Regulation changes to combat illicit drug manufacturing in Australia

Changes to the criminal code and customs regulations will come into force today to make it harder for criminals to manufacture illicit drugs in Australia.

Transnational, serious and organised crime groups use precursor chemicals to manufacture illicit drugs, such as methamphetamine or ‘ice’. While many of these chemicals are classed as prohibited imports, some precursor chemicals can still legally be brought into Australia.

To ensure these chemicals are only imported for legitimate reasons, the Liberal Morrison Government has proscribed additional substances as prohibited precursors, under the Criminal Code and Customs Legislation Amendment (Precursors and Drugs) Regulations 2020.

Assistant Minister for Customs, Community Safety and Multicultural Affairs the Hon. Jason Wood MP, said…

“The changes bring federal controls into line with state and territory controls, enabling law enforcement agencies to investigate, prosecute and disrupt the importation of these new precursors.”

The Government has amended four regulations to ensure Australia adheres to its international obligations, controls additional drugs in line with Department of Health requirements, and supports the Government’s National Drug Strategy. These amendments:

• List additional substances as controlled precursors and border controlled precursors through the Criminal Code Regulations 2019;
• Impose controls on the importation and exportation of drugs, and the importation of precursors through the Customs (Prohibited Exports) Regulations 1958 and the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956; and
• Prescribe additional precursors as tier 1 goods in Part 1 to Schedule 7 of the Customs Regulation 2015.

“Already this year, the ABF has made 716 detections of precursor drugs. ABF officers are constantly on the lookout for precursors being illegitimately brought into the country.”

It is an offence to import precursor chemicals without a license or permit. Penalties under the Criminal Code Act and Customs Act range from two years imprisonment and/or a fine of $88,800 for possession, up to 28 years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $1,243,200 for more serious offences.

Further information about the changes is available here:
www.abf.gov.au/help-and-support-subsite/CustomsNotices/2020-34.pdf

For complete article go to Mirage News

 

For Immediate Release: August 13th, 2020

New CDC Study Reinforces Alarms Raised Over Pregnant Women and Marijuana Use in “Legal” Marijuana States

(Alexandria, Va) – Today, a study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that among pregnant women surveyed in 2017, those who gave live birth in marijuana-legal states Alaska and Maine had the highest rate of marijuana use, followed by medical marijuana states Illinois, New Mexico, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

“Marijuana use during pregnancy is a rising – and concerning – trend,” said Dr. Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and a former White House drug policy advisor. “The push for commercialization of marijuana and the normalization of the pot industry has sent a message to the public that use of this drug is safe, as evident by the dramatic decreases in rates of perceived harm. In reality, today’s marijuana is much stronger than in the past and leaps and bounds ahead of the available research, which already displays significant risks to mental health. It’s time our lawmakers get serious about discussing the ramifications of the continued expansion of marijuana commercialization.”

According to the study, 9.8 percent of women reported using marijuana before pregnancy, 4.2 percent reported use during pregnancy, and 5.5 percent reported use after pregnancy.

Alarmingly, 12.1% of Maine women reported using marijuana during their pregnancy, the highest of the states surveyed. Data show the most common method of use to be smoking, however 4.5 percent of women who used marijuana during pregnancy reported using high potency dabs. More recent data must be studied to better understand the growing threat to pregnant women.

According to a recent, first of its kind General Advisory released by United States Surgeon General Jerome Adams, marijuana use among pregnant women rose by 69% (4.2% to 7.1%) between 2009 and 2016.

It is the position of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists that “women who are pregnant or contemplating pregnancy should be encouraged to discontinue marijuana use. Women reporting marijuana use should be counseled about concerns regarding potential adverse health consequences of continued use during pregnancy” Additionally In 2018, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that “…it is important to advise all adolescents and young women that if they become pregnant, marijuana should not be used during pregnancy”.

The advice of top scientists, doctors, and researchers, however, appears to run counter to the marijuana industry. In Colorado, 83 percent of medical marijuana dispensaries and just over 60 percent of recreational marijuana dispensaries recommended marijuana to pregnant women. As marijuana becomes normalized, states must protect pregnant women from this misinformation. Even after pregnancy, marijuana use can still present risks for newborns. THC, the main psychoactive chemical found in marijuana, can be found in breast milk for up to six days after use. It may affect the newborn’s brain development, resulting in a host of long-term consequences.

Notably, this study was released just days after the release of a massive study in Nature Medicine that found women who use marijuana during pregnancy had 1.5 greater odds of having a child with autism.

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Media Contact: Colton Grace  E: [email protected]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For Immediate Release: August 13th, 2020

New CDC Study Reinforces Alarms Raised Over Pregnant Women and Marijuana Use in “Legal” Marijuana States

(Alexandria, Va) – Today, a study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that among pregnant women surveyed in 2017, those who gave live birth in marijuana-legal states Alaska and Maine had the highest rate of marijuana use, followed by medical marijuana states Illinois, New Mexico, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

“Marijuana use during pregnancy is a rising – and concerning – trend,” said Dr. Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and a former White House drug policy advisor. “The push for commercialization of marijuana and the normalization of the pot industry has sent a message to the public that use of this drug is safe, as evident by the dramatic decreases in rates of perceived harm. In reality, today’s marijuana is much stronger than in the past and leaps and bounds ahead of the available research, which already displays significant risks to mental health. It’s time our lawmakers get serious about discussing the ramifications of the continued expansion of marijuana commercialization.”

According to the study, 9.8 percent of women reported using marijuana before pregnancy, 4.2 percent reported use during pregnancy, and 5.5 percent reported use after pregnancy.

Alarmingly, 12.1% of Maine women reported using marijuana during their pregnancy, the highest of the states surveyed. Data show the most common method of use to be smoking, however 4.5 percent of women who used marijuana during pregnancy reported using high potency dabs. More recent data must be studied to better understand the growing threat to pregnant women.

According to a recent, first of its kind General Advisory released by United States Surgeon General Jerome Adams, marijuana use among pregnant women rose by 69% (4.2% to 7.1%) between 2009 and 2016.

It is the position of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists that “women who are pregnant or contemplating pregnancy should be encouraged to discontinue marijuana use. Women reporting marijuana use should be counseled about concerns regarding potential adverse health consequences of continued use during pregnancy” Additionally In 2018, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that “…it is important to advise all adolescents and young women that if they become pregnant, marijuana should not be used during pregnancy”.

The advice of top scientists, doctors, and researchers, however, appears to run counter to the marijuana industry. In Colorado, 83 percent of medical marijuana dispensaries and just over 60 percent of recreational marijuana dispensaries recommended marijuana to pregnant women. As marijuana becomes normalized, states must protect pregnant women from this misinformation. Even after pregnancy, marijuana use can still present risks for newborns. THC, the main psychoactive chemical found in marijuana, can be found in breast milk for up to six days after use. It may affect the newborn’s brain development, resulting in a host of long-term consequences.

Notably, this study was released just days after the release of a massive study in Nature Medicine that found women who use marijuana during pregnancy had 1.5 greater odds of having a child with autism.

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Media Contact: Colton Grace  E: [email protected]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most Colorado High School Marijuana Users Dab Ultra-Potent Pot Concentrates

Six years after adult-use marijuana commercialization began in Colorado, teens report an alarming increase in their use of ultra-potent pot products in the form of dabs and vapes, according to official state data released today.

More than half of high school students who use marijuana reported that they dab marijuana to get high. Among students who reported using marijuana in the past 30 days, 52% said they dabbed it, up from 34.4% just two years ago– a 50% increase, according to the new bi-annual Healthy Kids Colorado Survey results, based on surveys of over 53,000 middle and high school students statewide last year.

“Dabbing” is a method of inhaling highly concentrated THC (commonly referred to as hash oil, wax or shatter) using a blow torch-heated delivery system commonly referred to as a dab rig. THC is the main high-inducing chemical in marijuana.

The survey results also show a 69% increase in students vaping marijuana in two years. Among high school students who used marijuana in the past 30 days, 34.3% reported vaping it, up from 20.3% in 2017.

In addition to highlighting the increases in dabbing and vaping, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment noted that the percentage of youth who drove after using marijuana more than tripled in two years.  According to the state, 32.4% of youth drove a vehicle after using marijuana in the past month, a statistically significant increase from 9% in 2017.

Colorado has no limits on marijuana potency and has seen levels of THC steadily rise in commercial products. Some concentrates, which make up an increasingly large share of the market, can exceed 90% THC. Those potency increases have been documented in a state funded study.

At the request of the Colorado General Assembly, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment just completed a comprehensive analysis of the health effects of marijuana potency that acknowledged that almost 93% of products sold in Colorado are greater than 15% THC.

In the early 1990s, the average THC content in confiscated marijuana samples was less than 4%. Marijuana potency has accelerated in the past decade as marijuana commercialization expanded.

Rachel O’Bryan, one of Smart Colorado’s co-founders and an expert in the field of marijuana commercialization and the impacts on kids, said, “It’s no surprise that kids are switching to easily concealed ultra-potent pot when they are bombarded with images and marketing for these high-THC products that have proliferated since legalization. This is not the much milder marijuana of their parents’ generation.”

Peer-reviewed scientific studies show that marijuana harms developing brains yet researchers haven’t been able to fully explore the effects of these new ultra-potent products. A recent study found a significant association between using marijuana concentrates and progressing to more frequent use among adolescents. The study found that the rate of persistence of use and progression of use is greater with concentrated THC than with other marijuana products.

When nationwide high school use of e-cigarettes soared by 78% in a single year and 26% of Colorado students, twice the national average, reported current e-cigarette use, then-Gov. John Hickenlooper and public health officials sounded the alarm, laws to ban flavored nicotine vaping liquid were passed and states, including Colorado, sued the e-cigarette manufacturer Juul for illegally marketing to children.

O’Bryan said she hopes these latest figures will finally shock the state into action.

Canada: Premier rejects harm reduction model during funding announcement for new addiction recovery centres

New recovery communities in southern Alberta will open early next year

Sarah Rieger · CBC News Jul 25, 2020

Premier Jason Kenney announces funding for two recovery communities, one on the Blood Reserve and one in Lethbridge County, on Saturday. (Jason Kenney/Twitter)

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney challenged the harm reduction model of addiction treatment on Saturday, during a $10-million funding announcement for two new recovery centres in the southern part of the province.

The premier said the investment, which will bring 125 addiction treatment beds to Lethbridge County and the Blood Tribe First Nation, was part of a plan to build a province-wide continuum of care from addiction prevention, to treatment, to recovery.

The recovery communities are two of five being built across the province, as part of a long-term treatment model that \”[encourages] participants to examine their personal behaviour to help them become more pro-social and positively engaged citizens … based on honesty, taking responsibility, hard work, and willingness to learn,\” according to a government news release.

When asked by a reporter about the recent defunding of a supervised consumption site and the province\’s controversial report that focused on negative community impacts of supervised consumption sites, rather than lives saved, the premier did not mince words.

\”Handing somebody who\’s deep in addiction a needle is not a continuum of care. I don\’t even think it\’s terribly compassionate simply to facilitate an addiction rather than to offer a full spectrum of services for recovery and lifetime treatment,\” Kenney said.

\”If you think the harm reduction obsession is really successful when it comes to preserving human lives, then I invite you to take a stroll down East Hastings on the downtown east side of Vancouver.\”

Harm reduction is a method that aims to reduce fatality rates and the harm associated with drug use, while acknowledging that abstinence is not always a realistic goal. Alberta Health Services harm reduction programs include supervised consumption services and providing naloxone kits.

Last week, the province cut off funding to charitable organization ARCHES, which runs Lethbridge\’s only supervised consumption site, one of the busiest sites in the country, after an audit found $1.6 million of unaccounted for public money.

A report last year found the province\’s sites, including ARCHES, have a 100 per cent success rate at reversing overdoses. The sites also provide other services, like emergency medical care, education on the harms of drug use, and referrals to other social services like counselling.

Kenney described the findings of the ARCHES audit as \”disgusting,\” on Saturday, saying that the staff were \”exploiting addicts.\”

He said the new recovery community model will mean the province is no longer focused on what he described as a single-minded, harm reduction approach, which he said brings a negative impact to local neighbourhoods.

For complete story https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-addiction-recovery-1.5663410

HUGE: Amendment Issued to Restrict Funding to States Allowing Kid-Friendly Marijuana Products

Today, Arizona Congresswoman Debbie Lesko introduced two Smart Approaches to Marijuana-supported amendments to the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations Bill.

The first amendment would restrict funding for states with legal marijuana markets that have no education campaigns on marijuana impaired driving. The second amendment would reduce federal funding in any state with a marijuana market that allows high potency THC products in the form of a candy, soda, chocolate bar, ice cream, or other kid friendly form, as determined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Though the House Rules committee voted down the amendments, they represent a new reality wherein lawmakers are wanting to reign in this industry. This is only the beginning and SAM’s govt affairs team looks forward to building support for these commons sense provisions.

Congresswoman Lesko made the following comment concerning the release of these amendments: “Earlier this year, House Democrats pushed a proposal to eliminate flavored tobacco products that were targeted at children. This amendment echoes that legislation by extending the ban on kid-friendly products to THC products,” said Congresswoman Lesko. “If we are going to ban one product because it is kid-friendly, we must also consider the risks of the other.”

Dr. Kevin Sabet, president of SAM and a former senior drug policy advisor to the Obama Administration, released the following statement in support of Rep. Lesko’s amendments:

“We are thrilled to see such commonsense amendments introduced to the CJS Appropriations bill, which has been previously used as a vehicle for pro-marijuana industry legislation. A host of data show how high potency marijuana products are harmful and how legalization is associated with more marijuana-impaired driving crashes and fatalities. It’s time to hold states accountable. This amendment is just the beginning of our efforts at the federal level to push for more action in promoting public health safety when it comes to the issue of marijuana impaired driving.

“Furthermore, Representative Lesko’s amendments could not be more timely. In the last month, a landmark study was released finding that marijuana legalization and commercialization in Washington State was potentially reversing a decades-long downward trend in teen marijuana use. This industry regularly produces and markets highly potent products featuring up to 99% THC in blatantly kid-friendly forms. As a country, we have cracked down on this practice when it comes to tobacco products, but have allowed Big Marijuana to do so with no oversight. Given the distinctly harmful potential consequences of adolescent marijuana use, the time has come to put an end to this practice.

\”With amendments such as these being offered, it\’s becoming clear that SAM supporter\’s voices are being heard and lawmakers are recognizing the harms of marijuana commercialization.”

Media Contact: Colton Grace P: 864-492-6719 E: [email protected]

 

Records broken at Australian-first drug treatment prison

• Wandoo Rehabilitation Prison for women celebrates second anniversary
• Prison has nation’s lowest rate of return to prison of less than one per cent
• Wandoo still remains drug-free, which is unprecedented across the world
• More than 100 women have graduated from six-month program

Australia’s first Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Prison for women has celebrated two years of operation with a rate of return to prison of less than one per cent so far.

This is virtually unprecedented for any prison in Australia with a national average of 46 per cent.

Wandoo Rehabilitation Prison was introduced by the McGowan Government as part of its comprehensive Methamphetamine Action Plan to try to reduce addiction-driven offending.

More than 100 women have graduated from the six-month intensive therapeutic program with just one woman returning to jail.

Some other prisoners have breached parole conditions but overall the Wandoo program is making a significant change in the women’s lives.

The facility was recently praised by the independent Inspector of Custodial Services as being like no other prison in Western Australia, and the transformation of the facility into a treatment prison was ‘a remarkable achievement’.

Wandoo was a privately run facility before it was returned to public hands in May 2018.

To the credit of the Department of Justice and program provider Cyrenian House, the prison was transformed in just a few months and started accepting prisoners who wanted to transform their lives.

The prison has remained drug-free in the entire two years of its operation, which is unheard of for any prison.

Wandoo runs a six-month community-based, therapeutic program, which involves participants facing up to their own truths about their drug addiction and addressing psychological and emotional issues.

Prisoners also have access to further support programs on release.

It has been a leading light in drug-addiction rehabilitation not just around Australia but the world, with corrective services from international jurisdictions such as Singapore interested in visiting the facility post COVID-19 restrictions being lifted.

A new 128-bed drug treatment prison for men at Casuarina Prison is just months away from opening, and will benefit significantly from the lessons learned and the achievements from Wandoo.

At a glance:

• 694 women have applied to the program since July 2018;
• 222 have been admitted;
• 109 women have graduated;
• 67 currently completing the course;
• 43 did not finish either because of early release or dropped out;
• 27 have had parole suspended or cancelled; and
• Five reoffended, four of whom were fined and one returned to jail and will recomplete the Wandoo program.

As stated by Corrective Services Minister Francis Logan:

“When we started Wandoo as part of the McGowan Government’s Methamphetamine Action Plan, I had high hopes for what could be achieved.

“But the results after just two years are simply remarkable.

“Just one prisoner has returned to jail after completing the six-month program which means the prison has a rate of return to prison of less than one per cent so far. On average, WA’s rate of return is about 40 per cent.

“It is a very tough journey beating drug addiction and some people will stumble on release, but they are now equipped with the support on the outside they need and the internal strength to continue trying to improve their lives.

“At the recent two-year anniversary celebration we heard from former Wandoo prisoner Tory who said she had been in and out of jail since she was 19 and never expected it to change.

“But after completing the Wandoo program and facing some really tough truths, she has turned her life around and has been living a fully productive life on the outside for the last year.

“She has a job and savings, but just as importantly a fantastic sense of achievement and faith in herself to keep doing the right thing.

“I want to acknowledge the great work by the Department of Justice staff at the prison for making this ground-breaking facility a success in such a relatively short period of time.

“Congratulations as well to the program provider Cyrenian House for delivering what is not an easy program for the women to undertake, but one that is achieving remarkable results.

“Thank you also to the female prisoners who volunteered to take part in this program and for wanting to turn their lives around for themselves and for their place in our society.”

https://www.miragenews.com/records-broken-at-australian-first-drug-treatment-prison/ 26^th July 2020

France drugs: PM Castex to impose on-the-spot fines nationwide

• 25 July 2020

Image copyrightEPAImage captionJean Castex (C) with the mayor of Nice, which has seen drug-related violence for weeks

France will introduce on-the-spot fines nationwide for drug users, particularly targeting cannabis, from September.

The move comes amid concerns about drug-related violence and was announced by PM Jean Castex on a trip to Nice, which has seen weeks of unrest.

The roll-out of fines follows tests in cities such as Rennes and Marseilles.

The €200 ($233; £182) fixed fine will reduce to €150 if paid within 15 days. France is one of the leading consumers of cannabis in Europe.

Legislation on recreational cannabis use varies widely from country to country. Several nations, like Canada, have legalised it while others have policies of minor punishment. But many others impose severe jail terms.

How will the system work?

France does already have laws that allow for up to a year in prison and fines of up to €3,750 for the use of illicit drugs, without specifically distinguishing drug types.

But the laws, dating back to 1970, seldom lead to prison sentences, with magistrates preferring alternative punishments, often warnings.

Although there is the reduction for early fine payment in the new system, if an offender fails to pay up in time it increases to €450.

Mr Castex said the system would come in at the start of la rentrée, the beginning of the school year after the summer break.

The fines were initially proposed back in 2018 and were rolled out as tests in Rennes, Marseilles, Lille, Créteil and Boissy-Saint-Léger.

Why is the system being brought in now?

It\’s part of the new prime minister\’s plans to strengthen security. He said he wanted to \”put an end to the violence of everyday life\” .

He said the drugs measure would simplify police procedures by \”inflicting punishment without delay\”.

Image copyrightEPAImage captionA further 60 officers will be brought in to help Nice

Mr Castex added that it would target drug dealers at their points of sale, which were \”eating away at neighbourhoods\”.

He was speaking in the southern port city of Nice, which has witnessed growing drugs-related violence, including in its Moulins district, where shots were fired in broad daylight outside a supermarket this week.

As Mr Castex made his visit on Saturday, a young man was found dead from wounds in the city.

For complete article go to https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53539007

The FDA believes the drug approval process represents the best way to ensure that safe and effective new medicines, including any drugs that contain cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds, are available to patients in need of appropriate medical therapy.

“A range of stakeholders have expressed interest in development of drugs that contain cannabis and compounds found in cannabis. Recent legislative changes have also opened new opportunities for cannabis clinical research. As that body of research progresses and grows, the FDA is working to support drug development in this area.

“The agency is committed to supporting the development of these new drugs through the investigational new drug, drug review and drug approval processes — and one key element of this support involves development of guidance, like this one.”

• Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued “Cannabis and Cannabis-Derived Compounds: Quality Considerations for Clinical Research, Draft Guidance for Industry,” which describes the FDA’s current thinking on several topics relevant to clinical research related to the development of drugs containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds.
• The draft guidance covers sources of cannabis for clinical research, information on quality considerations and recommendations regarding calculating tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels.
• The draft guidance also introduces key FDA regulatory concepts to stakeholders who may be less familiar with the FDA and the FDA’s authorities.

For complete data go to F.D.A Draft Guidance on Cannabis Related Clinical Trials

 

New Study: Marijuana Legalization and Normalization is Reversing Decades of Declines in Youth Marijuana Use

A study recently released by the University of Washington finds that marijuana legalization and commercialization may have begun a reversal of previous downward trends in teen marijuana use. The study, which followed 230 teens and young adults, found that young people may be more likely to use marijuana after commercialization, due to normalization as a result of the over-saturation of stores, advertisements, and rapidly rising adult use of the drug.

“The findings of this study are the canary in the coal mine. These data, coupled with recent national survey data from the federal government, directly undercut Big Pot’s narrative that legalization has not resulted in a subsequent rise in youth use,” said Dr. Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and a former senior drug policy advisor to the Obama Administration. “We have long pointed out that valid and trustworthy benchmark surveys have shown increases in use among youth. Ask any school superintendent in Colorado and they’ll tell you they have been warning of this fact for years. Given the risks of serious mental health issues youth use can bring about, this is a concerning development.”

Notably, this study supports another study out of Washington that showed increases in marijuana use among 8th and 10th graders, using data from the benchmark survey, Monitoring the Future. The study also serves as an important check on claims made by the marijuana industry, which often cites faulty statistics backed by questionable data to allege that youth use has held steady.

“A teen usage rate that holds steady isn’t good enough if it would normally be going down,” said study author Jennifer Bailey in an interview with the University of Washington News. “We need to devote more attention to prevention of adolescent use in the context of legalization because we want to keep the decreases we’ve been seeing before legalization was implemented.\”

Some facts on youth use and potential harms:

• The most reliable survey on the prevalence of drug use among U.S. households is the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). According to NSDUH data, in all jurisdictions with legalized recreational marijuana (Alaska, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, though only personal use and growing is legal there, and Washington), past-month drug use among youth aged 12- 17 continues to sit above the national average (NSDUH, 2016-2017).

• Colorado, where recreational marijuana has been legal since 2012, has the highest rate of first-time marijuana use among youth (ages 12-17) and young adults (ages 18-25) (NSDUH State Estimates, 2016-2017). Colorado currently holds the top ranking for first-time marijuana use among youth, representing a 65% increase in the years since legalization.

• Past month marijuana use among 12 to 17 year-olds increased 4% in Colorado from 2016-2017 to 2017- 2018. In non-legal states, past year and past month use rates are significantly lower than in the state of Colorado (NSDUH State Comparisons, 2019).

• In Colorado, only 15.9% of young people aged 12 to 17 years old perceive a great risk from using marijuana once a month, compared to a national rate of 23.6% (NSDUH State Comparisons, 2019).

• Marijuana, which can cause depression and suicidal thoughts – particularly in young users, was found in the toxicology screens of 200 suicide victims in the state in 2017, up from 83 in 2012 (Colorado Violent Death Reporting System, 2019). In 2013, marijuana was present in 10.6% of suicide toxicology reports for young people aged 15 to 19 years; in 2017, marijuana was present in over 30%* of suicide toxicology reports for young victims between the ages of 15 and 19 years (CDPHE, 2019).

Media Release:  21^st July 2020 Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM)