Marijuana Education Tool Kit

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Are you educating decision makers in Washington, your state capitol, or your hometown?

Download our latest Marijuana Education Toolkit to inform yourself and others!

SAM\’s Toolkit includes i nformation about the health risks of marijuana, data showing links between marijuana use and other drugs, and a debrief of the latest on federal vs. states\’ rights.  You can use these educational briefs to inform not just lawmakers, but also community leaders, friends, and anyone else interested in this important subject.
For more information about marijuana use and its effects, visit http://www.learnaboutsam.org.

 

New Study Finds Marijuana Abuse Linked to Suicide Attempts by Iraq/Afghanistan-Era Veterans

Study shows strong, statistically significant link between marijuana use disorder and suicide attempts, even after controlling for PTSD, depression, alcohol abuse, and other drug addictions

Contact: Anisha Gianchandani [email protected]

[Alexandria, VA] – A recent study

published by the Journal of Psychiatric Research found that marijuana-dependent Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans have an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and attempted suicide. More than 3,000 veterans were sampled, and the study design also controlled for extraneous factors including PTSD, depression, alcohol dependence, and other drug disorders.

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This study expands on the recent National Academies of Sciences (NAS) report, which found only limited evidence that marijuana or cannabinoids could be effective in treating symptoms of PTSD. In fact, the NAS report revealed a stronger association between marijuana use and social anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, and schizophrenia.

A 2015 Yale University study also showed a connection between marijuana use and PTSD symptoms and alcohol use.

Veterans are a particularly vulnerable population with respect to mental health issues, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recently reported that approximately 20 veterans die by suicide each day in the United States. While some veterans who suffer from PTSD have turned to medical marijuana to ease their symptoms, the science suggests that this \”treatment\” could actually make their condition worse.

\”It is distressing to realize that many veterans suffering from PTSD have been sold the false promise that marijuana use can ease their symptoms, when in fact the science shows it\’s just the opposite,\” said SAM President Dr. Kevin A. Sabet. \”We all want veterans to have a healthy and successful readjustment to civilian life, and it\’s clear that marijuana has no place in that. This study may be the tip of the iceberg showing the alarming links between marijuana use and suicide.\”

For more information about marijuana use and its effects, see http://www.learnaboutsam.org.

About SAM

Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) is a nonpartisan, non-profit alliance of physicians, policy makers, prevention workers, treatment and recovery professionals, scientists, and other concerned citizens opposed to marijuana legalization who want health and scientific evidence to guide marijuana policies. SAM has affiliates in more than 30 states

www.learnaboutsam.org

 

 

Illicit drug deaths reaches record high 914 in B.C. in 2016

And this in a culture where Harm Reduction ONLY ideologies reign!?

Published on: January 18, 2017 | Last Updated: January 18, 2017 5:05 PM PST
\"BritishBritish Columbia reached a new peak of 914 illicit drug overdose deaths last year with the arrival of the deadly opioid fentanyl. Nine people died from overdoses in Vancouver\’s Downtown Eastside overnight, says Vancouver\’s police chief. Vancouver Fire Department Medical Unit responds to an unresponsive man after he injected a drug in the Downtown Eastside in Vancouver, December, 9, 2016 in this file photo.RICHARD LAM / PNG 

More than 900 people died in British Columbia last year from illicit drug overdoses, but the provincial health minister says the toll could have been far higher and he warned the federal government Wednesday the epidemic is spreading across Canada.

The arrival of the powerful opioid fentanyl pushed the provincial death toll to a new peak of 914 overdose deaths in 2016. The BC Coroners Service reported the figure is almost 80 per cent higher than the 510 deaths due to illicit drugs in 2015.

Chief coroner Lisa Lapointe said December was the worst month at 142 deaths, the highest monthly death total ever.

For complete article Harm Reduction, increasing harms??

 

WHY AUSTRALIA SHOULD NOT DECRIMINALISE DRUGS

WHY AUSTRALIA SHOULD NOT DECRIMINALISE DRUGS By Drug Free Australia

Australia21 and NDARC, two Australian entities sympathetic towards the use of illegal drugs, are pushing our politicians and media to advocate for the decriminalisation of all illegal drugs, including heroin and ice. But decriminalisation mostly increases drug use and Australians want LESS use. Convicting users is a major deterrent to drugs while encouraging rehab. When users can show they are clean for 3-5 years, then, and not before, is the time to wipe their conviction

http://drugfree.org.au/images/13Books-FP/pdf/Decriminalisation.pdf

 

National Academies of Sciences Releases Report on Science Surrounding Marijuana Use; Finds Multiple Harms

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National Academies of Sciences Releases Report on Science Surrounding Marijuana Use; Finds Multiple Harms

First NAS report on marijuana since 1999 finds marijuana especially damaging for psychosis, driving safety, progression to other drugs, learning, pregnancy; says state-based legalization connected to injuries among kids
Contact: SAM Public Affairs
+1 (703) 665-1410
[WASHINGTON, DC] – The National Academy of Sciences (NAS), in a landmark report written by top scientists, The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids: Current State of Evidence and Recommendations for Research, concluded after a review of over 10,000 peer-reviewed academic articles, that marijuana use is connected to, among other problems:
  • respiratory problems;
  • mental health issues (like psychosis, social anxiety, and thoughts of suicide);
  • increased risk of car accidents;
  • progression to and dependence on other drugs, including studies showing connections to cocaine and heroin use;
  • learning, memory, and attention loss (possibly permanent in some cases); and
  • low birth weight.
Notably, the report also stated that, \”in states where cannabis use is legal, there is increased risk of unintentional cannabis overdose injuries among children.\”
\”This report is a wake-up call to all Americans who have been sold the false promise that marijuana use is not harmful across multiple health outcomes,\” said Kevin A. Sabet, Ph.D., the President of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM). \”It confirms that although more research is badly needed, tens of thousands of peer-reviewed articles tell us today that marijuana use can produce serious health and social problems. We should be doing everything we can to stop the marijuana industry from continuing to deceive the public the same way Big Tobacco did for a century.\”
Furthermore, the report underscored the success of the FDA process in developing legitimate marijuana-based medications for treating specific problems, such as chemotherapy-induced nausea.  In calling for addition research to explore other possible medical uses for cannabinoids, it implicitly criticized the medical marijuana ballot initiatives funded by the marijuana industry, which permit marijuana use without any FDA oversight.
\”The NAS report confirmed SAM\’s six-point plan on marijuana research, which calls for responsible medication development in the context of the FDA,\” said Jeffrey Zinsmeister, Executive Vice President for SAM. \”The report also confirms that we need more research on potential negative effects, such as cancer.\”
For more information about marijuana use and its effects, see http://www.learnaboutsam.org.

 

CALAVERAS COUNTY FIGHTS BACK AGAINST BIG WEEDS

JANUARY 12, 2017

Calaveras County made national news this week because its famed, 2,000 year old tree, which had been a tourist attraction since 1880, fell down.  Fortunately, Calaveras County also took action this week to keep out an invasive tree, the giant cannabis plants that grow like weeds.  Tourists won’t be going there for marijuana, and fortunately, many giant sequoias are still standing.  (Photos from the Calaveras Big Trees Association webpage)

Citizens Qualify an Initiative to Ban Marijuana Cultivation

Calaveras County will see California’s first ever citizen-initiated ordinance banning commercial marijuana activities decided soon by its Board of Supervisors or in a spring special election.   It’s one of the first big push-backs against Big Marijuana since the November 8 election in which the state legalized pot.

County Clerk and Registrar of Voters Rebecca Turner today certified the petition sections filed by proponents of the initiative to ban commercial marijuana cultivation included more than enough valid signatures to qualify it for a special election.  Sampling 500 of the more than 5,200 signatures submitted, the Elections Department found a validity rate of 87% which, applied to the total, would produce approximately 4,532 valid signatures, where the number needed for certification was only 3,143.  For More click here

 

Maine: No Retail Pot Legalization For Now

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Maine: No Retail Pot Legalization For Now
Bipartisan legislative deal puts moratorium on marijuana sales until 2018

January 11, 2016
Contact: SAM Public Affairs

(Augusta, ME) — A deal has been reached by the leaders of the Maine House and Senate to put off major provisions of Question 1, the legalization initiative that passed by a razor thin margin of just a few thousand votes last November. The deal would delay retail sales until a later date.
\”Given how close the vote on legalization was, we applaud the leaders of the Maine legislature for putting this compromise forward,\” said Kevin A. Sabet, President of Smart Approaches to Marijuana Action. \”Few Mainers want to see pot openly commercialized and sold by out-of-state private interest groups who just want to make a buck.\”
SAM\’s affiliate,  Mainers Protecting Our Youth and Communities (MPOYC), applauded the measure. Their statement, in part, read:

\”Delaying implementation until early 2018 will provide the necessary time for state and local officials to get the data, research, and science they need to make smart, evidence-based policies that will ensure Maine does everything it can to protect the health, safety and welfare of all Mainers.  This is a stellar example of bi-partisan leadership making decisions based on sound public health principals.\”

The deal also closes two problematic loopholes by ensuring marijuana is not legal for youth and prohibiting edibles, which have led to a skyrocketing increase in hospital and ER admissions in states like Colorado.

\”We are so thankful for the leadership of President Thibodeau and Speaker Gideon in drafting this legislation. We are thankful they have heard and incorporated the concerns of the half of Maine that said \’No\’ to Question 1, because of their deep concerns about the risks posed to youth and communities,\” stated Smart Approaches to Marijuana and No On 1 Campaign Chair Scott Gagnon. \”It was especially crucial to close the youth possession loophole and to continue to prohibit edibles. Our coalition strongly supports this legislation and will be actively engaged in advocacy to ensure its speedy passage.  This is a good compromise to respect democracy while also ensuring we respect the health, safety, and welfare of all Mainers.\”

 

World Drug Report 2016

Continual monitoring of new cannabis policies is recommended

Although it is still too early to evaluate the impact of new cannabis policies, the evidence collected to date in the United States points to an increase in cannabis use in states where referendums have led to the legalization of recreational marijuana use. New challenges have emerged in some states of the United States (notably Colorado), including the marketing of unregulated cannabis products (edibles) with a high content of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Moreover, there is evidence of an increasing number of cannabis users driving under the influence, as well as an increase in cannabis-related emergency room visits and hospitalizations. However, cannabis-related arrests and court cases related to cannabis offences have decreased. All of these outcome measures would need to be rigorously monitored and evaluated over a period of time before a final assessment can be made.

https://www.unodc.org/doc/wdr2016/WORLD_DRUG_REPORT_2016_web.pdf

 

When Drug Crisis Hits Home!!

No one wants to read about drug addiction, abuse, overdose numbers and young death. Why should they? Why should anyone who is steady, healthy and cogent enough to be combing a newspaper, or scanning news on their iPhone care much about someone who – all the world assumes – lost their own future, made avoidable mistakes? Not my lane. Not my worry. Not my world, right? Wrong.

When the tide comes in, it takes all. Especially when it comes by storm. And this storm, my fellow Americans, is upon us. If you’re not touched by addiction yourself, you soon will be. Society is being confronted by an unprecedented wave of events. Marijuana legalization, far from harmless as advertised, is producing a wave of new drug dependence. Nor is that black dog easy to shake. Then, add the related opiate epidemic. The Centers for Disease Control just reported 50,000 more dead Americans in 2016 (most young), on top of the 50,000 dead in 2015. Read more at When Drug Crisis Hits Home

 

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