Marijuana Legalization. What do we want for Ohio and our Communities?

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1 Marijuana Legalization What do we want for Ohio and our Communities?

2 Ohio - Marijuana News Ohio Rights Group Responsible Ohio Responsible Ohioans Ohioans to End Prohibition

3 Two Policy Considerations 1. DO WE WANT THIS FOR OUR COMMUNITY? 2.IF THIS HAPPENS, WHAT DO WE NEED TO CONSIDER?

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8 Not Just Smoking

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13 Marijuana Edibles Up to 70% THC More potent than smoking (12% THC) THC Levels are inconsistent, even with packaging March 9, 2014 Denver Post testing showed that labels didn t match actual THC level

14 Meet Claude Black Cherry Gummy Bear THC Infused 100 milligrams of THC per bear Colorado law 10 mg per serving Foot = one serving

15 Levy Thamba Pongi Northwest College Ate one marijuana cookie recommended serving size was 1/6 of a cookie. Jumped out of window Autopsy marijuana intoxication was a significant contributing factor. Wyoming College Student

16 Husband ate a marijuana candy Started hallucinating Told wife to shoot him On phone with 911, he killed her Kristine Kirk

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18 Marijuana Wax What is Marijuana Wax? Highest potency of marijuana on the market and quicker high Created by using butane to extract "hash oil" or "butane hash oil (BHO) from marijuana plant Marijuana put in long tube and then heated with butane.

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20 Marijuana Transformation: The High B L O G S H A V E C A L L E D I T T H E F U T U R E O F C A N N A B I S C A N E X C E E D 8 0 % T H C H A L L U C I N A T I O N S I M M E D I A T E H I G H S M O K I N G T A K E S A B O U T 2 0 M I N U T E S D E S C R I B E D A S A N I N T E N S E E X P E R I E N C E, E V E N F O R S E A S O N E D M A R I J U A N A U S E R S

21 Waxing Creation Issues Wax is to marijuana as freebasing is to cocaine Vapors fill room and ignite with a spark Risk of burns and homes blowing up Learn how to cook wax on YouTube FEMA issued bulletin in February to identify BHO production 32 hash oil explosions in Colorado in 2014 and 0 in 2012 Closed Wax System more expensive

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26 Dabbing and Vaping

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48 Grades and Retention Maryland School of Public Health (June, 2013) Study followed 1200 college students over 10 years College students skipped more classes, earned lower grades and dropped out more often Unemployment rates higher after college 15 times or more per month twice as likely to have experience discontinuous enrollment

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51 Teen drivers Liberty Mutual/SADD survey (USA Today Reporting) 19% admitted to driving after smoking marijuana 36% - marijuana smoking no distraction while driving 34% who admitted to smoking while high said it made them a better driver

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55 Link between Marijuana and Mental Illness Since 2002, almost a dozen studies have shown that regular use of marijuana carries a significant increased risk of developing psychotic illnesses like schizophrenia. Higher risk for: Those with a family history of the disorders Those with a psychosis-prone personality Those who start using in early adolescence. Risks increase with potency and frequency of use.

56 Northwestern University Northwestern Medicine at Northwestern University 1. December, 2013 Brain Abnormalities with Chronic Use The younger drug abuse starts, the more abnormal the brain. Of schizophrenia patients surveyed, 90% used before schizophrenia set in 2. April, 2014 Casual Marijuana Use Linked to Brain Abnormalities Changed the volume, shape and density of gray matter in brain effects on decision making I ve developed a severe worry about whether we should be allowing anybody under age 30 to use pot unless they have a terminal illness and need it for pain.

57 Lancet Psychiatry Journal Study Higher potency weed may be linked to increase in likelihood of psychotic episode. Weekly user of high potency weed (15% THC) content were 3 times more likely to be diagnosed with a psychotic episode. Daily use 5 times more likely

58 Business Impact L E GALIZATION A N D EMPLOYERS

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60 Employer Concerns Liability for injuries or damages caused by impaired employees Compliance with state and federal workplace policies OSHA, DOT, safety sensitive positions Worker s Compensation and drug free workplace Hiring, disciplining and firing employees Discrimination language? Guidelines for accommodations and leave requests

61 Colorado Employer Concerns Courts have upheld rights to maintain a drug-free workplace Main problem in Colorado confusion over the law Colorado Staffing Association s ED Jan Haire legalization is a horrible dilemma for our members, because there s no way to know if someone s impaired. Colorado Motor Carrier s Association 15 of 100 tested positive for pot. -Lee Bowman, Scripps 3/23/14

62 Impact on the Community L E GALIZATION A N D C O M M U N ITY CONCERNS

63 Homeless Influx Into Denver? Homeless shelters say increase because of medicinal and legal pot. Up to estimated 30% relocated for marijuana (Denver s Salvation Army Crossroads Shelter) Denver s Saint Francis Center 300 new faces per month many were drawn because of legal marijuana Urban Peak youth-oriented homeless program up 328 homeless young adults. 1/3 cite legal marijuana for moving to Denver

64 Marijuana Taxes Promised a $100 million in taxes Colorado economists estimated $67 million Revised to $58.7 million Tourists account for 90% in resort towns 50% of all sales in Denver 16,000 people licensed to work in Colorado s marijuana industry However, estimated 40% of marijuana sold on black market

65 Taxes Taxes The total overall costs of substance abuse in the U.S., including productivity, health and crime-related costs : $185 billion for alcohol $193 billion for tobacco Federal ($9 billion) and state ($5.5 billion) alcohol taxes raise $14.5 billion. Federal and state tobacco taxes raise $25 billion.

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67 Marijuana and Public Safety ER Admissions 374,000 ER visits due solely to marijuana ER visits increase nationally more than 50% from 2004 to Children s Hospital of Colorado 2.3% of all poisonings of children under 12 were marijuana-related. Colorado - Hospitalizations related to marijuana have increased 82 percent from 2008 to Other Considerations 1000% increase in amounts of marijuana seizures in Denver since % higher rate of use by 8 th graders than the national average 38% reported they got it from a friend who obtained it legally 23% reported they got it from their parents

68 Prison and Marijuana People are not put in prison for small time marijuana use today. Statistics on state-level prisoners reveal that 0.7% of all state inmates were behind bars for marijuana possession only (with many of them pleading down from more serious crimes). Alcohol a legal drug - not cocaine, heroin, or marijuana, is responsible for 2.6 million arrests every year. That is one million more arrests than for all illegal drugs combined.

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70 Questions?

71 Contact Information Jodi Salvo LSW, OCPSII Tuscarawas County Anti-Drug Coalition