Len 6 gorman thau

Breakout Session: The Naked Truth About Marijuana

Thomas Gorman, Director, Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area

Sue Thau, Public Policy Consultant, CADCA

Moderator: Mary Elizabeth EllioG, VP, CommunicaIons, Membership and IT, CADCA

Disclosures

•  Thomas Gorman has disclosed no relevant, real or apparent personal or professional financial relaIonships.

•  Sue Thau has disclosed no relevant, real or apparent personal or professional financial

relaIonships.

Learning ObjecIves

1.  State the factual results of medicalizaIon of cannabis in Colorado.

2.  Evaluate legislaIve iniIaIves in the U.S. 3.  Outline public policy strategies impacted by

medical marijuana.

•  517 licensed dispensaries

•  736 marijuana cultivation facilities

•  138 infused products (edibles) businesses

•  183 licensed “pot shops”

•  238 licensed cultivation facilities

•  44 licenses for infused product (edibles) businesses

www.rmhidta.org/ reports

15.9 16.6 15.3

18.9 19.6

23.7

5.0 5.2 7.1

8.8 10.2

13.0

0

3

6

9

12

15

18

21

24

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Percen

t of Traffic Fatali0

es

Fatali0es Involving Drugged Drivers

All Drugs

Marijuana Only

21 23

31 37

42

52

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Num

ber of Drivers

Number of Drivers Tes0ng Posi0ve for Marijuana Only Involved in Fatal Crashes

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

NaIonal Average 6.74 6.67 6.67 7.03 7.38 7.64 Colorado Average 7.44 8.15 9.1 10.17 9.91 10.72

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Percen

t of

Ages 12 -‐ 17 Y

Past Month Usage of Marijuana -‐ Na0onal v. Colorado

3,988 3,833 3,779 3,736

4,956 5,417 5,279

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

2005-‐2006 2006-‐2007 2007-‐2008 2008-‐2009 2009-‐2010 2010-‐2011 2011-‐2012

Drug-Related Suspensions/Expulsions

0-‐5 yrs. 6-‐12 yrs. 13-‐14 yrs.

15-‐18 yrs.

18-‐25 yrs.

26+

2006 -‐ 2008 12 3 8 51 59 38 2009-‐2011 36 5 15 55 46 64

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Num

ber of Cases

54 41 57 58

92

281

321 274

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Num

ber of Seizures

0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000

2009 2010 2011 2012

1,623

3,416 3,708

7,008

Poun

ds

Pounds of Colorado Marijuana from Interdic0on Seizures

0 15

36

158

207

0

50

100

150

200

250

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Parcels

Parcels Containing Marijuana Mailed from Colorado To Another State

Marijuana Seizures YTD

The “Naked” Truth About Marijuana

Sue Thau Public Policy Consultant

CADCA

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“The naked truth is always beGer than the best-‐dressed lie.” – Ann

Landers

Sue Thau has no financial relaIonships with proprietary enIIes that produce health care goods and services.

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Learning ObjecIves

•  Review the main arguments and best approaches to use in addressing this increasingly challenging issue

•  Gain a beGer understanding of the impact of marijuana use on the adolescent brain

•  Learn the “Naked” Truths about Marijuana

•  Understand how to translate the science and myths into prevenIon messages that resonate at the community level

•  Hear an assessment from a senior law enforcement expert on the ground in Colorado on how legalizaIon is impacIng that state and its ciIzens

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Children who first smoke marijuana under the age of 14 are more than five Imes as likely to abuse drugs as adults, than those who first use marijuana at age 18.1

1The NaIonal Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) report. August 23, 2002. Available: hGp://oas.samhsa.gov/2k2/MJ&dependence/MJdependence.htm

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Age of IniIaIon Is Decreasing

In the 1970s, the average age of ini0a0on for marijuana was 19.

In 2011, the average age of ini0a0on was 17.5

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services AdministraIon. Available: hGp://www.samhsa.gov/data/mjiniIaIon/highlights.htm and hGp://www.samhsa.gov/data/NSDUH/2k11Results/NSDUHresults2011.htm

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Marijuana is AddicIve

Long-‐term marijuana use can lead to addicIon. Approximately 9 percent of users will become addicted to marijuana.

Budney AJ, Vandrey RG, Hughes JR, Thostenson JD, Bursac Z. 2008. “Comparison of cannabis and tobacco withdrawal: Severity and contribuIon to relapse.” J Subst Abuse Treat, e-‐publicaIon ahead of print.

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This number increases to 17 percent among those who start young – that is in 1 in 6 users.

To put this in perspecIve…

1 in 2,600 kids are injured in bicycle accidents.

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According to the 2013 Monitoring the Future Survey, percep0ons about the risks of marijuana are going down and now more 8th, 10th and 12th graders smoke marijuana than cigareXes

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12th Graders’ Past Year Marijuana Use vs. Perceived Risk of Occasional Marijuana Use

0

20

40

60

80

100

75 77 79 81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 13 Past Year Use Perceived Risk

Potency: Increased THC Content in Seized Marijuana

PERCENT THC FROM 1983 TO 2009 10%

9%

8%

7%

6%

5%

4%

3%

2%

1%

0 ’85 ’90 ’95 ’00 ’05

Sources: The University of Mississippi Potency Monitoring Project

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The Naked Truth About “Medical” Marijuana

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The folks pushing for "medical

marijuana“ found a way to make their issue resonate with regular Americans.

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They reframed the issue to

be about voIng for compassion

for sick and dying people.

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They built a brilliant campaign

around this simple message:

“Marijuana is Medicine”

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There are now more "medical marijuana" dispensaries in California and Denver than there are Starbucks.1

1 True Compassion. What’s Really Medical About Marijuana? 2011. Available: www.truecompassion.org/images/TC1%20-%20Pages%204.pdf

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Medical Marijuana Is Easily Diverted To Youth

• Teens who know somebody with a medical marijuana license are more like than those who don’t to report ‘fairly’ or ‘very’ easy access to marijuana

• 74% of Denver-‐area teens in treatment said they used somebody else’s medical marijuana an average of 50 Imes

Thurstone, 2013; Salomonsen-Sautel et al., 2012

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[i] Pacula, R.L., Powell, D., Heaton, P., Sevingy, E.L. (2013). Assessing the effects of medical marijuana laws on marijuana and alcohol use: The devil is in the details. Available: hGp://www.nber.org/papers/w19302

States with medical marijuana laws that have been implemented to include home culIvaIon and legal dispensaries are posi0vely associated with increased marijuana use in these states.[i]

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FACTS on Medical Marijuana Less than 3% of state “medical marijuana” users have cancer, HIV, or glaucoma.

–  Is not even good for condiIons it is touted for – Could exacerbate symptoms (American Glaucoma Society)

1American Glaucoma FoundaIon. Available: hGp://www.glaucomafoundaIon.org/UserFiles/File/TGF_Summer_10_Web.pdf

1

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FACTS on Medical Marijuana

Vast majority are white males in 30s and 40s with self-‐diagnosed pain.

Vast majority of cancer doctors and other physicians do not recommend smoking or ingesIng marijuana.

California average medical marijuana paIent staIsIcs, found at: O'Connell, T and Bou-‐Matar , C.B. (2007). Long term cannabis users seeking medical cannabis in California (2001–2007): demographics, social characterisIcs, paGerns of cannabis and other drug use of 4117 applicants. Harm Reduc+on Journal,

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The advertisements for “medical marijuana” are not geared toward the sick and dying, but towards young

men.1

1 Thurstone, Christopher, M.D. The Impact of Legalization on Colorado’s Youth. 3rd World Forum Against Drugs. May 22, 2012. 90

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Take Away Messages

We don’t smoke opium to get the effects of morphine.

So why should we smoke marijuana to obtain its medical benefits?

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The “Naked” Truth about Marijuana Legaliza0on

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94

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WA State Seeing Rise in Youth Marijuana Use1

•  40 percent of SeaGle public school students who use marijuana said they got it from a medical marijuana dispensary.

•  Cascade Principal Ana Garcia believes the spike at her school is likely most strongly linked to the passage of I-‐502. She fears the message from that law to her students was that it’s OK to smoke marijuana now.

1Swenson, Ty. June 21, 2013. CoaliIon explores link between teen pot use and rise in dispensaries. West SeaGle Herald. Available: hGp://www.westseaGleherald.com/2013/06/21/news/coaliIon-‐explores-‐link-‐between-‐teen-‐pot-‐use-‐and-‐ 96

More Poisonings in Children •  Between January 1, 2005, and September 30, 2009, none of the poisonings in

children under 12 at the Children’s Hospital of Colorado involved marijuana.

•  From October 1, 2009 to December 31, 2011 2.3% of all poisonings at the hospital for children under 12 involved marijuana.

Wang G, Roosevelt G, Heard K. Pediatric Marijuana Exposures in a Medical Marijuana State. JAMA Pediatr. 2013;():1-4. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.140. Available: http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1691416

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Will Big Marijuana be the new

Big Tobacco?

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Can we trust companies and Big Corpora0ons not to target youth and the

vulnerable?

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Another billboard MPP created for the NFL

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Marke0ng to Children

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103

104

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Marijuana: Messages That MaXer

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107

108

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Parents

Kids

Business Leaders Teachers & School Boards

Faith Leaders

We need to get our messages to regular people

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We must connect the dots for regular people.

We need to give them simple “A Ha! I get it!” messages.

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Figure out how the “medical marijuana” and marijuana legaliza0on issues affect real people.

Reframe these issues to directly appeal to them.

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How to Frame Our Messages for Maximum Impact

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If you care about academic achievement:

You need to care about marijuana use.

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What we know, based on research …

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Marijuana Use Lowers IQ1

A recent study found that those who used marijuana heavily in their teens and conInued through adulthood showed a permanent drop in IQ of 8 points.

A loss of 8 IQ points could drop a person of average intelligence into the lowest third of the intelligence range.

1M.H. Meier, Avshalom Caspi, et al. 2012. “Persistent cannabis users show neuropsychological decline from childhood to midlife.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Facts:

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The more a student uses marijuana, the lower their grade point average is likely to be and the more likely they are to drop out of school.1

1 Johnston, L. D., O'Malley, P. M., Bachman, J. G., & Schulenberg, J. E.. University of Michigan, 2011. Monitoring the Future Study

Facts:

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•  Youth with an average grade of D or below were more than four Imes as likely to have used marijuana in the past year than youth with an average grade of A.1

1 Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services AdministraIon (SAMHSA). SAMHSA’s Na+onal Household Survey on Drug Abuse Report—Marijuana Use among Youths. July 19, 2002. Available at www.samhsa.gov/oas.nhsda.htm.

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Denver High Schools • 29% of Denver high school students used marijuana in the last month

• If Denver were an American state, it would have the HIGHEST public high school current use rates in the country

Healthy Kids Colorado, 2012

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6.5% of high school seniors smoke marijuana every day1.

1 Johnston, L. D., O'Malley, P. M., Bachman, J. G., & Schulenberg, J. E. Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use, 2012. Volume I:

Secondary school students. Ann Arbor: Institute for Social Research, The University of Michigan. Available: http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/data/10data.html#2011data-drugs

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Take Away Message:

Increased marijuana use will result in reduced academic achievement

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If you care about highway safety:


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We Know Based on Research That:

Marijuana use impairs driving ability1

1For a comprehensive review, see DuPont, R. et al. 2010. “Drugged Driving Research: A White Paper.” Prepared for the NaIonal InsItute on Drug Abuse. Available at hGp://stopdruggeddriving.org/pdfs/DruggedDrivingAWhitePaper.pdf

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Marijuana is the most prevalent illegal drug detected in impaired drivers, fatally injured drivers, and motor vehicle crash vic0ms.1

1 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Drug Involvement of Fatally Injured Drivers. U.S. Department of Transportation Report No. DOT HS 811 415. Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2010.

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The percentage of fatally-‐injured impaired drivers detected with marijuana tripled between 1999

and 2010

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According to the Colorado Department of TransportaIon, drivers who tested

posiIve for marijuana in fatal car crashes DOUBLED between 2006 and 2010 while all fatal

accidents decreased over the same Ime period.

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According to the 2012 Monitoring the Future Study, three Imes as many high school seniors reported driving axer smoking marijuana than drinking alcohol (8.6% to 2.9%)

129

Take Away Message:

Increased marijuana use will lead to increased traffic accidents and fataliIes and decreased public

safety

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If you care about jobs and profits:


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Kilmer, Beau, Jonathan P. Caulkins, Rosalie Liccardo Pacula, Robert J. MacCoun and Peter H. Reuter. 2010. “Altered State? Assessing How Marijuana LegalizaIon in California Could Influence Marijuana ConsumpIon and Public Budgets.” Santa Monica, CA: RAND CorporaIon, hGp://www.rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/OP315.

According to a recent RAND study, legalizaIon would cause the price of marijuana to fall and its use to rise.

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According to the American Council for Drug EducaIon in New York, employees who abuse drugs are: 10 Imes more likely to miss work

This hurts employers…

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3.6 Imes more likely to be involved in on-‐the-‐job incidents


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5 Imes more likely to file a workers’ compensaIon claim.


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6,000 companies, industries and professions na0onwide conduct drug tes0ng.1 •  Target

•  Walmart

•  McDonalds

•  Police/Fire Departments

•  Military

•  Transporta0on

Since regular users can’t pass drug tests, this hurts employability!

This hurts employers and employees… Why?

1 The Definitive List of Companies that Drug Test. March 2010. Available: www.testclear.com 136

Take Away Message For Employers and Poten0al Employees:

Increased marijuana use is BAD for business

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Health & Medicine

Len 6 gorman thau