Page 10 - Delaware Medical Journal - July/August 2019
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PRESIDENT’S PAGE
■ On March 19, 2019, The Lancet Psychiatry published a large, high-powered study documenting increasing rates of had the lowest rate, low-strength users higher rate, and high-strength users highest rate. It is clear that marijuana can rarely cause serious psychotic illnesses. When this does occur, there is an increased risk of violence (homicide and suicide).5
■ A 2007 paper from the Medical
Journal of Australia investigated 88 defendants who had committed homicide during psychotic episodes (paranoid schizophrenia). Most of the killers believed they were in danger from the victim,
and two-thirds had used cannabis prior
to the incident (more than alcohol and amphetamines combined).7
■ recreational marijuana were Colorado
REFERENCES
1. Taylor, D.R., “Respiratory Health Effects of Cannabis: Position Statement of The Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand.” Internal Medicine Journal, 2003, https://pdfs.semanticscholar. org/9ab5/6e0661a7799efefb49c848382e81167112b7.pdf.
2. Powell, Denise. “Cannabis-related ER Visits in Colorado Jump Threefold After Legalization, Study Says.” CNN, March 26, 2019, www.cnn. com/2019/03/25/health/edible-cannabis-emergency-visit-study/index. html.
3. Gobbi, Gabriella, MD, PhD, “Association of Cannabis Use in Adolescence and Risk of Depression, Anxiety, and Suicidality in Young Adulthood
- A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.” JAMA Network, February
13, 2019, www.jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article- abstract/2723657.
4. Kirkwood, Julie, “Laboratorians Take on Legal Marijuana Testing Challenges.” AACC, January 1 2016, www.aacc.org/publications/cln/ articles/2016/january/laboratorians-take-on-legal-marijuana-testing- challenges.
5. “The Contribution of Cannabis Use to Variation in the Incidence of Psychotic Disorder Across Europe (EU-GEI): a Multicentre Case-Control Study.” The Lancet Psychiatry, May 1, 2019, www.thelancet.com/ journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(19)30048-3/fulltext.
6. Wang, Georg S., MD, “Impact of Marijuana Legalization in Colorado on Adolescent Emergency and Urgent Care Visits.” Science Direct, August 2018, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/ S1054139X18300041.
7. Berenson, Alex, “Marijuana Is More Dangerous Than You Think.” The Wall Street Journal, January 4, 2019, www.wsj.com/articles/marijuana-is-
and Washington in 2014 and Alaska and Oregon in 2015. In 2013, these four states had 450 murders and 30,300 aggravated assaults. In 2017, they had nearly 620 murders and 38,000 aggravated assaults. These increases are much higher than the national average.14
■ Legalization is increasing consumption and creating more daily users. In the 1970s, most marijuana contained less than 2% THC. Today, most marijuana contains 20-25% THC. In 2006, there were 3 million daily marijuana users in the United States. In 2017, there were 8 million daily marijuana users in the United States.14
■ The underground market in Oregon
in 2016 accounted for 70% of marijuana sales.14 The costs in the distribution centers are so much higher than the street costs that users still buy on the street.
The promise of easy tax dollars has been medical costs incurred by the state will far outweigh any tax revenue.
■ Oregon has a thriving underground production and distribution system, such that 2,644 pounds of marijuana were state in 2017.14
■ The number of drivers testing positive for marijuana at levels consistent with intoxication and involved in fatal crashes increased 88% from 2013 to 2015. Washington State experienced a doubling in drugged-driving fatalities in the years following legalization.14
Please support your state medical societies through membership and donations so
states healthy, our highways safe, and our children drug-free.
Andrew W. Dahlke, MD
President, Medical Society of Delaware
8.
9.
more-dangerous-than-you-think-11546527075.
“Breaking Research Published in AACC’s Clinical Chemistry Journal Could Help to Combat Rise in Drivers Impaired by Edible Marijuana Consumption.” AACC, February 10, 2017, www.aacc.org/media/press- release-archive/2017/february/new-research-could-help-combat-rise-in- drivers-impaired-by-edible-marijuana-consumption.
Kilmer, Beau, Ph.D., “Recreational Cannabis — Minimizing the Health Risks from Legalization.” The New England Journal of Medicine, February 23, 2017, www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1614783.
10. Volkow, Nora D., “Adverse Health Effects of Marijuana Use.” The New England Journal of Medicine, June 5, 2014, www.nejm.org/doi/ full/10.1056/nejmra1402309.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Richter, Kimber P, PhDl, MPH, “Big Marijuana – Lessons from Big Tobacco.” The New England Journal of Medicine, July 31, 2014, www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1406074.
“High on the Highway: Scientists Try to Build a Marijuana Breath
Test.” NPR, December 21, 2015, www.npr.org/sections/health- shots/2015/12/21/460577098/high-on-the-highway-scientists-try-to- build-a-marijuana-breathalyzer.
Bichell, Rae Ellen, “Scientists Still Seek A Reliable DUI Test for Marijuana.” NPR, July 30, 2017, www.npr.org/sections/health- shots/2017/07/30/523004450/scientists-still-seek-a-reliable-dui-test- for-marijuana.
“Lessons Learned From Marijuana Legalization in Four U.S. States
and D.C.” March 2018, www.learnaboutsam.org/wp-content/ uploads/2018/07/SAM-Lessons-Learned-From-Marijuana-Legalization- Digital-1.pdf.
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