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In November, the people spoke on Election Day, legalizing marijuana in Colorado and also in Washington.  Here’s an update if you’re wondering just what’s up since then.

The vote to legalize marijuana in Colorado did not pass with overwhelming support from the major cities within the state. The bulk of the vote came from centers of tourism such as Aspen, Vail, and Telluride, where over 70 percent of voters approved the measure. In urban or conservative areas, the vote was down: In El Paso County, it passed by only 10 votes.

Washington Versus Colorado

The nation is watching both states closely, but there are some significant differences between the laws passed in Washington compared to those legalizing marijuana in Colorado. In Washington, the measure approved use starting just a month after the election, even though the state has a year to set up its regulatory system. 

In Colorado, officials are ahead of the game in that area. They have broader experience from the medical marijuana dispensaries that already exist.  However, the vote was not certified until a month after the election, and the governor has until January 6 to sign off on it. The process of recreational use will not get underway until 2013.

In both states, most law enforcement officials are backing down from arresting people for possession of marijuana or related paraphernalia. They figure, what’s the use? However, in Colorado, some small towns and counties are enacting their own legislative bans against recreational marijuana use. The people just don’t want it in those places and they will not make it easy for those who want to cash in on this newly approved crop.

That’s just fine with black market distributors, who oppose the new laws because legalized marijuana cuts down on their business.  Whoever would have imagined that small town mayors and international drug kingpins would stand shoulder to shoulder on anything?

Workplace Drug Screening

Still, some people are hesitating to light up because they worry about losing their jobs.  Many companies with offices in multiple states mandate drug screening for job applicants, for employees chosen randomly, or for employees involved in workplace accidents. What if someone lights up at home and then is screened on the job? Will he lose his job if the company implements a broad nationwide policy against drug use?

 

Concern About Addiction and Crime

In Weld County, Colorado, legalized marijuana is not yet a done deal. According to Whitney Phillips in The Greeley Tribune, reprinted on the Huffington Post, district attorney Ken Buck stands on his commitment to continue prosecuting cases of marijuana—maybe even after the amendment takes effect in 2013. His decision depends on the federal government’s awaited stance on the issue.  Amendment 6 of the United States Constitution states that federal law is the “Law of the Land,” superseding the laws of the individual states.

Buck states that most marijuana use comes to the attention of law enforcement officials through a related crime, like assault or driving while intoxicated. He points out that an ounce of marijuana, the amount approved by the new law, produces up to 60 joints, and that’s a lot of weed.

The connection between marijuana use and crime is unavoidable. Law enforcement officials like Buck will continue to press arrested users to seek treatment if abuse issues seem relevant. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that the THC in marijuana crosses the barrier between the lungs and the bloodstream and reaches the brain quickly. People who use marijuana chronically have demonstrated a poor ability to retain information for weeks after use has stopped.

Of adults who use, 9 percent become addicted. That figure leaps to 17 percent among those who start using as teens. For daily users, from 25 to 50 percent become addicted.

Read More About It:

NIDA Drug Facts on Marijuana: http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana.

For the third time, Colorado legislators have voted down passage of legislation that would institute an acceptable legal limit of THC in the blood of drivers. Most people recognize THC as the active chemical in marijuana that creates a feeling of being high. Colorado State Senator Steve King has argued to have it put back on the ballot again for a fourth go-round.  And so the debate over marijuana use in Colorado continues.

Both businessmen and legislators are grappling with a variety of marijuana-related issues within the Coloradan borders. Three major issues revolve around the use of marijuana for medical purposes, the licensure of dispensaries for medically indicated marijuana, and the possible legalization of marijuana for use by any and all interested parties—parties being an operative word, in this case.

Regarding the measurement of THC in blood levels of drugged drivers, proponents of the legislation state that passage of the law would make it easier to convict someone of drugged driving when there is a blood test taken after an arrest. If the person carried a level of THC at or above 5 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml) of THC in the blood, he could be convicted of the crime.

But when it comes to driving and use of marijuana in Colorado, the question continues to be: Just how high is too high? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offers a Marijuana Performance Fact Sheet that indicates a difficulty in correlating a person’s THC blood level with an actual level of use. The amount of marijuana ingested or inhaled is not the only consideration.

The person’s overall pattern of use as well as the concentration of THC in the marijuana—in other words, how good is the dope?— comes into play. There is also a difference between the THC concentrated in the inhaled marijuana and the THC that will show up as a metabolite in the blood or urine of a person who uses marijuana regularly.

The inhaled THC rises to its peak concentrations rapidly, while the person is still smoking. However, the THC measurable in the blood decreases almost just as quickly. Statistics in a white paper prepared on Drugged Driving for the White House’s National Institute on Drug Abuse demonstrated that 61 percent of drugged drivers who were tested 30 to 90 minutes after smoking had THC concentrations below 2 ng/ml.  This was accounted for by a delay from the time a driver was stopped for possible drugged driving until a blood test could be administered. 

Since the blood THC level declines rapidly, some say that King’s legislation might pass if the legislation established a much higher standard than 5 ng/ml.  Some suggest that an acceptable level of nanograms per milliliters should be set at 10. Such a measurement would indicate a significant level of impairment at an interval 90 minutes prior to the arrest.

Opponents say that people who are cleared to smoke marijuana for medical reasons would be targeted. The bill was amended to exempt medical marijuana users, and that amendment failed also.

Nevada and Ohio permit a measurement of 2 ng/ml in arrested drivers. Nevada, it is noted, has laws approving medical marijuana use, and Ohio does not. The Pennsylvania Department of Health has established a 5 ng/ml limit; while that level has not been legislated, the Department of Health standard has been introduced in drugged driving cases.

In the meantime, many people suggest that no level of THC measurement can be as relevant as a person’s failure to demonstrate acceptable control of his motor functions if he is stopped for possible drugged driving. Senator King insists that his main purpose is to stop somebody who is impaired from getting behind the wheel. He states that over the past four years, traffic fatalities of all types in Colorado have decreased but traffic fatalities related to marijuana have increased by 50 percent.  And so as lawmakers consider this and other bills brought to the legislative table, marijuana use in Colorado goes on.

References:

Join Together Staff. Colorado Lawmakers Reject Marijuana Blood Limit for Drivers. http://www.drugfree.org/join-together/drugs/colorado-lawmakers-reject-marijuana-blood-limit-for-drivers

White paper on Drugged Driving for the National Institute on Drug Abuse, http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/ondcp/issues-content/drugged-driving/nida_dd_paper.pdf (page 13).

Is medical marijuana harmful to our society today? If medical marijuana dispensaries are approved by various states, they must be okay—right? Consider these scenarios taking place right now in Colorado.

The Medical Marijuana Dispensary

Michael Weisser of Carbondale, Colorado, was denied a permit to operate his business providing medical marijuana in a decision handed down on October 11, 2012. The perplexed businessman has had his shop doors open for about a year, but the town’s trustees have put a temporary halt to his business based on technicalities.

The trustees’ vote was divided, 4-3 against granting Weisser the license to operate. The opposing trustees stated that they had concerns about the filing of a sales tax license by the store’s original owner just two days before the town invoked a moratorium prohibiting any additional medical marijuana dispensaries.

The sales tax license was never revoked, but when Weisser purchased the business in 2011 he was ordered by the trustees to revise his business application because he had not revised the certificate of occupancy necessary when the store underwent remodeling. In addition, at this most recent hearing, he has been told to satisfy questions from the trustees about multiple addresses listed on his license.

Weisser’s business is clearly rated tops among shops when it comes to the green stuff—that means marijuana, not moolah—as Cannapages.com rates his product at 5 out of 5 points for overall product quality,  product, store, staff, and price. But apparently the town already has one marijuana dispensary and wants to avoid adding another and risk being viewed as a center of cannabis commerce.

Amendment 64

A concomitant Colorado issue concerns Amendment 64, appearing on the ballot in November. It proposes that persons age 21 and over shall not be prosecuted for possessing or consuming limited quantities of marijuana, for providing for the licensure of cultivation facilities, or for a slew of other allowances for possession or consumption.

Some proponents, including a group of doctors who endorsed passage of Amendment 64, advocate that it’s “time to embrace a more commonsense policy,” noting that they don’t see marijuana as harmful to teens—even though the passage of Amendment 64 would validate use and consumption only by those over the age of 21. That seems like comparing apples and oranges, so just what are they smoking?

Marijuana: Yes, It’s a Gateway Drug

Consider these statistics from the Drug Awareness page of Eureka County, Nevada:

• Of people who don’t use marijuana, only 0.1 percent go on to try heroin. Of marijuana users, 9 percent try heroin.
• Of adults who tried marijuana when they were teens, 62 percent of them go on to try cocaine.
• Of adults who tried marijuana when they were teens, over 59 percent of them abuse psychotropic drugs, the pills that relieve anxiety or depression.
• Each year, 2.1 million people try marijuana for the first time.

Why do people move on from marijuana to more harmful drugs? A study done by Hall and Lynskey in 2005 suggests that some people have a predisposition, either genetic or nurtured, to try a variety of drugs. Perhaps a more significant reason is a person’s integration into a drug-using culture; once they’ve experimented with marijuana and associated with the socioeconomic group that supports its use, they will tolerate a higher degree of exposure to illicit substances.

Does Medical Marijuana Help?

These facts are gathered form a variety of reliable sources about the effectiveness of medical marijuana. Read them and make your own decision:

• For cancer patients and people suffering from other illnesses, said former U.S. Senator and medical doctor Bill Frist of Tennessee in 2003, there are many pharmaceutical analgesics that offer safer alternatives to pain relief than marijuana to help cancer patients and other pain victims.
• The National Eye Institute in 2009 issued a statement, as a result of research that began in 1978, that marijuana for glaucoma did not reduce intraocular eye pressure more effectively than approved medications. In addition, it cautioned against the increased heart rate and decreased blood pressure associated with use of marijuana.
• Many experts have cited the number of harmful carcinogens ingested into the lungs when marijuana is smoked, exposing the user to potential cancer or respiratory disease.
• HIV/AIDS patients who use marijuana medically risk a decrease in their natural immunity as well as increased susceptibility to allergic pathogens.
• Harmful effects of marijuana withdrawal include cravings, decreased appetite, aggression, instability, restlessness, insomnia, and anger, based on a 2001 report from the University of Arkansas Center for Addiction Research.

The Number One Reason to Oppose Medical Marijuana

Ask the adults you know who use drugs today, and be honest with yourself: How many of them first got high as teenagers, maybe even got high with their older siblings or parents? That scenario occurs far more common than most people believe. If that was how you first used, do you want to pass that legacy on to your children?

Of all the reasons to oppose medical marijuana, the number one reason involves the adults who support Amendment 64, the medical marijuana dispensaries, and the use of marijuana in general. When those adults characterize marijuana as harmless and even good, they contribute to a culture among our teens that abstinence from drugs is not necessary, that drug use can be normal and accepted.  Those children will be the 9 percent, the 59 percent, and the 62 percent who move on to more serious drugs. And that is something we cannot tolerate. 

Drug Awareness page of Eureka County, Nevada: http://www.co.eureka.nv.us/methsite/marijuana.html)

Hall and Lynskey, Drug Alcohol Rev 2005 Jan:24(1):39-48. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16191720

According to a new study completed in Jamaica, smoking cannabis during pregnancy may not be harmful to the fetus. Instead, it could have the potential to increase levels of social engagement in infants.

The study was completed by Melanie Dreher, the dean of nursing at the Rush Medical Center in Chicago. Dreher studied babies born in Jamaica to determine if solely smoking marijuana produces the same low birth weights and neurological dysfunctions seen in American-born babies. Surprisingly, the study showed that daily cannabis smoking did not affect babies born to Jamaican mothers.

Researchers and medical professionals have theorized that the studies completed in the United States may have been skewed by the mothers’ additional use of hard drugs or alcohol during pregnancy. Whereas U.S. mothers commonly used both pot and hard drugs/alcohol, smoking pot can be a daily occurrence in Jamaica while drinking alcohol is limited.

The study also indicated that smoking cannabis during pregnancy may promote levels of social engagement. Dreher studied the infants at one year of age and found that babies born to pot-smoking mothers were more apt to socialize, were easier to engage, and were quicker to make eye contact than babies born to mothers in the control group who did not use marijuana.

The findings are surprising, but at this time they are in no way conclusive. Many more studies need to be completed before pot usage during pregnancy is considered beneficial or even safe. If you are expecting a child soon, it is still highly advised that smoking marijuana be avoided. The mother may also wish to contact a marijuana treatment center like Vista Taos. At the marijuana treatment center, a pregnant woman can work with specialists in order to quit smoking cannabis for the health of her unborn child. Contact a marijuana treatment center as soon as possible.

Smoking marijuana absolutely puts dangerous carcinogens into your body and that of your unborn baby. The THC in marijuana is not filtered out by the placenta; many of the same risks associated with cigarette smoking also come with this drug, including lung and esophageal cancers. For more information on having a healthy, addiction-free pregnancy, contact Vista Taos Renewal Center today.

Saying ‘no’ to drugs has reached a new level: Colorado medical marijuana dispensaries located within 1,000 feet of schools must close their doors or face criminal charges. The pot shops have 45 days to relocate before legal action will be taken.

While medical marijuana dispensaries are still legal in Colorado, U.S. Attorney John Walsh has decided that pot shops located near schools pose a threat to Colorado schoolchildren. The Colorado U.S. Attorney is within his rights to target marijuana dispensaries; Walsh cited that the U.S. Justice Department has authorized all federal prosecutors to use their discretion when working to abolish marijuana trafficking.

Even so, as Walsh moves forward in his discretionary targeting of pot shops, a new law may go into effect that would legalize marijuana possession for Colorado residents over the age of 21. The November 2012 ballot initiative would allow residents to possess small amounts of marijuana, even without a doctor’s prescription.

Voting could be close, though. Debate about marijuana use and medical marijuana dispensaries has been ongoing for years. In fact, despite their state legality, pot dispensaries have been banned from 85 Colorado communities.

The debates usually center on the relative safety of the drug versus the gateway potential. Pot is considered to lack the addictive powers of other drugs, so many people consider marijuana a “safe” drug. On the other hand, the drug has been proven to be an introductory drug for many users, leading users to more addictive and dangerous drugs.

No matter a person’s stance on the safety or gateway potential, marijuana remains an illegal drug that can interrupt drive, ability, and functionality in users. For those reasons, many people seek marijuana rehab facilities like Vista Taos in New Mexico to assist them with marijuana rehab.

If you or a loved one are in need of marijuana rehab, call Vista Taos Drug Rehab clinic today. Those living in Colorado, particularly in the southern part of the state are a short distance from the Taos treatment facility.

A Colorado marijuana farm was busted this November, and the growers were charged with cannabis trafficking, possession of cannabis, and unlawful delivery of cannabis. The operation was based on a 100 acre farm in Elbert County, Colorado. Elbert County is located about 70 miles south east of Denver, Colorado.

The four growers were arrested after ties with a Chicago distribution operation were linked to the pot farm in the Elbert area. The investigation had been going on since March, and the forces of the Illinois State Police, USDA, Colorado Springs Police Department and Elbert County Sherriff’s office helped narrow down the suspect list to an operation in Colorado Springs, based on information from a Chicago sting.

Once officials were on to the Colorado Springs operation, it was only a matter of time until another suspect with links to the Elbert County operation took the bait that officers dangled in a sting. Officers set up a controlled delivery operation from the Colorado Springs operation to the Chicago delivery site, and once the delivery took place, the suspect/delivery person was linked to Elbert County.

When law officials searched the Elbert County farm, they found 140 pounds of marijuana, 26 plants and numerous grow locations, some of which were greenhouses, rock outcroppings, buildings and trees. Four growers were arrested, including Daniel Haggerty, Matthew M. Tunzi and Anthony M. Munizzi.

This latest sting is just one of many in the fight against marijuana addiction. While the drug is often thought to not display addictive properties, many people have fallen to marijuana addiction. However, there is help in the form of marijuana addiction treatment centers, like Vista Taos Renewal Center in New Mexico.  

Even though California law supports the existence of medical marijuana storefronts in their state, the United States government has other ideas. An October 7, 2011 a press article relayed that our federal government has begun to crack down on California’s medical marijuana storefronts.

The storefronts were targeted recently; letters were sent to 16 or more pot dispensaries requesting they close down their businesses. Prosecutors warned the storefronts and their landlords that if they did not shut down voluntarily within 45 days from the letter’s issuance, they could face charges and penalties.

Many citizens have wondered why marijuana is outlawed in the United States. Some sources believe that marijuana is not addictive. In fact, pharmacologist Leslie L. Iverson’s book “The Science of Marijuana” shows that only 10 to 30% of regular marijuana users become hooked and that withdrawal symptoms are not severe.  

So why crack down on medical marijuana storefronts? Well, marijuana can be a gateway drug. More often than not, it is a gateway leading to more drug use. Continuous non-medical pot usage can lead users to view other, more dangerous drugs in a new light, leading them to use crack, meth, PCP, etc. And these drugs can wreak havoc on their lives and on the lives of those who love them, often leading to the necessity of length, life-long drug rehab programs.

In comparison, if illegal marijuana use is caught before the transition to more serious drugs, drug rehab can be short and withdrawals can be minimal. If you or someone you know needs drug rehab for marijuana use or other drug use, Vista Taos Renewal Center can help, and is located in New Mexico, not terribly far from the state of California. Vista Taos helps people from all around the southwest, including the surrounding states of Texas, Oklahoma and Arizona. Contact them for further information.

Arizona is a state that is now allowing people with certain medical conditions to visit a doctor and obtain a medical marijuana card. This makes it legal for them to purchase the drug via licensed dealers and have the drug on their person. The problem that is being investigated is that just a handful of doctors have written thousands of prescriptions in a short time. One doctor, in particular, has written 1300 medical marijuana prescriptions. That number seems high; considering the physicians are supposed to be checking a state database before prescribing to see if an individual “in need” of a medical marijuana prescription has been treated for marijuana addiction or any other substance addiction in the past. When checked by state officials, these doctors haven’t been logging into the records very much. In fact, the doctor who prescribed over a thousand medical cards for pot had only logged on about 5 times.

Marijuana addiction seems to be a laughable matter by most, however, it is a very real situation that many people in America deal with. Marijuana has a lot of myths that surround it. People feel they cannot become addicted to it and that it cannot cause long-term health problems. Marijuana contains hundreds of carcinogens, just like tobacco smoke. Just because people tend to smoke marijuana less in a day than a person who smokes cigarettes does not make them less at risk, it just takes more time for the damage to be done. You can get lung cancer, COPD and emphysema from a marijuana addiction just like those who smoke tobacco. And yes…marijuana is addictive. If it didn’t possess addictive qualities, why would so many people seek out the drug?

Marijuana addiction is no joke. The caring and compassionate staff at Vista Taos Drug Rehab Clinic in New Mexico understands the hold marijuana can have on a person. They are ready to help you detox from the drug and start living a life without the bonds of addiction. Call today to learn more.

Working out of Norman, Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics have been spending a great deal of time tracking and destroying marijuana crops. With the latest techniques, they’ve been covering ground in many areas of the state. Their hard work is resulting in a great payoff. Just a few decades ago when the pot sweeps were just starting out, they found and destroyed about 200,000 plants. The past few years have still produced many finds, but the numbers are only in the tens of thousands.

The Narcotics Bureau starts their marijuana sweeps in early summer and continues until the first freeze. They hope to continue to have successful marijuana eradication missions and spread the word that Oklahoma is not the state to try and grow marijuana for sale.

The news on marijuana has been a hot topic as of recently. Many states are revising the laws and even allowing marijuana to be used for medical purposes. Despite those who consider this drug to be of use for medical purposes, it is an addictive substance. Not only is it addictive, the medical benefits that marijuana holds are not that good when compared to the negatives. Smoking marijuana can cause lung cancer, heart disease and emphysema. Unlike filtered cigarettes, those who smoke marijuana most likely aren’t adding any filtration device to cut down on the thousands of dangerous compounds that enter their system when ingested. If marijuana was so helpful for medical assistance, why would pharmaceutical companies bother with creating Marinol, a synthetic THC in pill form? The pill is widely available through prescription in the United States and is approved by the FDA for treating patients that suffer from cancer and other serious ailments.

Regardless of the so-called benefits of the drug, marijuana addiction is a serious reality. If you or a loved one needs help with marijuana addiction, please contact New Mexico’s experts in substance abuse rehabilitation at Vista Taos Drug Renewal Center.

Famous former talk show host Montel Williams is now facing legal problems when TSA agents found drug paraphernalia on his person as he was passing through a security checkpoint at an airport in Milwaukee this month. It was a pipe used for smoking marijuana. Williams ended his long career as a talk show host recently after announcing that he is battling Multiple Sclerosis and is retiring to take care of himself and treat his disease. He has been an advocate against the legalization of marijuana for treatment, like MS. In some places it is legal to have marijuana for medical purposes, but this was not the case in Milwaukee for Mr. Williams.

Though Montel Williams may benefit from medical marijuana, there is a problem with people who “self-medicate” with drugs like marijuana and prescription sedatives. They’re reasoning is not MS, cancer or the other health problems where medical marijuana use has been studied and reflects positive results. They’re usually struggling with life and are depressed. They become addicted to these drugs to help them simply survive their environment. Drug treatment at Vista Taos Renewal Center in New Mexico can help those who feel the need to self-medicate. The addiction is what will keep you sick. Depression or other emotionally related problems can be overcome without drugs. If prescriptions are needed, they can be monitored by a physician. Vista Taos provides drug treatment in Taos, New Mexico, and is prepared to help those who are in need of expert addiction therapy from drugs like marijuana, prescription sedatives and more. Do not self-medicate to overcome life’s challenges, self-improve.