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Tag: marijuana

  • Massive Study On Driving High To Take Place In California

    Massive Study On Driving High To Take Place In California

    The study aims to give law enforcement more accurate parameters in which to determine a driver’s intoxication level after using marijuana.

    As marijuana gains legal status in more states, one of the central concerns among legal, law enforcement and medical professionals remains how cannabis use may impact driving.

    Studies vary as to whether driving under the influence of alcohol or pot presents more of a danger, which has prompted institutions like the University of California-San Diego to seek hard data on the subject.

    As High Times has reported, the school’s Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research (CMCR) is currently recruiting individuals to participate in its hands-on study of cannabis’ impact on driving, which requires them to ingest smokeable marijuana before using the center’s driving simulator.

    The goal is to provide both police and laboratories with more accurate parameters on which to determine a driver’s intoxication level after using marijuana.

    The study, which according to High Times, is the largest of its kind to date, requires potential candidates to make an initial appointment with researchers to determine eligibility.

    If accepted, the participant is paid $50, and returns for a full day assessment, during which they are given a joint to smoke; the study involves a variety of joints rolled on the site, as High Times indicates, and with varying amounts of THC, including ones with none of the psychoactive agent at all.

    Participants then use the center’s driving simulator and complete iPad-based performance assessments, which focus on memory, attention and motor skills. A field sobriety test is then given before blood and saliva samples are collected from them. Once all the data has been obtained, participants are paid an additional $180.

    The goal of the study is not to determine if one’s driving can be impaired by using marijuana, but rather, to determine the duration and level of impairment.

    “If you smoked this morning, are you impaired throughout the day?” said Tom Marcotte, co-director of the CMCR. “Are you impaired for a couple of hours? Or are you not impaired? We’re trying to answer that.”

    Ultimately, the researchers hope to improve field sobriety tests for marijuana use, which in their current form are used by law enforcement but considered unreliable in regard to determining THC levels in breath or fluid samples. In some cases, field sobriety tests cannot be used as evidence to determine whether a driver was impaired while behind the wheel.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Scientists On Marijuana's Health Benefits: We Need More Evidence

    Scientists On Marijuana's Health Benefits: We Need More Evidence

    “We don’t have evidence about many things marijuana is marketed for and we need to communicate that to the public,” says one doctor.

    Many Americans increasingly believe that marijuana has health benefits, even though there is little to no evidence one way or the other, Newsweek reported.

    Over 9,000 U.S. adults participated in an online survey, with 81% responding that weed had at least one medical benefit. From treating diseases like epilepsy and multiple sclerosis to providing some measure of relief from anxiety, stress or depression, the majority of Americans feel the drug is medically valuable.

    Not so fast, scientists say.

    “The public seems to have a much more favorable view [of marijuana] than is warranted by the current evidence,” the University of California San Francisco’s Dr. Salomeh Keyhani said in a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

    Interestingly, because the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) categorizes weed as a Schedule I substance (alongside heroin and MDMA), researchers are limited in being able to research it at all.

    “[People] believe things that we have no data for,” Keyhani cautioned. “We need better data. We need any data.”

    In the absence of empirical data, she suggests, Americans are coming to their own conclusions about the drug.  

    “Cannabis is useful for neuropathic pain; it might be useful for nausea and vomiting for cancer and HIV, anorexia, and it might have use in refractory epilepsy in children, but those are very narrow indications,” Keyhani told MedPage Today. “We don’t have evidence about many things marijuana is marketed for and we need to communicate that to the public.”

    A 2017 Gallup survey reported that 45% of U.S. adults have tried marijuana once, while other surveys indicated that 22% of Americans regularly use it. With weed now legal in over half of the U.S. for medicinal purposes, marketing is becoming a huge factor in public perception, Keyhani observed.

    “It’s a multi-billion dollar industry, not regulated to the extent of tobacco or alcohol,” she said. “It seems every state is developing a regulatory structure itself. The conflict between federal law and state law has left an open space commercial entities can exploit.”

    Despite widespread support for marijuana, the survey revealed that 91% of Americans believe it carries risks. (Only 9% believed the drug has no risks.) The survey yielded some surprises, too:

    • 37% of Americans thought edible marijuana could prevent health problems. 
    • 50.1% agreed that marijuana was “somewhat addictive.”  
    • 25.9% said it was “very addictive.” 

    The average age of participants was 48 (“64% were white, 12% were black, 16% were Hispanic, and 8% were of other races”).

    Mount Sinai’s Yasmin Hurd said the results aren’t surprising so much as they highlight “the fact that scientists and clinicians don’t publish their studies in newspapers, so the general public isn’t really aware of the scientific evidence that might run counter to their beliefs.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Marijuana Decriminalization Bill Introduced By Sen. Chuck Schumer

    Marijuana Decriminalization Bill Introduced By Sen. Chuck Schumer

    The bill tackles marijuana rescheduling, advertising regulations, expungement and research.

    New York Senator Chuck Schumer introduced a new bill to regulate marijuana at the federal level, High Times reported. The bill isn’t aimed at legalizing the drug but the proposal would decriminalize it.

    Schumer previously announced plans to introduced the bill in April. The legislation would eliminate pot from the Controlled Substances Act, where it currently sits alongside drugs like LSD and heroin. By removing marijuana’s Schedule I classification, Schumer’s bill would “dramatically change the way federal prohibition laws would be enforced.”

    The proposed measure would still allow states to establish their own marijuana laws, including Alaska, California and Colorado.

    “The time to decriminalize marijuana is now,” Sen. Schumer said in a press statement. “The new Marijuana Freedom and Opportunity Act is about giving states the freedom to be the laboratories that they should be and giving Americans—especially women and minority business owners as well as those convicted of simple possession of marijuana intended for personal use—the opportunity to succeed in today’s economy.”

    He added that the law “is simply the right thing to do.”

    Co-sponsored by fellow Senators Bernie Sanders, Tim Kaine and Tammy Duckworth, the bill would introduce several other changes if it’s passed into law. For one, it would route tax dollars to a Treasury trust fund for weed businesses owned by women as well as “socially and economically disadvantaged” people.

    The legislation would also allow the Treasury Department to control various aspects of advertising and marketing around marijuana. The proposed bill would also set nearly $750 million aside for highway safety programs and research into the “pitfalls of driving under the influence of THC,” not to mention developing technology to “reliably measure impairment.”

    Perhaps the most significant aspect of Schumer’s bill is that it aims to grant $100 million to “help expunge criminal records of folks who have been convicted in the past for marijuana-related crimes.”

    For many of the people helping to get the bill off the ground, High Times observed, it’s about ironing out the problems with how marijuana laws are enforced across the country—especially across racial divides.

    “Far too many Americans are currently incarcerated for marijuana-related offenses,” said Sen. Duckworth. “And they are disproportionally people of color, despite the fact that African Americans and Caucasians use marijuana at the same rates.”

    Sen. Sanders is particularly hopeful that the bill goes into effect, given that his home state (Vermont) legalized recreational weed earlier this year. Vermont is also exploring the possibility of clearing nearly 3,000 people of misdemeanor marijuana convictions. That said, much of the nation remains hugely inconsistent in its weed laws.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • "Social Equity" Program To Help Those Impacted By Drug War In Massachusetts

    "Social Equity" Program To Help Those Impacted By Drug War In Massachusetts

    The programs aims to help people who have been disproportionately affected by the drug war enter the cannabis industry with ease.

    The state of Massachusetts is rolling out a new “social equity” program to help certain individuals navigate the legal cannabis industry.

    Cannabis for adult (or “recreational”) use is a booming industry. It is legal in nine states and the District of Columbia, while more, including New Jersey and New York, may follow.

    Equity programs already exist in California, but the one in Massachusetts would be the first in the nation to be applied statewide.

    The idea is to provide assistance to people who have been disproportionately affected by the government’s long-waged “war on drugs.”

    To be eligible for the Massachusetts program, a person must either have a past drug conviction or be the spouse or child of a person with a drug conviction, who has lived in the state for the last year; or they must have lived in a community deemed an “area of disproportionate impact” for at least five years and earn below 400% of the federal poverty level.

    Eligible applicants will receive mentoring, technical assistance, and skills training to help them enter the cannabis industry with ease.

    “The social equity program is designed to create sustainable pathways into the adult use cannabis industry for both individuals and businesses,” said Shekia Scott, the director of community outreach for the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC), which was tasked with helping those disproportionately affected by the criminalization of marijuana get in on the growing industry.

    The program’s goal is to create a comprehensive program tailored to each applicant at any skill level—whether they want to start a business or find an entry level job.

    “We want applicants to specify their needs so we can meet them where they are,” said Scott, who introduced the social equity program at a Tuesday (June 26) meeting of the CCC. “We’re not making a one-size-fits-all program, that we know usually doesn’t fit all.”

    While the Massachusetts program does not specifically target certain people of color, inevitably many black and Latino residents will be eligible to participate.

    According to the American Civil Liberties Union, black Americans are arrested for cannabis possession at more than 3.7 times the rate of whites, despite the fact that marijuana is used at comparable rates by both groups.

    According to Marijuana Business Daily, owners and founders within the cannabis industry are 81% white, while just 4.3% are black and 5.7% are Latino.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Marijuana Addiction On The Rise

    Marijuana Addiction On The Rise

    Around 9% of marijuana users become addicted and the government is having a tough time convincing people that marijuana addiction is real. 

    In Northern California, addiction treatment practitioners are reporting a higher demand for help with marijuana addiction, especially among adolescents.

    Many believe that marijuana is not addictive, though there are plenty of people that have struggled and are currently struggling with marijuana use disorder.

    Marijuana addiction is very real, even if it less common or life-threatening than addictions to alcohol (15% of users become addicted) and heroin (24%), according to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Science. 

    Around 9% of marijuana users become addicted and about 17% of those who begin using in adolescence become addicted, according to the Denver Post.

    In San Rafael, California experts are seeing higher rates of marijuana addiction. According to the Post, “some say the normalization of America’s marijuana culture got its start” there, while treatment practitioners for addiction are struggling to identify why more pot smokers are struggling.

    “There should be no controversy about the existence of marijuana addiction,” said David Smith, a physician who has been treating addiction since the 1960s. “We see it every day. The controversy should be why it appears to be affecting more people.”

    Dr. Smith, a visiting physician at Muir Wood Adolescent and Family Services, a treatment center for boys, wonders in The Denver Post if the potency of the marijuana is causing higher levels of addiction.

    “Back in the day when kids were sitting around smoking a joint, the THC levels found in marijuana averaged from 2 to 4%,” Smith said. “That’s what most parents think is going on today. And that’s why society thinks marijuana is harmless.”

    Currently, marijuana is more potent than ever before. The Denver Post notes that selective marijuana breeding has created an average potency of 20% THC, while other strains are 30% or higher. In addition, marijuana concentrates and extracts have risen in popularity and have THC levels anywhere from 40% to over 80%, according to marijuana industry promotional information and DEA reports.

    People with marijuana use disorder are not immune to withdrawal symptoms when they quit using. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) lists marijuana withdrawal symptoms as irritability, lethargy, anxiety, restlessness and low appetite, as well as stomach pain, shakiness, fever, chills, and headache.

    The National Cannabis Industry Association’s chief spokesman, Morgan Fox, told The Denver Post he’s not surprised the federal government cannot convince people that addiction to marijuana is real.

    “It’s their own fault,” he said of the government. “When people find out they’ve been lied to by the federal government about the relative harms of marijuana for decades, they are much less likely to believe anything they have to say going forward, even if that information is accurate.”

    Fox told The Denver Post that the National Cannabis Industry Association has no disagreement with the finding that 9% of people who use marijuana become addicted.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Oklahoma Votes To Legalize Medical Marijuana

    Oklahoma Votes To Legalize Medical Marijuana

    SQ 788 is unique in that it does not establish a list of conditions that would qualify a person to use medical cannabis.

    On Tuesday, Oklahoma became the 30th state to allow cannabis for medical use. The ballot measure, State Question 788, passed with 56% of voters supporting the measure and 43% opposing it.

    SQ 788 will allow Oklahomans to grow, sell and use cannabis, establishing a system of dispensaries, growers and processors under the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

    A person 18 and older will be able to possess up to 8 ounces at home, six mature plants and six seedlings, according to the measure. A board-certified physician’s signature is required to obtain a medical cannabis license.

    As Vox notes, Oklahoma’s SQ 788 is unique in that it does not establish a list of conditions that would qualify a person to use medical cannabis. Common qualifying conditions in other medical cannabis states include epilepsy, cancer, multiple sclerosis and glaucoma.

    Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin has said that she will hold a special session to discuss the regulatory framework of the state’s new medical cannabis program. The state legislature can make a final draft of the legislation before it is enacted, but Oklahoma House Majority Leader Jon Echols said he doesn’t expect that it will see many changes.

    “The citizens of the state have decided that they are in support of this law, so there aren’t necessarily any changes that need to be made,” said Echols, according to CBS News. “We’re not looking at changing any of the fundamentals.”

    The state health department will then have 30 days to post the medical cannabis license application online for residents to access.

    Gov. Fallin said before the vote that she had “clear concerns” about SQ 788, saying the measure “is written so open-ended that it basically allows recreational marijuana in the state of Oklahoma”—a concern shared by opponents of SQ 788.

    After voters approved the measure, she released a statement saying she respects the will of the voters.

    “It is our responsibility as state leaders to look out for the health and safety of Oklahoma citizens,” the governor said. “As I mentioned in previous public comments, I believe, as well as many Oklahomans, this new law is written so loosely that it opens the door for basically recreational marijuana. I will be discussing with legislative leaders and state agencies our options going forward on how best to proceed with adding a medical and proper regulatory framework to make sure marijuana use is truly for valid medical illnesses.”

    Later this year, Michigan and Utah will also vote on whether to allow cannabis for medical use.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Is it Difficult to Quit Marijuana?

    Is it Difficult to Quit Marijuana?

    ARTICLE OVERVIEW: It is fairly easy to quit using marijuana, even if you’re physically dependent on THC. You’ll learn more about the addictive potential of marijuana in this article. Then, we review common side effects of quitting and typical withdrawal protocols. Finally, we offer tips from the experts.

    ESTIMATED READING TIME: 10 minutes

    TABLE OF CONTENTS

    Physical Dependence

    Marijuana is one of the most casually used drugs today. Repeated use can lead to physical and psychological dependence, which means your body and brain crave marijuana to be able to function normally. But what’s the difference between the two?

    PHYSICAL DEPENDENCE is natural and expected outcome of regular use of a psychoactive drug like marijuana. It occurs in all individuals who use marijuana daily…but the time it takes to become drug dependent varies by individual.. Those who are physically dependent can become drug-free through a gradual decrease in dosage or by quitting marijuana cold turkey.

    PSYCHOLOGICAL DEPENDENCE (a.k.a. ADDICTION) can be accompanied or precipitated by physical dependence, but not always. The main difference between physical dependence and psychological dependence are a mental obsession. Those who have become addicted to marijuana will experience an uncontrollable need (cravings) to feel the pleasurable and euphoric rush from another dose. This craving can lead to obsessive-compulsive drug seeking and drug use behavior and an inability to quit smoking weed, even if you want to, even if you are aware of the harm it’s causing

    How Addictive Is Marijuana?

    The jury is still out on this one.

    According to the Controlled Substance Act (CSA) marijuana is still a Schedule I drug. Federally, law enforcement officials view marijuana as having a high potential for abuse/addiction and no medical purpose. However, more and more states are challenging this view. According to Business Insider magazine, in 2018, over half of all U.S. states have legalized the use medical marijuana for therapeutic purposes. The medical use of marijuana is certainly under the microscope.

    Still, scientific research supports the view that marijuana is an addictive drug due to the following facts:

    1. Neuroscientific demonstrations have proved that marijuana affects the reward center in the brain in an exact same manner as all other addictive substances.
    2. Animal studies where marijuana was given twice a day for one week showed an occurrence of addictive symptoms.
    3. Clinical reports of humans reveal a similar pattern of withdrawal symptoms as in animal studies during the first weeks of abstinence.

    The bottom line is that marijuana is a psychoactive drug. It affects the mind. When you use marijuana daily for a period of time, you become physically dependent on the THC found in marijuana. Take away the THC, and withdrawal symptoms occur.

    Still, withdrawal alone does not characterize addiction. The cravings and obsessive thought patterns around use, followed by uncontrolled consumption are the hallmark signs of an addiction. Add to this continued use dspite negative consequences to home, health, or social life…and you’ve got a budding addiction on your hands.

    Why Quitting is Difficult?

    Marijuana does not cause strong physical dependence when used for a short period, but when abused over a longer period it might cause tolerance (need for increasing doses to be able to reach the initial high). High-dose or long-term smokers can experience more severe withdrawal symptoms, making total cessation difficult. Furthermore, the need to use weed to fill an emotional gap can keep people from a life of abstinence.

    Quitting can also be difficult if other people around you continue to use. For example, when surrounded by smokers while trying to give up, you’ll find yourself strongly influenced by them to smoke also. This is why experts advise major life changes when you want to quit for good.

    Dangers

    Marijuana is considered a fairly benign drug, although main dangers of use as reported by the NHTSA include the real threat of drugged driving incidents. Still, there haven’t been any consistent records of severe dangers during quitting. However, the following methods of discontinuation are not recommended due to the high chances of relapse that can lead you back to using again.

    1. Relapse.

    The main risk of quitting marijuana is starting back again. This is called “relapse”.  Excessive cravings can make tapering a prolonged and unpleasant experience for you. In fact, if you find that can’t stop, then you can use cold-turkey as an alternative method. Be aware that going cold turkey can increase the severity of mood disorders and sleeping problems. See the list of side effects below for more.

    2. Stopping marijuana without medical supervision.

    Marijuana alters the brain chemistry and when used for a longer period causes physical and psychological changes. Doctors at detox clinics/ treatment centers can monitor your state and manage withdrawal symptoms to ensure that the process is safe…especially if co-occuring mental health disorders like depression or anxiety are just below the surface.

    Side Effects

    If you’ve been using marijuana for a longer period of time, physical dependence can cause you difficulties during quitting because of withdrawal symptoms. While many people report experiencing few or no withdrawal symptoms at all, others report extreme mood swings, dysphoria, and sleeping problems.

    A list of common marijuana withdrawal symptoms includes:

    • Anxiety
    • Cravings
    • Depression
    • Distorted sense of time
    • Headache
    • Increased aggression
    • Loss of appetite
    • Paranoia
    • Sleep disturbances

    The Safest Way to Quit

    If you feel unable to stop using marijuana on your own it’s best to seek advice for the medical issue from a trained and educated medical professional. To make the process of quitting marijuana safer and less risky you can try any of the following methods:

    1. Medical supervision and the use of medicines.

    This method means that you’ll follow your doctor’s recommends on how to stop taking marijuana. Getting a medical clearance means that your condition will be evaluated by your doctor and you’ll be prescribed with medications to ease your withdrawal discomfort.

    New medications prescribed during marijuana addiction treatment are:

    • Baclofen works by eliminating the reward effects or positive sensations associated with marijuana abuse.
    • Vistaril (Hydroxyzine) is prescribed to help you reduce anxiety during withdrawal.

    The protocol is to test you before and after you quit smoking marijuana. Medical supervision also includes developing an individual plan for reduction of marijuana daily doses between you and your doctor, or a plan to go cold turkey.

    2. Tapering or slowly reducing doses.

    This method can help ease your withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings. Gradual tapering is recommended for those who have not succeeded coming off marijuana cold turkey. It is a longer lasting process than cold turkey but possibly more successful in the long-term. Tapering plans are unique for each individual, created along with a doctor, and tailored to a patient’s’ individual needs.

     

    3. Go to a detox clinic, especially if you use other drugs.

    Detox centers allow you to recover in a safe and drug-free environment. Detox programs usually begin with an assessment where you’ll be examined about your length and frequency of marijuana use, drinking, or other drugs. Addiction counselors at the detox clinic will compile a medical history file and develop a withdrawal symptom management course specifically designed to meet your needs.

    Trained physicians and nurses at the detox clinic will help you minimize withdrawal symptoms while keeping you safe. Medical staff at the detox facility will always be available to help you handle any physical stress or emergencies and ensure that your marijuana detox is successfully done.

    4. Consider rehab.

    If you are a long time marijuana user and have developed an addiction, you will highly benefit from a structured and tailored to your needs treatment program. Inpatient treatment programs have an integrated approach which includes:

    1. Introduction to the program and to life without marijuana.
    2. Marijuana detox.
    3. Pharmacological and psychological therapy to help you better cope with withdrawal.
    4. Physical, emotional, and mental health support during the treatment process.
    5. Aftercare programs that teach you about relapse coping techniques.

    Tips for Tapering marijuana

    TIP #1 Avoid carrying big bag with you. Instead, make a gradual reduction plan

    Decide how much you’ll smoke each day and how much you’ll reduce. Then reduce your marijuana into daily bags or daily joints. In order for this to work you need to stick to your daily dose and avoid taking joints from others.

    TIP #2 Take longer breaks between each dose of marijuana

    Find other things that will occupy your mind other than smoking. This way, you’ll prolong the hours between every next dose and you’ll have less difficulty reducing your daily intake. For example, you can start going home or going to bed earlier to shorten the hours during which you usually smoke.

    TIP #3 Gradually cut the number of joints you smoke a day.

    If you currently smoke 6 a day, smoke 6 for 3 days, then 5 for 3 days, then 4 for 3 days, and so on until you quit marijuana for good.

    TIP #4 Stick to your plan!

    The idea of tapering is to help you physically and psychologically accustomed to less marijuana, but this can only work if you have control over how much you consume and don’t give into pressure from your friends.

    Your Questions

    Do you still have questions about cutting down or quitting weed for good? Please leave your questions and comments – or share your experiences – in the comments section below and we will try to respond to you personally and promptly.

    Reference Sources: Addiction Center: What is Marijuana Withdrawal?
    Reddit: Have you ever wondered why is so difficult to quit smoking weed?
    Quora: Why is it difficult to stop smoking weed?
    Rehabs: Choosing the Best Inpatient Marijuana Rehab Center
    Lake View Health: Marijuana Addiction Treatment Facility
    Detox: Your Guide to Marijuana Detox Centers and Programs
    Choose Help: Tapering Marijuana to Reduce Withdrawal Symptoms
    Recovery Connection: Medication for Marijuana Addiction
    Learn About Marijuana: WA: Dependence on Marijuana
    Drug Library: Use of marijuana for therapeutic Purposes
    NIH: Is Marijuana Medicine?
    CSAM-ASAM: Marijuana’s Addictive Potential (for the general public)
    CSAM-ASAM: Marijuana’s Addictive Potential (for healthcare professionals)

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  • Marijuana's Unknown Health Impact Leaves Experts Concerned

    Marijuana's Unknown Health Impact Leaves Experts Concerned

    The drug’s Schedule I designation has limited research on the effects of cannabis and one expert says this is cause for major concern.

    Sixty-one percent of Americans now believe that marijuana should be legalized, but one expert says that among growing acceptance of the drug, people need to remain aware that cannabis can cause real health concerns. 

    “It’s a giant experiment,” Christian Hopfer, a professor of psychiatry at University of Colorado School of Medicine, told The New York Post. 

    Hopfer, who voted against recreational cannabis legalization in Colorado, is co-leading a $5.5 million study of 5,000 sets of twins funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The study will examine the impact that legalization of cannabis has on mental health and substance use, as well as giving information on how using marijuana affects health. 

    Despite the fact that research on the effects of cannabis has been limited by the drug’s Schedule I designation, Hopfer says that some health consequences have been well-established.

    “Smoke a couple times a day and marijuana will knock off your memory. That is pretty certain,” he said. 

    He rebuked the claim that people will use marijuana whether it is legal or not. 

    “There is no question that legalization has a normalizing effect on something that used to be against the law,” he said. “By age 21, 98% of the population has had a drink. But only 10% of the population has tried cocaine, and 50% [have] tried marijuana.” 

    Hopfer is particularly concerned about the fact that teens could become exposed to marijuana more frequently, despite the fact that other research has shown no increase in teen marijuana use when the drug is legalized. Though a recent study found that while teens are abstaining from drug use, when they do decide to use, they are choosing marijuana as their first drug.

    However, teens who do use the drug face severe consequences, said Hopfer.  

    “If you start smoking pot as a teenager, you have a four times higher likelihood of getting addicted,” he said. “The brain of a teenager is more sensitive to the effects than the brain of an adult would be. [Marijuana] is likely to have a more detrimental effect on kids.”

    Despite claims that marijuana is not addictive, an estimated three million Americans have marijuana use disorder, he added.

    “You can’t stop and you give up other things to keep using,” Hopfer says. “People go to work stoned and are stoned with their loved ones. Performance in life and on the job both get negatively impacted.”

    Another public health risk associated with marijuana occurs on the road. In Colorado, marijuana-involved traffic fatalities have doubled since the drug was legalized, according to the Denver Post. In general, states with legal marijuana have about 3% more traffic accidents reported to insurance companies than states where cannabis is prohibited. 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Using Marijuana to Treat Opioid Addiction

    Using Marijuana to Treat Opioid Addiction

    When I’m on marijuana, the thought of injecting toxic drugs into my body seems totally unhealthy and unappealing.

    If you believe that medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD) is wrong because it’s “just substituting one drug for another,” then you’re really not going to like this article. It’s not about one of the three major forms of MAT approved for opioid addiction: buprenorphine, methadone, or naltrexone. It’s about another medication, which does not cause a physical dependency, nor does it contribute to the 175 drug overdose deaths that take place each day in the United States. It has fewer harmful side effects than most other medications, and has even been correlated with a reduction in opioid overdose rates. Nonetheless, it is more controversial than MAT and, in most states, less accessible. In fact, Pennsylvania is the only state that has approved its use for OUD—and only as of May 17, 2018. In New Jersey, it was recently approved to treat chronic pain due to opioid use disorder.

    The medication I’m describing is, of course, marijuana.

    Abstinence-based thinking has dominated the recovery discussion for quite some time. Since Alcoholics Anonymous began in the 1930s, the general public has associated addiction recovery with a discontinuation of all euphoric substances. Historically, that thinking has also extended to medication-assisted treatment, even though MAT is specifically designed not to produce a euphoric high when used as prescribed by people with an already existing opioid tolerance. The bias against MAT is finally beginning to lift; there is now even a 12-step fellowship for people using medications like methadone or buprenorphine. But marijuana, which is definitely capable of producing euphoria, is still under fire as an addiction treatment.

    In addition to the ingrained abstinence-only rule, another reason that most states don’t approve the use of marijuana for OUD is that there is little to no research backing its efficacy. Even in Pennsylvania, the recent addition of OUD to the list of conditions treatable by marijuana is temporary. Depending in part on the results of research performed by several universities throughout the state, OUD could lose its medical marijuana status in the future. And other states that have tried to add it have failed, including Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and New Mexico. It’s not that any research has shown marijuana doesn’t work for OUD. There simply has not been much—if any—full-scale research completed that says it does.

    But street wisdom tells a different story. Jessica Gelay, the policy manager for the Drug Policy Alliance’s New Mexico office, has been fighting to get OUD added as a medical marijuana qualifying condition in New Mexico since 2016. Although she recognizes that research on the topic is far from robust, she believes cannabis has a real potential to help minimize opioid use and the dangers associated with it.

    “Medical cannabis can not only help people get rest [when they’re in withdrawal],” says Gelay, “it can also help reduce nausea, get an appetite, reduce anxiety and cravings…it helps people reduce the craving voice. It helps people gain perspective.” I can relate to Gelay’s sentiment, because that’s exactly what marijuana does for me.

    I am five years into recovery from heroin addiction. I don’t claim the past five years have been completely opioid free, but I no longer meet the criteria for an active opioid use disorder. Total abstinence does not define my recovery. I take one of the approved drugs for OUD, buprenorphine, but as someone who also struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as the result of physical and sexual assault, I experience emotional triggers that buprenorphine doesn’t address, leaving me vulnerable to my old way of self-medicating: heroin. But what does help me through these potentially risky episodes? Marijuana. For me, ingesting marijuana (which I buy legally from my local pot shop in Seattle, Washington) erases my cravings for heroin. It puts me in touch with a part of my emotional core that gets shut down when I am triggered. When I’m on marijuana, the thought of injecting toxic drugs into my body seems totally unhealthy and unappealing—probably the way it seems to someone who doesn’t have an opioid use disorder. It’s not a cure-all, but it stops me from relapsing.

    High Sobriety is a rehabilitation program based out of Philadelphia that provides cannabis-based recovery for addiction, with a focus on addiction to opiates. Founder Joe Schrank, who is also a clinical social worker, says that treatment should be about treating people where they are, and for people with chronic pain or a history of serious drug use, that can often mean providing them a safer alternative—one that Shrank, who does not personally use marijuana, says is not only effective, but even somewhat enjoyable.

    “[Cannabis forms] a great therapeutic alliance from the get-go. Like, we’re here with compassion, we’re not here to punish you, we want to make this as comfortable as we possibly can, and the doctor says you can have this [marijuana]. I think it’s better than the message of ‘you’re a drug addict and you’re a piece of shit and you’re going to puke,’” says Schrank.

    People have been using this method on the streets for years, something I observed during my time in both active addiction and recovery. Anecdotally, marijuana’s efficacy as a withdrawal and recovery aid is said to be attributed to its pain-relieving properties, which help with the aches and pains of coming off an opioid, as well as adding the psychological balm of the high. The difference between opiated versus non-opiated perception is stark, to say the least. The ability to soften the blow of that transition helps some users acclimate to life without opioids. Even if the marijuana use doesn’t remain transitional—if someone who was formerly addicted to heroin continues to use marijuana for the rest of his or her life instead—the risk of fatal overdose, hepatitis C or HIV transmission through drug use, and a host of other complications still go down to zero. Take it from someone who has walked the tenuous line of addiction: that’s a big win.

    Marijuana may also be able to help people get off of opioid-based maintenance medications. Although there is no generalized medical reason why a person should discontinue methadone or buprenorphine, many people decide that they wish to taper off. Sometimes this is due to stigma; friends or family members who insist, wrongly, that people on MAT are not truly sober. Too often, it’s a decision necessitated by finances.

    For Stephanie Bertrand, detoxing from buprenorphine is a way for her to fully end the chapter of her life that included opioid addiction and dependency. Bertrand is a buprenorphine and medical marijuana patient living in Ontario, Canada. She is prescribed buprenorphine/naloxone, which she is currently tapering from, and 60mg monthly of marijuana by the same doctor. She says that marijuana serves a dual purpose in her recovery. It was initially prescribed as an alternative to benzodiazepines, a type of anxiety medicine that can be dangerous, even fatal, when combined with opioids like buprenorphine. The anxiety relief helps her stay sober, she says, because she’d been self-medicating the anxiety during her active addiction. She now also uses a strain that is high in cannabidiol (CBD), the chemical responsible for many of cannabis’ pain relieving properties, to help with the aches and discomfort that come along with her buprenorphine taper. She says the marijuana has gotten her through four 2mg dose drops, and she has four more to go.

    Bertrand would not have the same experience if she were living in the United States. MAT programs in the States tend to disallow marijuana use, even in states where it has been legalized. But studies tell us this shouldn’t really be a concern. Two separate studies, one published in 2002 and the other in 2003, found that MAT patients who used cannabis did not show poorer outcomes than patients who abstained. Although this reasoning alone doesn’t mean marijuana helps with recovery, these findings set the groundwork for future research.

    Do the experiences of people like me and Bertrand represent a viable treatment plan for opioid use disorder? It will likely be a few years before we have the official data. Until then, it’s high time we stop demonizing people in opioid recovery who choose to live a meaningful life that includes marijuana.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • President Trump Will "Probably" Support Ending Federal Marijuana Ban

    President Trump Will "Probably" Support Ending Federal Marijuana Ban

    Despite what he and Jeff Sessions have said in the past, President Trump has promised to support bipartisan legislation to legalize marijuana.

    On Friday, President Donald Trump publicly said that he would be willing to support a bipartisan bill by Congress to lift the federal ban on marijuana.

    Historically, marijuana has been subject to a federal ban alongside LSD and heroin. Recently, some states have moved to legalize marijuana, placing the drug in a strange middle ground where it is both legal and illegal depending on the tier of law considered.

    The bipartisan proposal would allow each state to decide on its own how to treat marijuana within its borders, while recommending a few federal restrictions such as an age limit set at 21.

    “I support Senator Gardner. I know exactly what he’s doing,” Trump told reporters, referring to Republican Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado. “We’re looking at it. But I probably will end up supporting that, yes.”

    President Trump’s remarks greatly deviate from his appointed U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ stance on pot. Sessions has previously reversed the Obama-era hands-off marijuana policy to start cracking down on cannabis again.

    “The previous issuance of guidance undermines the rule of law and the ability of our local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement partners to carry out this mission,” Sessions wrote in a memo allowing federal prosecutors to return to “previously established prosecutorial principles that provide them all the necessary tools to disrupt criminal organizations, tackle the growing drug crisis, and thwart violent crime across our country.”

    The president himself has been wishy-washy about marijuana. During his campaign, he has at times said he would respect states’ decisions on marijuana, while he would also criticize legalization efforts.

    Senator Gardner wants to ensure that no matter what states decide, the federal government will keep its hands off.

    Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts is another one of the bipartisan supporters of the measure. She said that Washington “needs to get out of the business of outlawing marijuana.”

    With such a change, legal marijuana businesses in states like California would no longer have to worry about the looming threat of federal drug enforcement coming to sweep away their investments. This would also help with the fact that banks hesitate to do business with legal marijuana dispensaries because of fear of being prosecuted by the federal government.

    View the original article at thefix.com