Marijuana The Blunt Truth

Joe Burton

Prevention Specialist

Keystone Substance Abuse Services

Danielle Center, MPH, MCHES

Prevention Coordinator

Keystone Substance Abuse Services

Marijuana = Cannabis Cannabinoids-chemical compounds that

interact with receptors in the brain cells and repress the release of neurotransmitters in the brain

Delta 9 Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) –active psychedelic compound

Cannabidiol (CBD)- oil extract used to treat seizure disorders

Varieties include Sativa, Indica, and Ruderalis (has the highest prevalence of CBD)

Sativa vs. Indica

Sativa Indica

Origin Mexico, Thailand,

and certain

African countries

Afghanistan,

Turkey, and

Morocco

Description taller and thinner

plant

short and wide

Height 6 feet (25 feet for

outdoor plants)

3 feet

Effect/High Greater high;

“energetic”

Strongest

analgesic effect;

“couch-locked”

Indica Sativa

Marijuana vs. Hemp

Hemp is a strain of the Cannabis Sativa plant

(Cannabis Sativa L)

Hemp producers use the stalk and the seeds

to make products for industrial use (ex. Rope.

Lotions, Detergents, Papers, etc.)

Marijuana producers use the flowers/buds

Hemp has a low THC content (0.3%-1.5% THC)

Marijuana has a higher THC content (5%-10%

and higher)

Marijuana Hash Hash Oil

710 420

Slang terms Marijuana

K

Loud

Pack

Gas

Butane Hash Oil

Honey Oil

Budder

Earwax

Shatter

Joints, Blunts, Bongs

Vaping

Edibles

Baked Goods

Candy

Drinks

Lotions

Ways to Consume

Marijuana

Smoking

Joints, Blunts, Bongs

Vaping

Edibles

Baked Goods

Candy

Drinks

Lotions

Vaping

E-Cigarettes

mCigs

JuJu Joints

150 hits

Strain of marijuana oil

Does not need to be

recharged

Edibles

Ways to Consume

Ways to Consume

Ways to Consume

Dabbing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqcwF

Jp0bZg

South Carolina

Marijuana What’s next?

Health Risks

Addiction

Cognitive Impairment

Respiratory Effects

Mental Health Problems

Societal Problems

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CBD: NON-

Psychoactive Ingredient

Average THC and CBD Levels in the US: 1960 - 2011

Mehmedic et

Estimates from research suggest that about 9% of users become addicted. Increases to about

17% among young users and 25-50% among daily users.

Today’s marijuana is 4x stronger than in 1960 and as much as 18x stronger for marijuana edibles

Addiction: “I never knew I was addicted, until I tried to stop.”

Cognitive Impairment

Memory Ability

Visuomotor Skills

Oculomotor control

Use of Cannabis

during

neurodevelopmental

periods can alter

brain structure and

function

Source: Shrivastava, Johnson & Tsuang, 2011

The Brain and Marijuana Brain structure Regulates THC Effect of User

Amygdala Emotions, fear anxiety Panic/paranoia

Basal ganglia Planning/starting a

movement

Slowed reaction time

Brain Stem Information between brain

and spinal column

Anti-nausea effects

Cerebellum Motor coordination, balance

Impaired coordination

Hippocampus Learning new information Impaired memory

Hypothalamus Eating, sexual behavior Increased appetite

Neo Cortex Complex thinking, feeling

and movement

Altered thinking,

judgment and sensation

Nucleus

Accumbens

Motivation and reward Euphoria (feeling good)

Spinal cord Transmission of information

between body and brain

Altered pain sensitivity

The brain structures listed above all contain high numbers of CB receptors.

Marijuana Use and

Educational Outcomes

Marijuana interferes with:

Attention

Motivation

Memory

Learning

Regular heavy marijuana

use by teens can lead to an

IQ drop of up to 8 points Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse

Respiratory Effects

Mental Health Problems

Can worsen symptoms of anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and paranoia (psychosis) Including shortness of breath and heart

palpitations

Schizophrenia- increased risk of developing illness, including individuals with close family relatives with severe mental disorders

Negative impact- missing more appointments and having more difficulty with medical adherence

Source: National Alliance on Mental Illness. Marijuana and Mental Illness. Retrieved from www.nami.org. 2013.

Marijuana Laws

Federal Law

The federal Controlled Substances Act

(CSA) classifies marijuana as a Schedule I

drug — one with a high potential for

abuse and no currently accepted

medical use and criminalizes the acts of

prescribing, dispensing, and possessing

marijuana for any purpose (Hoffman and

Weber, 2010).

5 Steps to Legalization of

Marijuana

Step 1: Legalization of Industrial Hemp

Step 2: Legalization of Cannabidiol (CBD Oil) for Medical Purposes

Step 3: Legalization of Medical Marijuana

Step 4: Decriminalization

Step 5: Legalization of Recreational Use

State “Medical” Marijuana

Laws vs. Federal Law

The U.S. Food and Drug

Administration (FDA) has

not recognized or

approved the marijuana

plant as medicine

(National Institute on

Drug Abuse, 2015).

“Medical” Marijuana The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has

concluded that smoking marijuana is not recommended for any long-term medical use, and a subsequent IOM report declared that, “marijuana is not modern medicine.” Additionally, the American Medical Association, the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society do not believe that the scientific evidence on therapeutic use of the drug meets the current standard of prescribed medicine.

Source: Office of National Drug Control Policy, www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov

“Medical” Marijuana Uses

Glaucoma

Nausea

HIV/AIDs (weight gain)

Chronic Pain

Inflammation

Multiple Sclerosis

Epilepsy

Any other condition approved by the state health department

Where is SC in the legalization

process? Step 1: Legalization of Industrial Hemp- passed

June 2, 2014

Step 2: Legalization of Cannabidiol (CBD Oil) for Medical Purposes- passed June 2, 2014

Step 3: Legalization of Medical Marijuana- stalled in Spring 2015

Step 4: Decriminalization – stalled in Spring 2015

Step 5: Legalization of Recreational Use

Legal products in SC

In Charleston, there

is now e-juice

being sold

containing CBD.

In Greenville,

energy drink that

contains cannabis.

Medical Marijuana in South Carolina?

Use of low-THC for certain medical conditions State protect qualifying patients, designated caregivers,

and physicians from arrest, prosecution, and certain penalties

To create dispensaries Allow certain entities to conduct research on cannabidiol

and low-THC DHEC to facilitate proper techniques for handing and

testing of marijuana-infused products A registered patient may only have up to:

2 ounces of a usable form of marijuana

Up to 6 marijuana plants, with three or fewer being mature

Registered patients and caregivers may cultivate marijuana only in an enclosed facility and may acquire marijuana only from registered dispensaries or from one another.

Putting it into Perspective

How much is one ounce of marijuana?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=md-

qm5wwBFk&feature=youtu.be&utm_source

=July+Eblast+2015+-

+Email+Marketing&utm_campaign=E-

blast+-+Email+MKT&utm_medium=email

Dispensaries The dispensary model of medical marijuana

sales is not a safe and appropriate means of

conducting business in a manner that preserves

public health and should not be used.

Any substance approved for medicinal purpose should be prescribed on a legal doctor script

and dispensed through a licensed pharmacy.

Doctor’s cannot prescribe marijuana, as it is not

provided by a pharmacy and therefore, a script

does not exist.

Do these look like Medical ads?

The Pro-Marijuana Movement

*supports the

development of a

legally controlled

market for

cannabis."(NORML

policy statement on

personal use)

*NORML SC Chapter

2025 Marion St.

Columbia, SC

*MPP is the largest

organization in the

U.S. that's focused

solely on ending

marijuana prohibition.

*“The Drug Policy

Alliance is the nation's

leading organization

promoting drug

policies that are

grounded in science,

compassion, health

and human rights.”

Source: Drug Policy Alliance;

http://www.drugpolicy.org/

Source: Marijuana

Policy Project;

http://www.mpp.org/ Source: National Organization

for the Reform of Marijuana

Laws; http://norml.org

The Great Social Experiment

Impact on Colorado: Usage Youth

12-17 years old

College Age

18-25 years old

Adult

26+ years old

• National average for marijuana use was 7.15%,

Colorado’s average was 11.16 %(2013).

• In just one year when Colorado legalized marijuana, past month use among those ages

12-17 years old increased

6.6 %. • For the 2013-2014

academic year, percentage of total expulsions for marijuana

was 41.9% compared to expulsions for alcohol which was 2.7%.

• National average for marijuana use was

18.91%, Colorado’s was 29.05%(2013).

• In just one year when Colorado legalized marijuana, past month marijuana use among

college-age use

increased 8.4%. • Ranked 2nd in the nation

for current marijuana use among college-age adults.

• National average for marijuana use was 5.45%,

Colorado’s average was 10.13%(2013).

• In just one year when Colorado legalized marijuana, past month marijuana use among

adults increased 32.8%. • In 2003 the number of

positive THC urinalyses for adults was 3,099 compared to 2014 where the number of positive

THC urinalyses was 33,303.

Impact on Colorado:

Impaired Driving

77 percent of total DUIDs involved

marijuana(2014)

41 percent of total DUIDs involved

marijuana only(2014)

In 2013, the number of positive THC

2ng/mL or higher was 1,948-compared to

the number in 2009 which was only 220.

Source: The Legalization of Marijuana In Colorado: The Impact, Volume 3, Preview 2015,

Executive Summary, Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area

Impact on Colorado: Exposure

In one year, when marijuana retail businesses began operating, marijuana- only related exposures increased 72%.

The average percent of marijuana exposures ages 0 to 5 went from 5.95% in 2013 to 17.71% in 2014.

There was a 400% increase in the number of THC infused edible exposures in children between 2013 (19) and 2014 (95).

Source: The Legalization of Marijuana In Colorado: The Impact, Volume 3, Preview 2015,

Executive Summary, Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area

Impact on Colorado:

ER Related Visits

The highest rates from 2011-2013 of marijuana related ER/hospital visits were among young adults ages 18-25.

Through January 2014 to June 2014, the number of visits where marijuana was likely a causal or strong contributing factor for the reason of the visit was 553,000.

In Denver City and County, there were around 415 per 100,000 marijuana related ER visits between 2011 and 2013.

Source: The Legalization of Marijuana In Colorado: The Impact, Volume 3, Preview 2015,

Executive Summary, Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area

Impact on Colorado:

Hospitalization

Hospitalizations related to marijuana:

2011- 6,305

2012- 6,715

2013- 8,272

2014- 11,439

When retail marijuana businesses began operating, there was an 38% increase in the # of marijuana related hospitalizations in one year.

Impact on Colorado: Crime

Marijuana Related Incidents (Denver)

2012- 223

2013- 239

2014- 272

Source: The Legalization of Marijuana In Colorado: The Impact, Volume 3, Preview 2015,

Executive Summary, Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area

You, Your Child, and Marijuana

Is my teen using marijuana? Declining school work and grades

Abrupt change in friends

Abnormal health issues or sleeping habits

Deteriorating relationships with family

Less openness and honesty

Signs of marijuana use

Red eyes

Dry mouth

Decreased coordination

Difficulty concentrating or remembering

Slowed reaction time

Paranoid thinking

What do I do?

Be honest if the topic comes up

Listen openly to what they have to say

Be calm and positive

Put yourself in their shoes

Know the facts

Don’t lecture!

Marijuana The Blunt Truth

Joe Burton Prevention Specialist jburton@keystoneyork.org

803-324-4118 Danielle Center, MPH, MCHES Prevention Coordinator dcenter@keystoneyork.org

803-324-4118