Check out report on what is happening in CO and Washington and MJ legalization
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New
SAM report documents impact of three years of marijuana legalization in
Colorado and Washington
Human
cost of industry-friendly policies include higher marijuana use among minors,
more marijuana-related DUIs, more child poisonings
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February
17, 2016
Contact:
Jeffrey Zinsmeister
+1
(415) 680-3993
[WASHINGTON,
DC] - Using data from Colorado and Washington, a new report compiled by Smart Approaches
to Marijuana (SAM) shows that marijuana use is up, driving incidents related to
marijuana have increased, and poisonings and ER admissions from THC use are on
the rise in both Colorado and Washington. The report, available in English and Spanish, is an update from its first
iteration released in January 2015. It represents an effort to compile
publicly-available information about the health and safety consequences of such
policies.
"By
almost every measure, the negative consequences in Colorado and Washington are
piling up," said Kevin Sabet, President and co-founder of SAM.
"Just because our government is not documenting the problems
systematically, it doesn't mean it can't be done. It's important people
understand what the facts say - and reject the spin coming from Big
Marijuana."
Jo McGuire, co-chair of Colorado
SAM, agreed. "We rushed to legalize marijuana in Colorado without a
full understanding of the consequences. Now that we see those
consequences, we must rethink the solution. The right policies clearly do
not include the massive commercialization and glorification of drug use for
profit of an industry."
Among the report's findings:
• Colorado now leads the country in past-month marijuana use by youth,
with Washington in 6th place.
• Past-year use rates in both states are far outpacing the national
average.
• Marijuana is now related to a record high of 33% of DUI cases in
Washington state.
• Marijuana poisonings are up 148% in Colorado since legalization, and up
153% among children 0 to 5 years old.
• In 2015, drug crimes rose 12.5% in the city and county of Denver, and
homicides were up over 74%.
• An outsized impact on minority and disadvantaged communities in Denver,
with one lower-income neighborhood reporting a marijuana business for every 47
residents.
"What we are seeing is the natural
consequence of industry-friendly policies on human health and safety,"
noted Jeffrey Zinsmeister, SAM's Executive Vice President.
"The
results will surprise no one that has seen the size and power of the marijuana lobby
in these states -- a lobby that is now seeking special treatment in other
states like Massachusetts and Maine via ballot initiatives."