Marijuana The Blunt Truth
Joe Burton Prevention Specialist Keystone Substance Abuse Services
Danielle Center, MPH, MCHES Prevention Coordinator Keystone Substance Abuse Services
Marijuana = Cannabis
Cannabinoids-chemical compounds that interact with receptors in the brain cells and repress the release of neurotransmitters in the brain Delta 9 Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) –active psychedelic compound Cannabidiol (CBD)- oil extract used to treat seizure disorders Varieties include Sativa, Indica, and Ruderalis (has the highest prevalence of CBD)
Sativa vs. Indica
Indica Sativa
Sativa Indica Origin Mexico, Thailand, Afghanistan, and certain Turkey, and African countries Morocco Description taller and thinner short and wide plant Height 6 feet (25 feet for 3 feet outdoor plants) Effect/High Greater high; Strongest “energetic” analgesic effect; “couch-locked” Marijuana vs. Hemp
Hemp is a strain of the Cannabis Sativa plant (Cannabis Sativa L) Hemp producers use the stalk and the seeds to make products for industrial use (ex. Rope. Lotions, Detergents, Papers, etc.) Marijuana producers use the flowers/buds Hemp has a low THC content (0.3%-1.5% THC) Marijuana has a higher THC content (5%-10% and higher)
Marijuana Hash Hash Oil
420 710 Slang terms Marijuana K Loud Pack Gas
Butane Hash Oil Honey Oil Budder Earwax Shatter
Joints, Blunts, Bongs Vaping Edibles Baked Goods Candy Drinks Lotions Ways to Consume Marijuana
Smoking Joints, Blunts, Bongs Vaping Edibles Baked Goods Candy Drinks Lotions Vaping
E-Cigarettes mCigs JuJu Joints 150 hits Strain of marijuana oil Does not need to be recharged
Edibles
Ways to Consume Ways to Consume Ways to Consume
Dabbing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqcwF Jp0bZg
South Carolina Marijuana What’s next? Health Risks
Addiction Cognitive Impairment Respiratory Effects Mental Health Problems Societal Problems Addiction: “I never knew I was addicted, until I tried to stop.”
14 Estimates from Average THC and CBD Levels in the US: research suggest 1960 - 2011 12 that about 9% of
users become 10 addicted.
8 Increases to about 17% among young 6 CBD: users and 25-50% NON- among daily users. Psychoactive 4 MARIJUANA MARIJUANA POTENCY Ingredient Today’s marijuana is 4x stronger than 2 in 1960 and as 0 much as 18x
stronger for
1998 2001 2004 2007 1965 1970 1974 1978 1980 1983 1984 1985 1986 1990 1992 1993 1995 1996 1997 1999 2000 2002 2003 2005 2006 2008 2009 2010 2011 1960 marijuana edibles
Mehmedic et Cognitive Impairment
Memory Ability Visuomotor Skills Oculomotor control Use of Cannabis during neurodevelopmental periods can alter brain structure and function
Source: Shrivastava, Johnson & Tsuang, 2011 The Brain and Marijuana Brain structure Regulates THC Effect of User Amygdala Emotions, fear anxiety Panic/paranoia Basal ganglia Planning/starting a Slowed reaction time movement Brain Stem Information between brain Anti-nausea effects and spinal column Cerebellum Motor coordination, balance Impaired coordination
Hippocampus Learning new information Impaired memory Hypothalamus Eating, sexual behavior Increased appetite Neo Cortex Complex thinking, feeling Altered thinking, and movement judgment and sensation Nucleus Motivation and reward Euphoria (feeling good) Accumbens Spinal cord Transmission of information Altered pain sensitivity between body and brain The brain structures listed above all contain high numbers of CB receptors. Marijuana Use and Educational Outcomes
Marijuana interferes with: Attention Motivation Memory Learning
Regular heavy marijuana use by teens can lead to an IQ drop of up to 8 points
Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse Respiratory Effects
Mental Health Problems
Can worsen symptoms of anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and paranoia (psychosis) Including shortness of breath and heart palpitations Schizophrenia- increased risk of developing illness, including individuals with close family relatives with severe mental disorders Negative impact- missing more appointments and having more difficulty with medical adherence
Source: National Alliance on Mental Illness. Marijuana and Mental Illness. Retrieved from www.nami.org. 2013. Marijuana Laws
Federal Law
The federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug — one with a high potential for abuse and no currently accepted medical use and criminalizes the acts of prescribing, dispensing, and possessing marijuana for any purpose (Hoffman and Weber, 2010). 5 Steps to Legalization of Marijuana
Step 1: Legalization of Industrial Hemp Step 2: Legalization of Cannabidiol (CBD Oil) for Medical Purposes Step 3: Legalization of Medical Marijuana Step 4: Decriminalization Step 5: Legalization of Recreational Use
State “Medical” Marijuana Laws vs. Federal Law
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not recognized or approved the marijuana plant as medicine (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2015).
“Medical” Marijuana
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has concluded that smoking marijuana is not recommended for any long-term medical use, and a subsequent IOM report declared that, “marijuana is not modern medicine.” Additionally, the American Medical Association, the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society do not believe that the scientific evidence on therapeutic use of the drug meets the current standard of prescribed medicine.
Source: Office of National Drug Control Policy, www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov “Medical” Marijuana Uses
Glaucoma Nausea HIV/AIDs (weight gain) Chronic Pain Inflammation Multiple Sclerosis Epilepsy Any other condition approved by the state health department Where is SC in the legalization process?
Step 1: Legalization of Industrial Hemp- passed June 2, 2014
Step 2: Legalization of Cannabidiol (CBD Oil) for Medical Purposes- passed June 2, 2014
Step 3: Legalization of Medical Marijuana- stalled in Spring 2015
Step 4: Decriminalization – stalled in Spring 2015
Step 5: Legalization of Recreational Use
Legal products in SC
In Charleston, there In Greenville, is now e-juice energy drink that being sold contains cannabis. containing CBD. Medical Marijuana in South Carolina?
Use of low-THC for certain medical conditions State protect qualifying patients, designated caregivers, and physicians from arrest, prosecution, and certain penalties To create dispensaries Allow certain entities to conduct research on cannabidiol and low-THC DHEC to facilitate proper techniques for handing and testing of marijuana-infused products A registered patient may only have up to: 2 ounces of a usable form of marijuana Up to 6 marijuana plants, with three or fewer being mature Registered patients and caregivers may cultivate marijuana only in an enclosed facility and may acquire marijuana only from registered dispensaries or from one another.
Putting it into Perspective
How much is one ounce of marijuana? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=md- qm5wwBFk&feature=youtu.be&utm_source =July+Eblast+2015+- +Email+Marketing&utm_campaign=E- blast+-+Email+MKT&utm_medium=email
Dispensaries
The dispensary model of medical marijuana sales is not a safe and appropriate means of conducting business in a manner that preserves public health and should not be used. Any substance approved for medicinal purpose should be prescribed on a legal doctor script and dispensed through a licensed pharmacy. Doctor’s cannot prescribe marijuana, as it is not provided by a pharmacy and therefore, a script does not exist.
Do these look like Medical ads? The Pro-Marijuana Movement
*supports the development of a legally controlled market for *“The Drug Policy cannabis."(NORML Alliance is the nation's policy statement on *MPP is the largest leading organization personal use) organization in the U.S. that's focused promoting drug *NORML SC Chapter solely on ending policies that are 2025 Marion St. marijuana prohibition. grounded in science, Columbia, SC compassion, health Source: Marijuana and human rights.” Policy Project; Source: National Organization http://www.mpp.org/ for the Reform of Marijuana Source: Drug Policy Alliance; Laws; http://norml.org http://www.drugpolicy.org/ The Great Social Experiment
Impact on Colorado: Usage Youth College Age Adult 12-17 years old 18-25 years old 26+ years old • National average for • National average for • National average for marijuana use was 7.15%, marijuana use was marijuana use was 5.45%, Colorado’s average was 18.91%, Colorado’s was Colorado’s average was 11.16 %(2013). 29.05%(2013). 10.13%(2013). • In just one year when • In just one year when • In just one year when Colorado legalized Colorado legalized Colorado legalized marijuana, past month marijuana, past month marijuana, past month use among those ages marijuana use among marijuana use among 12-17 years old increased college-age use adults increased 32.8%. 6.6 %. increased 8.4%. • In 2003 the number of • For the 2013-2014 • Ranked 2nd in the nation positive THC urinalyses for academic year, for current marijuana use adults was 3,099 percentage of total among college-age compared to 2014 where expulsions for marijuana adults. the number of positive was 41.9% compared to THC urinalyses was expulsions for alcohol 33,303. which was 2.7%. Impact on Colorado: Impaired Driving
77 percent of total DUIDs involved marijuana(2014) 41 percent of total DUIDs involved marijuana only(2014) In 2013, the number of positive THC 2ng/mL or higher was 1,948-compared to the number in 2009 which was only 220.
Source: The Legalization of Marijuana In Colorado: The Impact, Volume 3, Preview 2015, Executive Summary, Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Impact on Colorado: Exposure
In one year, when marijuana retail businesses began operating, marijuana- only related exposures increased 72%.
The average percent of marijuana exposures ages 0 to 5 went from 5.95% in 2013 to 17.71% in 2014.
There was a 400% increase in the number of THC infused edible exposures in children between 2013 (19) and 2014 (95).
Source: The Legalization of Marijuana In Colorado: The Impact, Volume 3, Preview 2015, Executive Summary, Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Impact on Colorado: ER Related Visits
The highest rates from 2011-2013 of marijuana related ER/hospital visits were among young adults ages 18-25. Through January 2014 to June 2014, the number of visits where marijuana was likely a causal or strong contributing factor for the reason of the visit was 553,000. In Denver City and County, there were around 415 per 100,000 marijuana related ER visits between 2011 and 2013.
Source: The Legalization of Marijuana In Colorado: The Impact, Volume 3, Preview 2015, Executive Summary, Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Impact on Colorado: Hospitalization
Hospitalizations related to marijuana: 2011- 6,305 2012- 6,715 2013- 8,272 2014- 11,439 When retail marijuana businesses began operating, there was an 38% increase in the # of marijuana related hospitalizations in one year. Impact on Colorado: Crime
Marijuana Related Incidents (Denver) 2012- 223 2013- 239 2014- 272
Source: The Legalization of Marijuana In Colorado: The Impact, Volume 3, Preview 2015, Executive Summary, Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area You, Your Child, and Marijuana Is my teen using marijuana? Declining school work and grades Abrupt change in friends Abnormal health issues or sleeping habits Deteriorating relationships with family Less openness and honesty
Signs of marijuana use
Red eyes Dry mouth Decreased coordination Difficulty concentrating or remembering Slowed reaction time Paranoid thinking What do I do?
Be honest if the topic comes up Listen openly to what they have to say Be calm and positive Put yourself in their shoes Know the facts Don’t lecture!
Marijuana The Blunt Truth
Joe Burton Prevention Specialist [email protected] 803-324-4118
Danielle Center, MPH, MCHES Prevention Coordinator [email protected] 803-324-4118