I am Sgt Lyle Sinclair with the Bismarck Police, Bismarck ND. I have been an officer with Bismarck Police since 1993 and a K9 handler since 2003. I am currently in charge of the K9 program for Bismarck Police. In 2016 when the Medical Marijuana was passed by popular vote I was in Gilbert AZ at K9 training. I was able to talk to AZ handlers to see how Medical MJ affected their K9 programs. It didn't affect them too much do too strict, well thought out laws. They treat it like alcohol for easy explanation. They investigate until they prove it is a crime or not. Recently I have heard concerns from handlers around the state as to what was going on in Colorado. I know a handler from Colorado Springs who agreed to come to Bismarck and discuss the effects of legal Marijuana sales to not only being a K9 handler but being an officer and a resident of Colorado. This officer, Officer Brian Kelly, gave a three hour power point and class to numerous officers of the state and allowed me to copy his power point. Below are some of the things I found most interesting/disturbing from his class:
In 2000, Colorado became one of the first states to provide an affirmative defense to the limited possession and use of medical marijuana through the passage of Amendment 20. A decade later, the Colorado state legislature approved legislation licensing the commercial production and distribution of medical marijuana.
In November 20121 access to marijuana was further advanced in the state with the passage of Amendment 64 (passed by 10 votes in El Paso County}, which legalized adult possession and use of retail marijuana. Local jurisdictions were given the opportunity to opt out of the sale of medical and/or retail marijuana within their jurisdictional limits. Colorado Springs was one of the largest jurisdictions in Colorado to opt out of the sale of retail marijuana; however, the medical marijuana industry had already developed a significant footprint in the city by the time retail marijuana was legalized statewide. TAX REVENUE One argument has always been is the "tax revenue" legalized sales of Marijuana could bring in. Our state has seen two "oil booms" that also promised such great tax revenues in my life time. With the last oil boom I was working in Law Enforcement and saw some of the boom. I was one of those "not directly affected ones" though meaning I got no oil royalties but also the residual effects on grocery prices, rent prices, long waits at restaurants were not directly felt by me. {I have family in Minot that were affected by the grocery prices and long waits.)
In my job duties I was affected by the higher call volume and increased amount of drug arrests, dui arrests, domestics etc that happened in Bismarck. Also the loss of experienced officers to "oil related" jobs
Brian said his wife is a school teacher and when Colorado legalized the sale of Marijuana they were promised all this tax revenue. She as a teacher has not seen any benefits from any tax revenues. In his power point Brian talks about why he thinks this is to include:
- Able bodied people move to Colorado for the lax laws and legal Marijuana and apply for an EBT card. This over burdens the system that was already struggling to meet demand so more money is allocated to them. - Increased work load for government officials to include Law Enforcement, Social Services, Building Inspections and Fire, medical facilities need extra money - Residential Grows: o Legal Grows - The number of people appiying for grow permits over whelmed the MED (Marijuana Enforcement Division) much like building inspectors trying to keep up with new buildings. o illegal Grows - They don't pay taxes. MED is so overwhelmed that they can 1 t possible keep up with the amount of grows going on. If they are caught they receive minimal fines which makes the benefit greatly outweigh the potential costs
BLACK MARKET
Numerous people have moved to Colorado for the "GREEN RUSH" to become weed entrepreneurs - They buy permits to grow Marijuana legally and then grow plant numbers in great excess of what permitted as they know the MED is overworked and the penalties are soft - They sell locally by using social media to avoid sales tax and other government regulations - Cartels and Mafia organizations have come and started selling Marijuana o Russians, Cubans, Mexican, Black and White Supremacists to name a few
GROW HOUSES
Previously mentioned groups above come to Colorado to grow and sell Marijuana. They buy houses and turn them into grow houses by using all the space they can to put plants in. Not old run dovvn houses but very nice nevi1er open floor plan houses. Indicators and effects of the grow houses are: - Strong Marijuana odor in neighborhood, not just next door but blocks away o Caused by DIV venting - Loud noises from industrial fans and ac units - Transformers being overworked and needing repairs or replacement - Heavy vehicle traffic in neighborhoods - Neighbors calling about conditions of yards and such - Houses bleed o House trying to purge the tremendous amount of moisture inside Structural alterations that are not to code but needed for the best growing conditions - Mold due to the high humidity of the marijuana grow. 11 Aspergillus 11 Stachybotrys 11 Penicillium 11 Marijuana spores create mold and health issues - Utilities being stolen o Electrical use for a grow house · - Average kilowatt usage peaks at 10,000-25,000 per month during certain times in the growing cyde - (a typical house is 500-800 ki1owatt hours per month)
- HOT TAPPING - Trying to steal utilities from the neighbors GROW HOUSE HAZARDS
0 Altered electrical systems or improperly installing electrical systems 0 Environmental concerns: CO2, Bugs & Mold 0 Tripping/ entanglement hazards throughout the marijuana grow area 0 High humidity leading to mold and mildew throughout the residence 0 Explosive hazards (Butane, Propane) 0 Fire hazards 0 Improperly stored chemicals WATER COSUMPTION
Approximately 1 gallon per plant per day Example: - 50 plants= SO gallons per DAY 13 week growing cyde = 4,550 gallons 3 grows per year= 13,650 gallons Large grow of 450 plants ( one they seized) 13 week cyde = 40,950 gallons
HOW MUCH MARIJUANA DOES ONE PERSON NEED
0 ONE marijuana plant will produce approximately 8 ounces of harvest 0 Plant can be harvested 4 times per year 0 1 ounce = approximately 60 marijuana joints or the equivalent of a keg of beer. (Denver Post 12/31/13) 0 8 ounces per plant x 4 = 32 ounces a year (1 plant) 0 12 plants= 384 ounces /24 lbs/ 23,040 joints a year 0 36 plants= 1,152 ounces /72 lbs/ 69,120 joints a year (Current City Zoning Ordinance)
0 99 plants= 3,168 ounces /198 lbs /1901 080 joints a year (iVlost commonly seen at residences) HOW MUCH MONEY WE TALKING
If this Marijuana trafficking group possesses average growing skills and knowledge, they can produce at least one pound of finished Marijuana per plant per growing cycle (say 99 plants)
This results in this group producing 594 pounds of cannabis every 90 days or 2,376 per year
If sold at $2,000 per pound, they could make $4.7 million per year or if they transport it to the East Coast, they could get $4,000 per pound and net $9.5 a year
In Colorado the price is $200.00 per pound due to the market being flooded due to Cuban influence. Marijuana was at $2000.00 per pound prior to that. NY MJ selling up to $8000.00 per pound and Florida is going for around $3000.00 per pound.
The sellers (licensed and black market) deal in cash sales only. They don't put their money in banks as it is still illegal by federal standards and they are afraid of having their money seized by the federal government. So they have huge bunkers, safes and safe rooms built into their residences.
New Marijuana Trends THCa - Marijuana Concentrate (THCa) made in two processes, one with butane and the 2nd with propane, similar in appearance to Methamphetamine, with an unknown potency Butan ash Oil (BHO) Trends - Force butane through Marijuana to get butane oil. Very dangerous as if not done correctly it can explode
ROME.NTAL CONCERNS
- Marijuana Contains Over 400 Chemical Compounds • 80 + Cannabinoids
11 THC (psychoactive) 11 CBD (non-psychoactive) 11 200 + Terpenes ( odor) Flavonoids (color - Dumping of waste water and chemicals - Dumping of root balls o Roots of the harvested plants
Involvement in Other Crimes
- Polydrug Trafficking o Poiydrug trafficking is drug dealers who deal multiple types of illegal narcotics - Loopers o People go to dispensaries and buy legal amount of weed then go to another dispensaries until they have pounds of weed that they can transport to the east coast and sell for large profit - Credit card skimming - Financial Fraud o Mortgages o Insurance o Medicaid - Human smuggling - Home invasions and assaults
MEDICAL EFFECTS
~ https://www .washingtonpost.corn/news/posteverything/wp/2018/05/25
/feature/legalizing-rnarijuana-is-fine-but-dont-ignore-the-science-on
its-dangers/
Doctors cannot "prescribe" Marijuana as it is not legal federally or approved by the DEA so they write "suggestions" for Medical Marijuana. Doctors would lose their DEA license if they tried to prescribe Marijuana.
SUMMARY
I would like input and advice from you on how I can present this to the citizens of North Dakota. I feel that the cons FAR outweigh the pros when it comes to legalized Marijuana in North Dakota. To prepare this summary I have reviewed power points presented and prepared by Officer Brian Kelly and another prepared by Sgt Roger Vargason and Detective Lyle Coguill. I did this to get accurate, recent, real time information on the struggles that residents of Colorado have felt since the legalization of Marijuana. As I have been a police officer for close to 25 years but I have been a North Dakota resident for closer to 48 years.
As the K9 supervisor for close to 15 years I have looked outside North Dakota to see what others are doing, decide if it will work for North Dakota. What problems did they encounter, how they worked through them and what would they do different? Basically why re-invent the wheel, learn from others mistakes.
I wanted to be short, concise but still give the needed content. If you would like to see the complete power points I can show them to you at a later date or if a group wants I can try to get Brian to do a class via Skype or live video. My contact is [email protected]
Table of Contents Overview ...... 2
Ba,kgrvund ...... 2
Significant regulatory progress ...... 2
Ongoing challenges ...... 2 Statistics and Information...... 3
Public Safery ...... 3 Public Health ...... 5 Environment ...... 7 Communiry Vitali(] - Youth & Homelessness ...... 8. Economic & Llcensing Data ...... 13 Conclusion ...... 13 Overview
Bttc,kground In 2000, Colorado became one of the first states to provide an affirmative defense to the limited possession and use of medical marijuana through the passage of Amendment 20. A decade later, the Colorado state legislature approved legislation licensing the commercial production and distribution of medical marijuana.
Access to marijuana was further advanced in the state with the passage of Amendment 64 (passed by 10 votes in El Paso County), which legalized adult possession and use of retail marijuana. Local jurisdictions were given the opportunity to opt out of the sale of medical and/ or retail marijuana within their jurisdictional limits. Colorado Springs was one of the largest jurisdictions in Colorado to opt out of the sale of retail marijuana; however, the medical marijuana industry had already developed a significant footprint in the city by the time retail marijuana was legalized statewide.
When the state legislature commercialized medical marijuana in 2010, Colorado Springs was home to 445 total licenses (including dispensaries, grows, and infused products manufacturers), and 303 unique dispensary, grow and infused product locations. By 2015, the growth of the industry and the emergence of illegal grow and production issues led to the creation of the City Council Mari:juana Task Force ("Task Force"). In conjunction with the Task Force, a moratorium on new licenses was implemented to allow time to evaluate the regulato1y environment and needs of the community.
Significant regulatory progress Through the work of community partners and stakeholders, the Task Force proposed several regulatory measures, including a cap on the number of locations for marijuana businesses, and the number of licenses available. Additional regulations proposed by the Task Force included increasing the buffer between dispensaries and schools, residential childcare facilities and drug and alcohol treatment facilities from four hundred feet (400') to one thousand feet (1,000').
Other regulations limited the existence of consumption clubs, the practice of illegally gifting marijuana to customers with the purchase of other products (e.g. t-shirts), limitations on the plant count allowed to be grown in a primary residence (currently 12), and zoning requirements around various business activities.
Colorado Springs now has a robust regulatory framework that clearly defines legal and illegal activity in the city, and enables law enforcement and fire agencies to effectively enforce the law.
Ongoing challenges Challenges remain in implementing a regulatory system that reduces youth access, diversion from the regulated market to the gray and black markets, and other negative impacts of marijuana use such as impaired driving and destruction of property from illegal grows.
The majority of these challenges come from the inherent loopholes in the statewide framework, which have included extended plant counts (e.g. individuals could grow up to 99 plants if recommended by a doctor in the past), household production of marijuana infused products with explosive materials, and the ability for 18 year old's to purchase two ounces of marijuana from medical dispensaries, while retail marijuana requires consumers be 21 and over and to only purchase one ounce per transaction.
Low barriers for obtaining a medical marijuana card, which have allowed greater purchasing and grow allowances, have translated into numerous abuses of the system by drug trafficking organizations to local drug dealers. Colorado Springs is continually working to maintain the balance between accessible medical marijuana care and public safety.
While it is difficult to quantify the impacts of the medical marijuana footprint in Colorado Springs, the following data points are a start in capturing some of the issues that stem from legalization.
Legalization of medical and retail marijuana in Colorado has not stopped black or grey market activity, and law enforcement continues to face an ever-increasing demand for support across an array of challenges including:
Crime stopper tips In 2017. Crime Stoppers received 322 tips related to marijuana for the 4th Judicial District. The tips from community members included issues on legal grows. odors, and illegal marijuana activity (e.g. illegal neighborhood grows).
Crime Stats
,1,,7rmJ,n-,a r:!Y' T/io!ent Crime In 2017. there were 15 robberies with a direct tie to marijuana activity; five of the robbers were personal street robberies. seven were personal home invasions. and two were against businesses. There were also three marijuana-related murders.
Medical marijuana businesses can also be targets of crime:
Burglaries Robberies Thefts Total Incidents 2015 19 1 0 20 2016 39 8 1 48 2017 19 4 4 27 Total 77 13 5 95
GroJ.vs The Colorado Springs Police Department El Paso County Sheriff's Department. and Teller County Sheriffs Department work closely with federal agencies to address illegal grows in the Pikes Peak region. In the past
month alone. law enforcement seized nearlv 900 plants from illeQal Qrows in the citv. and countv.. Impaired DriviJJg Testing positive does not mean that marijuana use ,vas the cause of the incident, which makes capturing the issue of driving under the influence of marijuana complicated. However, some additional data collected from toxicology screens statewide does indicate that there is a negative public safety.
Of the 45 blood test results in 2017 related to DUID investigations. 31 were positive for THC; that is higher than in previous years when 50 percent of all DUIDs tested positive for THC.
In the 2017 Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) report. the data from the Colorado Department of Transportation reflected that marijuana-related traffic deaths in which the driver tested positive for marijuana went from 55 deaths in 2013 to 125 deaths in 2016. 1
The Colorado State Patrol DUID Program data shows that 76 percent of the 1,004 DUIDs in 2016 involved marijuana, and 38 percent involved marijuana onjy. 2
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is working to gain more information about people's practices driving under the influence. The statewide survey of more than 11,000 anonymous marijuana users and non-users found that 69 percent of marijuana consumers have driven under the influence of marijuana at least once in the past year, and 27 percent admitted to driving high daily; 40 percent of recreational and 34 percent of medical marijuana users reported that they don't believe that marijuana impacts their ability to drive safely.3
School !JJddents One of the larger social challenges of legalized marijuana is effectively communicating to youth that it is still an illegal substance for them. Schools are finding it increasingly difficult to identify and act upon marijuana use on campus because of the unique methods youth are using to consume, including increased use of vaping and other smoking technologies.
In the 2016-17 school year, law enforcement agencies were involved with student marijuana incidents 119 times in El Paso and Teller counties. This was down from the 147 incidents reported in 2015-16. In 2015-16, marijuana was the second most common reason for police called to schools, and in 2016-17, it was the number one reason.4 Colorado Springs School District 11 - the region's largest school district, and one of the state's largest school districts - had the seventh highest number of marijuana incidents in 2016-17 with 195 incidents, not all of which were reported to law enforcement. Those cases not reported to law enforcement are likely the result of the way that different schools document and react to various behavioral issues.
Juvenile marijuana arrest data in the 4th district over the past several years is as follows: 5
2018. 4 "One Colorado Springs school district among top 10 in state for most marijuana incidents reported," The Gazette, ,-\pril 28, 2018. 5 Data from CSPD analytics Students who are ticketed for marijuana violations are primarily disciplined in municipal court versus county court. Some students who are ticketed go through Teen Court, a restorative justice program; for Teen Court, shoplifting and fighting are the two primary reasons students end up in their program, but marijuana is number three. There were 67 marijuana infractions through Teen Court in 2017, and there have been 56 already in 2018.6
Hospitalizations & ER visits Hospital and ER workers regularly discuss increased marijuana-related cases, but how hospitals track that information has been complicated by new systems and new coding.
For El Paso County, the following preliminary data for ER visits and hospitalizations reflects a year-over-year 1ncrease:
ER Visits w/Mj as primary ER Visits - MJ included in reason for visit diagnosis
150 4000 100 3000 2000 50 1000 0 0 2016 2017 Above 65 1 3 65 40-65 8 12 19-40 29 67 0-18 16 40
6 "One Colorado Springs school district among top 10 in state for most marijuana incidents reported", The Gazette, .A.pril 28, 2018. Hospitalizations - Mj included in diagnosis Hospitalizations w/MJ as primary diagnosis
*Data from the Colorado Hospital Association
Rocky Mountain Poison & Drug Center calls Across the state, human exposure calls to lvIJ have increased over the past several years:
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Total MJ- 44 89 86 110 125 219 231 226 223 related calls Calls from 2 4 3 7 11 6 12 20 17 CS zip codes percent of .045 0.045 .035 0.064 0.088 0.027 0.052 0.088 0.076 Total calls perce perce perce percent percent percent percent percent percent nt nt nt
The numbers may have increased partly due to increased exposure, but also people's willingness to call about marijuana use incidents.
Depression & suicide link More studies are\being done on the potential negative effects of marijuana on depression and mental illness. For youth, especially, the dangers are real as their brains are still forming and there may be increased potential to become addicted to marijuana, or develop psychosis.7 One study published by the Louisiana State University Department of Psychology found that more regular marijuana use was predictive of greater suicidal ideation (SI) (aka suicidal thoughts) because declining interpersonal behaviors led to greater isolation and therefore risk of suicide.8
·~~~~~·····••·•············•·••··••······••· ····•·•·····•···'Vl 8 Buckner, J ., Lemke, 1\., \'V'alukevich, K. "Cannabis use and suicidal ideation: of the utility of the interpersonal- psychological theory of suicide." Psychiatry Research, Jly 2017, Volume 253, pp. 256-259. In a data report from the 2015 Healthy Kids Survey, 44.1 percent of high school students who attempted suicide in the past 12 months had used marijuana in the past 30 days. Alcohol remains the primary substance used (55.9 percent), but marijuana use leads prescription drugs and cigarette use.9
Adult use in El Paso County El Paso County has the highest number of medical marijuana patients in the state at just under 20,000 (19,790). Total number of registered patients statewide is 88,946.
The average patient age is 44. and the top reported condition for use is severe pain.
The vast majority of patients are prescribed 1 to 6 plants (75,795), and 9,171 patients are prescribed 11 to 25 plants.
75 percent of patients designate a dispensary to grow all of their medical marijuana. 17.5 percent grow all of their own marijuana. Less than a percent of patients designate caregivers to grow their marijuana.10
There are 454 caregivers in Colorado (registered), and 68 percent of caregivers are growing for one patient.
Adult usage in El Paso County - current use (last 30 days) -12.7 percent in 2014-15, 12.2 percent in 2015- 1611. The state average is 13.5 percent. For daily usage, 2016 data reflects 6.4 percent of adults using daily in El Paso County, which is the same as the statewide average.
Veterans & PTSD While PTSD has been included as one of the debilitating conditions for which medical marijuana may provide relief, there is limited evidence that medical marijuana alleviates the symptoms of PTSD. Instead, research is emerging that marijuana may worsen PTSD symptoms, or may minimize the benefits of other PTSD treatments.12 The challenge is that while marijuana may offer some relief during the initial stages of use, the use over an extended period of time may reduce an individual's sensitivity to marijuana and therefore increasing the risk of addiction.13
As with most of the research around marijuana as a treatment, the scientific research is limited in scope and rigor due to federal restrictions.
Root ball disposal Little data exists on root ball disposal (primarily because it is difficult to track the waste back to its owner), but law enforcernent is encountering an increased number of root ball dumpings in Colorado Springs and El Paso County- likely from illegal grows. The environment danger of these dumpings is that root balls soak up the pesticides and any other chemicals used on the marijuana plant, and when not disposed of properly may facilitate those chemicals seeping into the water table.
10
11 ,-\dults ( percent) (2014-16) 12 abstract. 13 Illegal grows on federal land Illegal operators have, in some cases, developed largescale grows on federal land. In 2016, for example, authorities took out a five acre (18,300 plant) grow in the Pike National Forest just west of Colorado Springs. That same summer, the U.S. Forest Service found 13,450 plants in the San Isabel National Forest in southern Colorado. At both grows, authorities found irrigation piping, pesticides, and flammable liquids.14
Community Vitality - Youth & Homelessness
Youth Use Data on youth marijuana use is complicated by many factors, including varying survey sources, population sizes and survey methods. There are a few, regular federal-level reports on youth substance abuse, and one semi-consistent state report.
1:'ederal The Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration generates a National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) every year. From its data, Colorado has consistently had some of the highest youth substance use rates, and marijuana use is no exception. Comparing 12-17 year olds survey from 2008-09 to 2014-15, the rate of marijuana use in the past month went up slightly from 10.17 percent to 11.13 percent, which was not statistically significant.15 This was compared to the total U.S. percentage of 7.03 percent in 2008-09, and 7.2 percent in 2014-15.
The following is a more recent year-over-year comparison 16:
Iii Colorado •United States 20%
15% 12ll%
10%
5%
0% 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2~14 2014-2015 Years
Another national survey conducted every year is the National Institute for Drug Abuse (NIDA) Monitoring the Future study, which has been conducted since 1991. Data collection efforts focus on grade 8, 10, and 12, but state-specific data is not available in this survey. From the 2017 MTF survey, nearly 45 percent of all 12th graders survey had used marijuana at least once in their life; 37 percent of 12th graders used marijuana in the past year, and 23 percent reported some use in the past month.17
• , ,-\ugust 4, 2016, accessed July 2, 2018. 15 Daily marijuana use (defined by NIDA as use on 20 or more occasions in the past 30 days) found that nearly 1 in 17 high school seniors used marijuana daily in the past month, and one in 34 sophomores. Another key insight from this survey is that marijuana vaping has become an increasingly popular way to consume marijuana.18
In comparison, alcohol remains the primary substance used by youth; in 2017, 62 percent of seniors had at least tried alcohol and 33 percent reported last month use. 19 The survey reports that 45 percent of seniors have been drunk at least once in their life, with 25 percent of sophomores and 9.2 percent of eight graders reporting the same. 20
Finally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also gather data on health behavior for youth through the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). This survey is conducted every other year, and looks at high school youth (9th-12th grades) in public and private schools throughout the U.S. In a recent trend report,
the YRBS found the following trends for marijuana21 :
Tobacco use is markedly down, overall:
18 P. 32,MTF 19 P. 35,MTF 20 P. 35,MTF 21 Comparing these results to alcohol22 it appears that alcohol remains the most abused substance for youth:
Stale-level The Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment (CDPHE) conducts a state-based version of the YRBS every other year, and tries to capture data for youth in grades 6-12 from all over the state. The challenge with the Health Kids Colorado Survey (HKCS) is the lack of consistency in the population size and the representative area. School districts have not consistently participated in the surv·ey, and some of the regional data may be underrepresented as a result.
For example, the 2013 HKCS found that 19.7 percent of students had used marijuana in the last 30 days (current use), and in 2015 that percentage was 21.2 percent.23 However_ more regional data suggests that urban areas may experience higher youth usage. In the summary regional data for Denver County. for
22
23 example, 26.1 percent of students surveyed used marijuana in the past 30 days and 30.1 percent of Pueblo youth had used marijuana in the past 30 days.24
The survey includes more detailed questions on whether they believe regular marijuana use is risky behavior. That percentage was 54 percent in 2013, and 48 percent in 2015.25
School Resource Officers report that students caught with marijuana on campus think that it's not a big deal because family members use it, and it's better than other drugs and alcohol.26
Homelessness Homelessness is a complicated issue, impacted by many complicated factors. Therefore, a direct connection between changes in homeless population numbers and marijuana legalization is difficult to make. However, a recent survey completed by the Colorado Department of Public Safety's Division of Criminal Justice interviewed inmates experiencing homelessness to learn some of their reasons for moving to Colorado and substance use habits. The following information outlines the results. First, a look at the number of homeless in El Paso County/Colorado Springs from the most recent HUD Point-in-Time counts:
Total Homeless in Colorado Springs /El Paso County 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 200 201 201 201 201 201 201 201 201 201 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 II Total Unsheltered 358 572 170 276 230 269 243 311 457 513 IITotalHomeless 1249146310241127 11711219107313021415 1551
For the Division of Criminal Justice survey, inmates in El Paso County were interviewed as part of the seven
jails in Colorado selected for the review27; the total number interviewed in EPC was 83, or 5.1 percent of the total jail population at the time of the survey.28 The final, total sample was 507 inmates, 297 (58.5 percent) of which were homeless 30 days prior to incarceration.29
The survey found that of those surveyed who are homeless, 38.5 percent of the sample identified as Colorado natives, and that for those who moved to Colorado, the majority arrived before 2012 (when retail marijuana was legalized)30:
25 Ibid. 26 Colorado Springs School Resource Officer Survey 27 P.6 28 P. 11 29 P. 10 3°Figure 21, p. 29 The primary states from which individuals came were California, Texas, and Arizona31; these were the same states inmates not experiencing homelessness identified.32
For homeless individuals who moved to Colorado after 2012 (n=77), marijuana (both medical and retail) was the third most significant factor for coming to Colorado. Getting away from a problem (44.2 percent), and "family" were the top hvo reasons. Employment opportunities and friends were also top drivers.
For non-homeless individuals (n=37), the primary reasons for moving to Colorado included family, employment, outdoor activities, and education opportunities. Marijuana was rated the same as weather, the economy, and getting away from a problem.
Regarding substance abuse, inmates were asked about drug and alcohol use in the 30 days prior to being incarcerated. Out of the 150 individuals who had been incarcerated for a month or less, 54. 9 percent of homeless individuals had used marijuana, 53.5 percent had used methamphetamine, and 36.1 percent had drunk alcohol. Amphetamines, heroin and crack cocaine were lesser used drugs. For non-homeless individuals, marijuana was the most widely used drug (44.4 percent), with alcohol (43.6 percent) and methamphetamines (40.7 percent) also being used.33
The study concluded that there was no statistically significant difference between homeless and non-homeless inmates with regards to the proportion of both populations choosing marijuana as a reason for coming to Colorado. 34
Since the study was conducted across Colorado, and the sample sizes for some of the questions was slightly smaller than may be desired to confidently extrapolate trends, the survey may be best treated as source for insight rather than trends. Colorado Springs is seeking the opportunity to conduct a.local needs assessment that will ask sin1ilar questions of the homeless population here, which will provide an additional source on the issues of homelessness in Colorado.
Overall, it does appear that marijuana has been a draw for those experiencing homelessness, and is a drug of choice for both homeless and non-homeless individuals who have been recently incarcerated.
31 P. 29 32 P. 30 33 P. 18; p. 19 3-1 P.39 &
1\"umber The City Clerk's Office maintains regular updates on the number of medical marijuana licenses, as well as the total application fees and sales tax revenue collected. Below are the data as ofJune 22, 2018:
Active Pending Total 2010 Total Licensees/Applicants (Total Unique) 118 5 123 186 MMCs (Centers) 128 -NIA- 128 169 OPC (cultivations/grows) 165 4 169 206 MIP (Infused Product Manufacturer) 47 0 47 70 Total License Types 340 4 344 445 Unique addresses / locations (CAP) 203 -N/A- 203 303
In 2017, the City placed a cap on the number of unique locations in which a medical marijuana business (or combination of businesses) could operate. In that same regulatory stroke, the city capped the number of medical marijuana center (aka dispensaiy) licenses as well.
YTD 12/31/2017 12/31/2016 12/31/2015 12/31/2014 12/31/2013 12/31/2012 12/31/2011 12/31/2010 Industry estimated $29,978,654 $96,365,833 $91,705,994 $76,691,640 $59,619,960 $53,695,360 $43,836,600 $30,839,160 $21,976,560 reported sales City Sales Tax $935,334 $3,006,614 $2,861,227 $1,917,291 $1,490,499 $1,342,384 $1,095,915 $770,979 $549,414 Collected Application & $521,530 $815,045 $733,050 $716,110 $522,020 $482,050 $291,500 $271,300 $226,000,. license fees collected Fees as % of sales 1.74% 0.85% 0.8% 0.93% 0.88% 0.90% 0.66% 0.88% 1.03%
There is little other economic data available regarding the number of jobs or quality of those jobs. One data company in Seattle that focused on marijuana information conducted research on Colorado and Washington retail marijuana companies and found that in one year, 58 percent of employees "did not last two months, while 40 percent didn't even mark a one-month job anniversaiy."35
C(1nclusior1 Both the medical and retail industries are relatively young, and the presence of legalized marijuana use - whether retail or medical - remains a relatively unquantifiable force in communities across Colorado. As Olympic City USA, Colorado Springs seeks to embrace the ethos of the Olympic values of excellence, and therefore the city administration remains cautious in embracing the recreational use of a drug about which there is still relatively little conclusive research. Additionally, the city administration seeks to adhere to the enforcement priorities of reducing youth access, impaired driving, and black market diversion - challenges that retail marijuana would likely only make worse as evidenced by nascent reporting from communities with retail marijuana.
35 accessed July 5, 2018. Marijuana is Addictive
December 8, 2016 by Shelbie Wenner
What is Addiction??
Addiction can be defined as “A compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance…characterized by tolerance and by well- defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal.” [17]. It is a disease within the neurological reward mechanisms responsible for emotional response and behavior; the same neurological structures responsible for powerful motivators, such as hunger and lust [9,3]. Often people that are addicted to drugs exhibit symptoms such as compulsion, developed tolerance, dependence, denial, and a negative effect on the individual or society [3]. Addictive behavioral disorders have become more prevalent at concerning rates all across the world. In the United State alone, approximately 40 percent of individuals (12 and older), are addicted to alcohol, nicotine, or other drugs [5]. “Hard drugs,” such as cocaine or heroin, are universally accepted as being highly addictive and extremely dangerous. Marijuana however does not have share the same stigma. There is ongoing debate whether cannabinoids, like marijuana, should be formally recognized as being addictive, despite it’s seemingly “harmless” properties.
(Addictive Qualities of Popular Drugs)[19]
How Does Marijuana Affect the Brain??
Cannabinoids function by convincing the brain’s signal-receptive circuitry that all incoming sensory information is highly salient. [9,3] This occurs when THC, the active hallucinogenic compound in marijuana, mimics the endocannabinoids anandamide and 2-AG. [3,9] THC, binds to cannabinoid (CB1) receptors and sharpens the signal/noise ratio in the memory-perceptive regions of the brain. Sharpening/enhancing the transmission ratio effectively highlights all incoming information as being extremely important. [3] By mimicking endocannabinoids and sharpening sensory-signals, marijuana disrupts the fragile homeostatic balance that is crucial for (or) information processing
(Dark areas are where CB1 receptors are located)
In chronic marijuana usage the CB1 receptors become down regulated( to compensate for their overuse while the person is high)[14,15]. [This also means that when the person is not high, their receptors will not be able to do the job that they used to do. ] [There are fewer receptors so the anandamide in the brain can’t properly highlight the events that it should be highlighting, which results in the person not being able to recognize the importance of normal every day events without the drug. ]
What are the Dangers of Heavy Marijuana Use??
According the opponent process theory, the physical and behavioral effects of addition are the opposite of the typically pleasurable A- States. [3,6] Acute marijuana exposure typically reduces feelings of anxiety, while chronic abuse increases stress-susceptibility, impairs cognition and memory, slows response time, and increases errors in critical tracking. [1,3] Chronic THC exposure decreases the sensitivity CB1 receptors, effectively limiting an individual’s capacity to feel satisfaction. [1,6] Marijuana addicts commonly suffer from “amotivational syndrome,’ a reduced ambition and diminished sense of pleasure in everyday life.THC may be dangerous, however, in individuals below the age of 25, the time in which neurodevelopment stagnates. The developing brains of adolescents are undergoing periods of “explosive” neural re-wiring and the brain is especially susceptible to outside influences [10,3]. Chronic THC exposure during periods of high neuroplasticity can have detrimental long-term effects such as increased anxiety, digestive issues, sleep problems, vulnerability towards other addictive behaviors [10,11,3].
(Activation in the brain when a specific memory is triggered, shows that marijuana affects the strength of and pleasure associated with specific memories)[20]
What Factors Make Marijuana Addictive??
In the past decades the THC content in marijuana has increased drastically. The increased potency of marijuana causes users to build a tolerance, become dependence, and compulsively use. Tolerance developes because CB1 receptors down-regulate in order to compensate for the increase in potent exocannibinoids. When the CB1 receptors are insensitive, more THC is required to induce euphoria. The down-regulation of receptors is also responsible for the development of dependence. There are less receptors available and anandamide is unable to do its job normally without help from the drug. Drug users would be unable to feel as if things were important without the drug and so they are dependent upon it for that feeling. This dependence is where compulsion stems from. In order to feel normal they would need the drug and have urges to use it. ]***
(The effects of a synthetic cannabinoid HU210 on CB1 receptors in adolescent rodent brains. Acute given HU210 one time at 100 μg/kg, all others given listed dosage daily for 14 days)[14]
What Factors Increase the Likelihood of Becoming Addicted??
Only 30% of chronic marijuana users develop addictive symptoms and despite having a less-debilitating consequence when compared to traditional drugs, the developmental risk remains [13,3].By mimicking endocannabinoids and sharpening sensory-signals, marijuana disrupts the fragile homeostatic balance that is crucial for neurological functionality. All substances capable of altering this neurological state creates a requisite for addiction. The question is ‘what is it that makes marijuana only addictive to some users’?
In chronic marijuana abusers, 1/10 individuals develop the negative symptoms associated with addiction [12]. This phenomenon is perhaps the most damning characteristic in the steps towards social recognition of marijuana’s addictive nature. Addiction is, in part, reliant on a variety of different environmental and biological factors that are unique to the individual. The ‘Three-Factor Vulnerability Model,’ states that predispositions for addiction stem from three , individual variables unique to an individual [3]. Psychological factors, such as: personality and stress-vulnerability, biological factors, such as: genetics, and sociocultural factors, such as: culture, religion, and general accessibility [3].
(People diagnosed or treated for mental illness, by illicit drug use status)[18]
Marijuana addiction is affected by genetics because it has been shown that addictive behavior is a heritable trait and that certain genes may be responsible for “substance-specific” addiction as well [15]. This means that some people are more likely to become addicted to drugs and they may even be more likely to become addicted to marijuana specifically. Psychological factors are important in determining addiction because it has been shown that almost 50% of people that develop dependence on marijuana also have a mood or anxiety disorder [15]. If they have a disorder before they begin using and find that marijuana helps them treat that disorder, then they will rely on the drug to continue self-medicating. The availability of marijuana to someone in general is another important variable. Those that use marijuana before the age of 18 are 4-7 times more likely to develop a use disorder and those whose dependence was serious enough to require treatment averaged more than 10 years of use, showing that the longer they used the drug the worse their use disorder became [12,16]. The combination of any of these circumstances is what results in the differences in possibility of becoming addictive.
Conclusion
The fundamental nature of addiction is the developed tolerance, dependence, and withdrawal. All drugs, including marijuana, elicit powerful emotional responses by disrupting the brain’s natural homeostasis; any substance capable of disrupting this neurological state has the potential for abuse. The intrinsic properties of marijuana are less severe than that of “traditional” drugs, such as opium or ecstasy. Despite the differences in relation to harder drugs, chronic marijuana use causes detrimental side-effects that are symptomatic of addictive behavior, “characterized by tolerance and by well-defined psychological symptoms upon withdrawal [17].
References: [1]*Publications, Harvard Health. “The Addicted Brain.” Harvard Health. June 2009. Web. 28 Nov. 2016.
Marijuana and Kids. 2018 Ilene Claudius MD and Michael Levine MD Take Home Points
.. Cannabinoid intoxication in children tends to present with CNS depression and ataxia. • Ingestions may involve edibles. .. Passive exposure to marijuana smoke is unlikely to result in a positive drug screen. • We are pretty good at :recognizing marijuana intoxication in teenagers or adults. It usually is not of great consequence. However, there has been an increase in patients presenting to the emergency department with significant marijuana use. Small children have increased access to marijuana. .. How does marijuana intoxication present in infants and small children compared to adults? When adults present with marijuana intoxications, they may present with nausea and vomiting, tachycardia, exacerbation of underlying psychiatric illness such as anxiety, depression or frank psychosis, cannabinoid hyperemesis or sequelae of trauma. Often when THC is extracted from marijuana, butane is used. In Colorado; there has been a significant increase in burns related to extraction to THC since the legalization of manJuana. o In contrast, children ( especially under the age of 6) may present with CNS depression and cerebellar dysfunction. They may be frankly obtunded. They may have mild CNS depression, somnolence or mild ataxia. .. How are these children getting marijuana? Patients are unlikely to have any consequences from secondhand smoke. They may ingest marijuana by chewing on a joint or consuming edible products. " How long until the child's behavior returns to normal after intoxication with marijuana? It depends on the age of the child, route of ingestion and amount consumed. Peak plasma levels of THC occur 3-10 minutes after inhalation whereas the maximal concentration is not reached until approximately 2-4 hours after consumption. It is not uncommon for children to be quite somnolent, frankly ataxic with profotmd CNS depression for well over 6 to 12 hours after ingestion. Children, especially under the age of 6, frequently need to be admitted to the hospital overnight tmtil their mental status is significantly improved and they are ambulating well. • Aside from somnolence, are there any other clues on physical exam that might indicate cannabinoid ingestion?There is not much. The child will have CNS depression but a non-focal neurologic exam. Occasionally, patients may be tachycardic or hypertensive although this is more likely in the agitated or anxious states. Patients with CNS depression often have borderline low blood pressures and frequently will have normal hea:ti rates. The urine drug screen may help identify this diagnosis. o If the patient's parents are heavy smokers of marijuana, is it possible for the patient to have a positive drug screen from daily passive exposure rather than acute intoxication? There is no literature specifically looking at pediatric patients with positive urine drug screens from secondhand marijuana exposure. It would be very unlikely in adults because the detection limits on the urine drug screen have been raised specifically for the purposes of preventing positive screens due to secondhand consumption. • Marijuana for medicinal purposes is legal in over half of states. After the legalization of marijuana in Colorado, there was an.increase in the number of ED visits and hospitalizations related to acute marijuana intoxication. Among patients 9 years and older, the prevalence of hospitalization for mm:ijuana exposure has more than doubled. This doesn't mean the relationship is causal. Patients may be more likely to admit to use after legalization and clinicians may be more likely to recognize intoxication. " Is there any treatment for an obtunded patient who is protecting their airway? The main therapy is supportive care and ruling out alternative diagnosis. You do want to anticipate potential complications such as airway compromise. The FAQs: What You Should Know About Medical Marijuana
SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 | Joe Carter CURRENT EVENTS This November four states—Arkansas, Florida, Montana, and North Dakota—will vote on legalizing medical marijuana. Here are some things you should know to navigate the public debate about the legalization of cannabis for medicinal purposes.
What is medical marijuana?
The terms marijuana and cannabis refer to all parts of the plant Cannabis sativa L., whether growing or not; the seeds thereof; the resin extracted from any part of such plant; and every compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of such plant, its seeds or resin.
The term “medical marijuana” (or medical cannabis) refers to the use of the unprocessed plant or its basic extracts to treat a disease or symptom. However, the use of the term “medical marijuana” is controversial since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not recognized or approved the marijuana plant as medicine, and its efficacy for medicinal use is disputed.
Is medical marijuana a form of “medication”?
No. A medication is a substance used in treating disease or relieving pain. The term medical marijuana refers to treating a disease or symptom with the whole unprocessed marijuana plant or its basic extracts. Neither the unprocessed plant nor its extracts is medication, though each may contain substances (specifically cannabinoids) that do have medicinal value.
As Dr. Greg Bledsoe, the surgeon general of Arkansas, explains,
Unequivocally, the plant is not medicine. The plant cannot go through the FDA-approval process because you don’t know the dose, you don’t the other compounds that are in there, you can’t control the amount you are giving to patients. So a plant can never be FDA-approved. . . The compounds are so potent in the marijuana plant that if you do it with anything less than an FDA -pproval process with strict confines on it, it could be dangerous to people.
If the plant (cannabis) contains medicine, why shouldn’t it be considered a form of medication?
To understand why there is a distinction, it helps to compare cannabis to other plants that contain compounds of medicinal value. As Dr. Bledsoe says, One of the best drugs we have for malaria still today is a drug that was developed from a tree in Peru. We get the tree bark from this tree and isolate a compound from it and make the drug quinine. Quinine is used all over the world to fight malaria. That’s the correct way of doing this. We don’t go around prescribing tree bark to patients who have malaria. We proscribe the compound within the tree bark. It’s the same thing with marijuana. We take the plant, isolate the compounds that have therapeutic value, study those and put them through the FDA approval process, and offer those to patients.
What compounds in marijuana have medicinal use?
The compounds that may have medicinal uses are cannabinoids, a class of chemical compounds that acts on cannabinoid receptors in cells that represses neurotransmitter release in the brain. The marijuana plant contains more than 100 cannabinoids. Currently, the two main cannabinoids from the marijuana plant that are of medical interest are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, THC increases appetite and reduces nausea and may also decrease pain, inflammation (swelling and redness), and muscle control problems. CBD is a cannabinoid that does not affect the mind or behavior. It may be useful in reducing pain and inflammation, controlling epileptic seizures, and possibly even treating mental illness and addictions.
The National Institutes of Health and other researchers are exploring the possible uses of THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids for medical treatment.
What FDA-approved medications contain cannabinoids?
The FDA has approved two drugs, dronabinol and nabilone, which contain THC. These drugs treat nausea caused by chemotherapy and increase appetite in patients with extreme weight loss caused by AIDS.
The United Kingdom, Canada, and several European countries, notes the National Institute on Drug Abuse, have approved nabiximols (Sativex®), a mouth spray containing THC and CBD. It treats muscle control problems caused by multiple sclerosis (MS). (Clinical trials are being conducted for use in treating cancer pain.) And although it has not yet undergone clinical trials, scientists have recently created Epidiolex, a CBD- based liquid drug to treat certain forms of childhood epilepsy.
Does medical marijuana help treat glaucoma?
Marijuana is not recommended as a treatment for glaucoma, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).
Glaucoma is an eye condition in which the optic nerve becomes progressively damaged. Over a period of time the condition can lead to reduced peripheral vision and even to blindness. A primary cause of optic nerve damage in glaucoma is higher-than-normal pressure within the eye, known as intraocular pressure or IOP.
Currently, the only way to control glaucoma and prevent vision loss, says the AAO, is to lower IOP levels. Some research has shown that ingesting marijuana does lower IOP for a short period of time—about three or four hours. Because glaucoma needs to be treated 24 hours a day, notes the AAO, a patient with glaucoma would “need to smoke marijuana six to eight times a day around the clock to receive the benefit of a consistently lowered IOP.” However, marijuana not only lowers IOP, but also lowers blood pressure throughout the body—including to the optic nerve, effectively canceling out the benefit of a lowered IOP.
Can a doctor write a prescription for medical marijuana?
No. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association,
Under federal law, marijuana has no currently accepted medical use and has a high potential for abuse. For these reasons, doctors cannot prescribe marijuana. In a state that allows the use of marijuana to treat medical conditions, however, a doctor may be able to certify its use. Your state may require you to apply for a state- issued identification card to use medical marijuana.
Do medical association support the use of medical marijuana?
The general consensus is that medical associations do not support the use of the cannabis plant as medicine. The American Medical Association (AMA) states that they do not endorse “state-based medical cannabis programs, the legalization of marijuana, or that scientific evidence on the therapeutic use of cannabis meets the current standards for a prescription drug product.” The American Psychiatric Association (APA) states that, “There is no current scientific evidence that marijuana is in any way beneficial for the treatment of any psychiatric disorder. In contrast, current evidence supports, at minimum, a strong association of cannabis use with the onset of psychiatric disorders.” The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) says, “Given the uncertain evidence to support the safety and efficacy of cannabis and cannabinoid-products in the treatment of medical conditions, ASAM and a number of other professional medical societies have advised that all cannabis-based medicinal products, like all other medicinal products, should be approved by FDA.”
Where is the use of medical marijuana currently legal?
The following 25 states (and the District of Columbia) have legalized medical marijuana: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
Addendum: For more on this topic, watch this video by Dr. Greg Bledsoe, the surgeon general of Arkansas.
9 Things You Should Know About the Health Effects of Marijuana
JANUARY 21, 2017 | Joe Carter CURRENT EVENTS Lightstock Last year the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a committee of experts to conduct a comprehensive review of the literature regarding the health effects of marijuana use. The committee considered more than 10,700 studies for their relevance and arrived at nearly 100 different research conclusions related to marijuana (cannabis) or cannabinoid use and health. Their findings were recenty published in a 400-page report.
Here are nine things about the effects of marijuana you should know based on this report:
1. The terms marijuana and cannabis refer to all parts of the plant Cannabis sativa L., including the seeds, the resin extracted from any part of such plan, and every compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of such plant, its seeds, or resin. The compounds that cause intoxication and may have medicinal uses are cannabinoids, a class of chemical compounds that acts on cannabinoid receptors in cells that represses neurotransmitter release in the brain. The marijuana plant contains more than 100 cannabinoids. Currently, the two main cannabinoids from the marijuana plant that are of medical interest are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).
2. There is substantial or conclusive scientific evidence for only three medical benefits of cannabis or cannabinoids: treating chronic pain in adults; treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, and nausea after chemotherapy; and improving symptoms of multiple sclerosis.
3. There is substantial evidence of a statistical association between cannabis use and increased risk of motor vehicle crashes. Self-reported cannabis use or the presence of THC in blood, saliva, or urine, has been associated with 20 to 30 percent higher odds of a motor vehicle crash.
4. In states where cannabis use is legal, there is increased risk of unintentional cannabis overdose injuries among children. There is insufficient evidence to support or refute a statistical association between cannabis use by adults and death due to cannabis overdose.
5. Recent cannabis use (within the past 24 hours) impairs the performance in cognitive domains of learning, memory, and attention. A limited number of studies also suggest there are impairments in cognitive domains of learning, memory, and attention in individuals who have stopped smoking cannabis. Cannabis use during adolescence is related to impairments in subsequent academic achievement and education, employment and income, and social relationships and social roles 6. Cannabis use is likely to increase the risk of developing schizophrenia and other psychoses—the higher the use the greater the risk. However, cannabis use does not appear to increase the likelihood of developing anxiety, depression, or posttraumatic stress disorder.
7. The evidence suggests that any cannabis use is related with increased suicidal ideation (i.e., suicidal thoughts or preoccupation with suicide), augmented suicide attempts, and greater risk of death by suicide. Studies reveal that heavy cannabis use (used 40 or more times) is associated with a higher risk of suicidal ideation and suicidal attempts.
8. There is substantial evidence that initiating cannabis use at an earlier age is a risk factor for the development of problem cannabis use. There is moderate evidence that during adolescence the frequency of cannabis use, oppositional behaviors, a younger age of first alcohol use, nicotine use, parental substance use, poor school performance, antisocial behaviors, and childhood sexual abuse are risk factors for the development of problem cannabis use. Anxiety, personality disorders, and bipolar disorders are not risk factors for the development of problem cannabis use
9. Most of the studies reviewed indicate an association between cannabis use and use of or dependence on other substances (including, alcohol, tobacco, and other illicit drugs), with some data indicating this effect is more pronounced in younger individuals and is dependent on the dose or frequency of cannabis use.