Cannabis-related admissions to psychiatric hospitals rose 185% in eight years
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New report voices concerns over the increased potency of the drug
Oct 15, 2019, Colin Gleeson
A new report notes a surge in cannabis-related admissions to general and psychiatric hospitals from 2008 to 2016.
Cannabis-related admissions to general and psychiatric hospitals increased by 90 per cent and 185 per cent respectively from 2008 to 2016, coinciding with a decline in perceived risk of regular use, according to new research.
Bobby Smyth, Anne O’Farrell and Antoinette Daly, writing in the latest issue of the Irish Medical Journal, argue that Ireland is seeing a changing pattern of cannabis use and cannabis-related health harms.
Their study is based on two national population surveys and three national treatment databases, focusing on people under the age of 34. It finds that cannabis is the illegal drug that causes the greatest amount of disability-adjusted years for older teenagers.
It cites research that shows cannabis use appears to contribute to the development of psychosis and that the risk of psychosis increases with higher potency THC, which is the substance in cannabis that causes the intoxication effects.
“Adolescent cannabis use is associated with depression and suicidality in early adulthood,” note the authors. “There is growing evidence that heavy cannabis use during adolescence has a negative impact on cognitive development and functioning.”
The authors cite statistics which show that past-month cannabis use among adolescents and young adults increased after 2011, “coinciding with a decline in perceived risk of regular use”.
The treatment of cannabis use disorders and cannabis-related hospital admissions have “increased significantly” since 2011 as the drug has grown more potent, the report notes.
From 2008 to 2016, there were increases in the rates of cannabis-related addiction treatment episodes among adolescents and among young adults of 40 per cent and 168 per cent respectively. One in 28 young adults was cannabis dependent in 2015.
Cannabis-related psychiatric admissions more than doubled during the period 2011 to 2017, while general hospital admissions “continued their relentless upward trend”.
‘Worrying increase’
“In spite of this increased harm, there was a worrying increase in the proportion of young adults who saw little or no risk in regular cannabis use,” according to the authors.
“This mismatch between a reduction in perceived risk and the growing scientific evidence that cannabis use is associated with multiple risks is a major concern from a public health perspective.
For complete article IRELAND CANT TREAT HER WAY OUT OF THIS CANNABIS CHAOS!
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For Immediate Release: October 11th, 2019
BREAKING: CDC Narrows Warnings to Specifically Target THC Products
(Alexandria, VA) – Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) narrowed their warnings on vaping to urge Americans to specifically avoid the use of marijuana vaping products. Earlier guidance from the CDC recommended Americans avoid using e-cigarettes containing either nicotine or THC, the psychoactive chemical found in marijuana.
Dr. Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana and a former senior drug policy advisor to the Obama Administration released the following statement in response:
\”Today\’s warning from the CDC could not be clearer: we are witnessing a marijuana vaping crisis. We have allowed this industry to run too far ahead of the science, and now we’re are experiencing the tragic consequences. Additionally, two deaths in Oregon and illnesses in Delaware and Maryland derived from state ‘legal’ products confirm this is not simply a black-market issue.
\”We are calling on the Trump Administration to use the Food and Drug Administration\’s enforcement powers to remove all marijuana vaping products from the shelves. Additionally, we call on Congress to immediately halt any consideration of legislation seeking to grant further legitimacy and investment into the marijuana industry.
\”It is my sincere hope that lawmakers nationwide are paying attention. There is no question the efforts to legalize marijuana and its subsequent commercialization has led us to this point. It\’s no longer simply time to pump the brakes on this front, it\’s time to bring this THC normalization movement to a screeching halt.”
###
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
P: (864) 492-6719 E; [email protected]
Why I shed no tears for these drug legalisers
By Neil McKeganey October 9, 2019
THERE has been shrieking commentary in the press following the resignation of Professor Alex Stevens from the UK’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. The accusation from Professor Stevens is of intolerable political vetting of those appointed to the committee which, in addition to seeing him resign, has also led to the non-appointment of Niamh Eastwood, a non-practising barrister heading the legal rights drugs charity Release, a case he repeated to the ill-briefed and uncritical Justin Webb of BBC Radio Four’s Today programme yesterday.
Whilst some journalists may be in a lather over these developments, should we be similarly concerned? In Eastwood’s case, her non-appointment seems to have to do with the fact that she characterised the minister responsible for drugs policy, and the Home Office, of making stuff up and of talking rubbish — and standing by what she said:
I stand by what I said about the Ministers letter to the #acmd on drug consumption rooms as I said to the @Independent today
Make what you like of those accusations; they hardly augur well for the development of a trusting relationship between a minister and his or her advisers.
Stevens’s resignation seems to be because he feels political vetting (whatever that is) has occurred and he does not like it one bit. Both Stevens and Eastwood have repeatedly argued for some form of drugs legalisation or decriminalisation, i.e. a profound change in the very laws that have seen the setting up of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs in the first place. In my view, if you are going to argue for fundamentally overturning our drug laws you should not put yourself forward for appointment to a government committee set up under those very same laws.
There is another dimension, though, which has to do with the first word in the committee’s title: ‘Advisory’. Some members of this committee, Stevens included, seem to be of the view that their recommendations should be implemented by whatever government is in power. Advice should be sought and given, but when it comes to implementation it needs to be weighed against a host of other things, including what the elected members have presented as their policies for tackling illegal drugs in the first place.
Am I crying into my pillow tonight at the failure to appoint Eastwood or to persuade Stevens to stay? Not particularly. What upsets me more is when government advisers and experts think the best we can do to tackle our drug problem is to implement ways in which drugs can be made more accessible. I want more barriers in place around drugs — indeed I want Trump’s much-vaunted wall in place to reduce access to these deadly substances.
For complete story go to ‘Legalisers are NO friend to children and families!’
MARIJUANA DUI CRASHES IN ILLINOIS RISE
Many recent crashes in Illinois suggest that pot users think it’s safe to drive after toking, or they simply don’t care. Prior to the decriminalization of marijuana, Illinois experienced less than 1000 vehicle deaths each year. In 2016, the year of marijuana decriminalization, traffic deaths rose to 1078. In 2017, 1091 people died from fatal crashes on Illinois roads, and 1038 died in 2018.
With decriminalization, Illinois raised the marijuana limit from zero THC to 5 ng of THC. When politicians talk of decriminalization or legalization, they signal to the public a belief that pot is harmless.
On May 31, the day legislators passed a legalization bill, Erik McKay drove recklessly and killed a passenger, reports the Daily Herald. “Officers at the scene detected an odor of alcohol in his breath and through the course of investigation they (came to) believe he was potentially involved with marijuana in his system,” according to South Elgin police sergeant Mike Doty said. McKay was charged with: aggravated driving under the influence in an accident causing death, a Class 2 felony; reckless homicide, a Class 3 felony; and driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, a Class A misdemeanor. Amy Carlson, 25, of St. Charles, died.
Injuries and a teen’s death
Danielle Thomas. Photo comes from the Lake and McHenry County Scanner.
A two-car wreck on March 15 killed Danielle Thomas, 16, a high school student and cheerleader at McHenry West. Four other teenagers suffered injuries. Another teen driver, Caleb Rohrbach, 18, has several charges pending.
“Rohrbach had marijuana in his system at the time of the crash, police said. An unspecified amount of marijuana also was found in his car.” He remains in jail, held on $1 million bail. He pleaded not guilty to reckless homicide and other charges. A terrible decision to drive under the influence of marijuana ended one teen’s life and drastically changed another teen’s life.
Where are the adults who should be warning against stoned driving the same way we warn against drunk driving?
What’s wrong with the politicians?
Politicians who advocate for marijuana should be held accountable for promoting to young people the false belief that pot is safe. A few weeks ago, Brandon Harding, 22, of Elgin was allegedly high on pot when he crashed his vehicle, injuring two female passengers. The Daily Herald reported: “The two women had severe lacerations on their foreheads, and Harding, who was not injured, had slurred speech and was ‘stumbling and staggering,’ according to the report. Harding smelled of alcohol and marijuana, but a preliminary breath test showed he had no alcohol in his system, the report said.
“However, Harding showed impairment in field sobriety tests and the officer, who was a certified drug recognition expert, placed Harding under arrest for DUI-drugs, the report said.
On June 22, 2018, Caleb Rallings, 20, a seasonal Cook County Forest Preserve District employee caused a fatal, five-car crash. He had the marijuana in his system at the time of the collision. The crash killed Giuseppe Garzano, 44, and injured two other people.
Presumably the forest preserve district and other government bodies don’t want drugged employees. Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and Students Against Destructive Decisions conducted a study of 2800 teens in states that have legalized marijuana.
Photo of crash on August 16, 2018, in Schaumburg comes from The Daily Herald. The driver who has been charged had many previous traffic tickets. The victim leaves a wife and 4 children.
One third of those surveyed thought that driving under the influence of marijuana is legal in states where it’s recreational. More than 20% of teens reported it’s common among their friends. The study also found that parents’ perceptions were not much different.
Marijuana DUI Crashes from 2018 in Illinois
On August 16, 2018, the speeding driver responsible for a fatal Schaumburg crash spent the day ‘smoking weed,” according to reports. The other driver, Amando Chavez, a 41-year-old father, was trapped in his vehicle and had to be extricated. He was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10:15 p.m. Chavez was a father of four young children.
In October, an Alsip man, Dave E. Flynn was charged with reckless homicide and aggravated DUI for a June 26 crash that killed his passenger, a 25-year-old Elgin woman, Maria DeJesus Ayala.
Flynn was arrested in early October. Lab tests showed he had 6.6 nanograms of active THC per milliliter in his body, authorities said. The legal threshold in Illinois is 5 nanograms of THC.
For complete story to Road Toll Meets a POT Hole!
VAPING DEATHS TEST MARIJUANA INDUSTRY’S RESISTANCE TO REGULATION
All eyes on Governor Kate Brown
The marijuana industry proves that “tax and regulate marijuana” cannot work. One year ago, October 3, 2018, the Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB), announced new regulations that would ban marijuana edibles. The LCB responded to 382 cases of toxic overdose of marijuana products in 2017, 82 of them involving children ages five and under.
A week after the announcement, the LCB rescinded the regulations in response to fierce objections from the industry.
Governor Kate Brown of Oregon
Now Oregon Governor Kate Brown has a good opportunity to ban marijuana vaping products in Oregon. The lung illnesses and two of the deaths in Oregon involved products bought at state-regulated dispensaries. However, she is talking to many parties including the marijuana industry.
Will the governor ban marijuana vapes? This will be a good test as to how much “the Industry” controls a politician. The Oregon Health Authority suggests a six-month ban on all vaped products.
Once again the cannabis industry proves that it is hostile to all attempts at sensible regulation. In 2016, the cannabis industry spent $800,000 to buy out a ballot designed to cap the potency of marijuana sold in Colorado dispensaries to 16% THC.
How Other Governors responded
Yesterday, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) said that 78% of the vaping illnesses reported involved THC. The governors of New York, Michigan and California issued orders banning flavored vapes. A judge struck down the New York ban.
Only Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has taken the strong response of banning all vaping products for four months, including marijuana vapes.
Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts called for a four-month ban on vaping, including THC.
Many reports erroneously left out the fact that THC, not just nicotine, was involved in the lung illnesses. Many reports falsely claimed it’s only black market THC involved in the the illnesses.
Politicians love to criticize Big Tobacco, while defending the marijuana industry which lines their pocketbooks with campaign contributions.
Statistics from the CDC, Mayo Clinic report
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports severe lung illnesses involving 1,080 people in 48 states, of whom 18 died. Of the reported cases, 16% are younger than 18; 21% are 18-20 years; 80% are younger than 35, and 70% are male.
Most patients report vaping THC products, and 37% used THC products exclusively; 58% used nicotine and 17% used nicotine exclusively. Vaping enables easy cross-over between nicotine and marijuana. 55% are 24 years and younger.
Doctors at the Mayo Clinic examined samples of lung tissue from 17 patients in Arizona, Minnesota and Florida, two who died. They looked as if they had been exposed to toxic chemicals, similar to a chemical burn.
Solution to the Vaping Problems
Nicotine vapes help some cigarette smokers quit, making a total ban controversial to those trying to quit cigarettes. Perhaps making the nicotine vapes available by doctor’s prescription only would make it less likely for youth to fall into the vaping trap. Youth vaping was not an issue ten years ago, before the marijuana industry gained control of our nation.
True to form, the marijuana industry wrote a letter to Senators McConnell and Schumer, advocating that descheduling marijuana would be the solution to our vaping crisis. The letter falsely suggested that the vaping products responsible for this crisis come only from the black market.
The cannabis industry repeatedly shows itself impervious to regulation, and the vaping illnesses prove this point. For source Addiction for Profit Industry Doesn’t Care!
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.”
###
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]