Dear Friend,
There was big news in Congress today that I wanted you to know about. A proposed government spending bill released today eliminated a provision that has protected the marijuana industry from federal prosecution for violating the Controlled Substances Act.
The Rohrabacher-Farr language was eliminated from the Commerce, Justice, Science bill that funds the Department of Justice, even though the language had previously been included in the 2017 base text. In addition, the Financial Services bill retained language preventing Washington, DC from implementing full retail sales and commercialization of recreational marijuana.
Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) submitted testimony to the Appropriations Committee to push back against this provision, which has allowed unsafe and untested products to masquerade as medicine. Rather than submit their products to the FDA for approval as safe and effective medicines, the marijuana industry has instead been using medical marijuana laws as a guise to increase demand for marijuana consumption and service the black market with large amounts of high-potency marijuana.
\”If I were an investor, I would sell my marijuana stocks short,\” said Kevin Sabet, President of SAM. \”The marijuana industry has lost in every state in which they were pushing legislation in 2017, the industry\’s largest lobbying group is losing its bank account , and now they are losing protection that has helped them thrive despite marijuana\’s illegal status. Although the debate over Rohrbacher-Farr is far from over, the bad news just keeps coming for the pot industry. But it\’s great news for parents, prevention groups, law enforcement, medical professionals, victims\’ rights advocates and everyone who cares about putting public health before profits.\”
Evidence demonstrates that marijuana – which has skyrocketed in average potency over the past decade – is addictive and harmful to the human brain, especially when used by adolescents. Moreover, in states that have already legalized the drug, there has been an increase in drugged driving crashes and youth marijuana use. States that have legalized marijuana have also failed to shore up state budget shortfalls with marijuana taxes, continue to see a thriving black market, and are experiencing a continued rise in alcohol sales.
Thank you for the work that you are doing to help with these big wins for public health and safety!
Tony Coder – Director, State and Local Affairs
SAM
|
http://themarijuanareport.org/
|
SAM Press Office [email protected] (571) 358-8070
Today, Smart Approaches to Marijuana President and former White House advisor Kevin Sabet released this statement on Nevada\’s plan to defy federal law and commercialize the retail sales of marijuana:
\”Nevada\’s legislators say they want to be a marijuana tourism destination, but they failed to consult the Netherlands. The Dutch found out tying pot to tourism is a terrible idea, and passed a law in 2012 to ban the sale of marijuana to tourists.
\”Further, the Dutch believe no one would be stupid enough to allow the for-profit marketing and commercialization of marijuana, edibles, and high-potency extracts. But that\’s just what states like Colorado and Nevada have done.
\”Nevada\’s tax authority had to issue an emergency regulation to stop the sales of existing \’medical marijuana\’ lollipops and ice cream. Belatedly, state regulators recognized that radically increasing the availability of these products was going to land more kids in the emergency room, just as it has in Colorado. But the state law still allows the sale of 98% concentrated \’dabs,\’ which are very dangerous for the average user.
\”Legalization has not reduced the black market, as we have seen that 70% of all transactions in Oregon still occur on the black market. The Colorado AG noted this week that, \’The black market for marijuana has not gone away since recreational marijuana was legalized in our state, and in fact continues to flourish.\’ Taxing marijuana has not fixed state budgets in other states.
\”The legalized industry has become this generation\’s predatory Big Tobacco, converting young customers into lifelong profit centers. Nevada will face the same increases in drugged-driving fatalities and emergency room visits as other legalized states. We are working with employers and health care professionals in the state to minimize the damage to public health from these misguided laws.\”
Evidence demonstrates that marijuana – which has skyrocketed in average potency over the past decade – is addictive and harmful to the human brain, especially when used by adolescents. Moreover, in states that have already legalized the drug, there has been an increase in drugged driving crashes and youth marijuana use. States that have legalized marijuana have also failed to shore up state budget shortfalls with marijuana taxes, continue to see a thriving black market, and are experiencing a continued rise in alcohol sales.
Contact: DEA Public Affairs (202) 307-7977 |
|
|
|
|
V PADMAJA June 04,2017
58 year old Rakesh* was in his early twenties when he first took to the bottle. His drinking slowly spiraled out of control and he became a full-blown addict. Alcoholism began affecting his mental health and strained his relationship with his family. Not only was his personal life in shambles, his drinking took a toll on his career too.
Despite being a graduate of Shree Ram College of Commerce; he ended up in a job that paid him close to nothing. After struggling for nearly two decades, he finally decided to seek help. He joined Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) in 1996 and has been sober for 18 years now.
Like Rakesh, many addicts in India have turned to Alcoholic Anonymous groups to get back on the road to sobriety.
AA is a voluntary, non-profit society of recovering alcoholics founded in 1935 in the United States of America. It was established with a purpose of combating alcoholism, considered a moral sin at that time. Since then, AA has evolved into a holistic recovery program for alcoholics with a strong global network. It claims to have a membership of over 30 lakh alcoholics worldwide and 40,000 sober alcoholics in India alone.
The group relies on a ‘12 step programme’ for recovery and adheres strictly to the principle of maintaining anonymity. Through anonymity the society ensures the creation of a safe space for its members and protects their reputation from any stigma that maybe associated with addiction.
Teenage rugby player cut off penis while high on skunk, says father who wants drug made Class A 2 JUNE 2017
The teenager\’s father is backing Lord Monson\’s call for skunk to be reclassified CREDIT:MATTHEW FEARN/PA WIRE
Ateenage rugby player cut off his own penis and stabbed his mother while high on skunk, his father has revealed, as he called for the drug to be reclassified.
The father, named only as Nick because he wants to remain anonymous as his son is rebuilding his life, is backing Lord Nicholas Monson\’s campaign to have skunk reclassified from a class B to a class A drug and for the traditional weaker form of cannabis to be decriminalised.
Lord Monson launched his call following the suicide of his 21-year-old son Rupert, who was addicted to skunk.
May 2017
Adults who have used tobacco and currently use marijuana are twice as likely as those who have never used marijuana to be continued tobacco users, according to a new study from the University of Washington School of Public Health. About 70 percent of adult marijuana users are also tobacco users, which may complicate tobacco cessation…“We do not yet know how the widespread legalization of marijuana for recreational or non-medical purposes will impact tobacco use and cessation,” said lead author Gillian Schauer, clinical instructor of health services at the School. “Tobacco use is still the number one cause of preventable death and disease in this country, and the overlap between tobacco use and marijuana use is substantial. If using marijuana makes it harder to quit tobacco, it could have important implications for tobacco control efforts.”
For More http://sph.washington.edu/news/article.asp?content_ID=8474
