POT IN POLITICS
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Media Contact
Southern California, Scott Chipman 619 990 7480 [email protected]
Northern California, Carla Lowe 916 708 4111 [email protected]
“Conflicts of interest, backroom deals, and general corruption are hallmarks of the marijuana industry and its bought and paid for political puppets. The methods of how the marijuana industry gains and uses its political influence are becoming more and more apparent and the public should pay attention to this new billion-dollar lobbying group which will pay for the votes it needs.”
-Carla Lowe
How the marijuana industry influences politics
1. Industry lobbyists meet with and donate to elected officials or candidates
2. Elected official promotes the industry and policies supportive of the industry
3. Elected official receives more donations
4. Elected officials appoint industry friendly individuals as \”regulators\” of the industry
5. When the elected official terms out of office they take high paid positions within the industry as lobbyists, consultants, and advocates.
Rinse and repeat.
Appointed regulators also jump from regulatory positions to industry consultants to assist the industry in creating policies that are friendly to marijuana drug-dealing and in navigating and modifying regulations in favor of the industry.
“There is virtually no one on marijuana policy advisory or regulatory boards who are anti-drug or prevention specialists or who has expertise in the harms related to pot use or normalization. The pot industry is being hired to write and recommend regulatory policies. It is no surprise that no jurisdiction is successfully regulating or controlling this drug dealer industry.”
-Scott Chipman
| Dozens of California politicians are working for the pot industry |
| Marijuana-loving former politicians are lining up to profit off the end of their war on drugs |
Pot, alcohol most common cause of youth substance-use hospitalizations: report
A woman smokes a joint during the annual 4/20 marijuana celebration on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Friday, April 20, 2018. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang)
Camille Bains, The Canadian Press Published Thursday, September 19, 2019
VANCOUVER — Marijuana and alcohol were the most common substances leading to hospitalization of youth aged 10 to 24 across the country, says a report that highlights the prevalence of mental-health conditions as contributing factors.
About 23,500 people in that age group were hospitalized for harm caused by substance use, amounting to an average of 65 hospitalizations every day between April 2017 and March 2018, says the Canadian Institute for Health Information in a report released Thursday.
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Overall, cannabis was documented in almost 40 per cent of hospitalizations and alcohol was associated with 26 per cent of hospital stays, says the report that calls for improved access to initiatives that reduce risks and harms from substance use, more mental-health and support services as well as early treatment strategies.
For youth who stayed in hospital for cannabis use, 81 per cent received care for a mental-health issue such as anxiety, says the report. Meanwhile, 49 per cent of opioid-related stays also involved care for mental-health treatment.
Jean Harvey, director of the institute\’s population and health initiative, said the data show only the \”the tip of the iceberg\” because they don\’t include care in emergency rooms, family doctors\’ offices, addiction centres or deaths from overdose.
The report is also based on data collected before cannabis was legalized last October, suggesting the information is a baseline for further research involving youth drug use, Harvey said.
\”We need to be protecting kids, we need to be educating kids that just because it is legal doesn\’t mean it\’s safe,\” she said. \”I think it can be a bit of a wake-up call for parents and those who are working with youth.\”
This is the first year CIHI has published the report.
Of the provinces, Saskatchewan had the highest rate of hospitalizations at 667 per 100,000 population, mostly due to cannabis, followed by alcohol and stimulants which could include methamphetamine and Ritalin, prescribed for ADHD.
Prince Edward Island was second, with a rate of 547 youth per 100,000 population admitted to hospital. Among these P.E.I. cases, cannabis was the most common cause, followed by what the report categorizes as \”unknown,\” or a mixture of unidentified substances.
British Columbia\’s rate was 467 hospitalizations, with cannabis as the leading cause, followed by alcohol and stimulants.
The highest overall youth substance-use hospitalization rates in Canada were in the Northwest Territories, at 1,755 admissions, followed by 1,095 in Nunavut, says the report.
It says 69 per cent of hospital stays for harm caused by substances involved care for a concurrent mental-health condition such as anxiety.
\”Females had a slightly higher proportion of mood, behavioural and trauma- and stressor-related disorders. Males had a higher proportion of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders,\” the report says.
However, the overall proportion of substance-use hospital stays among youth aged 10 to 24 was nearly double that of adults aged 25 and older, the report says.
For complete article
For complete story https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/pot-alcohol-most-common-cause-of-youth-substance-use-hospitalizations-report-1.4600322
LOWELL PROTESTERS DEMONSTRATE AGAINST POT DISPENSARIES
“Prohibitionists” against marijuana are alive and well in Massachusetts. They’re a growing army. Hundreds of people participated in a Peace March from Lowell Auditorium to Lowell City Hall on September 28 to demonstrate concerns about marijuana in the city.
Many people held signs, proclaiming “We have a Dream,” and “Keep Kids Safe.” One sign proclaimed a “War on Addiction.” Organizers ![\"\"](\"http://poppot.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Lowell-Ma-protest-large.png\")
planned the march to express problems associated with the marijuana stores in the City of Lowell.
Many in the immigrant community joined the group. How can anyone live the American dream, if a community promotes drug use?
After the march, several people gave speeches in front of city hall, explaining their opposition to marijuana. They talked about psychosis and suicide, and the deaths of young people. ![\"\"](\"http://poppot.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Citywide-Ministries-of-Greater-Lowell.jpg\")
We found many photos on the website for Citywide Ministries Network of Greater Lowell. Other groups joined in the march. The turnout was huge.
Lowell, the fourth largest in Massachusetts, lies 30 miles north of Boston.
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker took a courageous step last week, banning all vaping products, for four months. The CDC warned that 77% of the lung illnesses from vaping were from marijuana vapes, some of which were mixed with nicotine.
For more People Power Over Pot Profits
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For Immediate Release:
October 4th, 2019
BREAKING: FDA Commissioner Urges Americans to Avoid THC Vapes
(Alexandria, VA) – Today, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Ned Sharpless announced the agency is urging Americans to “not use vaping products containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive component of the cannabis plant.” Dr. Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana and a former senior drug policy advisory to the Obama Administration release the following statement in response:
“SAM applauds Dr. Sharpless and the FDA for speaking up on this issue and joining the CDC in urging folks to avoid vaping marijuana. It is clear Big Marijuana’s latest innovation is the culprit behind this crisis, but it remains unclear as to what the offending substance in these products may be.
“Because we are still learning more, we urge the FDA to go a step further and begin taking enforcement action to pull these hazardous products off of shelves in \’legal\’ states and begin stronger scrutiny of the marijuana industry. We additionally urge the federal government to begin stronger enforcement of federal law. The ‘hands-off’ approach with regards to states loosening marijuana laws are proving to be a detriment to public health and safety.
“Finally, we call on Congress to postpone any further consideration on the so-called SAFE Banking Act or any similar legislation aiming to grant further investment and legitimacy to this industry.”
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About SAM
Co-founded in 2013 by former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy and Dr. Kevin A. Sabet, a former senior drug policy advisor to the Obama Administration, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) is the nation\’s premier non-profit, non-partisan marijuana policy organization. Advised by a blue ribbon scientific advisory board, SAM envisions a society where marijuana policies are aligned with the scientific understanding of marijuana\’s harms, and the commercialization and normalization of marijuana are no more. Its mission is to educate citizens on the science of marijuana and to promote health-first, smart policies and attitudes that decrease marijuana use and its consequences.
SAM has advised almost every state government in the U.S., Pope Francis, Queen Silvia of Sweden, and several other governments, dignitaries, and international organizations. It has Special Consultative Status with the United Nations, and SAM team members have testified before Congress numerous times, as well as appearing in almost every media outlet in the country.
Media Contact:
Colton Grace
(864) 492-6719
[email protected]
A Vape Ban Would Crush Oregon Cannabis Oil Extractors. Gov. Kate Brown May Do It Anyway.
Oregon’s cannabis industry was already reeling from oversupply. One bright spot was oil extraction.![](\"https://www.wweek.com/resizer/TKmA-AVD7-7XycLaPRNgJE261hI=/1200x0/filters:quality(100)/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-wordpress-client-uploads/wweek/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/01213608/25046312017_029d5de8c7_o.jpg\")
Gov. Kate Brown is poised to make a decision she says may shield thousands of Oregonians from a potentially life-threatening product.
The state\’s cannabis farmers wish she wouldn\’t.
The announcement by health officials last week of a second Oregon death in an outbreak of respiratory illnesses has pressed the governor to the brink of issuing a six-month ban on all vaping products. Some public health experts say that\’s the responsible choice: Even if vaping-related illnesses remain rare, the fog surrounding their cause means Brown can protect the most people with a blanket ban.
\”Given that we have a product that\’s associated with deaths, it seems like it\’s reasonable to stop sales of that product until we are clear whether there\’s a way we can prevent further injury or deaths,\” says Dr. Tom Schaumberg, a Portland pulmonologist.
In some states, governors might worry about outraging the tobacco lobby by banning Juul cartridges. But Brown has little reason to care about that: She\’s a Democrat who isn\’t up for re-election. Instead, she must weigh the public health benefits of a ban against the possibility of crushing Oregon\’s beleaguered cannabis industry.
Take for example East Fork Cultivars, a cannabis farm in Southern Oregon. In the coming weeks, it will harvest and ship roughly a thousand pounds of cannabis to extractors that will turn the plant into oil used in vaping cartridges.
\”We\’re counting on that money to get us through the most expensive time for all farms, which is harvest season,\” says Nathan Howard, who co-owns the farm with his brother, Aaron. \”We are counting on those deals to go through–a lot of farms are.\”
Oregon\’s cannabis industry was already reeling from oversupply, which sent the price of weed into a nosedive from which it\’s just starting to recover (\”Too Much Weed,\” WW, March 19, 2018). One bright spot was oil extraction–which allowed producers with surplus flower to instead extract oils for vapes and edibles, giving them a higher profit margin.
Data shows the oils and extract market in Oregon constitutes about 30 percent of the cannabis industry\’s $643 million in annual sales.
Both victims of vaping-related deaths used pens loaded with cannabis oil. That\’s a blow to consumer confidence and to pot growers–who have never before confronted a death so closely tied to their product. Data from the Oregon Liquor Control Commission shows that concentrate and extract sales have dropped by roughly 20 percent from August.
A ban by Brown? That would be crushing.
\”It would 100 percent impact everyone, from the dispensary all the way down to cultivation,\” says Amy Margolis, a lawyer specializing in cannabis. \”I\’m certain I\’m right. We\’re a symbiotic industry, so it\’s hard to find a product that doesn\’t touch everything else.\”
As Brown weighs her legal options, the entire cannabis industry–the farmers, the oil producers, the shops and consumers–holds its breath.
![\"(Justin](\"https://www.wweek.com/resizer/6aerutU4PrsNsKFxJxx9axq2svA=/600x0/filters:quality(100)/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-wordpress-client-uploads/wweek/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/23172257/news_Vaping3_JustinTylerNorton_4548.jpg\")
Most of the lung illnesses due to vaping have been caused by a buildup of fatty oil particles in the lungs, causing patients to suffocate. Health professionals are in agreement: Oils shouldn\’t be inhaled in copious amounts into the lungs, because they aren\’t equipped to dispose of fatty buildups.
Most health officials believe the deaths are probably caused by additives in the oil cartridges. But the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still haven\’t narrowed down the suspects to any particular product–or even to only tobacco or cannabis vapes.
That means Brown faces pressure to make a decision–but with limited information.
Massachusetts banned all vaping products for four months, and four other states have or will ban flavored vape products.
The Oregon Health Authority presented Brown with six options to quell the illnesses. One of those is a six-month temporary ban on all vaping products. Brown\’s office says it is consulting the Oregon Department of Justice about what it can legally do.
For complete article go to Addiction For Profit — Profit Over PEOPLE!!!!
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\”Over 2000 marijuana businesses along with their lobbyist put their thumbs on the scales of democracy and scored a big win for themselves and a huge loss for public health and safety.\” The passage of the \”Safe\” Banking act comes in the wake of increasingly damning evidence that marijuana is anything but safe. Child Deaths – The #1 drug associated with a child\’s death is marijuana. Marijuana was the substance most identified as actively being used by the perpetrator in child abuse and neglect-related fatalities as found in state reports in Arizona, Texas, and Florida. Between 30% and 40% of all child deaths are associated with marijuana use. Teen Suicides – There has been a 58% increase in suicides of Colorado teens since marijuana was legalized Vaping THC – Deaths related to vaping THC continue to grow in number. On the day of the \”SAFE\” bank act, two more people died from these industries products. Safe? The death toll is now 11 and is expected to climb Car Crashes – Deaths related to marijuana user car crashes are on the rise. Deaths related to marijuana impaired driving double in Washington state the year after \”legalization.\” Scromiting- or Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, also known as CHS – Severe vomiting, nausea and abdominal pain leading to fatal dehydration. Like vaping injuries this syndrome is not well known but its diagnosis is rapidly growing. A few deaths have been noticed so far but more will be showing up as the public and media become more aware. These deaths likely represent less than 1% of those who don\’t die but are seriously injured and harmed by marijuana use and users. \”Americans Against Legalizing Marijuana call on Senators to wake up to the harms of this drug and stop facilitating the pot industry in their addicting and endangering the citizens of the United States.\” |
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News Roundup – October 2019
Here is a brief rundown of marijuana news as well as an update on what we have been up to over the last month.
In Wake of Recent Vaping Crisis, Trump Administration Must Enact National Moratorium on THC Vape Products
In response to a growing national crisis over the tragic deaths and hospitalizations of hundreds of people from lung infections associated with marijuana vaping products, SAM President Dr. Kevin Sabet, called on the Trump Administration, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to enact an immediate, national moratorium on the sale of all THC vape products.
\”We are calling on the Trump Administration and the new HHS advisory committee to recognize that THC vaping poses a significant threat to public health and include these dangerous products in their forthcoming recommendations. The sale of THC vaping oils and other products must be halted before more Americans are put at risk,\” stated Dr. Sabet.
Just last week, the Centers for Disease Control urged Americans to \”refrain from the use of vaping products, particularly those containing THC.\” This marks the first time the agency has explicitly warned against the use of all THC vaping products.
SAM staff have put together a comprehensive list of facts and talking points for you to be able to discuss the marijuana vaping crisis with your family, friends, and colleagues. If you share anything on social media, please be sure to use the hashtag \”#PotVapingCrisis\” in order to raise awareness that the marijuana industry is to blame.
During a Marijuana Vaping Crisis, the U.S. House Puts Big Marijuana\’s Demands Above the Interest of Public Health and Safety New Study: Opioid Deaths Rising in \”Legal\” States
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the SAFE Banking Act, a bill to grant the marijuana industry access to the federal banking system. Notably, the bill passes the House while the nation is in the grips of a health crisis, with at least two of eight deaths and hundreds of cases of illness linked to marijuana vaping devices.
In response to the bill\’s passage in the House, SAM is calling on the U.S. Senate to protect public health and safety in the face of this crisis by blocking this addiction-for-profit legislation.
\”This is a gift to Big Tobacco, which has already invested billions into pot. Granting this industry access to banks will bring billions of dollars of institutional investment from the titans of addiction and vastly expand the harms we are already witnessing,\” said Dr. Sabet.
\”Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other leaders in the Senate should see through this scam and stand up for public health. As it stands, Senators Chuck Schumer, Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders, and Cory Booker have all stated opposition to the bill. They know passing the SAFE Banking Act will do nothing but aid Big Marijuana in harming disadvantaged communities.\”
A study by researchers in Oregon and California added to the foundation of data countering efforts by the marijuana industry and its promoters to paint marijuana legalization as a solution to the opioid epidemic.
The study used opioid mortality data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to compare trends in opioid death rates in states \”legalizing\” marijuana in both \”recreational\” and \”medicinal\” uses. In total, the study found 78% of \”legal\” states experienced significantly higher rates of opioid-related deaths after legalization than states that have not legalized the drug.
\”With each day, more data comes to light proving that expanding access and use of marijuana is a net negative in terms of public health and safety,\” said Dr. Kevin Sabet. \”Lawmakers are running far ahead of the science. The body of evidence on this subject builds a solid case that marijuana legalization has a negative impact on opioid abuse.\”
SAM Unveils Latest Data on Marijuana Industry Donations
SAM released a thoroughly renovated database with the most up-to-date information available on political contributions made by the marijuana industry to federal elected officials.
The database now includes donations from K Street lobbying firms that work for the marijuana industry, like Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck (for the Cannabis Trade Federation) and Squire Patton Boggs (for John Boehner\’s National Cannabis Roundtable).
\”The flow of political donations from the marijuana industry to elected officials has grown exponentially over the last few years as massive investment from the titans of addiction has increased,\” said Dr. Kevin Sabet. \”Big Marijuana is dutifully following the playbook of Big Tobacco and part of that strategy was greasing the wheels on public policy with donations. Another key aspect was keeping those donations under the radar, we aren\’t going to let that happen.\”
This initiative seeks to expose elected officials who pocket money from the marijuana industry and then support policies that would benefit the pot profiteers, such as granting the industry investor access or tying the hands of the FDA from being able to have even basic oversight of the industry.
Cheddar Interview:
SAM Urges Caution on 2020 Marijuana Policy New Colorado Report Shows Marijuana Harms Continue to Mount
SAM President Dr. Kevin Sabet recent joined \”Cheddar,\” the largest \”post-cable\” news media organization, to discuss the various stances on marijuana policy held by 2020 presidential candidates.
\”When people say they support marijuana legalization, or even vote for it, if you dig deeper you find out what they actually prefer is decriminalization, not commercialization. They don\’t want to see pot shops in their back yards and they especially don\’t want to see the rise of these new, dangerous products such as pot vapes.\”
Additionally, Dr. Sabet addressed the root cause of the ongoing vaping crisis saying that \”the majority of the problems we are seeing are from marijuana vapes, some of which were legally obtained.\”
A new Colorado report compiled by the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area finds marijuana-positive traffic fatalities, hospitalizations, marijuana use, and illegal market activity have exploded since marijuana legalization.
\”This report, coming on the heels of the Surgeon General\’s health advisory on marijuana and in the midst of a marijuana vaping crisis, piles on to the broad array of data we have indicating marijuana legalization is having a net-negative impact in states that have chosen to legalize the drug,\” said Dr. Sabet. \”The time has come to put public health and safety over the demands of this harmful industry.\”
According to the report, marijuana-impaired driving is having a catastrophic impact on the state, marijuana usage rates also continue to soar, and the black market is in full swing.
New Hampshire Coalition Urges Congressional Delegation to Oppose Marijuana Banking Access During Health Crisis
Members of Smart Approaches to Marijuana New Hampshire (SAM NH) an affiliate of SAM Action, joined New Hampshire State Senator Bob Giuda, Emergency Room Physician Dr. David Strang, and Lebanon, New Hampshire Police Chief Richard Mello in urging Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, as well as Representatives Ann Kuster and Chris Pappas, to oppose efforts to extend banking access to the marijuana industry in the midst of the pot vaping crisis and the opioid epidemic.
\”As a medical doctor, I am extremely concerned about the potential unintended consequences associated with passing the SAFE Banking Act,\” said Dr. David Strang, an Emergency Medicine Specialist and Chairman of the New Hampshire Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Advisory Council. \”Sound scientific evidence, not financial urgency, should guide both federal and state marijuana policies. As it stands, the scientific evidence does not favor rewarding this industry with banking access and institutional investment.\”
The press conference featured a letter to the New Hampshire Congressional delegation that highlights a recent push by former Directors of the Office of National Drug Control Policy and former Administrators of the Drug Enforcement Administration to educate lawmakers as to their concerns with allowing the marijuana industry banking access. Chief among these concerns is that banking access would be a boon for cartels and other criminal organizations seeking to launder money through the industry.
Additionally, the letter outlines the health harms of high potency marijuana, such as being mass-produced by the marijuana industry, and explains the culprit behind the ongoing fatal vaping crisis seems to be the use of marijuana vapes.
SAM Op-Ed Corner
\”Given the vaping crisis, N.J. should not legalize marijuana, an ex-presidential adviser says\”
Opinion: Should Pennsylvania legalize recreational marijuana?
Billboards and Other Large Advertisements
Interested in really making a splash on the marijuana issue? Use our artwork on a billboard, bus ad, building-sized poster, or other installation that is sure to draw public attention, and maybe even media coverage! We have successfully used billboards such as the one above to drive media and policymakers\’ attention to the harms of marijuana legalization and you can, too!
Contact us at [email protected] to jump-start your marijuana awareness work.
SAVE THE DATE!
2020 SAM SUMMIT CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS
Registration is now open for the The 2020 SAM Summit taking place in Nashville, TN alongside the Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit. This is the perfect option for interested and concerned parties to learn more about what the current research says about the negative effects of marijuana normalization on public health and safety.
We\’re looking for dynamic presenters for our annual summit. Ever want to give a TED talk on some aspect of marijuana policy? If you said yes, then read on!
SAM is seeking proposals that focus on the following topics:
– Advocacy
– Prevention strategies
– Treatment and recovery
– Social justice
– Link between marijuana and opioids/other drugs.
– Workplace and employers, and impact on employee productivity
– Impacts on youth and young adults
PLEASE NOTE: All submissions are to be completed by Friday, November 1, 2019.
Submit proposals to Brendan Fairfield: [email protected]
MARIJUANA: PREVENTING ANOTHER BIG TOBACCO MEDIA CAMPAIGN TOOLKIT NOW AVAILABLE
Big Marijuana is borrowing the playbook of Big Tobacco in search of the same deep profits at the expense of addicted users. It is time to combat their game with the facts! To help you do so, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) has partnered with Communities for Alcohol and Drug Free Youth (CADY) to offer a comprehensive media campaign prevention toolkit.
As always, thank you for being a SAM supporter. If you can, please chip-in with a small donation by clicking here.
If you can\’t chip-in, then at the very least, please click here to share this with a friend and help grow the SAM community.
All the best,
Colton Grace – Communications Associate
Smart Approaches to Marijuana
Official SAM Website: Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) | [email protected] | 400 N. Columbus St., Suite 202
Alexandria, VA 22314
‘The largest health crisis of our generation’: How each federal party plans to deal with the opioid crisis
By Rachel Browne National Online Journalist Politics Reporter Global News
NEWS: HOW EACH FEDERAL PARTY PLANS TO DEAL WITH THE OPIOID CRISISX
Last December, Conservative MP John Barlow gave an impassioned speech in the House of Commons about someone close to him who had overdosed in Calgary near his riding of Foothills.
“We actually had to break into her apartment,” Barlow said. “When I saw her there, the look on her face and the condition she was in was permanently scarred into my brain.”
He went on to describe how he and his wife took the woman to the hospital.
“The things that were going through my mind were not, ‘I wish I could get her to a safe injection site,’ or ‘I sure wish that these drugs were decriminalized,’” Barlow said. “What we have to do is put our priority in treating these people.”
WATCH: John Barlow recounts his best friend’s fight with opioid addiction
Barlow’s speech encompassed some of the ongoing discussions, and disagreements, over how to deal with the worsening opioid overdose crisis and an increasingly toxic illegal drug supply.
Public health experts and advocates say harm reduction tools such as supervised consumption sites are crucial to keeping people alive and are a vital aspect of evidence-based treatment options. Meanwhile, many conservative politicians and law enforcement officials say that cracking down on the supply and treatment should be the top priorities.
The main federal parties hold a range of ideas on how to deal with the opioid crisis, which has resulted in the deaths of more than 11,000 people across Canada since 2016.
For complete story https://globalnews.ca/news/5895146/canada-election-federal-parties-opioid-overdose-crisis/
SURPRISING\’ VAPING THC STUDY IN ONTARIO SHOWS SIMILARITIES TO SCHIZOPHRENIA
CANADIAN PRESS September 24th 2019 –
A new study by Ontario researchers suggests that brain activity in rats exposed to the vapourized psychoactive component of marijuana is similar to those with schizophrenia and cannabis-induced psychosis.
Jibran Khokhar, an assistant professor of neuroscience at the University of Guelph, says the rodents\’ dampened brain activity lasted at least a week after exposure to T-H-C.
He says the fact the effects lasted that long was really surprising.
Khokhar and his team are now trying to tease out the long-known relationship between marijuana use and schizophrenia.
His team surgically implanted electrodes into the brains of eight healthy rats that had never been exposed to T-H-C.
After the animals recovered from the surgery, his team pumped pure vapourized THC or a saline solution into sealed rat chambers and monitored the animals\’ brain activity.
For more Marijuana & Mental Illness
