Colorado data shows serious risks of legal marijuana
Data collected out of Colorado points to harmful impact of legalizing marijuana
Since the federal government informed the country it intended to legalize marijuana, much has been written on this controversial and, at times, confusing topic.
Some of the writing dealt with facts; some failed miserably to hide biases — both sides being guilty of dishonesty and subjectivity.
For almost 20 years I have had the privilege to write a monthly column for this paper. The most controversial one in the past two decades was the only article I wrote on marijuana. It was published in The Herald in 2013, around the time Colorado legalized marijuana.
Colorado started its experience with marijuana in 2006 with the pre-commercialization of medical marijuana; in 2009, medical marijuana was commercialized; and in 2013 marijuana became legal.
Every year since the legalization, the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (RMHIDTA) publishes data tracking outcomes and the impact of legalized marijuana.
The areas in which RMHIDTA collected data on were: impaired driving and fatalities; youth marijuana use; adult use; and emergency room admissions.
Here is a brief summary of the facts as reported:
Marijuana-related traffic deaths when a driver tested positive for marijuana more than doubled from 55 deaths in 2013 to 125 deaths in 2016. Between 2013 and 2016, marijuana-related traffic deaths increased 66 per cent.
The use of marijuana (over a past month) by youth increased 12 per cent since legalization, compared to pre-legalization use. (The argument that youth already consume it, and that legalization will not increase marijuana, is not supported by data collected over five years).
Colorado youth ranked No. 4 in the U.S. before legalization. It now ranks No. 1. The use by youth of marijuana in Colorado is now 55 per cent higher than the national average of the U.S. (In 2012, it was 39 per cent higher)
College-age use of marijuana increased 16 per cent since legalization. It is now 61 per cent higher than the national average.
The yearly rate of ER visits related to marijuana increased 35 per cent after legalization.
The yearly number of marijuana-related hospitalizations increased 72 per cent since legalization.
A few specifics regarding the use by youth stood out.
The increase in use by high schoolers was 14 per cent for seniors and 19 per cent among juniors; in middle school there was a 96 per cent increase in use by seventh graders and 144 per cent among sixth graders. (It means more children are using marijuana earlier.)
ER doctors who worked both before and after legalization offer useful observations. In addition to an increase in calls to poison control lines and visits due to psychotic episodes, toddlers intoxicated due to edibles and toddlers who ate marijuana plants dramatically increased. The number of teens sent to the ER quadrupled after marijuana was legalized — mostly for mental health symptoms.
A number of youth admitted to ERs were riding their bicycles while under the influence of marijuana.
At this time, most of the ER doctors in Canada admit they have little experience in managing toddlers who ingest parts of a marijuana plant. The impact of edible products and the accidental ingestion of a parent’s medical marijuana seem to be common themes in the U.S.
In states where marijuana is legal, there has been a steady rise in a syndrome previously not taught in medical school — CHS or cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. (CHS is marked by severe abdominal pain and vomiting. It was hardly ever seen before legalization.)
The advertisements of medical marijuana have contributed to teens perceiving the product as safe, legal and harmless. Medical marijuana, supposedly prescribed for legitimate health reasons, was not always subjected to the same rigours before being sold as such.
The lack of proper, and consistent peer-reviewed studies cannot be ignored, unless we agree that “medical” often means anecdotal evidence.
The RMHIDTA data also showed that pot smoking was more common among pregnant teens. A recent national survey in the U.S. which involved 14,400 pregnant females aged 12 to 44 found the percentage of pregnant 12- to 17-year-olds that used marijuana was more than twice the percentage of their non-pregnant peers.
Before legalization, the argument was made that legalization will result in reduced traffic fatalities, since users will switch from alcohol to marijuana, which does not impair driving to the same degree. This is not the case. Data shows that the number of fatalities due to marijuana in some regions has exceeded the number of fatalities caused by drunk driving.
The American Academy of Pediatrics opposes medical and recreational marijuana use for kids.
The Canadian Paediatric Society has their different opinion on the matter (www.CPS.ca).