marijuana Use Patterns, Systematic Literature Review, and Possible Marijuana-Related Health Effects


Colorado, health, Pregnancy, youth, Report, Statistical Reports
Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies
01/23/2015
Colorado, regulation
Colorado governor explains why legalizing marijuana in the state was a bad idea
01/26/2015
Colorado-0, Colorado, legalization
Chart: Colorado among states with growing heroin, prescription drug abuse problem
01/28/2015

"Marijuana is the 800-pound gorilla in the room, when in fact, 295 Coloradans died two years ago of prescription drug overdoses," he notes. 
In 2012, 36 drivers who tested positive for marijuana were involved in fatal car crashes, according the Colorado Department of Transportation. And 19-year-old Levy Thamba jumped to his death after consuming six times the recommended dose of a marijuana edible in April 2014


opioid, Colorado, legalization
Letter from American Epilpsey Society
03/22/2015

A study by a team from Children's Hospital Colorado that was presented during the AES Annual Meeting in December 2014 and has recently been accepted for publication in the journal Epilepsy & Behavior, found that artisanal "high CBD" oils resulted in no significant reduction in seizures in the majority of patients and in those for whom the parents reported improvements, these improvements were not associated with improvement in electroencephalograms (EEGs), the gold standard monitoring test for people with epilepsy.

 

Additionally, in 20% of cases reviewed seizures worsened with use of cannabis and in some patients there were significant adverse events. These are not the stories that you have likely 

heard in your public hearings, but they are the reality of practitioners at Children's Hospital Colorado who have cared for the largest number of cases of children with epilepsy treated with cannabis in the U.S.


Charlotte's Web, epilepsy, Legislation, Colorado, Studies, Research
Black Market is Thriving in Colorado
03/23/2015

More than 40 states have reported seizures of Colorado marijuana and THC products, according to the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. The federally funded task force also reports that seizures involving Colorado marijuana bound for other states have risen nearly 400 percent, from 58 incidents in 2008 to 288 in 2013 — the year before Colorado’s marijuana retail stores opened. That is consistent with Denver police records showing a nearly 1,000% spike in the amount of marijuana officers have seized — 937 pounds in 2011 compared to a little more than 4 tons last year.


Black Market, Colorado
Colorado Marijuana Study Finds Legal Weed Contains Potent THC Levels
03/23/2015

In old-school dope, levels of THC — the psychoactive chemical that makes people high — were typically well below 10 percent. But in Colorado's legal bud, the average THC level is 18.7 percent, and some retail pot contains 30 percent THC or more, according to research released Monday.
"This shows that marijuana is a GMO product just like other products sold by big business. And just like other industries, now you have a big marijuana industry determined to hide these findings from the public. Where is their outcry? Where are the promises to change the way they do business?" 


Potency, Colorado, GMO
Toxicology report released following Keystone marijuana suicide
04/02/2015

The toxicology report showed that Goodman had THC in his system, but not at a level considered legally impaired. Edibles are a bit more dangerous just because they do have a longer absorption period and a slower drop than smoking," said Breckenridge Police detective Caitlin Kontak.


Colorado, suicide
Marijuana Intoxication: Signs and Symptoms
04/05/2015
Intoxication, Children, Colorado, symptoms
Colo. company says pot pushed them out of state
04/24/2015
Business, Employees, Colorado-0, Colorado
Brother charged with reckless homicide in Stevenson crash
05/12/2015

Pedro Moreno, 25, is charged with reckless homicide and aggravated driving under the influence in the crash about 5:35 a.m. Wednesday at the Loomis ramp on northbound Interstate 55. Killed was his brother, Enrique Moreno, 28, who lived with Pedro Moreno


Colorado, homicide, Fatalities, car crashes
Rocky Mountain High Producing Some Undesirable Side Effects
06/05/2015

In March of this year plants at several growing facilities in the Denver area had to be quarantined because of the misuse of “pesticides.” The pesticides, it turns out, were improvised concoctions of chemicals, including some unidentifiable mixtures. Cannabis growers have been left to improvise since no commercial pesticides are labeled for legal use on cannabis plants.
In 2014 and 2015, nearly $6 million in pot revenues have been distributed to local governments. But the cost of increased law enforcement, drugged driving incidents, fatal crashes, loss of productivity and a huge spike in gang-related crime bring into question the cost-benefit of those dollars. Teen drug-relatedschool expulsions are also on the rise. And the notion that prisons filled with minor drug offenders would be relieved of overcrowding—a selling point of legalizing marijuana—has been blown to smithereens. Denver’s homeless population has exploded since Amendment 64 went into effect. And there are indications that finite tourist dollars are going more to pot and less to Colorado’s iconic natural wonders.


Colorado, pesticide, cost, social costs
Clearing the Haze
06/05/2015

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. 
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. 


Research, regulation, crime, addiction, Colorado
THC extracts concentrate problems
06/24/2015

Peer-reviewed journal Clinical Pediatrics, found that between 2006 and 2013, the marijuana exposure rate rose 147.5 percent among children age 5 and under. In that same period, the rate rose nearly 610 percent in states that sanctioned medical marijuana before 2000, the year Colorado followed suit.

Employers, law enforcement officials, educators and addiction treatment providers say Colorado has cooked up a poorly regulated THC-food fiasco that crisscrosses the country with the ease of exporting gummy bears in glove compartments, pockets and handbags. For taxpayers, the growing edibles market means an array of social costs — including hospitalizations, traffic accidents, school dropouts and lost work productivity — that state and federal officials haven’t fully investigated, estimated and made public.

 


Colorado, edibles, social costs, green crack
Colorado Supreme Court Provides a Moment of Sanity on Marijuana
06/30/2015

In a unanimous (6-0) decision on June 15, 2015 in Coats v. Dish Network, the Colorado Supreme Court, ruled that an employer could fire an employee for testing positive for marijuana in that state despite the legality of both medical and recreational marijuana, even if the marijuana use were based on a physician’s recommendation and even if the marijuana use were limited to nonworking hours away from the workplace. The Colorado state marijuana laws are in conflict with the federal law, under which marijuana is an illicit substance and in this Supreme Court ruling, marijuana use was therefore considered “illegal.”


Colorado, Employer, Business, supreme court
Colorado rejects medical marijuana for PTSD treatment
07/16/2015

“Telling someone to use marijuana for PTSD or any mental health problem is like telling them to go get drunk,” says one specialist who has treated the disorder among veterans and active-duty service members for more than 15 years.


PTSD, Colorado
Colorado rejects medical marijuana for PTSD treatment
07/16/2015

Board members cited a lack of research, including medical trials. "We have an absence of scientific information," board member Rick Brown said.


PTSD, Colorado
Dever Citywide Reported Offenses
07/21/2015
denver, Colorado, crime
Notes from the Field: Death Following Ingestion of an Edible Marijuana Product — Colorado, March 2014
07/24/2015
Death, edibles, Colorado, CDC
Where There’s Smoke …
08/22/2015

Marijuana use by kids between the ages of 12 and 17 is 58 percent higher in Colorado than the national average, according to the RHMIDTA. The rate of use among college-age adults is 54 percent above the national average. Drug-related suspensions from Colorado schools jumped 34 percent from the 2005-2009 period to the 2010-2014 period, while alcohol-related suspensions stayed flat.
 "Everything they said would happen has not," says Gorman. "They said alcohol use would go down. Alcohol use went up. They said it would eliminate the (marijuana) black market. We are the black market. The trends show that legalization is not working."
 


youth, Colorado, college, Potency, legalization, alcohol
Legalization of Marijuana- Impact Report
09/01/2015

See report for details, graphs, data.


Colorado, Potency, youth usage, vehicle, social costs, Business
2015 9 The Legalization of Marijuana in Colorado: The Impact
09/01/2015
According to the Colorado Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2014:
 
• 13.6 percent of adults (18+ years old) are current users of marijuana
• Approximately 1 out of 3 current users report using marijuana daily
• A little less than 1 in 5 (18.8 percent) report driving after using marijuana
• Highest current use demographics: 
o Younger adults (18 to 24 years old)
o Less than high school education
o Lower household income
o Black
o Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual adults
o Men 

Colorado, Behavior, Survey, youth
The Seth Leibsohn Show September 15, 2015 - Tom Gorman
09/15/2015

Tom Gorman discusses Colorado Legalization Impact Report for September 2015


Gorman, Leibsohn, Report, rmhidta, radio, Colorado
“Legalized marijuana certainly no panacea ”
09/27/2015

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
Advocacy Group: Commercialization Of Legal Pot Has Led To ‘Epidemic’ For Colorado Kids
10/12/2015

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
Welcome to Pueblo, Colorado: the 'pot rush' town for the marijuana industry
10/19/2015

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
Colorado Heroin 2014
11/03/2015
Colorado, heroin
Pot legalization: Up in smoke in No-high-o
11/28/2015

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
What you should know about marijuana legalization | Your Legal Corner
12/03/2015

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
The Legalization of Marijuana in Colorado: The Impact Latest Results for Colorado Youth and Adult Marijuana Use
01/01/2016

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
DENVER — The Colorado Department of Transportation says traffic deaths rose by 10 percent last year to 545, the highest total since 2008.
01/20/2016

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
Sacred water What if cannabis industry takes every last drop?
03/15/2016

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
Colorado - Amendment 139
04/08/2016

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


Colorado, Controlled Sale
Colorado Marijuana Distributor Wins Battle in “First of Its Kind” Pesticide Exposure Lawsuit, But Is the War Just Beginning?
05/08/2016
Colorado, pesticide, lawsuit
Impaired Driving And Cannabis
05/10/2016

Fatal crashes involving drivers who recently used marijuana doubled in Washington after the state legalized the drug. Washington was one of the first two states to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, and these findings serve as an eye-opening case study for what other states may experience with road safety after legalizing the drug. 


AAA, Washington, driving, car crashes, Colorado, Impairment
Stoned Drivers Are Killing More and More Innocent Victims
05/14/2016

Fatal driving accidents have risen 122 percent between 2010 and 2014, according to the Washington State Traffic Safety Commission.

The science is clear and unambiguous—pot is a dangerous substance. It is not like alcohol at all. There is a reason it is classified as a Schedule I controlled dangerous substance, right along with heroin, LSD, and ecstasy. The American Medical Association, the American Lung Association, and other reputable doctors and scientists all reject legalization.


drugged driving, driving, car crashes, Washington, Colorado, Fatalities
Colorado Study Finds One in Six Children Hospitalized for Lung Inflammation Test Positive for Marijuana Exposure
05/14/2016

A new study to be presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies 2016 Meeting found that one in six infants and toddlers admitted to a Colorado hospital with coughing, wheezing and other symptoms of bronchiolitis tested positive for marijuana exposure. 
"Especially as marijuana becomes more available and acceptable, we need to learn more about how this may affect children's health and development." In the meantime, she said, "marijuana should never be smoked in the presence of children." 


Colorado, second hand smoke, Children
Police crack down on Craigslist marijuana sales
05/14/2016

“I think the black market in general is still very active and Craigslist is a perfect example of the active black market,” Lauren Harris said.


Colorado, Black Market
2016-05-21 00:00:00
05/21/2016

Endangers health of community and drains precious health resources.


Colorado, Dept. of Health, position paper
Pesticide Use in Cannabis Production Information
05/26/2016

CDA has determined that there are less than two hundred pesticides that can be legally used in the cultivation of cannabis


pesticide, Colorado
New law requires schools to adopt a medical marijuana policy
06/06/2016

The law and D49's policy only allows non-smokeable marijuana to be used on school grounds. The medicine would have to be brought, administered, and taken away from the school by the student's primary caregiver. No school employee would be required to give the student cannabis.


Colorado, School, School District
Colorado Sales Chart
06/13/2016


Colorado, sales
Edibles And Concentrates Are Red-Hot, According To Latest Numbers
06/14/2016

"The rapid growth in concentrates and edibles is the continuation of a two-year trend, as consumers increasingly prefer alternative consumption methods to smoking," BDS Analytics CEO Roy Bingham told Civilized in an e-mail. 
Also, increased are hospitalization, ER visits and vehicle fatal accidents. 


edibles, Colorado, youth
2002-2014 Colorado County Drug Overdose
06/16/2016

New data paint a grim picture of Colorado’s rising drug-related deaths.

And, two pager  http://www.coloradohealthinstitute.org/uploads/downloads/Drug_deaths_2_p...


Colorado, overdose
Marijuana Legalization In Colorado: How Recreational Weed Is Attracting People, But Spiking The State’s Homeless Rate
06/20/2016

All told, several hundred marijuana migrants struggling with poverty appear to be arriving in Colorado each month. Some of them, like Butts, come to use cannabis recreationally or medically without the fear of arrest. Others are hoping to get jobs in the new industry. But many arrive to find homeless services stretched to the breaking point, local housing costs increasingly prohibitive and cannabis use laws that penalize those without private residences.
Fresh off the bus from Texas, Butts didn’t know any of this. He was still optimistic that legal marijuana would be his lifeline as he struck out on a new path. “I’m going to get clean, man,” he said. “That’s what the marijuana industry is for. I think being here in Colorado is going to help.”


Colorado, homeless, denver
Marijuana Legalization: Pot Brings Poor People To Colorado, But What’s Being Done To Help Them?
06/21/2016

In Colorado, homeless programs are severely overextended, housing costs are skyrocketing and while marijuana might be legal, public consumption of it isn’t — which means those like Butts who don’t have private residences can still face harsh consequences for using it. It doesn’t help that marijuana jobs are difficult, if not impossible, to obtain by those struggling with homelessness. 


Colorado, homeless
Colorado Youth Marijuana Use:
06/21/2016
  • The 2013/2014 survey results show Colorado youth ranked No. 1 in the nation for past month marijuana use, up from No. 4 in 2011/2012.
  • Colorado youth past month marijuana use for 2013/2014 was 74 percent higher than the national average (12.56 percent vs. 7.22 percent).

Colorado, youth usage, School
Marijuana Legalization: Pot Brings Poor People To Colorado, But What’s Being Done To Help Them?
06/21/2016

“I am going to get the highest I’ve been here,” he said between coughs of smoke, gazing across the rolling grasslands that stretched to hazy Rocky Mountain foothills far to the west. “This place is awesome. You don’t get anything like this in Texas.”


Colorado, homeless
Denver mayor says violence won’t be tolerated on 16th Street Mall
06/30/2016

The latest incident involved a man swinging a large pipe at pedestrians near the McDonald’s at the intersection of Cleveland Place and the 16th Street Mall. A video of the wild behavior was posted online and received hundreds of thousands of views.


crime, violence, denver, Colorado
Legalized marijuana sends more kids to the hospital in Colorado
07/25/2016

The exposures can make kids really sick, she said. The majority of the children had symptoms including sleepiness or trouble with balance, which typically goes away within six to 24 hours. But about 20 percent needed to be admitted to the hospital and 15 percent of cases were so severe they ended up in the intensive care unit. "Marijuana exposures in young children have resulted in respiratory compromise requiring the use of a ventilator and intensive care unit admission in a handful of cases,"


Colorado, edibles, Children, hospitalization
Posada- Bringing Pueblo Home
07/31/2016
Colorado, Pueblo, homeless, powerpoint
Feds fund $35,000 giant joint billboard in Downtown Denver to combat pot-impaired driving
08/04/2016
denver, Feds, Colorado, car crashes
Colorada approves Medical Marijuana Use at Schools
08/10/2016

The bill allows a student to use medical marijuana on school grounds, on a school bus, or at a school activity and requires each school district to adopt a policy allowing the medical marijuana use. If the department of education or a public school loses any federal funding as a result of adopting the policy, the general assembly shall appropriate state money sufficient to offset the loss of federal money.  http://openstates.org/co/bills/2016A/HB16-1373/

 


Colorado, School
Colorado districts wrestle with new law allowing students to use medical marijuana at school
08/22/2016

“Ultimately, the school districts can figure it out,” Singer said, “or the state will figure it out for you.”  So far, some school districts — including Boulder Valley, Jefferson and Douglas County — are  working on policies or have produced them.


Colorado, School, School District
The Legalization of Marijuana In Colorado- The Impact
09/01/2016
Colorado, Report
The Legalization of Marijuana in Colorado The Impact - Volume 4
09/01/2016
Colorado, Report
Marijuana and Opioid Conncection
10/16/2016
The Marijuana-Opioid Connection

Connection between legalization of marijuana and increase opioid addiction.
The effects of marijuana on the brain of an unborn child. Predisposing children for addiction. Here are the studies cited. 


Colorado, Pregnancy, opioid, video
Colorado Legalization
10/19/2016

Governor Owens –
Four years ago, Colorado voted to legalize marijuana.
Colorado now leads the nation in the teen use of marijuana.
Marijuana edibles are marketed to children and marijuana-related traffic deaths have increased 62 percent.
 
Mayor Webb –
We were promised new money for education. Instead, that money has gone to marijuana regulation and the pot industry. Denver schools got nothing.
In one Colorado hospital, 50 percent of newborns tested had marijuana in their system.
Don’t repeat our terrible mistake.


Colorado, video, governor
Denver District Attorney Urges California Voters to Reject Proposition 64
10/31/2016

Since the legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado in 2013 traffic related marijuana deaths have increased 48%, marijuana related emergency room visits have increased 49%, and marijuana related calls to the poison center have increased 100%. According to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation in 2015 statewide homicides in Colorado rose 14.7% over the previous year.
Pueblo, Colorado had the highest homicide rate with 11.1 killings per 100,000 residents. Aurora, Colorado’s homicide rate more than doubled from 2014. Additionally, more places in Colorado were robbed and more thefts occurred, especially vehicle theft. A total of 193,115 vehicles were reported stolen, up 27.7% in 2015 from the previous year. In 2015, sexual assaults rose 10% in Colorado with Denver, Aurora, Lakewood, Westminster, and Pueblo all reporting higher numbers as well. The letter also notes:
In the city of Denver since the legalization of recreational marijuana the number of crimes in Denver has grown by about 44%, according to annual figures the city reported to the National Incident Based Reporting System. In 2015 in Denver alone crime rose in every neighborhood in the city. The murder rate hit a decade high, 1059 more cars were broken into, there were 903 more auto thefts, 321 more aggravated assaults and 2321 more homes were broken into compared to 2014.


crime, denver, Colorado
2018 Colorado budget: Gov. John Hickenlooper proposes $28.5 billion plan with deep cuts
11/02/2016

The Governor is now proposing new and significant budget cuts for this upcoming legislation session in the following areas:  capital construction for our schools, health and human services,  public safety/courts, healthcare including Colorado hospitals, and education including K-12 and higher education.  Areas that have experienced and reported increased negative impacts and/or costs associated with increased marijuana availability/commercialization.  

Areas mentioned where marijuana tax revenues will be spent highlight some of the negative impacts from increased marijuana availability/commercialization, and include:  

"Hiring of more mental health professionals in schools and child welfare caseworkers“

$18 million program to create affordable housing for the homeless" (Denver has reported dramatic increases in student homelessness as has other areas in Colorado.)


Colorado, homeless, students
Boston, Colo. officials talk marijuana worries
11/21/2016

Colorado has experienced a significant jump in patients seeking emergency medical treatment for complications related to suspected marijuana use since 2014, when the state legalized the drug for commercial sales, according to a presentation by Denver health officials. Still, marijuana-related emergency department visits represent less than 1 percent of all ER visits, said the officials, who shared their experiences and lessons learned during a phone call with the Boston Public Health Commission.


Colorado
Man charged with killing homeless man while trying to steal marijuana
12/04/2016

DENVER - A 29-year-old Louisiana man who was also wanted in his home state has been formally charged with killing a homeless man in Denver while trying to steal marijuana and other belongings.


denver, Colorado, crime, Fatalities
Western Colorado law enforcement officials say that Colorado has now become a magnet for criminals coming to take advantage of the state's marijuana laws.
12/26/2016

Western Colorado law enforcement officials say that Colorado has now become a magnet for criminals coming to take advantage of the state's marijuana laws.
A little over a week later, a 51-year old Palisade man was shot and killed in different incident related to a large pot grow operation. So far, there have been no arrests in the case.
“Legalization was supposed to get rid of the black market – it hasn’t done that – I would estimate that the black market has grown 20 fold since legalization,” said Gaasche.
 


Colorado, Legislation, crime, Black Market
Little-known illness tied to smoking weed on the rise
12/29/2016

The answer was cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, or CHS. It’s caused by heavy, long-term use of various forms of marijuana. For unclear reasons, the nausea and vomiting are relieved by hot showers or baths.
“They’ll often present to the emergency department three, four, five different times before we can sort this out,” said Dr. Kennon Heard, an emergency room physician in Aurora, Colorado.


Hyperemesis Syndrome, Colorado
Colorado official describes wild west of law with marijuana
01/07/2017

Colorado Assistant Attorney General Michael Song:

  • Song cautioned that doctors have to be tightly regulated, with means to punish those abusing the ability to recommend medical marijuana.
  • Song said problems are arising as people, for example, eat a whole cookie, or worse, several, while they wait for the effects to hit. Then they wind up in emergency rooms stoned way over the edge.

Colorado, Legislation, Song
Is Pot Losing Its Buzz in Colorado?
01/07/2017

Now, as citizen groups attempt to put the brakes on the growing industry, a heated debate has emerged about the drug’s societal impact. Doctors report a spike in pot-related emergency room visits—mostly due to people accidentally consuming too much of potent edible pot products. Police face new cartel-related drug operations. Parents worry about marijuana being sold near their homes and schools. And less affluent communities like Pueblo struggle with the unintended consequences of becoming home to this emerging and controversial industry.
Groups serving the poor in Pueblo report a flood of homeless people arriving from other states. Local homeless shelter Posada, for instance, has witnessed a 47% jump in demand since 2014, including 1,200 people who reported to shelter workers that they came to smoke pot or get jobs in the industry, says Posada’s director, Anne Stattelman. She says her funding is tapped out. “It’s changed the culture of our community,” she says.
Since 2013, law officials say, they have busted 88 drug cartel operations across the state, and just last year law-enforcement made a bust that recovered $12 million in illegal marijuana. Adds Coffman: “That’s crime we hadn’t previously had in Colorado.”
Another surprise to many Coloradans is that a promised huge tax windfall to benefit schools hasn’t materialized. Of the $135 million generated in 2015, for example, $20 million goes to regulatory and public-safety efforts related to cannabis, $40 million funds small rural school construction projects, and the rest goes to youth drug prevention and abuse programs. That’s a drop in the bucket for a $6.2 billion education budget.
For a growing number of her neighbors, however, legalized marijuana is starting to feel like a really bad high.


Colorado, Pueblo, homeless, crime, Taxes, video
2017 March Supplement- RMHIDTA
04/10/2017
Colorado, rmhidta
Dangers of Marijuana Experienced Firsthand
05/15/2017

We should approach mass marijuana production and distribution as we would any other large-scale public health problem. We should do what we can to limit exposure, and we should provide clear, unbiased education. In the case of prevention efforts being unsuccessful, we need to provide immediate treatment and assistance in stopping use. If we are going to use this as a medication, then we should use it as we use other medications. It should have to undergo the same scrutiny, Food and Drug Administration approval, and regulation that any other medication does. Why are we allowing a pass on a medication that very likely would carry with it a black-box warning?


Colorado, Doctors, Roberts, black box warning
Legalized marijuana turns Colorado resort town into homeless magnet
05/21/2017

The town suddenly became a haven for recreational pot users, drawing in transients, panhandlers and a large number of homeless drug addicts, according to officials and business owners. Many are coming from New Mexico, Arizona and even New York.
He said he’s also noticed an uptick in crime in the area. Shoplifting, he said, has become a major problem in Durango and business owners are becoming fed up.


Colorado, homeless, zoning, crime
Unattended 11-month old infant drowns in Pueblo; Baby-sitter arrested by police
05/25/2017

She said she only smoked marijuana about four hours before putting the girls in the bathtub after taking a nap at around 3:30 p.m., the affidavit states.


child abuse, Colorado
Marijuana Legalization and the Effects on Child Health and Safety
06/05/2017

Aside from the changes to criminal law, legalization has implications for school safety policies, child abuse and neglect statutes, child care center regulation, advertising restrictions, substance abuse programs, employment law, traffic offenses, banking, state revenue, ports of entry and federalism, among many others.
These policy challenges have far-reaching implications, few have been easy to resolve, and most have drawn time and resources away from other policy areas. But most stakeholders have approached each issue with good faith and an earnest determination to find solutions that gain broad support.


Colorado, policy, Children
HIGH CLAIMS Legalizing recreational marijuana is linked to increased crashes
06/22/2017

After retail marijuana sales began in Colorado, the increase in collision claim frequency was 14 percent higher than in nearby Nebraska, Utah and Wyoming. Washington's estimated increase in claim frequency was 6.2 percent higher than in Montana and Idaho, and Oregon's estimated increase in claim frequency was 4.5 percent higher than in Idaho, Montana and Nevada.


HLDI, Colorado
Exclusive: Traffic fatalities linked to marijuana are up sharply in Colorado. Is legalization to blame?
08/25/2017

The number of drivers involved in fatal crashes in Colorado who tested positive for marijuana has risen sharply each year since 2013, more than doubling in that time, federal and state data show. A Denver Post analysis of the data and coroner reports provides the most comprehensive look yet into whether roads in the state have become more dangerous since the drug’s legalization.


Colorado, car crashes, Fatalities
Another View: Side effect? Legalized pot corelating with more traffic deaths
09/03/2017

The Post reported a 40 percent increase in the number of all drivers, impaired or otherwise, involved in fatal crashes in Colorado between 2013 and 2016. That’s why the Colorado State Patrol posts fatality numbers on electronic signs over the highways.
“Increasingly potent levels of marijuana were found in positive-testing drivers who died in crashes in Front Range counties, according to coroner data since 2013 compiled by The Denver Post. Nearly a dozen in 2016 had levels five times the amount allowed by law, and one was at 22 times the limit. Levels were not as elevated in earlier years,” The Post explained.
All drivers in marijuana-related crashes who survived last year tested at levels indicating use within a few hours of the tests.
The Post found fatal crashes involving drivers under the influence of alcohol grew 17 percent from 2013 to 2015. Figures for 2016 were not available. Drivers testing positive for pot during that span grew by 145 percent, and “prevalence of testing drivers for marijuana use did not change appreciably, federal fatal-crash data show.”


Colorado, Fatalities, car crashes
Lessons Leraned Colorado and Washington
11/05/2017
Colorado, Washington
Morgan County Sheriff Condemns Legalization After Drug-Toting SUV Crashes Into Semi
12/22/2017

“Legalization will NOT stop the crimes committed by users who have no jobs to support their habits and prey upon you and I to get that money for their hit/fix.”
And while marijuana may very well have medicinal purposes, it’s not just the drug that makes our controlled substances dangerous and a significant crime and socio-economic issue in our country. The people involved in the illegal operations where drugs (including marijuana) are grown/produced, trafficked and transported, distributed to the TENS of THOUSANDS of dealers and MILLIONS of customers, are NOT good people! THOUSANDS of people are viciously murdered in Mexico every year as organizations vie for control over the markets and territory. 


denver, Colorado, legalization, car crashes, crime
Rocky Mountain Low: The Downside of Legalized Marijuana
01/10/2018

“Every statistical study has seen an increase in marijuana use,” he said. “There has been an increase in youths going to rehab for addiction to marijuana. There have been increases in car accidents. There has been an increase in fatalities related to marijuana. There has been an increase in workplace incidences related to marijuana and a decrease in productivity. And there has been an increase in robberies.”
“There has been nothing good for Colorado, except for maybe the increased tax revenue. But even then, it is a mixed bag. Many people have moved to Colorado to exploit legalized marijuana — so housing prices have increased. There is more traffic downtown. You can find marijuana dispensaries all over the place, especially in the poorer parts of town. It is becoming part of the state’s subculture,” said Brugger.
The smell of marijuana is ubiquitous in the state now — so much so that there has been a marked increase in complaints to the police about the smell.
For those who own ski resorts, the emergence of marijuana smokers has been troubling, according to Brugger.


NCR, denver, usage, crime, homeless, car crashes, Colorado
Colorado politicians ignore major pot problems
01/11/2018

Hickenlooper, Gardner, and other politicians tell us everything is rosy, but that's not what we hear from educators, cops, social workers, doctors, drug counselors, parents, and others in the trenches of the world's first anything goes marijuana free-for-all. It is not what we see in the streets.
Condit said the black market invading Colorado's national forests has grown so large the entire budget for the Pike and San Isabel forests would not cover the costs of removing and remediating cartel grows in the forests he helps supervise.


Colorado, Environment, crime
LETTERS: Marijuana's impact on developing brain;
01/31/2018

Over time, the substance most often found in completed teen suicides is marijuana. Most of these suicides have toxicology results available. It is unclear as to why marijuana is most often present.


Colorado, Teen, suicide, Finn
Denver doctors say 11-month-old boy’s deadly heart condition was likely related to marijuana
02/02/2018

An 11-month-old Colorado boy’s death from a heart condition was likely related to ingestion of marijuana, two Denver doctors have concluded, but the precise link remains unclear.


denver, Colorado, Children
Impact of Marijuana Legalization in Colorado on Adolescent Emergency and Urgent Care Visits.
04/08/2018

From 2005 to 2015, 4,202 marijuana-related visits were identified. Behavioral health evaluation was obtained for 2,813 (67%); a psychiatric diagnosis was made for the majority (71%) of these visits. Coingestants were common; the most common was ethanol (12%). Marijuana-related visits increased from 1.8 per 1,000 visits in 2009 to 4.9 in 2015. (p = < .0001) CONCLUSIONS: Despite national survey data suggesting no appreciable difference in adolescent marijuana use, our data demonstrate a significant increase in adolescent marijuana-associated emergency department and urgent cares visits in Colorado.

   


Colorado, youth, emergency room
Colorado governor won't rule out banning marijuana again. Here's why
04/20/2018

"Trust me, if the data was coming back and we saw spikes in violent crime, we saw spikes in overall crime, there would be a lot of people looking for that bottle and figuring out how we get the genie back in," he said. "It doesn't seem likely to me, but I'm not ruling it out."


Colorado, governor
Majority of Dispensary Workers Told Undercover Callers Pregnant Women Could Use Pot
05/09/2018

Researchers had two women conduct "mystery caller" phone conversations with employees at 400 dispensaries across the state, telling them that they were eight weeks pregnant and suffering from morning sickness. During the majority of those calls, the employees recommended the women use cannabis products.


Pregnancy, Colorado
Recreational Cannabis Legalization and Opioid-Related Deaths in Colorado, 2000-2015
05/13/2018

Note:  If you look at the blue bar you will see that opioid deaths have more than quadrupled since medical marijuana was legalized in Colorado (in 2000). And deaths rose from 377 in 2012 (year mj legalized) to 504 in 2016. No evidence that legal marijuana is helping in Colorado- if anything it could be contributing to making the opioid epidemic worse!

But the conclusion is not supported by data. This study and others that conclude marijuana helps fight the opioid crisis do not consider the many other strategies that have been implemented to fight opioid abuse, including the PDMP, treatment and Narcan. Nor is there any proof people are substituting marijuana for opioids. And this particular CO research (below) flies in the face of the actual data/ facts!

Opioid deaths in Colorado have increased based on the data from Colorado Public Health and Environment Dept.

Study's conclusion does not seem to match data.

 

 


opioid, Colorado
2018 Marijuana in Colorado Volume 5
09/12/2018

Executive Summary

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.
 
Section I: Traffic Fatalities & Impaired Driving
x Since recreational marijuana was legalized, marijuana related traffic deaths
increased 151 percent while all Colorado traffic deaths increased 35 percent
x 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.
o This equates to one person killed every 2 1⁄2 days compared to one person
killed every 6 1⁄2 days.
x The percentage of all Colorado traffic deaths that were marijuana related
increased from 11.43 percent in 2013 to 21.3 percent in 2017.
 
Section II: Marijuana Use
x Colorado past month marijuana use shows a 45 percent increase in comparing
the three-year average prior to recreational marijuana being legalized to the three
years after legalization.
x Colorado past month marijuana use for ages 12 and older is ranked 3rd in the
nation and is 85 percent higher than the national average.
 
Section III: Public Health
x The yearly rate of emergency department visits related to marijuana increased 52
percent after the legalization of recreational marijuana. (2012 compared to 2016)
x The yearly rate of marijuana-related hospitalizations increased 148 percent after
the legalization of recreational marijuana. (2012 compared to 2016)
x Marijuana only exposures more than tripled in the five-year average (2013-2017)
since Colorado legalized recreational marijuana compared to the five-year
average (2008-2012) prior to legalization.
 
Section IV: Black Market
x RMHIDTA Colorado Task Forces (10) conducted 144 investigations of black
market marijuana in Colorado resulting in:
o 239 felony arrests
o 7.3 tons of marijuana seized
o 43,949 marijuana plants seized
o 24 different states the marijuana was destined
x The number of highway seizures of Colorado marijuana increased 39 percent
from an average of 242 seizures (2009-2012) to an average of 336 seizures (2013-
2017) during the time recreational marijuana has been legal.
x Seizures of Colorado marijuana in the U.S. mail system has increased 1,042
percent from an average of 52 parcels (2009-2012) to an average of 594 parcels
(2013-2017) during the time recreational marijuana has been legal.
 
Section V: Societal Impact
x Marijuana tax revenue represent approximately nine tenths of one percent of
Colorado’s FY 2017 budget.
x Violent crime increased 18.6 percent and property crime increased 8.3 percent in
Colorado since 2013.
x 65 percent of local jurisdictions in Colorado have banned medical and
recreational marijuana businesses.
 
Section IV: Marijuana Industry
x According to the Marijuana Policy Group, Market Size and Demand for
Marijuana in Colorado 2017 Market Update:
o “From 2014 through 2017, average annual adult use flower prices fell 62.0
percent, from $14.05 to $5.34 per gram weighted average.”
o “Adult use concentrate prices fell 47.9 percent, from $41.43 to $21.57 per
gram.”
o “The average THC content of all tested flower in 2017 was 19.6 percent
statewide compared to 17.4 percent in 2016, 16.6 percent in 2015 and 16.4
percent in 2014.”
o “The average potency of concentrated extract products increased steadily
from 56.6 percent THC content by weight in 2014 to 68.6 percent at the
end of 2017.”
 
x As of June 2017, there were 491 retail marijuana stores in the state of Colorado
compared to 392 Starbucks and 208 McDonald’s.

Colorado, Black Market, social costs, Fatalities
Legalized Cannabis in Colorado Emergency Departments: A Cautionary Review of Negative Health and Safety Effects
07/24/2019

Cannabis legalization has led to significant health consequences, particularly to patients in emergency departments and hospitals in Colorado. The most concerning include psychosis, suicide, and other substance abuse. Deleterious effects on the brain include decrements in complex decision-making, which may not be reversible with abstinence.

ED and urgent care (UC) visits with cannabis-associated International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes or positive urine drug screens for teenagers and young adults have increased since legalization, and the majority require behavioral health evaluation. A subsequent retrospective review by Wang et al. from 2005–2015 identified 4202 such visits for patients 13 to <21 years old to a tertiary-care children’s hospital system. Behavioral health evaluation was obtained for 2813 (67%) and a psychiatric diagnosis was made for the majority (71%) of the visits. 


Colorado, ncbi, suicide
Colorado Crime Stats
08/19/2019

Colorado's violent crime rate continues to climb


Colorado
The Rate Of Teen Suicide In Colorado Increased By 58%
10/18/2019

In the past three years, teen suicide in Colorado rose from 12.9 to 20.4 deaths per 100,000 adolescents ages 15-19, according to the report. Overall, that rate put Colorado as the sixth worst state.
Nationally, the teen suicide rate is up 25 percent. Colorado's 2019 rate is nearly double that nationwide, 20.4 compared to 10.5


Colorado, suicide, Teens
Suicide Counts Map by County
11/05/2019

While the total number of suicides is accurate (1,145), the number of toxicology results is likely higher than 888 – it’s just difficult/impossible for the state to obtain all the available toxicology results. For these reasons, an exact percentage of suicides with toxicology results can’t be calculated.

 


suicide, Colorado
2020 Feb- Marijuana Update Florida
02/24/2020

The real cost in legalizing marijuana can be counted by the lives impacted- addiction, vaping, dispensing, traffic deaths, suicides, overdoses, … 
 


Colorado, suicide, addiction, Florida, Brain
Lungs, Heart, Brain: The Health Risks Of Vaping That Doctors Know
02/29/2020

How do you solve a problem like Colorado’s teen vaping rate, the highest in the nation?
That’s the question lawmakers are gathering on Wednesday to try and answer. They’ll be asking questions about all things vaping as they consider new measures to stop the epidemic, including what the science shows about health risks.
A group of doctors at Children’s Hospital Colorado had a few insights they'd like to offer.
Among them was lung expert Dr. Robin Deterding who, when it comes to talking about the health risks of vaping, is blunt. 
“You're inhaling a chemistry experiment,” Deterding said. “And that's bad for your lungs."


Vaping, Colorado
Congress should not make Colorado marijuana mistake
12/04/2022

Ten years of legal marijuana has not caused a collapse of civilization, but it is definitely harming people's lives. It is probably also creating a future class of brain-addled government dependents with a tendency toward psychosis and poor judgment. Congress should ignore Hickenlooper's proposal and resist the temptation to greenlight legal cannabis use nationwide.


Colorado, Legislators
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