To the citizens of Rome Georgia
From The Los Angeles Times
In advance of the legalization of recreational marijuana sales in California on Jan. 1, there have been lots of debates over the details of the cannabis business. How many feet should pot shops be from schools or daycare centers? How many acres may a marijuana farmer cultivate? Who should be eligible for a license to sell and who shouldn’t?
But there’s been much less discussion over an equally important question raised by the end of prohibition in California: What is the right public health message to send to adults who can now legally buy and use marijuana? Voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 64 last year and polls continue to show broad support for legalization. But just because marijuana is legal doesn’t mean it is risk-free.
With just days to go, public health agencies are scrambling to put together education campaigns before Jan. 1. But experts in the field say they face a big problem: There simply isn’t enough research into the impact of adult marijuana use to offer a lot of proven and practical health guidance.
Earlier this year the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine released the first comprehensive look at marijuana research in nearly two decades. A panel of experts analyzed more than 10,000 studies related to marijuana usage and cancer, mental health, accidents and a host of other health issues.
The report found some compelling evidence of risks, as well as some medicinal benefits. Long-term cannabis smokers were more likely to have respiratory problems. There was substantial evidence of a link between frequent marijuana use and the development of schizophrenia. Women who smoked pot while pregnant were more likely to have babies with lower birth weights. On the other hand, the drug was found to be effective in reducing chronic pain.
Nevertheless, despite those findings, the overwhelming conclusion of the report was that the effects of marijuana use are still largely a mystery and that the lack of evidence-based information poses a public health risk.
The problem is that marijuana is still illegal under federal law and is classified as a Schedule 1 drug with no medicinal value and a high potential for abuse. The federal government has strict limits on studies involving the drug, which makes it hard for researchers to get funding or to get access to the quantity and quality of cannabis needed for in-depth analysis. The result is that there is little conclusive evidence on marijuana’s effects — good or bad.
But as more and more states legalize medicinal and recreational use for adults, the lack of conclusive science leaves public health officials and regulators in a bind. They have a mandate to set limits on marijuana in order to protect the public and to provide accurate and unbiased information so that adults can make informed choices. But they can’t do their jobs well without more research.
For example, the National Academies report concluded there is “substantial evidence” that using marijuana before driving increases the risk of being involved in a crash. But there has been little research into what — if any — amount of marijuana use is considered safe for driving. Or how long a person should wait to drive after consuming cannabis. (The lack of research in this area is also a problem for law enforcement; there is not yet a reliable way to measure cannabis intoxication.)
There hasn’t been much research into the impact of the many new, highly concentrated cannabis products or into how different cannabis products — from edibles to lotions, balms and oils — affect different people. That increases risk to users. (Most cities and states that have allowed adult use of marijuana have seen an increase in emergency room visits for poisoning associated with edibles.) Nor has there been adequate study into what kinds of messages resonate with young people and adults, which makes it harder to design an effective health education campaign.
The federal government’s restrictions on marijuana research serve no one — not the advocates of legalization, nor its opponents. From The Seattle Times
Despite the best efforts of the president and the Republican-controlled Congress, the Affordable Care Act is proving extremely difficult to kill. A record number of people have signed up for health insurance through the Washington state exchange during this fall’s ACA enrollment period. About 230,000 people have signed up so far — an incredible 35 percent increase over the same time period.
Numbers were also pretty strong nationally, despite the fakenews message from the White House that Obamacare is dying.
About 8.8 million people signed up for health insurance in the 39 states served by the federal HealthCare.gov website. That’s down slightly from the 9.2 million people during last year’s open enrollment period.
Yes, the new federal tax law eliminates the mandate that every American have health insurance or pay a fine. While Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler calls that a body blow against the ACA, he says it is not a knockout punch.
Many efforts are underway to stabilize the individual health insurance market in both Olympia and Washington, D.C.
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, is still working with Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, to restore federal dollars to subsidize insurance premiums and to revive the federal reinsurance program. The latter gives insurance companies a safety net to help them pay unusually large claims.
Kreidler is working a parallel track in Washington to establish a reinsurance program, which would cost the state about $200 million a year. But if lawmakers take action by the beginning of February, Washington may get some money from the federal government to help pay for it.
And there are two potential solutions for the federal Children’s Health Insurance Program, which provides health insurance to children of low-income families who earn too much for Medicaid and aren’t covered by employers. About 9 million children could lose their insurance.
Of course, Congress should reauthorize the program. Federal money for states will run out at the end of 2017. Republicans in Congress have shown a willingness to add $1.5 trillion to the national debt to cut taxes for the rich and corporations. But they have yet to find the $75 billion needed to reauthorize CHIP for five more years. They must get to work on this after the holiday break.
In case Congress does not fix this problem, state Sen. Mark Miloscia, R-Federal Way, has proposed a state solution. He wants to expand Medicaid, or Apple Health, to include all children whose families earn up to 312 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $64,728 for a family of three, unless their parents have health insurance through work. This is a smart idea, in part, because it would likely bring more federal dollars to Washington state, to pay for the expansion.
All that is needed is enough political pressure to turn these fine proposals into law. Readers: Jan. 2 would be a good time for citizens to get back on the phone to lawmakers in Olympia and Washington, D.C.
IIt is an outrage that vandalism was perpetrated to the (Confederate) veterans’ monument on Myrtle Hill. Now more than ever we need to protect and strengthen the laws in this state that protect our monuments and history. Allowing vandals and ANTIFA to get away with such violence with no penalty is unacceptable. The Rome, Georgia Sons of Confederate Veterans are responding to this attack and need your help. Won’t you please help us confront this problem head on? Please check out our website at gascv. org/monument-protection/. Barry Colbaugh
Buford Jim Powell of Young Harris
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