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The Washington Poison Center (WAPC) experienced another year of increased calls on marijuana exposures and poisonings. In 2016, there were 286 calls related to marijuana exposures*. Over 42% (n=120) of the total calls were regarding individuals 13-29 years who had been exposed to some form of marijuana. Highest marijuana exposure rates in 2016 were King, Spokane, Snohomish, and Pierce counties.

Please review the following information to better understand how alcohol misuse impacts our families:

1. Overview of Alcohol Consequences- NIAAA PowerPoint (easy reading)

Consequences

• Physical Effects: Infectious disease, Cancer, Diabetes, Neuropsychiatric disease, Cardiovascular disease, Liver and pancreas disease, Unintentional and intentional injury Heart, liver, pancreas
• Unintentional and Intentional consequences: fatal crashes, falls, drownings, burns, suicide, stabbing, shooting, HOMICIDE, assault, sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse.
• Social harm: family dysfunction, unemployment, criminal conviction, financial, child & family neglect

Cost of Alcohol Abuse:

• Globally, alcohol is third leading risk factor for premature death and disability
• $223.5 billion in 2006- estimated costs of alcohol abuse in U.S.
• Nearly 60% costs paid by government and others
• 15% of U.S. workforce drinks enough alcohol to lead to workforce impairment

     2.  Teen Theft
Teen shoplifting, liquor a bad mix

• Several Capital High School students agreed with Graham’s assessment, " that teens are taking advantage of it being easier to shoplift liquor" than beer or wine.
• “You’re not an automatic suspect when you walk in a grocery store,” said one student interviewed Tuesday in the school parking lot.

Doubly illegal: Qualitative accounts of underage alcohol access through theft

• … In addition to 9% of respondents who reported stealing alcohol from commercial outlets themselves, a total of 26% respondents reported occasions when their close friends stole alcohol.

       3.  Florida Ranks 3rd in the Nation for DUI Fatalities
2015 DUI Arrest by County
2014 Summary State DUI arrests and Fatalities
      4.  16-18 other states allow hard liquor in grocery store ailses.
               2016 Issue Briefs for State Policymakers- Healthy Alcohol Market

But the complex details on how to get that done is now being hashed out in Tallahassee and as we uncovered, some key lawmakers in Florida's weed wars are already seeing the green from it.

"THC is an addictive drug," said Sen. William Ligon (R-Brunswick) during floor debate.  Its detractors in the Senate say it’s also a danger – not only to its users but also to the state of Georgia.
Ligon warned that higher THC levels in cannabis oil could lead "toward the liberalization of marijuana laws and making it available for recreational use."

Widely viewed as one of the most restrictive medical marijuana laws in the country, New York’s Compassionate Care Act’s list of qualifying conditions is relatively short, no flower or edibles are permitted, and only five registered organizations (ROs) are licensed to manufacture and sell products.
Governor Andrew Cuomo’s administration had initially projected $4 million in medical cannabis tax revenues in 2016. Instead, the state will see about $1 million.

Since medical marijuana as legalized by popular vote and/or legislation is not a prescription drug as many people seem to believe it cannot be sold in drug stores.  This is not an evidence-based medicine and should not be referred to as a medicine. It is not supported by any medical association to include the organizations that proponents claim marijuana cures or helps.
 
Since only 5% of people in other states that have legalized marijuana for medical purposes actually use it as a medicine, I assume many of the same clientele that embraced the accessibly of pills will be in pursuit of marijuana.  I am concerned about the safety of my neighborhood or any neighborhood in the vicinity of a dispensary pot shop.
 
With all the recent medical breakthroughs does anyone really believe there isn’t a safer and evidenced based alternative that we should be offering our loved ones? They deserve better.  

Cannabis potency has risen significantly over the past several decades, with available evidence pointing to an increased risk of Cannabis use disorder, psychosis, acute cognitive impairment, and structural brain changes with use of high-potency Cannabis. Clinicians should consider asking patients who use marijuana about potency to better assess risk of psychiatric adverse effects.

Here are just a few of the health effects you may want to know:

• Marijuana use directly affects the brain—specifically the parts of the brain responsible for memory, learning, and attention.
• The compounds in marijuana can affect the circulatory system and may increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
• Smoking marijuana can lead to a greater risk of bronchitis, cough, and phlegm production.
• Marijuana users are significantly more likely than nonusers to develop chronic mental disorders, including schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a type of mental illness where people might see or hear things that aren't really there (hallucinations).
• Eating foods or drinking beverages that contain marijuana have some different risks than smoking marijuana, including a greater risk of poisoning.
• About 1 in 10 marijuana users will become addicted. For people who begin using before the age of 18, that number rises to 1 in 6.
• Some research shows that using marijuana while you are pregnant[288 KB] can cause health problems in newborns—including low birth weight and developmental problems.
• Marijuana use can slow your reaction time and ability to make decisions when driving[271 KB].

The evidence reviewed by the committee suggests that cannabis use is likely to increase the risk of developing schizophrenia, other psychoses, and social anxiety disorders, and to a lesser extent depression.   Heavy cannabis users are more likely to report thoughts of suicide than non-users, and in individuals with bipolar disorder, near-daily cannabis users show increased symptoms of the disorder than non-users.

http://www.cqstatetrack.com/texis/redir?id=586a677b847&rtype=text&origin...
HB 158 - AS INTRODUCED    2017 SESSION   17-0115   01/09     HOUSE BILL 158
 AN ACT adding opioid addiction to qualifying medical conditions under therapeutic use of cannabis.
 SPONSORS: Rep. Schleien, Hills. 37; Rep. E. Edwards, Hills. 11; Rep. Fisher, Belk. 9; Rep. Zaricki, Hills. 6; Rep. Josephson, Graf. 11
 COMMITTEE: Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs
ANALYSIS
 This bill adds opioid addiction to the qualifying medical conditions under therapeutic use of cannabis.
 Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
17-0115  01/09   STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE  
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Seventeen   AN ACT adding opioid addiction to qualifying medical conditions under therapeutic use of cannabis.   Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
 1  Use of Cannabis for Therapeutic Purposes; Definitions.  Amend RSA 126-X:1, IX(a)(1) to read as follows:
(1)  Cancer, glaucoma, positive status for human immunodeficiency virus, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, hepatitis C currently receiving antiviral treatment, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis, chronic pancreatitis, spinal cord injury or disease, traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, lupus, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, ulcerative colitis, opioid addiction, or one or more injuries that significantly interferes with daily activities as documented by the patient's provider; an
2  Effective Date.  This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

“But the bottom line is that long-term, heavy cannabis use may impair the dopaminergic system, which could have a variety of negative effects on learning and behavior,” said Dr. Anissa Abi-Dargham, professor of psychiatry and a lead author of the paper.
 
“I used to be able to read a book and even after a couple years I would still know most of the book,” she said. “Now I have to read something four or five times to remember.”

Ref: Rules on pot remain hazy
If doctors, dispensaries and patients are confused now just wait until a patient begins to ask their doctor typical questions about ‘medical’ marijuana. Such as:  How often should I take it, for how long, what strength, interactions with other drugs, expected side-effects, driving under the influence, research and validation that it will help specific symptoms, follow-up appointment … and the list goes on.  Most if not all these questions will be impossible to answer from a medical perspective.  Amendment 2 circumvented the science and medical fields.  Many voters seemed to be confused and misled - This was not legalizing a prescription drug but allowing Big Marijuana into our state.  Sounds more like “Pot Luck” than a medication.
In essence, Florida has legalized drug dealers and addicts to recommend marijuana to the 20 million patients who apparently are in dire need of it.  With all the medical breakthroughs does anyone really believe there isn’t something better we could give our loved ones?  That would be the first question I would ask before considering ‘medical’ marijuana.  
As for Monica Russell of Surterra who is “anxiously awaiting” for the implementation of Amendment 2, maybe she needs to take her “own medicine” as I hear it helps with anxiety.
 
Teresa Miller
Community Substance Abuse Volunteer
StopRxDrugAbuse & No2Pot Founder
#ProtectOurFamilies

"Every time we destroy a field ... the locals come back to plant after our personnel has left the area," said Colonel Cipriano Cruz Quiroz, chief of staff of a special narcotics eradication unit based in Badiraguato, Sinaloa state.
 

The answer was cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, or CHS. It’s caused by heavy, long-term use of various forms of marijuana. For unclear reasons, the nausea and vomiting are relieved by hot showers or baths.
“They’ll often present to the emergency department three, four, five different times before we can sort this out,” said Dr. Kennon Heard, an emergency room physician in Aurora, Colorado.

CHS has only been recognized for about the past decade, and nobody knows exactly how many people suffer from it. But as more states move towards the legalization of marijuana, emergency room physicians like Dr. Heard are eager to make sure both doctors and patients have CHS on their radar.

The Medical Examiner’s toxicology report stated that both Lavin and Higgins had THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, in their system. THC is the chemical compound found in marijuana.    

After careful consideration of all comments, the DEA is hereby amending 21 CFR 1308.11(d) to include a new subparagraph (58) which creates a new code number in Schedule I as follows:
“(58) Marihuana Extract—7350
“Meaning an extract containing one or more cannabinoids that has been derived from any plant of the genus Cannabis, other than the separated resin (whether crude or purified) obtained from the plant.”
The creation of this new drug code in the DEA regulations for marihuana extracts allows for more appropriate accounting of such materials consistent with treaty provisions. Such marihuana Start Printed Page 90196extracts remain in Schedule I. Entities registered to handle marihuana (under drug code 7360) that also handle marihuana extracts, will need to apply to modify their registrations to add the new drug code 7350 to their existing DEA registrations and procure quotas specifically for drug code 7350 each year.

"If we don't aggressively seek to limit the use and sale of marijuana, our country and state as we know it will never be the same. Florida will be trading our beautiful white, sandy beaches filled with vacationing families for a hazy, skunk-smelling coastline laden with unemployable, unmotivated homeless people," said Teresa Miller, a drug prevention activist and founder of the "no2pot.org" website.

Research findings on the topic of marijuana use and its impact on people’s health and on society have been mixed; however, in the midst of diverse conclusions, it is essential to err on the side of caution for our community’s youth. According to a publication by the American Psychological Association (APA), short-term marijuana use has been shown to impair attention, memory, learning and decision-making.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-ed/article120529268.html#storylink...

For example, 13 percent of the staff members in the study said they had recommended types of marijuana that are high in levels of THC — marijuana's main psychoactive component — to patients who intended to use the marijuana to treat anxiety, the researchers found. However, previous research has shown that THC may make anxiety worse, Haug told Live Science.
And 7 percent of the staff members recommended THC for treating epilepsy, whereas research has shown that another marijuana compound, called CBD, may work to treat epilepsy, Haug said.
#Scam  Legalized Drug Dealers

In a recent case in Massachusetts, 15-year-old Mathew Borges has been charged with first-degree murder in the decapitation death of a classmate. But you have to read deep into the articles about the case to discover a motive. Police said he told them that he and his victim, Lee Manuel Viloria-Paulino, went away together to “smoke marijuana.” 
Don’t expect our liberal, pro-drug media to draw the obvious connections between marijuana, psychosis and violence.

In Ontario, for instance, a survey released Wednesday by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) found that past-year cannabis use virtually doubled between 1996 and 2015, rising from about eight per cent to almost 15 per cent of respondents.
Significant increases were found among all age groups, but especially among 18- to 29-year-olds, with the proportion of pot smokers jumping from about 18 per cent in 1996 to 38 per cent in 2015

“We see specific morphological changes in the brain to important neurotransmitter systems, and individuals who are exposed to THC early in life show greater sensitivity to opiates than others do,” she said. “We know that the brain definitely adapts to marijuana. It is profoundly changing the receptors and receptor signaling that impact gene expression. And the changes it makes last through adulthood and even into the next generation. So we see that there’s something about the ongoing processes in the developing brain that this drug somehow sensitizes—in the cells, the receptors, and in the signaling cascades—that makes kids more vulnerable to addiction and other problems later.”

“There is a lot of optimism for what components of the marijuana plant may offer on a medicinal level but, like all other drugs, the caveat is that you have to know what it does, what population it can be used for, and who could be vulnerable to its effects. We need a lot more research before we can say anything concrete about its future as a treatment.”

Both of the boys who died in a horrific crash on Olympic View Drive in Edmonds over the summer had THC, the ingredient in marijuana responsible for most of its psychological effects, in their bodies.

Colorado has experienced a significant jump in patients seeking emergency medical treatment for complications related to suspected marijuana use since 2014, when the state legalized the drug for commercial sales, according to a presentation by Denver health officials. Still, marijuana-related emergency department visits represent less than 1 percent of all ER visits, said the officials, who shared their experiences and lessons learned during a phone call with the Boston Public Health Commission.

2015 Stats: Hillsborough County reported 66 alcohol crash fatalities up from 56 in 2014 (17.86% increase) This is the highest number of fatalities in the state. #2 Orange and Duval both 55, #3 Miami Dade 53
Hillsborough also #1 in alcohol-related injuries: 993 and #1 alcohol related-crashes: 1,469
Let's compare next year when legal marijuana hits our highways!
 
 

The Governor is now proposing new and significant budget cuts for this upcoming legislation session in the following areas:  capital construction for our schools, health and human services,  public safety/courts, healthcare including Colorado hospitals, and education including K-12 and higher education.  Areas that have experienced and reported increased negative impacts and/or costs associated with increased marijuana availability/commercialization.  

Areas mentioned where marijuana tax revenues will be spent highlight some of the negative impacts from increased marijuana availability/commercialization, and include:  

"Hiring of more mental health professionals in schools and child welfare caseworkers“

$18 million program to create affordable housing for the homeless" (Denver has reported dramatic increases in student homelessness as has other areas in Colorado.)

Since the legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado in 2013 traffic related marijuana deaths have increased 48%, marijuana related emergency room visits have increased 49%, and marijuana related calls to the poison center have increased 100%. According to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation in 2015 statewide homicides in Colorado rose 14.7% over the previous year.
Pueblo, Colorado had the highest homicide rate with 11.1 killings per 100,000 residents. Aurora, Colorado’s homicide rate more than doubled from 2014. Additionally, more places in Colorado were robbed and more thefts occurred, especially vehicle theft. A total of 193,115 vehicles were reported stolen, up 27.7% in 2015 from the previous year. In 2015, sexual assaults rose 10% in Colorado with Denver, Aurora, Lakewood, Westminster, and Pueblo all reporting higher numbers as well. The letter also notes:
In the city of Denver since the legalization of recreational marijuana the number of crimes in Denver has grown by about 44%, according to annual figures the city reported to the National Incident Based Reporting System. In 2015 in Denver alone crime rose in every neighborhood in the city. The murder rate hit a decade high, 1059 more cars were broken into, there were 903 more auto thefts, 321 more aggravated assaults and 2321 more homes were broken into compared to 2014.

"More than anything, what we have done is provided good, solid evidence that there is a direct link between marijuana policies and education," lead author Andrew Plunk, PhD, from Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk,

The children presented typical signs of intoxication by Δ9-THC (inappropriate laughter, ataxia, reduced attention, and eye redness) after using a CBD-enriched extract. The extract was replaced by the same dose of purified CBD with no Δ9-THC in both cases, which led to improvement in intoxication signs and seizure remission. 

The Marijuana-Opioid Connection

Connection between legalization of marijuana and increase opioid addiction.
The effects of marijuana on the brain of an unborn child. Predisposing children for addiction. Here are the studies cited. 

“Whether it’s a stoned tourist or a stoned resident, our highway and transportation systems will be laden with impaired operators if we allow these dispensaries to set up shop,” warned Teresa Miller if Amendment Two passes next month. “Our county is already No. 1 in the state for DUI arrests and crashes. Do we want to put our families at greater risks by sanctioning more impaired drivers? Do we really want to attempt to regulate a plant that can be grown in someone’s backyard? Do we want pot shops, or palm trees down Dale Mabry?”

Using a quasi-experimental design wherein we assessed cannabis use patterns after the onset of psychosis, we were able to investigate the causal nature of the association between cannabis use and risk of relapse in psychosis. Although it has been proposed that a common genetic liability or reverse causation may underlie the association between continued cannabis use and relapse,13 our results indicate that change in cannabis use represents a robust risk factor for relapse in patients with FEP.

Compassion compels efforts to care for the sick and to alleviate suffering. However, in this pursuit, society must ensure that those in need are not further endangered by exposing them to even greater harm. While there could be beneficial applications to the proposed use of marijuana, voters must carefully assess the risks and anticipated problems involved in amending the Florida Constitution to garner them.http://flaccb.org/news/amendment-2-concerns-to-weigh-before-voting 

As former Florida Supreme Court justices who love Florida and its great Constitution, we urge voters to protect and defend our Constitution and the fundamental principles of representative government by voting "no" on Amendment 2.