Marijuana Legalization:Risks and Strategies

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Trends in drug useCurrent use among persons 12 and older: 2012

52.10%

26.70%

7.30%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Alcohol Tobacco Marijuana

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Legalization Timeline2008

Michigan Medical Marijuana Act Passes

2012 2013

Decriminalizationin Lansing, Ferndale, Jackson

2014

Decriminalization in Ann Arbor

1972 2004

Ann Arbor Medical Marijuana Initiative

Decriminalization in Flint, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Ypsilanti

Decriminal-ization in Oak Park, Hazel Park, Berkley, H.W., P.R., Mt. Pleasant, Saginaw, Port Huron

Marijuana Use: Past 30 DaysOakland County (MiPHY) – 7th Grade

1.4

2.9

1.72.1

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

2008 2010 2012 2014

Pe

rce

nt

Year

Past 30 Day Marijuana Use• After the legalization

of Marijuana (2010), 7th grade Oakland county students were 2 times more likely to have used marijuana in the past 30 days than before the legalization of medical marijuana (2008).

Perception of Harm for MarijuanaOakland County (MiPHY) – 7th Grade

83.279.2 79.4

73.4

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

2008 2010 2012 2014

Pe

rce

nt

Year

Marijuana Use Moderate or Great Risk • 7th grade students in

Oakland County were 1.8 times more likely to report regular marijuana use as a moderate or great risk in 2008 than in 2014.

Marijuana Use: Past 30 Days (MiPHY) 9th and 11th Grade

15.1

19.2 19.7

16.6

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

2008 2010 2012 2014

Pe

rce

nt

Year

Past 30 Day Marijuana Use• The percent of 9th and

11th grade Oakland County students in 2014 who report having used marijuana in the past 30 days is not statistically different from the percent reported having used before medical marijuana was legalized (2008).

Perception of Harm for MarijuanaOakland County (MiPHY) – Grades 9 & 11

7264.3

58.7

49.5

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

2008 2010 2012 2014

Pe

rce

nt

Year

Regular Marijuana UseModerate or Great Risk• 9th and 11th grade

students in Oakland County in 2014 were 2.5 times less likely to report regular marijuana use to be a moderate or great risk than before the legalization of medical marijuana in Michigan (2008).

* The regular marijuana use question is asked slightly different in 2014 than previous years (regular use versus once or twice a week).

‘Big Marijuana’

Can we trust companies andbig Corporations not to target

youth and the vulnerable?

Big Tobacco = Big Business- Rely on addiction for profit

- Prey on disadvantaged communities

Long-time MarijuanaActivists and Investors

Steve DeAngelo owns the Harborside Health Center in California with annual sales over $30 million. He is also the President of the ArcviewGroup.

Troy Dayton is the CEO of the Arcview group, which is a venture capital group focused on legal marijuana business investments.

So What’s Happening

in Colorado?

Track, track, track!

www.legalizationviolations.com

Reporting car crashes, youth use, advertising, workplace and other costs

Nussbaum et al., Am J Psychiatry 168:778-781

2008

1st stores

2009

700 stores3.5% adults have MMJ license

2012

Legalized

2014

Stores open

Medical Marijuana passes

2001 2005

Denver legalizes

Colorado Legalization

Traffic Fatalities+ for Marijuana

1.1

4.2 4.14.5

5.9

10

0

3

6

9

12

1994 2009 2011

N o MMJ Colorado

U.S. Postal Inspection Service- parcel packages intercepted

Marijuana Taxes

33,500,000

12,000,000

0

5,000,000

10,000,000

15,000,000

20,000,000

25,000,000

30,000,000

35,000,000

40,000,000

Projected Jan '14 -June '14 Actual Jan. '14 - June '14

• Legislative economists in 2012 estimated the sales and excise taxes on retail pot would bring in $67 million in the 2014-15 fiscal year,and in March, they dropped that estimate to $54 million. Now they have dropped that estimate even further – to $30.6 million. (Colorado Fiscal Institute)

• Money is mainly going to help prevent harms of increased use under the new policy - $103.5 million of proposed tax revenue earmarked for prevention/treatment/education over 2-year period.

Early Indications in Colorado

• When asked, 10% of non-using youth said they would use, according to 10,000-student survey by an NYU researcher, published in peer-reviewed journal (Palamaret al, International Journal of Drug Policy)

• “Students Find Way to Sneak Marijuana Into Class”

• “Colorado students who ingested marijuana edibles treated at hospital”

• “Marijuana candy at Colorado middle school”

• “Marijuana superstore proposed in Eagle, Colorado”

Increased teen use

Marijuana use among Colorado teens is currently:

• fifth highest in the nation

• 50% above national average

10.7%

7.6%Colorado

National averageNSDUH, 2013

Distribution to minors

2007-2009 2010-2012

Drug-related referrals for high school students testing positive for marijuana increased

Average of 17.3% per year between 2010 to 2012

Average 5.6% of students per year between 2007 and 2009

Rose by over 150%

Rocky Mountain HIDTA, 2013

Distribution to minors

In 2007, tests positive for marijuana made up 33% of the total drug

screenings, by 2012 that number increased to 57%

Rocky Mountain HIDTA, 2013

Long-term, regular use of marijuana—starting in the teen years—may impair brain development and lower IQ, meaning the brain may not reach its full potential.

Harmful effects onmental health

Increased risk of mental illness

• Schizophrenia (6 fold)

• Psychosis

• Depression

• Anxiety

Andréasson S, Allebeck P, Engström A, Rydberg U. , 1987; Arseneault, L., 2002

Increased Potency

Today’s marijuana is not the marijuana of the 1960s.

In the past 15 years, marijuana potency has tripled and since 1960

it has grown 5 times stronger.

Medical marijuana is easily diverted to youth

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

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

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

While the total number of car crashes declined from 2007 to 2011, the number of fatal car crashes with drivers testing positive for marijuana rose sharply.

500

550

600

650

700

750

800

850

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Total car crashes

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Crashes with high drivers

Colorado Dept. of Transportation

Increased ER admissionsRise in marijuana-related ER visits from 2006 and 2012:

200%

60%

92%

Under 5 6 to 12 13 to 14

• 200% for kids under 5

• 60% for kids 6-12

• 92% for kids 13-14

Rocky Mountain HIDTA, 2013

According to a special report by

NBC News, the Animal Poison Control Center

has reported a 30 percent jump in the number

of calls reporting house pets suffering from

marijuana poisoning. The center said that

since 2009 these phone calls have risen from

213 to 320.Rocky Mountain HIDTA Vol. 2/August 2014

Colorado in 2014

• Colorado allowed retail sales to begin on January 1st

• Several stores opened for business

How did the first week go?

• Colorado marijuana store owner declares that the “high school senior” is his ideal target customer.

• State of Colorado is supposed to be IDing/tagging marijuana plants – but they weren’t ready on Day 1; sales went on anyway.

• Colorado marijuana already going to neighbor states as documented by users on Reddit.com

Tackling the issue

- Both Alcohol and Marijuana have risks associated with use

- Liver Problems? Alcohol

- Violence? Alcohol

- Lung issues? Marijuana

- IQ, school performance? Marijuana

- Driving? Both

What is the point?

Alcohol policy is broken;

but if your right arm is broken,

Do you break your left one in order to be consistent?

CAN YOU TELL THE DIFFERENCE?

NEITHER CAN YOUR KIDS.

“We don’t want another Big Tobacco.”

“Colorado is not going well.”

“Legalization brings with it marijuana candies and sodas that target kids.”

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