The retail sale of marijuana the governor wants will harm Pa. youth
At the same time Gov. Josh Shapiro revealed his push for the retail sale of marijuana in his proposed state budget, Temple University had a study published revealing how the problematic rise of marijuana usage by teens and young adults is worse in states that legalize its non-medical use. “Following recreational legalization adolescent and young adult past-month cannabis use prevalence increased,” the study finds.
We already know that the earlier you start using marijuana, the increase in risk for experiencing worse outcomes. The Center for Disease Control has found that “The risk of developing marijuana use disorder is stronger in people who start using marijuana during youth or adolescence and who use marijuana more frequently.”
Before we continue, we should note that Big Marijuana’s terms obscure the issue. The federal government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration ( SAMHSA) and other health organizations recognize the term “legalization” is often used too broadly. They argue that marijuana discussions should be divided into four distinct categories: Non-Medical, Medical, Decriminalized and Illegal.
Marijuana use among young adults is at an all-time high, and despite states setting a legal age at 21, the result of the commercialized market — one which makes greater profit gains from pushing high-potency marijuana that can be close to 100% THC — is more teenagers ending up highly dependent and dangerously ill.
This is why it is so discouraging to hear statements from Pennsylvania politicians like State Rep. Jordan Harris (DPhiladelphia) who appears to laugh off the real harms of marijuana use and non-medical legalization. He repeatedly makes claims like, “We know that the only thing that is in jeopardy when we legalize cannabis is potato chips.”
Claiming the “munchies” are the only negative to both using marijuana and commercializing dangerously-high potent, fruity-flavored products is just not backed by the facts. Credible published studies issued just in the past year show the damage.
For example, states with nonmedical legalization have experienced increased rates of traffic fatalities and raised rates of children’s asthma.
There’s also evidence of increases nationwide of children ER visits from ingesting marijuana edibles (up 1,375% in five years), greater needs of ER and inpatient care with marijuana users, raised risk of lung disease, and increased risk of longterm harms like psychosis and addiction with high-potency marijuana use.
What’s so ironic is that many of the pro-marijuana politicians have often looked to mainstream health organizations to justify their policy positions on other issues. Yet when it comes to marijuana, they don’t.
Take the PA House Health Majority Chair, Rep. Dan Frankel (D-Allegheny); who has a bill to push the retail sale of marijuana on Pennsylvania families. Rep. Frankel frequently references the positions of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Medical Association (AMA) during debates on a host of past policies.
What does the AAP and AMA say about non-medical legalization? The AAP “opposes legalization of marijuana because of the potential harms to children and adolescents.” The AMA “believes that the sale of cannabis for adult use should not be legalized.”
They are not the only medical voices in opposition. The American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Society for Addiction Medicine also oppose legalization, along with the Association for Addiction Professionals, “largely due to the addictive nature of cannabis.”
The position of politicians like Rep. Frankel and Gov. Shapiro run contrary to mainstream health.
In Rep. Frankel’s co-sponsor memo for his marijuana bill, he SAMHSA. This same agency identifies at least five factors to increases in youth marijuana use: greater public acceptance, declining perception of risk, increasing availability, product diversification, and pervasive marketing. Each of those areas becomes a greater problem upon full legalization of marijuana for non-medical use.
A recent Gallup poll found more than one in four 18-29year-olds smoke marijuana, up from 17% between 2013 and 2015. That’s more than double the number of young people smoking cigarettes. “Young adults are increasingly smoking marijuana, perhaps because it is now legal to use in a growing number of states.”
If Pennsylvania wants to push back, you certainly do not want to increase marijuana’s prevalence or the in-your-face pervasive marketing, which is exactly what comes with non-medical retail sales.
It is a disservice to the people of Pennsylvania to argue for non-medical retail sales using a rationale for medical improvements or decriminalization efforts. It’s also not a simple choice of either allowing the illegal cartels to continue or to fully legalize for non-medical use. The black market continues to thrive in fully legalized states. The solution should never cause more harm, which is what happens when the state endorses marijuana’s retail sale.
Bigger government fueling Big Marijuana is a recipe for disaster. If we truly care about public health, the evidence proves that no amount of regulations will close the Pandora’s box of harm that comes with commercialized marijuana.