Exploitation fears as hundreds of children commit drug offences

By Jack Averty Published: 10/2/19

Children are being exploited and abused by by gangs who are forcing them to act as drug mules, it has been claimed.

Bottom of Form

Nearly 400 drug offences were committed by children across the West Midlands and Staffordshire last year

New figures show nearly 400 drug offences were committed by children across the West Midlands and Staffordshire last year, with a charity issuing a stark warning about how exploited children are being treated.

There were 313 drug offences committed by children aged between 10 and 17 in the West Midlands in the 12 months to March 2018, with 55 offences committed in Staffordshire across the same period. Offences include the possession and supply of illegal drugs.

The number of offences in the West Midlands fell compared to 2016-17, when there were 362, but have risen by 20 per cent in Staffordshire. Drug offences among children in Staffordshire had previously fallen year on year since 2014-15.

The Children\’s Society says gangs often target and exploit vulnerable children, such as those living in poverty or in care, to act as drug mules.

Terrified

Iryna Pona, policy and research manager for the charity, said: \”After being groomed through promises of cash, drugs and a glamorous lifestyle, children are then terrified into following orders and carrying out drug-related crimes.

\”We have sadly supported children who have been stabbed, raped and tortured, with their activities monitored through mobile phone live streaming and tracking.

\”We want police to recognise that in many cases young people haven’t made a choice to get involved in gangs – they have been groomed and coerced in the same way as we have seen young people groomed and coerced into sexual exploitation.\”

Across England and Wales the number of drug offences committed by children rose by 2.5 per cent last year to 5,965 — the first increase for 10 years.

A surge in county lines drug networks — which gangs use to transport drugs from urban centres into smaller towns and rural areas — has been blamed for the increase.

The National Crime Agency estimates around 10,000 children as young as 11 years old are now being used as drug mules for county lines gangs.

For complete story https://www.expressandstar.com/news/crime/2019/02/11/exploitation-fears-as-hundreds-of-children-commit-drug-offences/

 

Tell Your Children – Marijuana, Mental Illness and Violence

In 1936 a church group produced a melodramatic movie warning parents of teens that marijuana use can be dangerous. They entitled it “Tell Your Children.”  Later it was renamed “Reefer Madness”. The film was \”rediscovered\” in the early 1970s and gained new life as a propaganda film ridiculing concern for pot use among advocates of  legalization.

The pot of the ‘70s was about 1-3% tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the active ingredient that makes you high. Forty years later the pot of today routinely hits 20 to 25 percent THC producing stronger and quicker highs. Edibles and hash oil products commonly reach THC levels from 50-99%. The difference between yesterday’s marijuana and today’s is like the difference between near beer and a martini.

Now a new speaker, Alex Berenson, stands up to ask us to reconsider the concept of reefer madness and pot use normalization. He has ironically entitled his book “Tell Your Children.” Berenson is a graduate of Yale University, with degrees in history and economics. His wife, Dr. Jacqueline Berenson, is a forensic psychiatrist. Until recently she worked at Mid-Hudson Forensic Psychiatric Institute where most of the 300 patients have been diagnosed with psychotic disorders like schizophrenia that provoked them to violence against family members or strangers.

A few years ago, in passing, she mentioned that “all of them are [pot] smokers.” Alex realized what his wife knew from her work with the criminally insane and study of the research on pot use was completely contrary to what he and nearly all society think they know about the drug and its impacts. After much research Berenson tells audiences, “Almost everything that you think you know about the health effects of cannabis, almost everything that advocates and the media have told you for a generation, is wrong.”

Marijuana is commonly recommended for “pain”, but a recent four-year study of Australian patients with chronic pain showed that cannabis use was associated with greater pain over time. When legitimate pain is present pot users actually need more pain medicines than non-users. Berenson says, “Even cannabis advocates, like Rob Kampia, who co-founded the Marijuana Policy Project … acknowledge that they have always viewed medical marijuana laws mostly as a way to protect recreational users.”

Marijuana legalization advocates sometimes argue that its use reduces opiate use. That is untrue. Berenson indicates, “The United States and Canada, which are the countries that have the most opioid use, also have by far the worst problem with … cannabis.” A paper in the American Journal of Psychiatry last year showed that people who used cannabis in 2001 were almost three times as likely to use opiates three years later, even after adjusting for other potential risks.

Many recommend marijuana for anxiety but research in top medical journals shows that marijuana can cause anxiety disorder or worsen severe mental illness, especially psychosis, the medical term for a break from reality. A 2017 National Academy of Medicine study found that “cannabis use is likely to increase the risk of developing schizophrenia and other psychoses; the higher the use, the greater the risk. …Teenagers who smoke marijuana regularly are about three times as likely to develop schizophrenia, the most devastating psychotic disorder.

Psychosis is a shockingly high risk factor for violence. The best analysis came in a 2009 paper in PLOS Medicine by Dr. Seena Fazel, an Oxford University psychiatrist and epidemiologist. Drawing on earlier studies, the paper found that people with schizophrenia are five times as likely to commit violent crimes as healthy people, and almost 20 times as likely to commit homicide.

Berenson cites several studies and findings showing a relationship between marijuana use and violence and crime. According to a 2007 paper in The Medical Journal of Australia on 88 felons who had committed homicide during psychotic episodes, almost two-thirds reported misusing pot. A 2012 paper in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence examined a federal survey of more than 9,000 adolescents and found that marijuana use was associated with a doubling of domestic violence.

The first four states to legalize marijuana for recreational use were Colorado, Washington, Alaska and Oregon. In 2013, those states combined had about 450 murders and 30,300 aggravated assaults. In 2017, they had almost 620 murders and 38,000 aggravated assaults – an increase of 37 percent for murders and 25 percent for aggravated assaults, far greater than the national increase.

The largest problem with legalization is that it gives social sanction to its use. The current messages about pot are: it’s not harmful, it is a medicine, no one ever died from using it, and we can get tax revenue from it.  All these messages are wrong and because they are wrong they are dangerous.

Not every 2 year old that strays into the street gets hit by a car, but we stop them — every time. Not every young person or young adult who uses pot will acquire a disorder or become psychotic. Today’s teens and young adults know no more about pot than 2 year olds know about the street. No one is encouraging 2 year olds to walk out into the street. Right now, as a society, we are encouraging teens and young adults to use pot. The results can be just as serious as a 2 year old in the street. TELL YOUR CHILDREN.

STOP POT

Scott Chipman

Vice President – Americans Against Legalizing Marijuana

AALM.info

 

 

England hospital admissions for addiction soar as treatment budgets fall

Sarah Boseley Health editor 11 Feb 2019 

The shadow health secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, is among the MPs campaigning against cuts in alcohol and drug treatments. Photograph: David Sillitoe/The Guardian

More than half of the local authorities in England have cut their budgets for alcohol and drug treatment, even though admissions to hospital for problems related to addiction are soaring, say MPs.

Liam Byrne, the chair of the cross-party parliamentary group for children of alcoholics, and Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow health secretary, have both spoken of the trauma of growing up with an alcoholic father. They are among the MPs campaigning against the cuts.

The data comes from a freedom of information (FoI) request by Byrne to local authorities, which are responsible for drug and alcohol treatment in their areas but are struggling with huge demands on their limited public health budgets.

“Every child of an alcoholic comes to learn the brutal hard way that we can’t change things for our parents, but we can change things for our children,” said Byrne.

“But frankly that’s harder if addiction treatment budgets are being cut left, right and centre. What this year’s data shows is that it’s simply a false economy. We’re spending money dealing with A&E admissions when we should be trying to tackle the addiction that lands people in hospital in the first place.”

For complete story https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/feb/11/uk-hospital-admissions-for-addiction-soar-as-treatment-budgets-fall

What does one expect, when Demand Reduction and Primary Prevention are ignored in the pop-culture cacophony of ‘rights’ for ‘FUN’; and permission for drug use mantras pervade the market place, even using Harm Reduction platforms to promote and protect ongoing drug use!

“If you never use a drug, you can never have a drug problem!”

But that message is no longer ‘progressive’!  However, growing cultural dysfunction, family violence, productivity decline and diminishing health are!? This is what happens when drug permitters, promotors, and users are controlling the levers of drug policy interpretation!

THIS IS PROGRESS????

 

CBD-Infused Food Banned by Health Department at NYC Restaurant, Owner Says

Fat Cat Kitchen on 14th Street says DOH embargoed all its CBD-laced pastries by Serena Dai Feb 4, 2019,

A Gramercy Park neighborhood restaurant and bakery says that the Department of Health forced it to stop selling food with CBD, embargoing cookies and other pastries containing the legal compound derived from cannabis.

Fat Cat Kitchen’s co-owner C.J. Holm says that officials with the health department bagged up about $1,000 worth of cannabidiol (or CBD) edibles on Friday morning during a routine inspection, putting them in a zip-lock bag and marking them as “embargoed.” Holm is still in possession of the items.

DOH visited at least two other times in the recent past and did not mention the CBD products, even though Fat Cat Kitchen advertises the treats with a sign outside the restaurant, she alleges.

“I mean, this is crazy,” Holm says, alleging that at least two city staffers did not know what CBD was when she called for more information. “They couldn’t even intelligently explain to me exactly what the problem was when I spoke to them on the phone.”

CBD is a legal, non-psychoactive chemical compound that’s a relative of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the illegal compound in weed. In recent years, it has become increasingly popular to put into food products due to its purported (albeit sometimes questionable) therapeutic effects.

A Department of Health spokesperson did not immediately have a statement or further information. Eater will update when more details become available.

New York isn’t the only place facing this issue. Over the weekend, Maine’s health officials announced a ban on CBD edibles, saying that it’s not a federally approved food additive. But CBD itself – such as in a vape, as an oil, or in a lotion – is still okay to sell.

For more go to… https://ny.eater.com/2019/2/4/18207370/cbd-food-drink-illegal-nyc-department-of-health

But here’s why DHS are doing this!!!

CALIFORNIA.CBD.FOOD

CBD PRODUCTS MAY NOT BE PURE OR MAY CONTAIN THC

CBD SIDE EFFECTS

CONVERSION OF CBD TO THC

CBD PRODUCTS MAY NOT BE PURE OR MAY CONTAIN THC

Over the past several years, FDA has issued several warning letters to firms that market unapproved new drugs that allegedly contain cannabidiol (CBD). As part of these actions, FDA has tested the chemical content of cannabinoid compounds in some of the products, and many were found to not contain the levels of CBD they claimed to contain. It is important to note that these products are not approved by FDA for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of any disease. Consumers should beware purchasing and using any such products. ¹

CBD SIDE EFFECTS

Drug Contraindications

CBD oil may potentially interact in a negative way with anti-epilepsy drugs such as:

1. carbamazepine (Tegretol)

2. phenytoin (Dilantin)

3. phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton, Tedral)

4. primidone (anti-seizure) ²

Research published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research shows that more than 40% of children with epilepsy who were given CBD orally had adverse events that included THC like symptoms, The research challenged the widely accepted premise that CBD is not intoxicating. ³

The most common side effects of CBD can include: ⁴

• Sleepiness
• Decreased appetite
• Diarrhea
• Change in liver function
• Fatigue
• Malaise
• Asthenia (weakness or lack of energy)
• Rash
• Insomnia
• Sleep disorder
• Poor quality sleep
• Infections
• CBD also interacts with some other seizure medicines.
• Nausea or vomiting
• Dizziness
• Anxiety or depression
• Changes in appetite/weight

 

CONVERSION OF CBD TO THC

 

CITE FOR BELOW

https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/cbd-oil-dangers/#comment-643247

Conversion of CBD to THC

Researcher Kazuhito Watanabe, PhD and his team at Daiichi College of Pharmaceuticals, Japan discovered a disturbing problem with cannabidiol.

They found that CBD converts into THC, the same psychosis inducing substance found in weed. In addition, CBD converted into two other THC-like cannabinoids known as HHCs (hexahydroxycannabinols). All three produced high inducing symptoms in mice.

This research indicates that THC is not the only mind altering cannabinoid in hemp. It also suggests the possibility that a person can be exposed to brain altering, high inducing substances by simply consuming CBD.

Getting High on CBD?

Acidity is necessary for the conversion of CBD to THC and the two psychoactive HHCs. Researchers performed this conversion using artificial digestive juices. The change accelerated in the presence of some kind of sugar (or alcohol).

In people consuming CBD oil, this would parallel as acidity in the stomach. Since people commonly consume CBD oil in sugary lattes, candy, goodies, smoothies or alcoholic beverages, this situation mimics the reality of many people who use it.

Effects of THC Derived from CBD

To test the effects of these components, the researchers then injected mice with small quantities of the THC and HHCs converted from CBD. The researchers tested for the four most common symptoms of THC exposure including:

• Catalepsy — loss of sensation or consciousness
• Hypothermia — drop in body temperature
• Prolonged sleep
• Reduced pain perception
• Mice injected with small amounts of THC and HHCs converted in artificial gastric juices from CBD tested positively for all 4 pot exposure symptoms.

Human Studies

Follow-up research in 2016 published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research gives additional pause.

More than 40% of epileptic children orally administered CBD exhibited adverse events, with THC like symptoms the most common. In their conclusion, researchers challenged the accepted premise that CBD is not high-inducing.

Gastric fluid without enzymes converts CBD into the psychoactive components Δ9-THC and Δ8-THC, which suggests that the oral route of administration may increase the potential for psychomimetic adverse effects from CBD. (8)

Is CBD Oil Safe for Children?

The takeaway of existing research as of this writing seems to indicate extreme caution when it comes to ingestion of CBD oil especially by children.

CITE FOR BELOW

From: Christine L. Miller, Ph.D., neuroscientist and author.

Yes, this is accurate information, beginning with an American Chemical Society paper (Adams, Wolff et al) that was published in 1940, confirmed by a Japanese group (Watanabe) in 2007, and more recently, by Merrick et al. (2016).  In terms of psychosis in adults, it is not such a bombshell, because the gastric-acid conversion of CBD to THC is only partial before it is absorbed into the blood stream, leaving enough CBD to counteract the psychosis-inducing effects (yes, CBD does block THC\’s psychosis-inducing effects).  And for children with intractable seizure conditions, where it\’s a race against time to prevent that potentially fatal seizure, the risk of psychosis from trace amounts of THC has to be weighed against the potentially fatal outcome of their seizures.  What it does mean for them, is that they should find a better route of administration of CBD than ingestion.

The most significant aspect of the CBD conversion to THC by gastric acid is what it explains about the variable impact of edibles, which are already rich in THC and losing the CBD to acid conversion means that you are losing the protective effect of CBD in terms of its psychosis-blocking effects.  This, coupled with the first pass metabolism of THC to 11-hydroxy THC (more potent psychotogen than THC itself) by the liver when THC is ingested (smoking THC does not result in first pass metabolism), can fully explain the erratic and sometimes horrific outcomes from edibles.

CITE FOR BELOW

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924977X17309835

Pharmacokinetic and behavioural profile of THC, CBD, and THC+CBD combination after pulmonary, oral, and subcutaneous administration in rats and confirmation of conversion in vivo of CBD to THC.

Metabolic and behavioural effects of, and interactions between Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are influenced by dose and administration route. Therefore we investigated, in Wistar rats, effects of pulmonary, oral and subcutaneous (sc.) THC, CBD and THC+CBD. Concentrations of THC, its metabolites 11-OH-THC and THC-COOH, and CBD in serum and brain were determined over 24h, locomotor activity (open field) and sensorimotor gating (prepulse inhibition, PPI) were also evaluated. In line with recent knowledge we expected metabolic and behavioural interactions between THC and CBD. While cannabinoid serum and brain levels rapidly peaked and diminished after pulmonary administration, sc. and oral administration produced long-lasting levels of cannabinoids with oral reaching the highest brain levels. Except pulmonary administration, CBD inhibited THC metabolism resulting in higher serum/brain levels of THC. Importantly, following sc. and oral CBD alone treatments, THC was also detected in serum and brain. S.c. cannabinoids caused hypolocomotion, oral treatments containing THC almost complete immobility. In contrast, oral CBD produced mild hyperlocomotion. CBD disrupted, and THC tended to disrupt PPI, however their combination did not. In conclusion, oral administration yielded the most pronounced behavioural effects which corresponded to the highest brain levels of cannabinoids. Even though CBD potently inhibited THC metabolism after oral and sc. administration, unexpectedly it had minimal impact on THC-induced behaviour. Of central importance was the novel finding that THC can be detected in serum and brain after administration of CBD alone which, if confirmed in humans and given the increasing medical use of CBD-only products, might have important legal and forensic ramifications.

CITE FOR BELOW

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/29285522/?i=1&from=cannabidiol%20conversion%20to%20thc

Cannabidiol Does Not Convert to Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol in an In Vivo Animal Model.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Cannabidiol (CBD) can convert to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in vitro with prolonged exposure to simulated gastric fluid; however, in vitro conditions may not be representative of the in vivo gut environment. Using the minipig, we investigated whether enteral CBD converts to THC in vivo.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Synthetic CBD (100 mg/mL) was administered orally in a sesame oil formulation twice daily to minipigs (N=3) in 15 mg/kg doses for 5 consecutive days. Blood samples were taken before and 1, 2, 4, and 6 h after morning doses on Days 1 and 5. Six hours after the final dose on Day 5, the animals were euthanized, and samples of gastrointestinal (GI) tract contents were obtained. Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry analysis determined CBD, THC, and 11-hydroxy-THC (11-OH-THC) concentrations. Lower limits of quantification: plasma CBD=1 ng/mL, plasma THC and 11-OH-THC=0.5 ng/mL, GI tract CBD=2 ng/mL, and GI tract THC and 11-OH-THC=1 ng/mL.

RESULTS: THC and 11-OH-THC were undetectable in all plasma samples. Maximum plasma concentrations (Cmax) of CBD were observed between 1 and 4 h on Days 1 and 5. CBD was present in plasma 6 h after administration on Days 1 (mean 33.6 ng/mL) and 5 (mean 98.8 ng/mL). Mean Cmax CBD values, 328 ng/mL (Day 1) and 259 ng/mL (Day 5), were within range of those achieved in clinical studies. Mean CBD exposure over 6 h was similar on Days 1 (921 h·ng/mL) and 5 (881 h·ng/mL). THC and 11-OH-THC were not detected in all GI tract samples. Mean CBD concentrations reached 84,500 ng/mL in the stomach and 43,900 ng/mL in the small intestine.

CONCLUSIONS: Findings of the present study show that orally dosed CBD, yielding clinically relevant plasma exposures, does not convert to THC in the minipig, a species predictive of human GI tract function.

CITE FOR BELOW

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/28861507/?i=4&from=cannabidiol%20conversion%20to%20thc

A Conversion of Oral Cannabidiol to Delta9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Seems Not to Occur in Humans.

Cannabidiol (CBD), a major cannabinoid of hemp, does not bind to CB1 receptors and is therefore devoid of psychotomimetic properties. Under acidic conditions, CBD can be transformed to delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other cannabinoids. It has been argued that this may occur also after oral administration in humans. However, the experimental conversion of CBD to THC and delta8-THC in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) is a highly artificial approach that deviates significantly from physiological conditions in the stomach; therefore, SGF does not allow an extrapolation to in vivo conditions. Unsurprisingly, the conversion of oral CBD to THC and its metabolites has not been observed to occur in vivo, even after high doses of oral CBD. In addition, the typical spectrum of side effects of THC, or of the very similar synthetic cannabinoid nabilone, as listed in the official Summary of Product Characteristics (e.g., dizziness, euphoria/high, thinking abnormal/concentration difficulties, nausea, tachycardia) has not been observed after treatment with CBD in double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trials. In conclusion, the conversion of CBD to THC in SGF seems to be an in vitro artifact.

 

Bollywood Heavy weight, Sanjay Dutt supports fight against drugs!

Times of India – Feb 11, 2019

What made Ranveer Singh break down into tears? #DrugFreeIndia

Bollywood\’s \’Munna Bhai MBBS\’ is now starting a #DrugFreeIndia campaign. According to reports, actor Sanjay Dutt recently expressed his willingness to be a part of nation-wide campaign against drugs. Sanjay Dutt took to his social media handle to announce this, and wrote that he \’always wanted to do something to uproot drug addiction from India, and more updates from Bollywood…

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/entertainment/hindi/sanjay-dutt-supports-fight-against-drugs-what-made-ranveer-singh-break-down-into-tears-and-more/videoshow/67946103.cms?utm_source=browser_notification&utm_medium=chrome&utm_campaign=TOI_browsernotification

 

I LOST MY HUSBAND TO MARIJUANA

FEBRUARY 8, 2019

The Zombie in the Box

By Colorado Mom I want to post so many things but I am afraid of the backlash unfortunately. I got married almost seven years ago; my husband and I have been separated over 5 years of it. At that time, he picked up marijuana usage. It is so extreme but he does not participate in our marriage or our family. We have 5-year-old little girl together and it greatly affects both of us including my other two children. He refuses to get a divorce or move back home. We live in Colorado and I am stuck in limbo.

He calls it his “medicine” and we argue about it so many times. One time I went to his place to tell him about the beauty pageant his daughter was in just a few blocks away. He was such a zombie just from marijuana. I don’t think he even knew I was there. It was like talking to a brick wall and one of the saddest things I’ve ever experienced. So many people tell me he must be doing other drugs, but I know he’s not. The marijuana is just extreme and he justifies it saying he needs it to sleep or his headaches or this or that.

I hate how much marijuana makes a person not care and lazy.  It has destroyed my marriage even more than the damage that was caused by his infidelity the first year. If I say anything on social media people get mad and say oh so you don’t believe that it’s okay for kids with seizures for cancer patients. But almost every single person I know that uses marijuana doesn’t have seizures or cancer.

For complete story Losing a Dad to Dope!

 

• Jail for Colombian vet who implanted liquid heroin in puppies

(CNN, February 7) A former veterinary student from Colombia who surgically implanted liquid bags of heroin into puppies was recently sentenced to six years in prison by a U.S. court.

• Some pregnant women don\’t believe cannabis is harmful to their fetus

(Science Daily, January 21) More and more pregnant women seem to believe marijuana use isn’t harmful to their unborn children, according to a study from the University of British Columbia in Canada.

• Traffic fatalities on a high after cannabis legalization

(Science Daily, February 5) In states where recreational marijuana was legalized, deadly car crashes temporarily increased, according to a new study from Australia’s Monash University.

• Denver will vote on whether to legalize \’magic mushrooms\’

(Associated Press, February 1) Denver could be the first city in the nation to decriminalize “magic mushrooms” (also known as psilocybin).

• At least a dozen elementary students exposed to marijuana gummies, police say; mom arrested

(CNN, February 5) Gummy candy laced with marijuana sent Cleveland elementary school students — ages 5 to 9 — to the hospital.

• Where marijuana is legal, many teens drive while high

(HealthDay News, February 6) More teens drive while high on marijuana in states where the drug is legal, according to a new study from the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health.

• So far, the deadly fentanyl epidemic hasn’t hit California. Here’s why.

(The Washington Post, February 4) Fentanyl, a highly potent and deadly synthetic opioid, has been behind the surge in overdose deaths in many areas across the nation.

• North Dakota College Wins Campus PSA Contest

(January 31, 2019) Congratulations to North Dakota State College of Science student Jolisa ‘Jo’ Ross! Her catchy, rapping PSA won the top prize in the 3rd Annual Red Ribbon Week Campus Video PSA Contest.

• Babies born in opioid withdrawal have unusually small heads

(Science News, December 12) A newly released study found that babies who are born dependent on opioids have smaller heads than babies who weren’t exposed.

• Fentanyl is the deadliest drug in America, CDC confirms

(CNN, December 12) The synthetic opioid fentanyl is involved in most drug overdoses, according to a recent report from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.

 

 

B.C. woman wants pot testers in Vancouver schools as vape use rises

\”This tool in 20 seconds can tell you what\’s on the end of a vape pen, or what\’s been in a kid\’s pocket, or in a brownie or in a liquid, or in a gummy bear.\”

DAVID CARRIGG February 4, 2019

A man using a vape pen. A B.C. woman wants to introduce a pot testing kit into schools that would allow administrators to know whether there is THC on things like vape pens and candy. JUSTIN SULLIVAN / GETTY

Anti-pot advocate Pamela McColl is bringing to B.C. a pot-testing tool she hopes will be used by school boards and parents across the province.

McColl, who is chair of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, said the “spotkit” was essentially a swab that allows the user to wipe anything – candy, the end of a vape pen or a brownie – and within 20 seconds know whether the product has THC in it (THC being the psychoactive component of cannabis).

She said she came across the product while watching the Today show on NBC, in which a presenter arranged for the kit to be tested on a cookie, gummy bear and student backpack.

The segment can be seen here. The swabs, which are made in Colorado, turn red when THC is identified.

“When I saw that I immediately contacted the manufacturer, because I thought what a great tool. This tool in 20 seconds can tell you what’s on the end of a vape pen, or what’s been in a kid’s pocket, or in a brownie or in a liquid, or in a gummy bear,” she said.

The product has just been released in Canada.

“We are trying to get them into stores, but also in different places,” said McColl, adding she showcased the product at the Wellness Show in Vancouver over the weekend.

One of those places is in schools across B.C.  She said she would start by approaching the Vancouver School Board.

McColl said the kits are already used in some schools in the U.S., as well as by police in Denver, Colo.

“It’s non-intrusive, it equips parents with an inexpensive product. It’s not a saliva swab. I think it could be really helpful as a tool to open up conversations for parents to see what their kids are using. I’m going to be approaching school trustees.”

McColl said her particular concern was vape pens that are increasingly being used in B.C. schools to consume marijuana, nicotine and flavours.

“It’s a big problem in this country; schools are really struggling with this,” she said.

Pamela McColl wants a pot testing kit introduced to B.C. schools as vape use rises. WAYNE LEIDENFROST/ PROVINCE

Vaping involves using a device with a battery-powered electric coil to heat any of a number of liquids. Vapes are legal in Canada, but not for people under the age of 19. It is also illegal to give or sell a vape to a minor.

According to a U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention report released in Nov. 2018, high school use of e-cigarettes (vapes) increased dramatically between 2017 and 2018 (by 78 per cent from 11.7 per cent of students in 2017 to 20.8 per cent in 2018). That report is here.

The report states: “The rise in e-cigarette use during 2017-2018 is likely because of the recent popularity of e-cigarettes shaped like a USB flash drive, such as the JUUL. These products can be used discretely.”

For complete article https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/b-c-woman-wants-pot-testers-in-vancouver-schools-as-vape-use-rises