Marijuana Prevention Initiative
http://www.mapreventionalliance.org
February 2, 2012
What is the Massachusetts
Prevention Alliance?
Mission
The Massachusetts Prevention Alliance is a
statewide organization that provides
educational resources and advocates for sound
public health and safety policies to protect
and promote the health and well-being of all
Massachusetts youth.
February 2, 2012
MAPA’s Plans
•Medical Marijuana Prevention Initiative
•Organize resources to support MAPA’s
efforts
•Develop common position statements
•Organize by region and sector
•Track legislative and media
developments
•Provide lawmakers and community with
prevention facts
February 2, 2012
Section 1.
Health Risks of Marijuana Use
February 2, 2012
Marijuana Use at the State and National Levels, 2010
Students in Grades 9-12
Source: CDC, Youth Online, High School YRBSS, http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/youthonline/App/Default.aspx
February 2, 2012
Is Marijuana Addictive?
Percent
Addiction: About 9% of users may become dependent, 1 in 6 who
start use in adolescence, 25-50% of daily users
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
32
23
17
15
11
9
*
8
5
*
Estimated Prevalence of Dependence Among Users
Source: Wagner, F.A. & Anthony, J.C. From first drug use to drug dependence; developmental periods of risk for dependence upon
cannabis, cocaine, and alcohol. Neuropsychopharmacology 26, 479-488 (2002).
February 2, 2012
Emergency Department
Marijuana Mentions
In 2008, there were >370,000 ED visits with Marijuana mentions
140,000
Number of ER Visits
120,000
100,000
18 to 24
80,000
35 and older
60,000
25 to 34
12 to 17
40,000
20,000
0
2004
2005
2006
2007
Source: SAMHSA, Drug Abuse Warning Network, 2008.
February 2, 2012
2008
Increased Marijuana Treatment
Admissions 1993 and 2007
Percent of Admissions
60
1993
50
2007
40
30
20
10
0
Alcohol
Cocaine
Heroin
Source: Treatment Episode Data Set, US Health and Human Services, 1993 & 2007.
February 2, 2012
Marijuana
Dependence on or Abuse of Specific Illicit
Drugs in the Past Year Among Persons 12
or Older, 2008
Sedatives
126
Inhalants
175
Heroin
282
Stimulants
351
Hallucinogens
358
Tranquilizers
451
Cocaine
1,411
Pain Relievers
1,716
Marijuana
4,199
0
500
1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000 4,500
Number in Thousands
Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2009). Office of Applied Studies. Treatment Episode Data Set
(TEDS): 2009 Discharges from Substance Abuse Treatment Services, DASIS.
February 2, 2012
Section 2.
State Policy Efforts to Legalize
Marijuana in Massachusetts
February 2, 2012
Current Proposals
• Four main legislative bills for legalization of
marijuana
– One bill on full legalization
– Two identical bills on medical marijuana
– One other bill on medical marijuana (more
controlled, no distribution)
• Likely statewide ballot initiative (Nov 2012)
February 2, 2012
S. Bill and H. Bill
• Allow Mass DPH-certify individuals and
caregivers to cultivate marijuana for medical
purposes
• Medical conditions include: cancer, glaucoma,
HIV/AIDS, Hep C, ALS, Crohn's disease, PTSD,
or a chronic or debilitating disease or other
medical condition, such as chronic pain,
seizures, nausea
February 2, 2012
S. Bill and H. Bill
• Allow Mass DPHdesignated medical
treatment centers/
dispensaries to acquire,
possess, cultivate,
manufacture, and
dispense marijuana and
supplies to registered
patients and caregivers
February 2, 2012
H. Bill
• Creates the Cannabis Control Authority to
oversee the issuance of licenses for
cultivation, processing, trading, retail sales,
import, research and farmer-processorretailer licenses
• Modeled after Chapter 138 of the
Massachusetts General Laws, the Alcohol
Beverage Control Act
February 2, 2012
H. Bill
• Establishes license fees of varying amounts
and excises taxes on cannabis sold at retail
• Allows those 21+ to cultivate cannabis for
their personal use and to give cannabis to
others 21+
February 2, 2012
Statewide Ballot Initiative:
Legalization of Medical Marijuana
• Patients diagnosed by a doctor certifying that
they have a debilitating medical condition
such as glaucoma, cancer or "other condition"
and that the use of marijuana to treat the
condition would outweigh the risks
• Patients cleared to buy up to a 60-day supply
of marijuana for their personal use from a
Mass DPH-certified nonprofit center that
would grow the plants
February 2, 2012
Section 3.
Business of Marijuana Cultivation,
Possession, Use, and Distribution
February 2, 2012
Dispensaries Are Profitable
$20k
Average $$/day profits per
dispensary
February 2, 2012
Compassionate care?
< 10%
Only 10% of card holders are
cancer, HIV/AIDS, or
glaucoma patients
90% are registered for
ailments such as headaches
and athlete’s foot
February 2, 2012
Compassionate care or increased
access to marijuana?
>80%
Most card holders in CA and
CO are white men between the
ages of 17 and 35
No history of chronic illness
History of Alcohol and Drugs
Sources: O'Connell, T and Bou-Matar , C.B. (2007). Long term marijuana users seeking medical cannabis in California (2001–2007):
demographics, social characteristics, patterns of cannabis and other drug use of 4117 applicants. Harm Reduction
Journal, http://www.harm reductionjournal.com/content/4/1/16.
Nunberg, Helen; Kilmer, Beau; Pacula, Rosalie Liccardo; and Burgdorf, James R. (2011) “An Analysis of Applicants Presenting to a
Medical Marijuana Specialty Practice in California,” Journal of Drug Policy Analysis: Vol. 4: Iss. 1, Article 1. Available at:
http://www.bepress.com/jdpa/vol4/iss1/art1.
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, “Medical Marijuana Registry Program Update”, (July 31, 2011).
February 2, 2012
What does this mean?
Cardholder Possession
• Each card holder is entitled to possess 4-8
ounces of marijuana and up to 24-48 plants
depending on the bill
• 1 ounce of marijuana =
60-120 joints
February 2, 2012
Amount Allowed for Cultivation
Allows Massachusetts Department of Public
Health (DPH) certified patients to possess
and/or cultivate marijuana for “medical”
purposes. Allows 4 ounces and 24 plants.
According to NORML, 1 plant is about 5 lbs x
1000 joints/pound x 5 plants
120,000 joints per “certified cultivator”
February 2, 2012
Is Marijuana Medicine?
• Whole plant is not medicine
• Some constituents, and their synthetics, are
under clinical research for medicinal effects
• Other medications in development currently
– Over 100 DEA-licensed researchers
February 2, 2012
“Medical” Marijuana
The IOM Report (ONDCP commissioned in 1999)
• Constituents of the marijuana plant show
promise for treating pain, nausea, wasting
• It is justified to conduct research into marijuana’s
active ingredients
• “..(t)here is little future in smoked marijuana as
a medically approved medication.”
February 2, 2012
Bypassing the FDA Process
Before FDA approves a drug as medicine, testing is
done to:
 Determine the benefits and risks of the drug
 Determine how it may interact with other
drugs
 Assure standardization of the drug
 Determine the appropriate dosage levels
 Identify and monitor side effects
 Identify the safe means of administering the
drug
February 2, 2012
Section 4.
Consequences of Legalizing
Marijuana
February 2, 2012
What Law Enforcement Will See
Narcotics Bureau, South Los Angeles
• Cash business = increased crime at dispensary
sites
• Internet access to medical marijuana cards
• Illegal grow sites in homes, rented, foreclosed,
and vacant properties
• Residential and commercial fires
• Traffic stops yield more then one occupant in
possession of marijuana
Oregon Medical Marijuana
•
•
•
•
No program oversight
Limited access to records
Significant Abuse of the Act
Victimized Patients
By The Numbers: Oregon
In one year 1/08-1/09
21,541 Patients
10,424 Caregivers
2,204 Pending Applications
7,818 Patient increase per one physician
Consequences of Legalizing
Marijuana
• 8 out of 10 states with the highest percentage of
those aged 12-25 who used Marijuana in the past 30
days were in states that allowed the cultivation and
the sale of marijuana for “medicinal” purposes.
• Such states are also the majority of states in the top
ten for first time marijuana use rates.
• Decreases of perception of harm.
February 2, 2012
Changes in Attitude Lead to
Changes in Use
Marijuana Use and Perceived Risk among 12th Graders, 1975 to 2009
Past Year Use
Perceived Risk
60
50
Percent
40
30
20
10
0
75
78
81
84
87
90
93
Year
Source: The Monitoring the Future study, the University of Michigan
February 2, 2012
96
99
02
05
08
Consequences of Legalizing
Marijuana
•The younger youth begin to use marijuana, the
more likely they are to be addicted to
marijuana or other substances later in life.
•Increased crime in states with “medicinal”
marijuana laws, especially in states with
dispensaries.
• Increases in drugged driving rates.
February 2, 2012
Section 5.
Mobilizing the Marijuana Prevention
Initiative in Massachusetts
February 2, 2012
Why Care About this Issue?
“Medical marijuana" states are
clustered at the top of the list in
terms of drug addiction and abuse
among 12 –17 year olds.
United States Department of Health and Human Services. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Office of
Applied Studies. National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2009.
Academics
If you care about academic
performance in Massachusetts, you
need to oppose “medical”
marijuana
February 2, 2012
Why?
• Because marijuana use negatively effects
motivation, memory, AND learning.
• Because youth with an average grade of D or
below were more than four times as likely to
have used marijuana in the past year than
youth with an average grade of A.
National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Marijuana: Facts Parents Need to Know.” 2011. Available:
www.nida.nih.gov/marijbroch/parents/001.php
Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). SAMHSA’s
National Household Survey on Drug Abuse Report—Marijuana Use among Youths. July 19, 2002. Available at
www.samhsa.gov/oas.nhsda.htm
February 2, 2012
Employment
If you care about jobs and
employability in Massachusetts, you
need to oppose “medical”
marijuana
The Definitive List of Companies that rug Test. March 2010. Available: www.testclear.com
February 2, 2012
Why?
Because More than 6,000 companies
nationwide, and scores of industries
and professions require a preemployment drug test.
The Definitive List of Companies that Drug Test. March 2010. Available: www.testclear.com
February 2, 2012
Why?
Because 6.6% of high school
seniors smoke marijuana every
day, rendering them virtually
unemployable.
Johnston, L. D., O'Malley, P. M., Bachman, J. G., & Schulenberg, J. E. Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use,
2011. Volume I:Secondary school students. Ann Arbor: Institute for Social Research, The University of Michigan.Available:
http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/data/10data.html#2011data-drugs
February 2, 2012
Public Safety
If you care about public safety in
Massachusetts, you need to oppose
“medical” marijuana
February 2, 2012
Why?
Because marijuana is the most
prevalent illegal drug detected in
impaired drivers, fatally injured
drivers, and motor vehicle crash
victims.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Drug Involvement of Fatally Injured Drivers. U.S. Department of
Transportation Report No. DOT HS 811 415. Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
2010.
February 2, 2012
Why?
A 2007 roadside survey of weekend
nighttime driver showed that 8.6%
tested positive for marijuana, nearly
four times the percentage of drivers
with a BAC of .08 or more
.
Compton, R., and Berning, A. Results of the 2007 National Roadside Survey of Alcohol and Drug Use by Drivers. Traffic Safety Facts
Research Note. 2007.
February 2, 2012
Summary
(1) Will Create Marijuana Stores in MA
(2) Allows Virtually Anyone to Obtain
Marijuana –Not only “Chronically Ill”
(3) Makes Health Care Professionals The
Gatekeepers of an Illicit Substance
(4) State Employees at Risk of Arrest
(5) In Other States, This Has Not Worked –there
is increased drug use, crime, and nuisance;
healthy people are the main utilizers
February 2, 2012
Call to Action
• Take personal interest, responsibility, and action on
this issue to protect the health of youth in your
community and across MA.
• Educate your professional association members.
• Help get the facts out to friends, neighbors,
colleagues and those you love.
• Take a public position for prevention of marijuana
use by youth.
March 5, 2012