Decision Time for NEW JERSEY Pushing back against marijuana commercialization. Kevin A. Sabet, PhD

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1 Decision Time for NEW JERSEY 2018 Pushing back against marijuana commercialization State Contact: Grace Hanlon Kevin A. Sabet, PhD 1

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3 Groups SAM Have Collaborated With American Society of Addiction Medicine American Academy of Pediatrics American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Other leading public health authorities Over 30 state affiliates, including: Treatment centers Recovery groups Prevention organizations Law enforcement Leading medical authorities Volunteer citizens 3

4 The false dichotomy: Legalization OR incarceration? vs Icons: Ddigital Innovation, FR; Iconathon; Edward Boatman (The Noun Project) 4

5 Three separate issues that often get conflated 1 Penalizing drug users/ decriminalization 2 3 Medicinal use of compounds derived from marijuana/other drugs Legalization of marijuana or other drugs for non-medical use 5

6 Wide Support in NJ Murphy's call for legalizing weed meets opposition -- from fellow Dems in Senate Murphy's home county is just saying no to legal weed Legal weed in New Jersey not a slam dunk for Gov. Murphy and Democrats 6

7 The Bottom Line - Summary Legalization is funded by Washington D.C. special interests who just want to get rich at the expense of you and your children. Legalization would allow pot shops in your neighborhoods where your children live to sell kid-friendly pot products like lollipops and gummy bears that are easily mistaken for ordinary candy. Since Colorado legalized marijuana, first time youth pot use by youth is now #1 in the nation and more than 50% higher than the national average. More minority kids are being arrested for pot in CO than before legalization. A poll by FDU in NJ found legalization is not supported by a majority of NJ residents. 7

8 Also, very importantly: Legalization would permit pot products with very high potency levels, which has led to many more marijuana poisoning cases in states with legalized pot. So it s not about public safety, but about marketing a harmful drug for profit. Studies show teenagers who regularly use marijuana have lower IQ, higher dropout rates, and do worse on college entrance exams. At a time when skilled graduates are needed to fill NJ jobs, we can t afford to fall any further. In the time of an opiate epidemic, drug legalization is the last thing we need. 8

9 Localities Are Pushing Back Point Pleasant Beach, NJ Ordinance to ban sales of medical and recreational marijuana. Monmouth County, NJ Resolution urging Governor Murphy and the New Jersey Legislature against legalizing recreational marijuana. 9

10 Not This Source: 3CCannabis 10

11 ource: Marijuana Business Journal; other open source media But This 11

12 Marijuana is not just a plant anymore derivatives contain up to 98% THC 12

13 Billboards Coupons Event sponsorships 13

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15 Cannabinoid Receptors Are Located Throughout the Brain and Regulate a Host of Brain Activity Brain Development Memory & Cognition Motivational Systems & Reward Appetite Immunological Function Reproduction Movement Coordination Pain Regulation & Analgesia Source: NIDA 15

16 The Industry Today Source: Marijuana Business Journal; other media. Icons: Marianna Nardella; Anton Gajosik; Petra Prgomet; Joey Golaw; Creative Stall; Luis Prado; Aha-Soft 16

17 What do we get with current legalization Commercialization CO now #1 youth use first-time rate in the country Rampant advertising/commercialization A thriving underground market white, grey, and black. Promotion of Special Interests THC caps have failed (State of CO) Limit on # and location of stores have failed (Denver) Money diverted to general fund (eg WA) 17

18 Revenue streams already disappoint 18

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39 A final word from Volkow et al in the NEJM: Repeated marijuana use during adolescence may result in long-lasting changes in brain function that can jeopardize educational, professional, and social achievements. However, the effects of a drug (legal or illegal) on individual health are determined not only by its pharmacologic properties but also by its availability and social acceptability. In this respect, legal drugs (alcohol and tobacco) offer a sobering perspective, accounting for the greatest burden of disease associated with drugs not because they are more dangerous than illegal drugs but because their legal status allows for more widespread exposure. Source: 39

40 Crime around marijuana stores? - Legal marijuana shops are linked to higher levels of property crime in nearby areas, according to a nearly three-year study in Denver. - Adjacent areas saw about 84 more property crimes per year than neighborhoods without a nearby marijuana store. - It is the number and density of outlets that is important, not whether they are medical or recreational - There are definitely negative public health consequences, including increased crime, the study author concluded Source :Freisthler, B., Gaidus, A., Tam, C. et al. J Primary Prevent (2017). doi: /s

41 Drug use is forcing CO employers to hire out-of-state employees instead of CO citizens Jim Johnson [construction company GE Johnson s CEO]...said his company has encountered so many job candidates who have failed pre-employment drug tests because of their THC use that it is actively recruiting construction workers from other states. Source: The Gazette, March 24, 2015 ( 41

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43 Tourism Suffering I'm sorry but I would never consider putting attendees in danger by holding a convention in your city wrote one respondent in an Aug. 15, 2015, quoted in the report. The homeless situation is very sad, and public streets reek of weed, the comment added. The Denver police should be more alert to large groups of minors congregating on city streets attacking tourists... I have felt much safer in downtown NYC, Philly, Seattle and Chicago. 43

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45 NAS: Marijuana use is also associated with other physical and mental health issues Respiratory problems, including chronic bronchitis Injuries & deaths from car accidents Overdose injuries in children Low birth weight (where pregnant mother uses) Impaired learning, memory, and attention (including permanent loss of IQ in younger heavy users) Suicide Sources: National Academy of Sciences (2016); Meier et al (2012) 45

46 NAS: Marijuana use is also associated with other physical and mental health issues There is limited evidence of a statistical association between cannabis use and: An increase in positive symptoms of schizophrenia (e.g., hallucinations) among individuals with psychotic disorders(12-2b) The likelihood of developing bipolar disorder, particularly among regular or daily users (12-3) The development of any type of anxiety disorder, except social anxiety disorder (12-8a) Increased symptoms of anxiety (near daily cannabis use) (12-9) Increased severity of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms among individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (12-11) There is no evidence to support or refute a statistical association between cannabis use and: Changes in the course or symptoms of depressive disorders (12-6) The development of posttraumatic stress disorder (12-10) Sources: National Academy of Sciences (2016); Meier et al (2012) 46

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48 Why talk POT During an opiate epidemic? 48

49 Source: NSDUH 49

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52 National Academy of Sciences report 52

53 Opioid Use and the Ecological Fallacy The ecological fallacy has been widely committed when considering marijuana and opioid use. We show that, on an individual-level, medical MJ use is positively correlated with non-medical use of a variety of prescription drugs, including pain relievers, stimulants, and tranquilizers. Positive or negative correlations at the population-level are not always mirrored at the individual-level. Indeed, positive correlations at the population-level can even exist when correlations at the individual-level are negative (or vice versa). While imposing individual-level correlations onto state-level data is enticing, especially when not much individual-level data exists, it is a well-understood logical flaw called the ecological fallacy. 53

54 A final word from Volkow et al in the NEJM: Repeated marijuana use during adolescence may result in long-lasting changes in brain function that can jeopardize educational, professional, and social achievements. However, the effects of a drug (legal or illegal) on individual health are determined not only by its pharmacologic properties but also by its availability and social acceptability. In this respect, legal drugs (alcohol and tobacco) offer a sobering perspective, accounting for the greatest burden of disease associated with drugs not because they are more dangerous than illegal drugs but because their legal status allows for more widespread exposure. Source: 54

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