Medical Doctor from Peoria Opposes Legal Pot

Many people advocate for the legalization of marijuana from a position of bias, but Dr. Raymond Bertino opposes legalization on the basis of truth – medical facts and economics realities that expose the lies of recreational pot proponents.

In a January 2019 town hall forum hosted by Illinois State Representative Marty Moylan (D-Des Plaines), Dr. Bertino outlines the grim future that lies ahead for the largest group of marijuana users, young adults aged 18 to 25. He presents data that proves frequent marijuana use causes physical damage in critical brain development, which in turn leads to an alarming trend of “failure to launch” in this vulnerable age group.

In addition to detailing the physical, emotional, and social damage caused by pot, Dr. Bertino also does the math, proving that supporters’ claims that legalized marijuana will solve Illinois’ fiscal woes just don’t add up.

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Take ACTION: Please click HERE to send a message to your state representative and state senator to urge them to oppose any and all efforts to legalize marijuana. Ask them to oppose SB 7, and tell them you don’t want your more impaired workers on job sites, more impaired drivers on the road, more young people being sucked into a life of addiction and local hospitals having to deal with all of this.

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ER Doc Says “Recreational” Pot Has Ruined My Town

Marijuana – is it a harmless plant, a medically beneficial substance, or a dangerous, destructive drug? Depending on who you ask, the answer will vary widely.

Dr. Karen Randall speaks to this question based on her experience as an ER physician and a resident of Pueblo, Colorado. This community has first-hand knowledge of the devastating effects of legalized marijuana for “medical” and recreational use.

Dr. Randall explains the science that proves the marijuana of today is not the same as the comparatively low-potency pot that baby boomers smoked in the sixties and seventies. She warns about the danger of edibles, the increase in homelessness and chronic absenteeism in schools, and the strain and drain on social service agencies, law enforcement, medical facilities and professionals, and taxpayers. Drawing from her emergency room experience with adolescents, Dr. Randall discusses the alarming trend toward cannabis use disorder, psychotic episodes, and schizophrenia in younger users.

Liberal leaders and legislators don’t want you to hear what Dr. Randall has to say. Unless we want to suffer the same fate as Pueblo and the state of Colorado, we must spread the truth about legalized recreational marijuana. Please share this video with family and friends!

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Selling Weed to the Public

With the information we have provided, we hope that you will become armed with solid facts in the event your state lawmakers hold a town hall meeting to tell you the benefits of legalizing high potency marijuana.

Please don’t ignore this issue and try to convince yourself that legalization will have no impact on your family.

The information below exposes what other states are experiencing. This is information that Big Marijuana and its proponents do NOT want you to know.

PLEASE DON’T GET OVERWHELMED! Browse the topics and choose which issue concerns you most. You don’t have to be an expert on everything.

Even without this overwhelming evidence, a simple question should be asked of lawmakers.

How can flooding our communities with more drugs possibly be beneficial?

TAX REVENUE

Moody’s Investors Service investigated states that have legalized and discovered marijuana sales “make up a relatively small share of state general fund revenues…”

California lawmakers have proposed a bill this year to slash taxes on legal marijuana in an effort to compete with the growing black market.

After 6 years of legalization, the tax windfall Colorado lawmakers were expecting is less than 1 percent for each year since legalization. (Page 124)

For every dollar Colorado gains in tax revenue, it costs at least $4.50 to mitigate the negative effects on society. (Page 4)

TRAFFIC FATALITIES

In 2013, the year Colorado legalized high potency marijuana, there were 47 traffic fatalities where the driver tested positive for marijuana. In 2016, that number rose to 123 – a 145% increase. (Pages 14, 28)

A May 2016 report released by the Governors Highway Safety Association found that 22.3% of fatally injured motorists tested positive for marijuana, a number which has “increased substantially” in recent years. Experts say the numbers are vastly under reported because if they tested positive for alcohol, no further testing was done.

AAA News Room reported that fatal car crashes involving drivers who recently used marijuana doubled in Washington after legalization.

Seventy six percent of total Colorado DUIDs involve marijuana. Source: Colorado State Patrol 2016 (1:02:19)

There were 71 Colorado traffic deaths related to marijuana in 2013, the year of legalization. In 2016, the number rose to 147. (1:03:47)

“Driving while high on marijuana causing spike in fatal accidents.”

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS (DUIDs)

In 2016, 76% of total DUIDs involved marijuana and 38% of total DUIDs involved marijuana only. Source: Colorado State Patrol, CSP Citations for Drug Impairment by Drug Type (Page 24)

From survey responses collected from over 11,000 anonymous marijuana users, the percentage of marijuana users who admitted to driving high within the last year was 69%. Source: The Colorado department of Transportation (Page 18)

ER VISITS, HOSPITALIZATIONS, POISON CONTROL CENTERS

From 2006-2008, before commercialization, there were 4,070 marijuana-related hospitalizations in Colorado. From 2009-2012, post commercialization, there were 5,933. From 2013-2015, after recreational marijuana legalization, with only 9 months of comparable data in 2015, there were 10,204. Source: Colorado Hospital Association, Hospital Discharge Dataset. (Page 39)

ER visits related to marijuana increased 52% after legalization. Source: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (Page 35)

Marijuana-related hospitalizations increased 148% after legalization. Source: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (Page 35)

Marijuana only exposures more than tripled in the 5-yr average, post legalization, compared to the 5-yr average prior to legalization. Source: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (Page 35)

In 2009, the first year of commercialization, there were 18 marijuana-only exposure calls to Colorado’s poison and drug center. By 2017, that number rose to 179. Source: Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center Colorado Hospital Association, Hospital Discharge Dataset. (Page 43)

Hear testimony from Pueblo, Colorado ER physician, Dr. Karen Randall, on how marijuana has impacted her hospital and ruined her town.

MARIJUANA INDUSTRY TARGETS YOUTH

Billboards near schools, marijuana discounts “with student ID”, candy and other sweets – all attractive to children. (Starting at 55:13)
Almost 60% of new marijuana users each year are under age 18. Nine percent of 8^th graders say they have vaped in the past month. Source: U.S. NSDUH 2014 Survey (Starting at 52:49)

The latest 2014/2015 results show Colorado youth ranked #1 in the nation for past month marijuana use, up from #4 in 2011/2012 and #14 in 2005/2006. (Page 33)

The top ten states with the highest rate of current marijuana youth use were all medical marijuana states, whereas the bottom ten were all non-medical marijuana states. (Page 33)

In Colorado, from 2013 to 2015, marijuana use increased 14% among high school seniors, 19% among juniors, 96% for 7^th graders and 144% for 6^th graders. (Page 34)

“So far the only thing that the legalization of marijuana has brought to our schools has been marijuana.” Source: Dr. Harry Bull, Superintendent of Cherry Creek Schools, one of the largest school districts in CO.

MENTAL DISORDERS

“It is now incontrovertible that heavy use of cannabis increases the risk of psychosis.” Source: The British Journal of Psychiatry Volume 212, Issue 4, April 2018, pp 195-196

“The risk of individuals having a psychotic disorder showed a roughly three-times increase in users of skunk-like cannabis compared with those who never used cannabis…” Source: The Lancet Psychiatry

“Common mental disorders induced by marijuana includes anxiety, depression, personality changes and psychosis.” Source: Journal of Addiction and Research Therapy, January 17, 2017

HOMELESSNESS

In 2013, Posada, a government agency in Pueblo, Colorado, serviced 25 homeless individuals. By 2016, they had 7,500 new homeless individuals requesting help. (Starting at 37:35)

Low income housing in Pueblo is at 99% occupancy. Homeless people live on the streets, down by the river and in campers at Walmart. (Starting at 38:37)

PATTERN FOR LEGALIZATION SEEN IN EVERY STATE.

THE “GREY” MARKET IS BORN. (Starting at 53:02)

Normalize it. Create a public campaign calling it medicine, straight from Big Tobacco playbook.
Make false claims of its “medical” benefits, thereby reducing perception of harm.
Open “medical” marijuana dispensaries. All of this may take years, but that’s OK with Big Marijuana because of the financial benefits down the road.
Create a new market that lasts a lifetime – 8 to 12 year-olds.
Commercialize it. Run billboards and ads that include unproven claims of “medical” benefits, discounted coupons, etc.
Market high-THC-content edibles that are attractive to children and adults.
While media campaign is underway, which includes town hall meetings by proponents, the lack of harm and benefits to everyone is highly stressed.
During all of the above, perception of risk bottoms out and people become comfortable with full legalization.
Legalization occurs, allowing 5 plants per individual to be grown in homes. Because there’s no way to oversee, tax, or regulate home grows, people see it as a way to make a lot of money, selling it much cheaper than dispensaries and the “grey” market is born.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Banned in the U.S., Europe, and Canada, Carbofuran, a toxic rodenticide, has been found at 60%-70% of California grow sites. One quarter of a teaspoon will kill a 600 pound lion. “It’s an emerging threat to wildlife, the environment, and human health within the United States.”

Lethal pot farms are popping up all across California on public and private land with $0 budget for reclamation. (Starting at 2:58)

Water sources, soil, and wildlife are being poisoned by drug trafficking organizations in California. (Starting at 41:42)

One marijuana plant uses 900 gallons of water per 150 day growing season. Billions of gallons of water are being diverted by illegal grow operations in California. On one grow site alone, over 29 million gallons of water was pillaged. (Starting at 43:11)

50% OF EVENT PLANNERS NOT COMING BACK TO COLORADO

Comments received by Visit Denver from Post-Convention Meeting Planner Surveys (Starting at 105:40)

Homeless issue and drugs…didn’t feel safe

Homelessness and the cleanliness of 16th Street Mall

16th Street Mall and Civic Center – we are really seeing a decline in cleanliness and safety in this area

The 16th Street Mall seems pretty seedy, especially with the homeless people. It made guests feel uncomfortable and gave a perception of not being safe

Vagrants on the 16th Street Mall and the grunge youth present

Your youth homeless population is disheartening

Homeless population and unsavory activity visible in main traffic area

Also many comments about feeling uncomfortable with the street scene

Please call us if you have any questions.

Marijuana Is More Dangerous Than You Think

Written by Alex Berenson

Over the past 30 years, a shrewd and expensive lobbying campaign has made Americans more tolerant of marijuana. In November 2018, Michigan became the 10th state to legalize recreational cannabis use; New Jersey and others may soon follow. Already, more than 200 million Americans live in states that have legalized marijuana for medical or recreational use. Yet even as marijuana use has become more socially acceptable, psychiatrists and epidemiologists have reached a consensus that it presents more serious risks than most people realize.

Contrary to the predictions of both advocates and opponents, legalization hasn’t led to a huge increase in people using the drug casually. About 15% of Americans used cannabis at least once in 2017, up from 10% in 2006, according to the federal government’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health. By contrast, almost 70% of Americans had an alcoholic drink in the past year.

But the number of Americans who use cannabis heavily is soaring. In 2006, about 3 million Americans reported using the drug at least 300 times a year, the standard for daily use. By 2017, that number had increased to 8 million—approaching the 12 million Americans who drank every day. Put another way, only one in 15 drinkers consumed alcohol daily; about one in five marijuana users used cannabis that often.

And they are consuming cannabis that is far more potent than ever before, as measured by the amount of THC it contains. THC, or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, is the chemical responsible for the drug’s psychoactive effects. In the 1970s, most marijuana contained less than 2% THC. Today, marijuana routinely contains 20-25% THC, thanks to sophisticated farming and cloning techniques and to the demand of users to get a stronger high more quickly. In states where cannabis is legal, many users prefer extracts that are nearly pure THC.

Cannabis advocates often argue that the drug can’t be as neurotoxic as studies suggest because otherwise Western countries would have seen population-wide increases in psychosis alongside rising marijuana use. In reality, accurately tracking psychosis cases is impossible in the U.S. The government carefully tracks diseases such as cancer with central registries, but no such system exists for schizophrenia or other severe mental illnesses.

Some population-level data does exist, though. Research from Finland and Denmark, two countries that track mental illness more accurately, shows a significant increase in psychosis since 2000, following an increase in cannabis use. And last September, a large survey found a rise in serious mental illness in the U.S. too. In 2017, 7.5% of young adults met the criteria for serious mental illness, double the rate in 2008.

None of these studies prove that rising cannabis use has caused population-wide increases in psychosis or other mental illness, although they do offer suggestive evidence of a link. What is clear is that, in individual cases, marijuana can cause psychosis, and psychosis is a high risk factor for violence. What’s more, much of that violence occurs when psychotic people are using drugs. As long as people with schizophrenia are avoiding recreational drugs, they are only moderately more likely to become violent than healthy people. But when they use drugs, their risk of violence skyrockets. The drug they are most likely to use is cannabis.

The most obvious way that cannabis fuels violence in psychotic people is through its tendency to cause paranoia. Even marijuana advocates acknowledge that the drug can cause paranoia; the risk is so obvious that users joke about it, and dispensaries advertise certain strains as less likely to do so. But for people with psychotic disorders, paranoia can fuel extreme violence. A 2007 paper in the Medical Journal of Australia looked at 88 defendants who had committed homicide during psychotic episodes. It found that most of the killers believed they were in danger from the victim, and almost two-thirds reported misusing cannabis—more than alcohol and amphetamines combined.

The link between marijuana and violence doesn’t appear limited to people with pre-existing psychosis. Researchers have studied alcohol and violence for generations, proving that alcohol is a risk factor for domestic abuse, assault and even murder. Far less work has been done on marijuana, in part because advocates have stigmatized anyone who raises the issue. Still, there are studies showing that marijuana use is a significant risk factor for violence.

A 2012 paper in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, examining a federal survey of more than 9,000 adolescents, found that marijuana use was associated with a doubling of domestic violence in the U.S. A 2017 paper in the journal Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, examining drivers of violence among 6,000 British and Chinese men, found that drug use was linked to a five-fold increase in violence, and the drug used was nearly always cannabis.

Before states legalized recreational cannabis, advocates predicted that legalization would let police focus on hardened criminals rather than on marijuana smokers and thus reduce violent crime. Some advocates even claim that legalization has reduced violent crime: In a 2017 speech calling for federal legalization, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) said that “these states are seeing decreases in violent crime.”

But Mr. Booker is wrong. The first four states to legalize marijuana for recreational use were Colorado and Washington in 2014 and Alaska and Oregon in 2015. Combined, those four states had about 450 murders and 30,300 aggravated assaults in 2013. In 2017, they had almost 620 murders and 38,000 aggravated assaults—an increase far greater than the national average.

Knowing exactly how much of that increase is related to cannabis is impossible without researching every crime. But for centuries, people all over the world have understood that cannabis causes mental illness and violence—just as they’ve known that opiates cause addiction and overdose. Hard data on the relationship between marijuana and madness dates back 150 years, to British asylum registers in India.

Yet 20 years ago, the U.S. moved to encourage wider use of cannabis and opiates. In both cases, we decided we could outsmart these drugs—enjoying their benefits without their costs. And in both cases, we were wrong. Opiates are riskier than cannabis, and the overdose deaths they cause are a more imminent crisis, so public and government attention have focused on them. Soon, the mental illness and violence that follow cannabis use also may be too widespread to ignore.

Read more:

A Second Drug Wave is Coming (Christian Medical & Dental Association)
Written by James A. Avery, MD

—Mr. Berenson is a former New York Times reporter and the author of 12 novels. This essay is adapted from his new book, “Tell Your Children: The Truth About Marijuana, Mental Illness and Violence,” which will be published by Simon & Schuster on Jan. 8.

This article was originally published at The Wall Street Journal.

State’s Attorney Kenneally Explains His Opposition to Legal Weed in Illinois

Written by Kathy Valente and David E. Smith

Are elected officials in Springfield willing to approve legislation for “recreational” marijuana to resolve decades of mismanagement of state funds? Are Illinois political leaders willing to compete with organized crime and cartel bosses to become Illinois’ new drug lords?

Political editor Mike Flannery recently interviewed McHenry County’s State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally about his strong opposition to marijuana legalization on his weekly program, “Flannery Fired Up,” which airs on WFLD in Chicago.

Kenneally is very concerned about the notion that lawmakers would sell drugs to Illinois citizens to make up for financial deficits. He believes cartels won’t go away, there will be an increase in crime, and more people will die on the highways as a result of drugged drivers. His concerns are validated by what’s we are seeing in other states that have already legalized marijuana.

Watch and listen to his responses:

In an interview with the Northwest Herald, Kenneally exposes the myth about marijuana arrest and prison rates, saying, “[d]espite claims to the contrary, no one, not ever, is being sentenced to prison for possessing small or moderate amounts of marijuana in Illinois.” The article points out that in 2017, “only two people in McHenry County were sent to prison for a marijuana-related offense. Both defendants were involved in high-volume trafficking operations.”

It is important to note that Illinois lawmakers recently decriminalized marijuana, making possession of less than 10 grams merely a fine.

IFI has been working hard to make people aware of the dangers associated with high-potency marijuana. We have established a dedicated page to help Illinois residents understand this issue better, so they will be equipped to speak out before it is too late. We encourage you to visit this page, titled “Resources on the Truth and Consequences of Marijuana.”

We have organized this page by category to navigate readers easily through the links. The categories include the general effects on society; the health effects; mental health issues; marijuana-related deaths and suicides; impaired-driving accidents, including fatalities; marijuana’s effects on children, adolescents and schools; marijuana’s effects in the workplace; and marijuana’s effects on law enforcement and the medical community.

Learn more:

Webinar: Dr. Ken Finn highlights marijuana’s negative effects on the heart and lungs, the increase in driving fatalities and the increasing problems of youth use. He also dispels the myth that marijuana legalization can help cure our opioid crisis.

Webinar: Dr. Karen Randall explains how emergency rooms in Pueblo, Colorado have been overwhelmed with marijuana overdoes, hyperemesis (known as “scromitting”), psychosis, polysubstance use/abuse, and acute cardiac issues.

Webinar: Dr. Mourad Gabriel exposes an unfolding environmental disaster as many marijuana growers are poisoning the soil and water supplies and are killing wildlife.

Video: Jo McGuire explains how recreational marijuana has affected every part of Colorado’s culture: schools and increased youth use, poisonings, car fatalities, hospital admissions. McGuire also explains the effect it’s having on neighborhoods, the environment, and homelessness.

Documentary: Chronic State: How Marijuana Normalization Impacts Communities

Resource Page: Truth and Consequences of Marijuana (Illinois Family Institute)

Addiction: Big Marijuana Targeting Children (Illinois Family Institute)

DuPont: Marijuana Has Proven to Be a Gateway Drug (New York Times)

Societal Costs: Understanding the High Costs of Legalized Pot (No Weed Illinois)

Reproduction: Marijuana Affects Genetic Makeup of Sperm (Health.com)

Article: A Second Drug Wave is Coming (Christian Medical & Dental Association)
Written by James A. Avery, MD

Help us meet our end-of-year matching challenge goal!
Dollar for dollar match through December 31st.
Your $25 becomes $50, $100 is $200, and $250 becomes $500.

New School Resource Officer Data Shows Increase in Teen Marijuana Use in Illinois

Released by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police

New data shows a troubling increase in teen-agers’ use of marijuana in Illinois, and a significant increase in vaping by teen-agers. Those are two major results from the second annual survey of School Resource Officers, who are police officers with primary responsibilities in schools throughout Illinois.

In the first survey, nearly 60 percent of respondents said that marijuana was the primary drug facing schools. Then, 30 percent of respondents had seen an increase in marijuana-related incidents. Since then, new reports show about an 8 percent increase in the number of school resource officers that say more students are abusing the drug.

In October of this year, the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association, the School Resource Officers Association and Illinois Partners/Educating Voices, conducted its second annual statewide multi-disciplinary study on the impact of marijuana on the health and safety of Illinois residents. More than 100 of the state’s School Resource Officers answered survey questions and recorded a variety of case examples of drug-related incidents that occurred in their schools.

“The recent increase of marijuana use in schools is very troubling,” said Jonathan Kaplan, President of the Illinois School Resource Officers Association. Kaplan is an SRO with the Belvidere Police Department. “Marijuana affects more than just a teen’s developing brain and health. Frequent use of the drug can have long-term effects on a teen’s life goals.”

The 2018 survey also indicated that of the 104 respondents, 75 reported handling at least one to five marijuana issues a month. With usage rates among teens steadily rising, some law enforcement officials believe the issue has worsened because of the laws regulated at the state level. Illinois recently decriminalized possession of 10 grams of marijuana or less. With that, it is found that it has been increasingly difficult for adults to convince teens that marijuana use is dangerous.

According to a study that was done by the University of Michigan, teens were more likely to use marijuana or use a vaping device than they were to smoke cigarettes. Significantly, the Illinois coalition collected similar data in their second survey. The data shows that the recent trend found to be most alarming to officers, school staff and personnel is the uptick in vaping device use among teens.

Of the survey responses received, there was a significant increase in vaping device use reported by school resources officers compared to last year. Last year, five out of 53 officers reported vaping devices as major issues on their campuses compared to 22 out of 49 reported this year. Multiple officers replied that most of the marijuana incidents encountered have come from liquid marijuana used in vaporizers.

“We have found that in many cases, students are now utilizing vaping devices as a vehicle for ingesting tetrahydrocannabinol (THC),” Kaplan said. “This trend is very concerning, as most “normal” varieties of liquid marijuana have upwards of 90% (or more) THC content, as opposed to THC content levels of 12-35% that are found in typical marijuana strains.”

Dr. Kirk Moberg, Executive Medical Director of UnityPoint Health Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery, added: “This is especially concerning given the results of a recent study showing that vaporized THC resulted in higher blood levels of THC, greater cognitive impairment, and a more intense subjective drug experience than equal amounts of THC in smoked products. The efficiency of this delivery system is worrisome as it increases the exposure of THC to our young people at a time when brain development is still in process and the risk of addiction is greatest.”

One School Resource Office wrote: “Students [were] caught using THC vape in bathroom. [The students were] searched by admin and found to be in possession of THC vape. Upon questioning and admin check of phone, one student admitted to selling cannabis, vapes and THC liquid to multiple students. This led to several other students being questioned and charged with possession of THC vape devices and THC oil inside of the school.”

End-of-Year Challenge

As you may know, thanks to amazingly generous Illinois Family Institute partners, we have an end-of-year matching challenge of $100,000 to help support our ongoing work to educate and activate Illinois’ Christian community.

Please consider helping us reach this goal! Your tax-deductible contribution will help us stand strong in 2019! To make a credit card donation over the phone, please call the IFI office at (708) 781-9328. You can also send a gift to:

Illinois Family Institute
P.O. Box 876
Tinley Park, Illinois 60477

What Will You Do About It?

Are you aware that legalizing high potency marijuana is one of governor-elect JB Pritzker’s stated top priorities when he is sworn in as governor in January? Are you concerned about your children or grandchildren getting hooked on drugs and the anticipated increase in drugged drivers on our roads?

There is no question about the negative impact legalization of high potency marijuana is having in other states. The social costs are staggering.

Don’t believe Big Marijuana. They have one goal – to make a ton of money.

IFI has been working hard to make people aware of the dangers associated with high-potency marijuana. We have established a dedicated page to help Illinois residents better understand this issue so they will be equipped to speak out before it is too late. We encourage you to visit this page: “Resources on the Truth and Consequences of Marijuana.”

The page is organized by category so readers can easily navigate through the links. Categories cover the general effects on society; the health effects; mental health issues; marijuana-related deaths and suicides; impaired-driving accidents, including fatalities; marijuana’s effects on children, adolescents and schools; marijuana’s effects in the workplace, and marijuana’s effects on law enforcement and the medical community.

Additionally, we want to urge you to look at a series of webinars created by NoWeedIllinois.com, a coalition of organizations that are opposed to the legalization of recreational marijuana. These webinars offer troubling information that may surprise citizens. For example, Dr. Karen Randall is featured in one webinar testifying on how emergency rooms in Pueblo, Colorado have been overwhelmed with marijuana overdoses, hyperemesis (known as “scromiting”), psychosis, polysubstance use/abuse, and acute cardiac issues.

In another webinar, Dr. Ken Finn highlights marijuana’s negative effects on the heart and lungs, the increase in marijuana-related driving fatalities, and the increasing problems associated with youth use. He also dispels the myth that marijuana legalization can help cure our opioid crisis.

Perhaps the most shocking webinar features Dr. Mourad Gabriel who exposes an unfolding environmental disaster as many marijuana growers are poisoning soil and water sources and killing wildlife.

There are additional webinars on the No Weed Illinois YouTube channel and even more information on their Facebook page. We cannot stress enough the importance of learning as much as possible about what may be coming our way in the very near future.

After you watch these videos, please pray that this push for legalization will fail. Immediately thereafter, please ask your state rep and state senator to watch these videos HERE. Then, once they do, ask them to let you know how they will vote on high potency marijuana legalization.

The only way to stop this drug tsunami heading our way is if every person reading this newsletter relentlessly presses both their state rep and state senator to OPPOSE legalization.

We need a deafening hue and cry from citizens across the state to defeat this disastrous legislation.

End-of-Year Challenge

Illinois Family Institute
P.O. Box 876
Tinley Park, Illinois 60477

A New Push For Legal Weed

Just hours after after his election-night victory speech, Governor-elect J.B. Pritzker has been making the rounds with Chicago media, talking up plans to make marijuana a priority in Illinois, telling one news outlet that it is “something we can work on nearly right away.”

Apparently Pritzker’s top priorities do not include tackling issues like job creation, inner city violence, opioid addiction, a shrinking population, public pension reform, or education reform. Pritzker apparently believes the inaccessibility of recreational pot is among Illinois’ most pressing problems. And the liberal media is all too willing to assist by advancing pro-pot talking points about how much money the state can rake in by taxing yet another vice.

Yet not many journalists and pundits are taking a hard look at the serious consequences of legalized recreational marijuana despite a plethora of evidence from states like Colorado and Washington, both of which legalized it in 2012.

Additionally, we want to urge you to look at a series of webinars created by NoWeedIllinois.com, a coalition of organizations that are opposed to the legalization of recreational marijuana. These webinars offer troubling information that may surprise citizens. For example, Dr. Karen Randall is featured in one webinar testifying on how emergency rooms in Pueblo, Colorado have been overwhelmed with marijuana overdoes, hyperemesis (known as “scromitting”), psychosis, polysubstance use/abuse, and acute cardiac issues.

In another webinar, Dr. Ken Finn highlights marijuana’s negative effects on the heart and lungs, the increase in driving fatalities and the increasing problems of youth use. He also dispels the myth that marijuana legalization can help cure our opioid crisis.

Perhaps the most shocking webinar features Dr. Mourad Gabriel who exposes an unfolding environmental disaster as many marijuana growers are poisoning the soil and water supplies and are killing wildlife.

There are other webinars on the No Weed Illinois YouTube page and even more information on their Facebook page. I cannot stress enough the importance of learning what may be coming our way in the very near future.

When J.B. Pritzker and the new Illinois General Assembly is sworn in for the 101st Session in January 2019, there will be super majorities of Democrats in both the House and Senate. House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) will have 73 members in his caucus, while Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) will have 39 members in his caucus. Unless there is an deafening hue and cry from citizens across the state, this policy will be foisted on us all with little to no regulation. If you’d like to know what that looks like, please watch or listen to this presentation by Jo McGuire.

Please pray that our state lawmakers will listen to the objections and concerns of industry leaders, law enforcement officials, clergy members, educators, parents and grandparents in this once great state. May God have mercy on us!

A bold voice for pro-family values in Illinois!

Click HERE to learn about supporting IFI on a monthly basis.

The Blunt Truth About Marijuana

Whether or not you have made up your mind about legalizing marijuana for recreational use, the Illinois Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police highly recommend listening to the experts with genuine experience about what to expect if some lawmakers have their way.

“We encourage you to heed the warnings from people who speak first-hand about the effect it’s had on them, their profession, and their families.”

Get all the facts before you decide whether this will be good for Illinois. Please pass this information along to others.

Here is part of the letter from the Sheriffs and Chiefs:

We have discovered that it’s becoming almost impossible to get the straight facts about the predictable increase in fatalities, hospitalizations, and crime. Too many people are shrugging and saying, “Will it really do any harm?” Yes. Absolutely, it will.

That’s why we urge you to watch one or more of the webinars that will address some of the consequences of legalization. We encourage you to heed the warnings from people who speak first-hand about the effect it’s had on them, their profession, and their families.

…

In 2013, the Illinois General Assembly legalized medical marijuana. In 2016, the same body of lawmakers decriminalized possession of marijuana, reducing it to a $100 fine. And now some want full legalization of recreational marijuana.

The Illinois Chiefs of Police and the Illinois Sheriffs’ Associations strongly oppose legalizing high potency marijuana for recreational use and these webinars will give you a better understanding of why.

The full letter is here.

Several online presentations are scheduled for September and October. They will be live-streamed at Facebook.com/noweedillinois and then permanently posted there and also at www.noweedillinois.com.

Sept 11th, 12:00 PM

Topics: Pot problems in Colorado schools increase with legalization. And the toll that legal weed is taking on Colorado’s culture.

Presenter: Ron Castagna. Educator and retired Colorado high school principal of 27 years, 2012 Principal of the Year; presentation given at Colorado PTA State Convention and Colorado School Administrator meetings titled Teens and the Impact of Marijuana.

Sept. 13th, 12:00 PM

Topics: Marijuana’s hidden price: the environmental, economic and human impact of legalization in California.

Presenter: Roger Morgan. Chairman/founder of Take Back America Campaign; former chairman and executive director of the Coalition for a Drug-Free California; founding chairman of the Colorado SAFE Foundation in 1997, a non-profit dealing with drug prevention; prior Board Member of the San Diego Prevention Coalition; member of the National Coalition for Student Drug Testing; and Special Advisor to the Golden Rule Society in Colorado. His two step-children became drug addicted and two nephews died from drug related causes.

Sept. 13th, 2:00 PM

Topics: Driving while high, black market pot, the legalization of marijuana in Colorado, more danger on roads and a higher crime rate.

Presenter: Chelsey Clarke. Chelsey joined the Colorado Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (RMHIDTA) program in 2014 as a strategic intelligence analyst and in 2016 was promoted to the Strategic Intelligence Unit Supervisor. She is a primary contributor to the annual RMHIDTA regional Threat Assessment and The Legalization of Marijuana in Colorado: The Impact reports, as well as a leader in the Colorado Heroin Response Work Group. She helped create and develop the current statewide Heroin Impact Project which encompasses a two-pronged approach: Operation Poison Pusher and Operation Helping Hand.

Sept 25th, 12:00 PM

Topics: “If It’s Legal, Why Test? Addressing the Marijuana Bully in the Workplace.”

Presenter: Chuck Marting. Serves on the Board of the National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association; former law enforcement officer where he spent 17 years as a Drug Recognition Expert; expertise in workplace impact, has trained district attorneys, school administrators and business owners on workplace impairment testing.

Sept. 25th, 2:00 PM

Topics: How today’s marijuana is contributing to a rise in homelessness in legal weed states. Pregnancy and marijuana use – this can’t be good for moms or their babies. Why the current marijuana is so bad. Common presentations such as hyperemesis, psychosis, polysubstance use/abuse, acute cardiac issues.

Presenter: Dr. Karen Randall, MD. Emergency Room Physician in the 3rd busiest Emergency Department in Colorado; trained in emergency medicine, pediatrics and family practice; holds a certificate in Cannabis Science and Medicine from the University of Vermont; on the Board of Directors for SCEMA and VP of case management for SCEMA; has spoken nationally and internationally on the harms of marijuana.

Sept 26th, 12:00 PM

Topics: Cannabis has not curbed the opioid epidemic in Colorado, which saw a record year of opioid deaths in 2017. The negative effects on the heart and lungs, the increase in driving fatalities and youth use. Marijuana growers have left Northern California with a $50 to $80 billion dollar environmental cleanup bill.

Presenter: Dr. Ken Finn, MD. Board Certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Board Certified in Pain Medicine and Pain Management; licensed in Colorado, Utah and Arizona; president and founder of several Rehab Medicine businesses; serves on the American Board of Pain Medicine Executive Board and Exam Council; Volunteer Clinical Instructor at University of Colorado, Colorado Springs Medical Branch; published several papers related to cannabis in the face of the opioid epidemic and societal effects.

Sept. 27th, 10:30 AM

Topics: All the chemicals being used to grow today’s marijuana are causing an environmental disaster. Marijuana growers are poisoning the soil and water supplies and are killing wildlife.

Presenter: Dr. Mourad Gabriel, M.S., Ph.D. Co-founder of the Integral Ecology Research Center in 2004. Dr. Gabriel earned his B.S. in Wildlife Biology at Humboldt State University, his M.S. in Wildlife Ecology at Humboldt State University, and his Ph.D in Comparative Pathology (emphasis on wildlife disease ecology) at the University of California Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Gabriel is also a Research Associate Faculty at the One Health Institute, Wildlife Heath Center at the University of California Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine.

Oct. 23rd, 7:00 PM

Topic: What marijuana legalization is doing to young people. Her family’s personal nightmare.

Presenter: Aubree Adams. Aubree’s son started using marijuana in the 8th grade, soon after Colorado legalized the drug for recreational use. As a freshman, Aubree’s son had a psychotic break and tried to kill himself. Her son continued a cycle of addiction and mental illness for several years. He is now in recovery, and admits marijuana almost killed him and was his gateway to other drugs. Aubree is affiliated with Mom’s Strong, Parents Opposed to Pot, and Marijuana Victims Alliance.

Oct. 30th, 11:30 AM

Topic: Psychotic behavior. Addiction. A gateway to other drugs. Today’s marijuana is not the pot that you smoked in the 60’s and 70’s. More kids are using and becoming addicted.

Presenter: Lynn Riemer Speaker, trainer and advocate on issues relating to substance abuse. Lynn is president of ACT on Drugs, Inc., a non-profit organization with a mission to educate parents, teens, and professionals about addictive and psychoactive substances, both legal and illegal. This past school year, Lynn provided 772 trainings, 725 directly to middle and high school students. She has extensive knowledge of drug chemistry, having served with the DEA and on the North Metro Drug Task Force.

Presenter: Matt Montgomery. Matt served in the Broomfield Police Department for 9 ½ years and is a national expert in school safety, certified by the National Association of School Resource Officers. He has extensive training in drug detection, and its effects on adolescents. Matt holds a Masters in Teaching and Learning from Colorado State University.

A printable schedule is available HERE.

Please forward to others.

Addiction: Big Marijuana Targeting Children

Illinois’ senior U.S. Senator, Dick Durbin, recently introduced legislation in Washington, D.C. to crack down on flavored tobacco in e-cigarettes. He believes Big Tobacco is marketing to children with flavors like cake batter, whipped cream and gummy bears. As a mother and grandmother, I applaud his efforts.

But there’s another industry targeting kids right under our adult noses – Big Marijuana. We should be concerned to see how tobacco companies like Philip Morris are investing in marijuana for what some are calling Big Tobacco 2.0. (Read more here.)

Marijuana-infused sweets like gummy bears, jolly ranchers, cotton candy, cookies, ice cream, lollipops and even cereal are attractive to young people. Candy and cookies have names like Twigz, Goober, Dab-A-Honey, Keef Kat, Buddahfinger, Double Pupp Oeo, and Twixed.

Can you believe that one Colorado pot dispensary advertises 20 percent off everything with Student ID? Others use colorful cartoon characters like Fred Flintstone and Cookie Monster. Vape pens are made to look like Hello Kitty and little alien robots.

Tobacco addiction is bad but marijuana addiction is worse. Research confirms that regular use of marijuana has a neurotoxic effect on teenage brains – including permanent brain damage.

Teens are already using because they think marijuana is harmless. After all, it’s “medicine,” isn’t it?

The million dollar question then is – Why would Illinois lawmakers even consider legalizing it for recreational use? The answer is simple. For the tax revenue, in hopes of bailing themselves out of years of irresponsible overspending at the expense of our kids.

With elections coming up, it is vital to know where candidates stand on legalization.

Take ACTION: Click HERE to send a message to Senator Durbin to encourage him to introduce federal legislation to ban marketing to children using cartoons, candies and kid-friendly flavorings in highly-addictive marijuana products.

A bold voice for pro-family values in Illinois!

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Insult and Injury: The Problem of Pot and Pesticides

Bifenazate, Trifloxystrobin, Abamectin, Bifenthrin. Do these names sound like healthy ingredients or chemicals you would feel comfortable ingesting in foods or beverages? These are pesticides that have been discovered in laboratory-tested samples of “medical” marijuana and marijuana products that were promoted and sold as pesticide-free by California dispensaries.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Bifenazate has no anticipated dietary exposures. Therefore, an aggregate risk assessment is not warranted.” Additionally, the EPA states that, “the uses proposed for bifenazate are non-food uses and there are no expected dietary exposures. Therefore FQPA [Food Quality Protection Act] safety factor considerations do not apply.”

As if the inherent dangers of marijuana use weren’t destructive enough, the deceptive practices of the marijuana industry, aided by the EPA and other governmental agencies, intentionally obscure the risks of their purportedly “beneficial” product. Please watch this video to learn more about the deadly combination of pesticides and marijuana.

Learn more:

IFI Resource Page on Marijuana

Video Presentation by Colorado Expert Jo McGuire

Illinois Police Chief Issues a Warning on Legalized Marijuana

Marijuana: Fostering a Chronic State

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Marijuana: Fostering a Chronic State

As you know, IFI is very concerned about the move by certain state lawmakers to legalize “recreational” marijuana in Illinois. In 2014, so-called “medical” marijuana became legal in the Land of Lincoln. Over the past four years, state lawmakers and bureaucrats at the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) have dramatically expanded the qualifying medical conditions. Today, anyone determined to use pot can easily apply for and receive a medical cannabis registry identification card.

According to IDPH’s July Update, there are currently over 39,800 qualified users in the state’s “medical” marijuana registry and there are 55 authorized dispensaries statewide.

In July 2016, Illinois state lawmakers passed legislation to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana (under 10 grams) to a $100–200 fine. In addition, records are expunged twice a year.

But these actions are evidently not enough for some lawmakers and for pro-marijuana activists like George Soros. It seems that to satisfy these enthusiasts, the floodgates must fly open and the right to pursue addiction, vice and intoxication must be made readily available for anyone over the age of twenty-one. (Yet in Colorado, the evidence suggests that teen use has grown dramatically.)

Proponents will argue that there is big money to be made from taxing “recreational” marijuana. What they won’t tell you is that the tiny tax revenue stream from marijuana sales is dwarfed by the enormous social service costs incurred due to addictions, unemployment, mental illness and homelessness, as well as the increase in highway accidents, emergency room visits, and additional burdens on law enforcement. Then there are the costs to regulate this problematic industry.

There is a tremendous amount of misinformation about today’s high potency marijuana. We cannot emphasis enough how important it is to become fully informed about the consequences of this insidious agenda to legalize pot in our state. While the video below was created by DrugFree Idaho, Inc., the information and revelations therein are germane to any state considering “recreational” use laws.

Please watch this video to learn what the media won’t tell you, and the proponents don’t want you to know:

Chronic State from DrugFree Idaho, Inc. on Vimeo.

It is also important to note that the Fifth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) includes the psychiatric illness now known as Cannabis Use Disorder. Symptoms include:

disruptions in functioning due to cannabis use,
development of tolerance and the subsequent need for higher doses,
cravings for cannabis, and
development of withdrawal symptoms, such as the inability to sleep, restlessness, nervousness, anger, or depression within a week of ceasing heavy use.

Make no mistake, this reckless public policy will create significant problems for families, businesses, and communities throughout Illinois. Marijuana use leads to greater cognitive deficits, lower IQs, loss of fine motor skills, immune system suppression, apathy, drowsiness, lack of motivation, sensory distortion, mental illness and anxiety. Absenteeism and dropping out of school are common behaviors in marijuana users who start at a young age and continue to use regularly. Legalizing “recreational” marijuana will certainly encourage its use and complications.

Socialist George Soros and his drug legalization allies in the Illinois General Assembly are pushing an agenda that would result in more Americans being doped up, dumbed-down, distracted, disabled and dependent on marijuana and big government. If we truly care about our neighbor’s well-being, if we truly care about the next generation, we cannot afford to remain silent on this issue.

There is a tremendous amount of misinformation about today’s high potency marijuana. Overdose rates have increased in states that have legalized such as Colorado, which legalized ‘recreational” marijuana in 2014. As a result of legalization, they’ve also seen significant increases in youth pot use, homelessness, and workers failing drug tests. That and the alarming number of hospitalizations and even deaths, plus car accident fatalities are on the rise from those driving under the influence of marijuana should give us pause about this policy. But what should cause parents to flood lawmaker’s offices with urgent pleas to oppose legalization is this destructive consequence of marijuana use.

Learn more:

IFI Resource Page on Marijuana

Video Presentation by Colorado Expert Jo McGuire

Illinois Police Chief Issues a Warning on Legalized Marijuana

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All Young Cannabis Users Face Psychosis Risk

Written by Pauline Anderson

Cannabis use directly increases the risk for psychosis in teens, new research suggests.

A large prospective study of teens shows that “in adolescents, cannabis use is harmful” with respect to psychosis risk, study author Patricia J. Conrod, PhD, professor of psychiatry, University of Montreal, Canada, told Medscape Medical News.

The effect was observed for the entire cohort. This finding, said Conrod, means that all young cannabis users face psychosis risk, not just those with a family history of schizophrenia or a biological factor that increases their susceptibility to the effects of cannabis.

“The whole population is prone to have this risk,” she said.

The study was published online June 6 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Rigorous Causality Test

Increasingly, jurisdictions across North America are moving toward cannabis legalization. In Canada, a marijuana law is set to be implemented later this year.

With such changes, there’s a need to understand whether cannabis use has a causal role in the development of psychiatric diseases, such as psychosis.

To date, the evidence with respect to causality has been limited, as studies typically assess psychosis symptoms at only a single follow-up and rely on analytic models that might confound intraindividual processes with initial between-person differences.

Determining causality is especially important during adolescence, a period when both psychosis and cannabis use typically start.

For the study, researchers used random intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPMs), which Conrod described as “a very novel analytic strategy.”

RI-CLPMs use a multilevel approach to test for within-person differences that inform on the extent to which an individual’s increase in cannabis use precedes an increase in that individual’s psychosis symptoms, and vice versa.

The approach provides the most rigorous test of causal predominance between two outcomes, said Conrod.

“One of the problems in trying to assess a causal relationship between cannabis and mental health outcomes is the chicken or egg issue. Is it that people who are prone to mental health problems are more attracted to cannabis, or is it something about the onset of cannabis use that influences the acceleration of psychosis symptoms?” she said.

The study included 3720 adolescents from the Co-Venture cohort, which represents 76% of all grade 7 students attending 31 secondary schools in the greater Montreal area.

For 4 years, students completed an annual Web-based survey in which they provided self-reports of past-year cannabis use and psychosis symptoms.

Such symptoms were assessed with the Adolescent Psychotic-Like Symptoms Screener; frequency of cannabis use was assessed with a six-point scale (0 indicated never, and 5 indicated every day).

Survey information was confidential, and there were no consequences of reporting cannabis use.

“Once you make those guarantees, students are quite comfortable about reporting, and they become used to doing it,” said Conrod.

Marijuana Use Highly Prevalent

The first time point occurred at a mean age of 12.8 years. Twelve months separated each assessment. In total, 86.7% and 94.4% of participants had a minimum of two time points out of four on psychosis symptoms and cannabis use, respectively.

The study revealed statistically significant positive cross-lagged associations, at every time point, from cannabis use to psychosis symptoms reported 12 months later, over and above the random intercepts of cannabis use and psychosis symptoms (between-person differences). The statistical significances varied from P < .001 to P < .05.

Cannabis use, in any given year, predicted an increase in psychosis symptoms a year later, said Conrod.

This type of analysis is more reliable than biological measures, such as blood tests, said Conrod.

“Biological measures aren’t sensitive enough to the infrequent and low level of use that we tend to see in young adolescents,” she said.

In light of these results, Conrod called for increased access by high school students to evidence-based cannabis prevention programs.

Such programs exist, but there are no systematic efforts to make them available to high school students across the country, she said.

“It’s extremely important that governments dramatically step up their efforts around access to evidence-based cannabis prevention programs,” she said.

Currently, marijuana use in teens is “very prevalent,” she said. Surveys suggest that about 30% of older high school students in the Canadian province of Ontario use cannabis.

“I’d like to see governments begin to forge some new innovative policy that will address this level of use in the underaged,” Conrad said.

Reducing access to and demand for cannabis among youth could lead to reductions in risk for major psychiatric conditions, she said.

A limitation of the study was that cannabis use and psychosis symptoms were self-reported and were not confirmed by clinicians. However, as the authors note, previous work has shown positive predictive values for such self-reports of up to 80%.

Unique Research

Commenting on the findings for Medscape Medical News, Robert Milin, MD, child and adolescent psychiatrist, addiction psychiatrist, and associate professor of psychiatry, University of Ottawa, said the study is at “the vanguard” of major research investigating cannabis use in adolescents over time that is being carried out by that National Institute on Drug Abuse in the United States.

“The study is at the forefront because it is specifically looking to measure psychosis symptoms and cannabis use in adolescents, and the model they are using strengthens the study,” said Milin.

That model uses “refined measures or improved measures to look at causality, vs what we call temporal associations,” he said.

The fact that the study investigated teens starting at age 13 years is unique, said Milin. In most related studies, the starting age of the participants is 15 or 16 years.

He emphasized that the study examined psychosis symptoms and not psychotic disorder, although having psychotic symptoms increases the risk for a psychotic disorder.

The study was supported by grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Dr Conrod and Dr Milin have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

JAMA Psychiatry. Published online June 6, 2018. Abstract

This article was originally posted at Medscape Medical News.

Rocky Mountain High Brings State to New Lows

Recently, a Colorado expert on the consequences of legalizing recreational marijuana spoke to groups in Bloomington, Pontiac, and Naperville, in addition to doing media interviews with Dan Proft and Amy Jacobson on WIND radio, Ken and Deb in the Morning on WDLM radio, a somewhat acrimonious interview with Sam Wood on WJBC radio and a newspaper interview with Derek Beigh of The Pantagraph.

What Jo McGuire reports from Colorado is truly shocking. Illinois residents must understand the consequences of legalization and contact their lawmakers to oppose it.

Recreational marijuana has affected every part of Colorado’s culture: schools and increased youth use, poisonings, car fatalities, hospital admissions – all of which we have reported on. But what’s little known, and Big Marijuana wants to keep it that way, is the effect it’s having on neighborhoods, the environment, and homelessness.

In Colorado, in order to accomplish their goals, Big Marijuana lied, claiming it would do away with the Black Market and solve Colorado’s budget crisis. Sound familiar? But the Black Market is doing better than ever. In fact, they’re doing so well, cartels now purchase million dollar homes for cash in beautiful gated communities, gut them and start growing pot. Incredibly large amounts of marijuana are shipped elsewhere, including Mexico. And none of it is taxed, which was also their promise.

Like Colorado, Illinois’ bill allows for 5 plants per adult. Home grows, she said, are impossible to monitor plus it created another large non-taxable market referred to as the “grey market.” Home growers have discovered they too can make money selling it cheaper than the taxed and regulated pot dispensaries (which outnumber Starbucks, McDonald’s, and Walmart by double). Furthermore, explosions from butane extraction labs set up in these homes to produce concentrates are common.

Watch Jo McGuire’s full presentation here — and please share this information widely:

Worldview Conference May 5th

Worldview has never been so important than it is today! The contemporary culture is shaping the next generation’s understanding of faith far more than their faith is shaping their understanding of culture. The annual IFI Worldview Conference is a phenomenal opportunity to reverse that trend. This year we are featuring well-know apologist John Stonestreet on Saturday, May 5th at Medinah Baptist Church. Mr. Stonestreet is s a dynamic speaker and the award-winning author of “Making Sense of Your World” and his newest offer: “A Practical Guide to Culture.”

Click HERE to learn more or to register!

A Pharmacist Makes the Case Against Legalizing Marijuana

Written by Robert L. Mabee, RPh, JD, MBA

Legalization of marijuana has ramifications beyond the individual’s decision to smoke an occasional joint. Several considerations contradict the argument for legalization.

Economic Disaster

Most simply, it is argued that legalization would eliminate criminal problems. The state would collect its sales tax, and marijuana users would be happy.

However, as with alcohol, the use of marijuana will create costs in excess of the sales tax revenue. It has been predicted that costs associated with treatment, injuries, loss of work, and damage to property are likely to run millions more than the income gained through taxation.

As a nation, we have just spent millions of dollars in the crusade to stop people from smoking cigarettes. Yet with pot smoking, all the problems associated with indirect smoke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer will continue and increase.

Therapeutically Irrational

Studies have disclosed that the recreational use of pot can lead to long-term mental problems and harmful neurological effects.

Furthermore, marijuana is addictive. It is recognized as a gateway drug, associated with addiction to stronger drugs. Current campaigns to reduce or control addiction to opioids are directly aimed at reducing drug use. Why, therefore, should use of marijuana be sanctioned?

Oxycontin is a schedule II drug that is regulated, prescribed, and dispensed under professional supervision by healthcare providers. It is considered less of a threat than Schedule I drugs such as heroin and ecstasy. Marijuana is also a Schedule I drug, yet some states want it sold over the counter by untrained clerks.

There is no way to prevent adulteration and contamination of the marijuana sold in strip malls and kiosks. Without testing, regulation, or supervision, introduction of a variety of pathogens and toxins into the product is inevitable. The history of Prohibition, during which injury and death resulted from use of “moonshine” and adulterated alcohol products, provides us with countless instructive examples.

THC has been made available in alternative therapeutic dosage forms to meet the needs of patients. It does not have to be smoked.

A Constitutional Crisis

FDA has complete jurisdiction over the production, distribution, and sale of all drugs and medical devices in the United States.

ATF has jurisdiction over alcohol and tobacco products nationwide.

Creating a special exception for marijuana is dangerous and totally illogical.

Our constitutional form of government and the supremacy clause granting the federal government preemptive jurisdiction in the area of manufacture and sale of drugs is not elective.

If states can simply treat federal law like a buffet and choose only the laws they want to enforce, our nation will fall apart.

Unanswered Questions

Should the federal government be barred from regulating the sale of recreational drugs, but then be asked to pay for treatment of addiction and other injuries cause by the use of these substances?

Does pandering to a few addicts and recreational drug dealers justify ignoring the available therapeutic data?

Does deferring to anecdotal data from people who smoke dope justify underwriting the costs associated with this decision?

The Solution

Pharmacists want to protect their patients and customers from injury caused by improper drug use, use of the wrong drug, and adverse drug interactions. With category X drugs with known teratogenic effects, we use the I Pledge program to help eliminate known risks to patients.

Yet in the case of recreational drugs and their associated adulteration, contamination, and interactions, we are embarking on a game of Russian roulette with our patients and perhaps their future children.

Pharmacists’ training and clinical experience demand that we seek to protect the public good. Therefore we must take a strong stand against expanded use of recreational drugs.

Everybody is entitled to his or her own opinion, but we all have to live with the same facts.

Robert L. Mabee is a pharmacist and attorney practicing in Sioux Falls, S.D. Article originally published at calmca.org.