1.
Marijuana Legalization:
Risks and Strategies

2.
Trends in drug use
Current use among persons 12 and older: 2012
52.10%
26.70%
7.30%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Alcohol Tobacco Marijuana

3.
3

4.
4

5.
5

6.
6

7.
7

8.
8

9.
9

10.
Legalization Timeline
2008
Michigan
Medical
Marijuana
Act Passes
2012 2013
Decriminalization
in Lansing,
Ferndale, Jackson
2014
Decriminalization in
Ann Arbor
1972 2004
Ann Arbor
Medical
Marijuana
Initiative
Decriminalization in
Flint, Detroit, Grand
Rapids, Ypsilanti
Decriminal-
ization in
Oak Park,
Hazel Park,
Berkley,
H.W., P.R.,
Mt.
Pleasant,
Saginaw,
Port Huron

11.
Marijuana Use: Past 30 Days
Oakland County (MiPHY) – 7th Grade
1.4
2.9
1.7
2.1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
2008 2010 2012 2014
Percent
Year
Past 30 Day Marijuana Use• After the legalization
of Marijuana (2010),
7th grade Oakland
county students were
2 times more likely to
have used marijuana
in the past 30 days
than before the
legalization of
medical marijuana
(2008).

12.
Perception of Harm for Marijuana
Oakland County (MiPHY) – 7th Grade
83.2
79.2 79.4
73.4
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
2008 2010 2012 2014
Percent
Year
Marijuana Use
Moderate or Great Risk• 7th grade students in
Oakland County
were 1.8 times more
likely to report
regular marijuana
use as a moderate
or great risk in 2008
than in 2014.

13.
Marijuana Use: Past 30 Days
(MiPHY) 9th and 11th Grade
15.1
19.2 19.7
16.6
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
2008 2010 2012 2014
Percent
Year
Past 30 Day Marijuana Use • The percent of 9th and
11th grade Oakland
County students in
2014 who report
having used marijuana
in the past 30 days is
not statistically
different from the
percent reported
having used before
medical marijuana
was legalized (2008).

14.
Perception of Harm for Marijuana
Oakland County (MiPHY) – Grades 9 & 11
72
64.3
58.7
49.5
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
2008 2010 2012 2014
Percent
Year
Regular Marijuana Use
Moderate or Great Risk• 9th and 11th grade
students in Oakland
County in 2014 were
2.5 times less likely to
report regular
marijuana use to be a
moderate or great
risk than before the
legalization of
medical marijuana in
Michigan (2008).
* The regular marijuana use question is asked slightly different in 2014 than previous years (regular use versus
once or twice a week).

15.
‘Big Marijuana’
Can we trust companies and
big Corporations not to target
youth and the vulnerable?

16.
Big Tobacco = Big Business
- Rely on addiction for profit
- Prey on disadvantaged
communities

17.
Long-time Marijuana
Activists and Investors
Steve DeAngelo owns the
Harborside Health Center in
California with annual sales
over $30 million. He is also the
President of the Arcview
Group.
Troy Dayton is the CEO of the
Arcview group, which is a
venture capital group focused
on legal marijuana business
investments.

18.
So What’s Happening
in Colorado?

19.
Track, track, track!
www.legalizationviolations.com
Reporting car crashes, youth use, advertising,
workplace and other costs

20.
Nussbaum et al., Am J Psychiatry 168:778-781
2008
1st stores
2009
700 stores
3.5%
adults
have MMJ
license
2012
Legalized
2014
Stores
open
Medical
Marijuana
passes
2001 2005
Denver
legalizes
Colorado Legalization

21.
Traffic Fatalities
+ for Marijuana
1.1
4.2 4.14.5
5.9
10
0
3
6
9
12
1994 2009 2011
N o MMJ Colorado

22.
U.S. Postal Inspection Service
- parcel packages intercepted

23.
Marijuana Taxes
33,500,000
12,000,000
0
5,000,000
10,000,000
15,000,000
20,000,000
25,000,000
30,000,000
35,000,000
40,000,000
Projected Jan '14 -June '14 Actual Jan. '14 - June '14

24.
• Legislative economists in 2012 estimated
the sales and excise taxes on retail pot
would bring in $67 million in the 2014-15 fiscal year,
and in March, they dropped that estimate to $54
million. Now they have dropped that estimate even
further – to $30.6 million. (Colorado Fiscal Institute)
• Money is mainly going to help prevent harms of
increased use under the new policy - $103.5 million
of proposed tax revenue earmarked for
prevention/treatment/education over 2-year period.

25.
Early Indications in Colorado
• When asked, 10% of non-using youth said they would
use, according to 10,000-student survey by an NYU
researcher, published in peer-reviewed journal (Palamar
et al, International Journal of Drug Policy)
• “Students Find Way to Sneak Marijuana Into Class”
• “Colorado students who ingested marijuana edibles
treated at hospital”
• “Marijuana candy at Colorado middle school”
• “Marijuana superstore proposed in Eagle, Colorado”

26.
Increased teen use
Marijuana use among Colorado teens is currently:
• fifth highest in the nation
• 50% above national average
10.7%
7.6%
Colorado
National averageNSDUH, 2013

27.
Distribution to minors
2007-2009 2010-2012
Drug-related referrals for high school
students testing positive for
marijuana increased
Average of 17.3% per year
between 2010 to 2012
Average 5.6% of students
per year between 2007
and 2009
Rose by
over 150%
Rocky Mountain HIDTA, 2013

28.
Distribution to minors
In 2007, tests positive for marijuana
made up 33% of the total drug
screenings, by 2012 that number
increased to 57%
Rocky Mountain HIDTA, 2013

29.
Long-term, regular use of marijuana—starting in the
teen years—may impair brain development and lower
IQ, meaning the brain may not reach its full potential.

30.
Harmful effects on
mental health
Increased risk of mental illness
• Schizophrenia (6 fold)
• Psychosis
• Depression
• Anxiety
Andréasson S, Allebeck P, Engström A,
Rydberg U. , 1987; Arseneault, L., 2002

31.
Increased Potency
Today’s marijuana is not the
marijuana of the 1960s.
In the past 15 years, marijuana
potency has tripled and since 1960
it has grown 5 times stronger.

32.
Medical marijuana is easily
diverted to youth
• Teens who know somebody with a medical
marijuana license are more like than those who
don’t to report ‘fairly’ or ‘very’ easy access to
marijuana
• 74% of Denver-area teens in treatment said
they used somebody else’s medical marijuana
an average of 50 times
Thurstone, 2013;
Salomonsen-Sautel et al., 2012

33.
While the total number of car crashes
declined from 2007 to 2011, the number
of fatal car crashes with drivers testing
positive for marijuana rose sharply.
500
550
600
650
700
750
800
850
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Total car crashes
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Crashes with
high drivers
Colorado Dept. of Transportation

34.
Increased ER admissions
Rise in marijuana-related ER visits from 2006
and 2012:
200%
60%
92%
Under 5 6 to 12 13 to 14
• 200% for kids
under 5
• 60% for kids 6-12
• 92% for kids 13-14
Rocky Mountain HIDTA, 2013

35.
According to a special report by
NBC News, the Animal Poison Control Center
has reported a 30 percent jump in the number
of calls reporting house pets suffering from
marijuana poisoning. The center said that
since 2009 these phone calls have risen from
213 to 320.
Rocky Mountain HIDTA Vol. 2/August 2014

36.
Colorado in 2014
• Colorado allowed retail sales to begin on
January 1st
• Several stores opened for business

37.
How did the first week go?
• Colorado marijuana store owner declares that the
“high school senior” is his ideal target customer.
• State of Colorado is supposed to be IDing/tagging
marijuana plants – but they weren’t ready on Day 1;
sales went on anyway.
• Colorado marijuana already going to neighbor
states as documented by users on Reddit.com

38.
Tackling the issue
- Both Alcohol and Marijuana have risks
associated with use
- Liver Problems? Alcohol
- Violence? Alcohol
- Lung issues? Marijuana
- IQ, school performance? Marijuana
- Driving? Both

39.
What is the point?
Alcohol policy is broken;
but if your right arm is broken,
Do you break your left one in
order to be consistent?

40.
CAN YOU TELL THE DIFFERENCE?
NEITHER CAN YOUR KIDS.

41.
“We don’t want another Big Tobacco.”
“Colorado is not going well.”
“Legalization brings with it marijuana candies
and sodas that target kids.”