The Social Experiment Impact of Marijuana Legalization on
Society
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Marijuana History First recorded reference 2737 BC by Chinese
Emporor Shen Nung Used as intoxicant Also used as medicine gout,
rheumatism and absent-mindedness India Muslims used it as
intoxicant Alcohol is forbidden in the Koran Reached Europe in 500
AD Hashish introduced in 12 th Century Iran and Central Africa
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Introduced by the Spanish in 1611 Used as cash crop (hemp)
1920s caught on in U.S. Jazz clubs and tea pads Reefer songs
Marijuana was not considered a social threat MARIJUANA IN THE
US
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Funded by a church group 68 minutes long All smoke marijuana
Pedestrian killed Pre-marital sex Attempted rape Friends kill one
another Insanity Put in criminal asylum End of movie This could
happen to your son and your daughter, etc TELL YOUR CHILDREN!
REEFER MADNESS The Movie - 1936
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What Happened Next? 1937 Marijuana Tax Act Uptick in marijuana
use Prohibitive tax on cultivation Made federally illegal in a
sense
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Marijuana 1970s and 1980s DEA created Schedule I drug by
President Nixon 11 states decriminalized 1972 War on Drugs
President Nixon 1976 national parents group organizations targeted
marijuana 1986 Just Say No by Nancy Reagan
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The New Reefer Madness?
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Marijuana Today 23 States Legalized for Medicine 10 States CBD
2 Recreational Marijuana Marijuana Changes Higher THC 3% in 1970s
and 1980s THC Now Average 12% Edibles Dabbing/Wax
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Marijuana Status (Medicinal) - 23 States and DC California 1996
Alaska 1998 Oregon 1998 Washington 1998 Maine 1999 Colorado 2000
Hawaii - 2000 Nevada 2000 Montana 2004 Vermont 2004 Rhode Island
2006 New Mexico - 2007 Michigan 2008 Arizona 2010 DC 2010 New
Jersey 2010 Delaware 2011 Connecticut 2012 Massachusetts - 2012
Illinois 2013 New Hampshire 2013 Maryland 2014 Minnesota 2014 New
York - 2014
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Marijuana Status (CBD) - 10 States Alabama Florida Iowa
Kentucky Mississippi Missouri South Carolina Tennessee Utah
Wisconsin
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Cannabidiol Medications Children with Seizure Issues Charlottes
Web (Charlotte Figi) Epidiolex (GW Pharmaceuticals) Mixed Success
with Epidiolex Scant results with Charlottes Web Epilepsy
Foundation Need for more testing Georgia HB885 failed GW
Pharmaceuticals and Georgia Regents
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Marijuana Status (Recreational) Colorado Washington
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How Much Can I Possess Legally? ColoradoWashington Colorado
January 1, 2014 2 oz. patient/1 oz. citizen oz. visitor/non-citizen
Infused products cant contain nicotine or alcohol Can make multiple
visits daily. 25% tax rate 136 stores Can give it away to a person.
Can grow your own (3 plants) Medical can switch to recreational
shops Could have it delivered Smoke in homes, including front porch
Washington July 8, 2014 1 oz. any person 16 oz. solid infused
product 72 oz. liquid infused product No language on
alcohol/nicotine 25% tax at each level 334 stores Cant give it away
Cant grow it Medical may disappear Could have it delivered Smoke in
home or clubs 25% of hotel rooms can be marijuana rooms.
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HIDTA Qualifying Criteria Significant center of illegal drug
production, manufacturing, importation, or distribution; State,
local, and tribal law enforcement agencies have committed resources
to respond to the drug trafficking problem in the area, thereby
indicating a determination to respond aggressively to the problem;
Drug-related activities in the area are having a significant
harmful impact in the area and in other areas of the country; and A
significant increase in allocation of Federal resources is
necessary to respond adequately to drug related activities in the
area.
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Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA)
REPORT Created to: Utilize a comparison of 3 different eras in
Colorados legalization history 2006-2008: Early medical marijuana
era 2009-2012: Medical marijuana expansion era 2012 present: MM
expansion and recreational use era
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Rocky Mountain HIDTA Report Subjects covered: Driving
Fatalities Colorado Youth Marijuana Use Colorado Adult Marijuana
Use Colorado Emergency Room Marijuana Admissions Diversion of
Colorado Marijuana (General) Diversion of Colorado Marijuana (In
the mail)
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Colorado HIDTA Report Colorado serves as experimental lab
Wanted to look at validity of pro-pot claims: Eliminate arrests
Free up law enforcement resources Reduce traffic fatalities alcohol
to marijuana No increase in use tightly regulated Added revenue
Reduce profits for the cartels
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Green rush? 2000-20082009-Present 5,993 patient applications
4,800 cardholders No retail stores Regulations of five patients per
caregiver Only 55% designated a caregiver End of 2009, 38,000
additional applications. 41,000 cardholders 2012 532 licensed
dispensaries 2012 108,000 patients 94% of cardholders for severe
pain Denver - More dispensaries than pharmacies or liquor
stores
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Section 1: Car Crashes and Fatalities Overall Nationally: 2009
- 32,367 traffic fatalities Lowest level since 1949 Down almost 2%
Traffic crashes in 2010 2,239,000 injured Traffic crashes in 2011
2,217,000 injured 2002 2,930,000 traffic injuries 24% decrease
NHTSA and Federal Highway Administration
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Car crashes and fatalities Federal Highway Administration
estimates: Per person costs (medical and lost productivity): $3.2
million cost per traffic fatality $68,700 cost per traffic
crash
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Car crashes and fatalities Nationally, alcohol-related traffic
fatalities down 2.5% (10,136 to 9,878) Alcohol-related driving
accounts for 31% of all traffic fatalities
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Common theme
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What others say NIDA - After alcohol, THC (delta-9-
tetrahydrocannabinol), the active ingredient in marijuana, is the
substance most commonly found in the blood of impaired drivers,
fatally injured drivers, and motor vehicle crash victims. British
Medical Journal - Drivers who smoke marijuana within a few hours of
driving are almost twice as likely to get into an accident as sober
drivers.
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Teen drivers Liberty Mutual/SADD survey 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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DUID Marijuana Detected 2009 791 THC positives 2010 1489 THC
positives 2011 2030 THC positives Source Colorado Department of
Public Health and the Environment
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Colorado hidta report fatalities 2007-2012 Traffic fatalities
decreased 14% 2007-2012 Traffic fatalities involving drivers
testing positive for marijuana increased 100% In 2007, Colorado
traffic fatalities involving operators testing positive for
marijuana represented 7.04 percent of the total traffic fatalities.
By 2012, that number more than doubled to 16.53 percent
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Fatalities Involving Operators Testing Positive for
Marijuana
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Colorado HIDTA report - Fatalities 2006 positive for pot -28%
of fatal vehicle crashes involving drugs 2011 positive for pot 56%
of fatal vehicle crashes involving drugs
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HIDTA Report Stats Columbia University School of Public Health
car crash is 2.7 times higher for pot users NHTSA (2009) more
people driving on weekends under the influence of marijuana (8.3%)
compared to alcohol (2.2%)
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Section 2 Marijuana and Youth Youth Risk Behavior Study (CDC -
2011) More kids said they have smoked marijuana (23%) than
cigarettes (18%)
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Youth perception of marijuana "It is harmless and natural, it
is only an herb, and it won't affect me long-term" "It is not
addictive" "It doesn't hurt me as much as smoking tobacco" "It
makes me feel calm" "It doesn't affect my thinking or my grades"
"It's safe because it is used as medicine for cancer and other
diseases"
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Youth Marijuana Use Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Maine,
Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico & Vermont
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Youth Marijuana Use Age 12-17
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Marijuana Colorado Expulsions
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Is marijuana harmful to youth? Memory loss Distorted perception
Trouble with thinking Problem solving issues Loss of motor skills
Increased hearth rate 2013 study Higher stroke risk
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Harmful to youth? recent studies Marijuana is addictive New
Zealand study 8 point IQ loss Schizophrenia and psychosis -
Marijuana use during adolescence and young adulthood increases the
risk of psychotic symptoms, while continued cannabis use may
increase the risk for psychotic disorder in later life - Maastricht
University Medical Center in the Netherlands
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Mount Sinai Study Review of 120 studies of youth marijuana use
Findings include: Marijuana as a safe drug is scientifically
inaccurate More studies needed to accurately understand adolescent
cannabis use on brain development Association between cannabis use
and subsequent addiction to heavy drugs Association between
cannabis use and psychosis Other genetic behaviors factor into
later drug use
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Section 2 Colorado Youth Marijuana use Used 30-day data and is
classified as current use Grades 9-12 primary source of information
for data Most data was from 2006-2011
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Colorado youth marijuana use Youth ages 12-17 National average
of current use 7.55% Colorado average of current use 10.47% If
Denver Public High Schools were considered a state, that state
would have the highest past month marijuana use rate in the US,
behind New Hampshire. - Dr. Christian Thurstone, Denver Health
Medical Center
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Daily marijuana use 12 th graders NationalColorado 6.6%
reported using marijuana daily 7.8% reported using more than 40
times per month Another 2.9% reported using between 20 and 39 times
a month
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Section 3 Colorado Adult Marijuana Use Who Cares?
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Colorado adult use Reasons that people say, Who Cares?
Marijuana will stop senseless arrests Why do I care if someone
smokes a little pot? Regulate it and tax it money for the
state
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Stop arresting people for pot PerceptionReality People are
arrested for having a joint in their pocket 0.7% of all state
inmates were behind bars for marijuana possession only (with many
of them pleading down from more serious crimes).i In total, one
tenth of one percent (0.1 percent) of all state prisoners were
marijuana-possession offenders with no prior sentences. The vast
majority (99.8%) of federal prisoners sentenced for drug offenses
were incarcerated for drug trafficking. Alcohol is responsible for
2.6 million arrests, a million more than for all illicit drugs
combined.
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Why do I Care if someone smokes a little pot? Addiction
Services Maintain Healthy Lifestyle (Prevention, Treatment and
Recovery) Business Bottom line and workforce safety issues
Childrens Services agencies Parent readiness and safety of child
Colleges Financial aid and retention Education Testing requirements
Law Enforcement Public safety and officer/employee issues
Legislators Budget/jobs and then election-time issues
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Positive results increased by 5.7% since 2011 Marijuana most
frequently for positive tests
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Colorado Estimated 15% of Colorados workforce is a current pot
user (350,000 working adults)
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What pot means for business #1 reason for failed drug test
Scientific testing is undefined. How safe is your workforce? Crane
operators, bus drivers, teachers, accountant, etc. Marijuana
compromises: Hand/eye coordination Cognitive judgment Psycho motor
reactions
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What pot means for business Drug Use Impacts: increased
absences, tardiness, accidents, workers' compensation claims,
productivity and job turnover 3.6 times the accidents on the job 5
times the accidents off the job Which then effects: BWC rates
Insurance coverage HR responsibilities
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Regulate it and tax it 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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Colorado adult marijuana use Past month marijuana use (26+)
National average 4.8% Colorado average 8.19% 2008 5.32% 2011 8.19%
54% increase in 3 years
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Section 4 Colorado ER Admissions
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Safety as proclaimed from above
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Is safety only measured through Deaths? Internet safety
Workplace safety Dating safety
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Marijuana can be dangerous for: Has anyone ever died from an
overdose NO! However Children Adults Pets Can have real safety
issues
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Colorado ER Visits Isnt marijuana safe? Panic attacks Falls
Accidents Delusions Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome extreme
stomach pain and violent vomiting
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Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome Identified in 2009 Cannabis
use for years and on a weekly basis Began young Symptoms Severe
nausea and vomiting Vomiting in cycle over a few months Colicky
abdominal pain Short Term Fix Immersion in hot water Long Term Fix
Quit cannabis use
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Dangerous for Fido? 2012 issue of the Journal of Veterinary
Emergency and Critical Care Marijuana toxicosis cases at two
Colorado veterinary hospitals quadrupled during 2005- 2009
Researchers reported two dogs died after eating baked goods
containing marijuana. Falling over/uncoordinated Hallucinations
with barking or agitation Seizures or even coma
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marijuana er visits 2009 Marijuana was involved in 376,467 ER
visits (NIDA) Higher rates for males Out of all illicit drugs,
marijuana was most common in 18-20 year olds Alcohol 658,263 (32%
of all ER visits) Alcohol and marijuana combination 125,438
visits
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COLORADO ER VISITS From 2011 through 2013, there was a 57
percent increase in marijuana-related emergency room visits.
Hospitalizations related to marijuana have increased 82 percent
from 2008 to 2013.
Meet Claude Black Cherry Gummy Bear THC Infused 100 milligrams
of THC per bear Colorado law 10 mg per serving Foot = one serving
10 bears per bag
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Colorado ER Visits In 2011, Marijuana-related incidents
accounted for 26% of total ER visits. 2005 rate was 20%. 2010 Ten
month old twins ate marijuana infused trail mix. JAMA Pediatrics
The consequences of unintentional marijuana exposure in children
should be part of the ongoing debate on the legalization of
marijuana.
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Section 6: colorado marijuana diversion Amendment 64: Amendment
64 would regulate marijuana and restrict its sale to licensed
stores, as we currently do with alcohol. Under Amendment 64,
marijuana sales will be conducted in a regulated market in which
checks for proof of age are mandatory and strictly enforced.
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SECTION 6: DIVERSION OF COLORADO MARIJUANA Top States to Which
Colorado Marijuana Was Destined in 2012: Kansas (37) Missouri (30)
Illinois (22) Texas (18) Wisconsin (18) Florida (16) Nebraska (13)
Iowa (10) 37 states were destined to receive Colorado weed!
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Where is the regulation? 54 4157 58 92 321 274 2005-2012 407%
Increase in Interdiction Seizures
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How much was seized 2005-2008 Average # of pounds seized: 2,220
pounds 2009-2012 Average # of pounds seized: 3,937 pounds (77%
increase) 7,008 pounds seized in 2012 Top three counties of
marijuana origins 1. Denver (141) 2. Boulder (27) 3. El Paso
(24)
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Pounds of marijuana seizures 1,623 3,416 3,708 7,008
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Interdictions 102 Pounds to Orlando, FL Dispensary Owner Pays
for Delivery Trips to Omaha 476 Pounds Destined for Wisconsin
Marijuana Edibles Destined for Texas and Ohio Neighboring States to
Bill Colorado?
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How much is a pound of Marijuana? Marijuana.com 54 joints per
ounce 16 oz. x 54 joints = 864 +
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Cheyenne county (NE) Sheriff John Jensen claims legalizing
marijuana in Colorado changed local drug trafficking in a way not
seen in his 17 years of law enforcements. Now you have
dispensaries, you have grow houses in neighboring states that are
growing a much better product.
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Drug Runners
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USPS
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Colorado Diversions via the US Mail? United States Postal
Inspection Service (USPIS) Prohibited Mailing of Narcotics database
(PMN) database. Sgt. Brad Williams, Chicago Police Dept. At least
50% of everything I get is from one of those states where it is
legal to grow (CO and CA)Officers seize at least one package coming
from these states every day.
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Diverstions through the USPS
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Diversions through the usps 57 68
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Diversions through the usps 10 24 29 23
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Top Ten destinations IIlinois Texas Florida Ohio Minnesota
Maryland Iowa Massachusetts Kansas Virginia
Slide 84
Contact information Tony Coder Drug Free Action Alliance 6155
Huntley Road, Suite H Columbus, OH 43229
[email protected] 614-540-9985
www.DrugFreeActionAlliance.org/marijuana
