For the first time since recreational marijuana sales began in Massachusetts, state leaders are launching an impaired drivers awareness campaign, and it’s not just an educational campaign. The state is putting money behind local enforcement efforts.
Western Mass News. “First impaired driving campaign launched since retail marijuana sales began” http://www.westernmassnews,com. 10 December 2018 Web. 27 December 2018
The Centennial Institute at Colorado Christian University commissioned this study to better understand the economic and social costs of legalized marijuana.
While much has been written about the tax revenue and total sales generated from commercial marijuana, there has been little research to understand how Coloradans are paying to mitigate the consequences of commercial marijuana.
Centennial Institute of Colorado Christian University. “Economic and Social Costs of Legalized Marijuana” http://www.ccu.edu. Web. 20 December 2018
A Huntley man has been charged with aggravated DUI and reckless homicide in the death of his girlfriend in an Elgin crash this spring after test results showed he had more than three times the legal threshold for THC in his blood, according to court records and a police report.
Daily Herald. “Huntley man charged with DUI, reckless homicide in fatal crash” http://www.dailyherald.com. 10 August 2018 Web. 18 December 2018
A driver accused of causing a massive deadly crash involving a pickup truck and a church bus was impaired due to his use of marijuana and a prescribed sedative, according to a National Transportation Safety Board investigation.
News 4 San Antonio. “Pickup driver was drug-impaired leading up to fatal church bus crash” http://www.news4sanantonio.com. 16 October 2018 Web. 13 December 2018
The use of marijuana for medicinal purposes has been a topic of controversy throughout the medical and political worlds for decades.
While marijuana, also known as cannabis, has been used for thousands of years in healing and treatment, it’s currently illegal in many U.S. states.
Regardless of its legal status, the question remains as to whether smoking marijuana is harmful to our lungs, especially for people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
In the last several years, many people with sensitive lungs have turned to vaping with the idea that it’s a safer smoking experience. But is vaping safer than smoking?
Healthline. “Where There’s Smoke… Vaping, Marijuana, and COPD” http://www.healthline.com. 9 November 2018 Web. 11 December 2018
New research is being presented at a conference in Montreal Friday linking recreational cannabis use with an increased risk of stroke.
The study, being outlined at the World Stroke Congress, looked at five years of hospital statistics from the United States.
Researchers found the incidence of stroke rose steadily among marijuana users, even though the overall rate of stroke remained constant over the same period.
The study examined 2.3 million hospitalizations between 2010 and 2014 among people who used cannabis recreationally.
Global News. “Marijuana use linked to increase risk of strokes: study” http://www.globalnews.ca. 19 October 2018 Web. 6 December 2018
Parents and grandparents jammed the small hall of Thornbury, a sleepy ski town north of Toronto, to glean tips on how to talk to their teenagers about the potential harms of marijuana.
Held less than a week before Canada was set to legalize cannabis, the public health session had a message for parents: Marijuana would be legal for adults, but it was not safe for young people. And parents needed to instill in their children the idea that pot could be dangerous.
“It’s been proven the brain doesn’t stop growing until you are 25, and yet we’re legally selling it to people at 19,” Jenny Hanley, an addictions counselor, said as she left the meeting. “What the hell is our government thinking?”
The New York Times. “Canada’s Message to Teenagers: Marijuana Is Legal Now. Please Don’t Smoke It.” http://www.nytimes.com. 11 November 2018 Web. 4 December 2018
As marijuana legalization builds momentum across the United States — with Michigan becoming the latest state to allow recreational use by adults — researchers are warning that more studies are needed on the long-term effects of chronic pot smoking on the human brain.
Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States, but little is known about its effect on health or how addictive it is.
INBC News. “Chronic pot use may have serious effects on the brain, experts say” http://www.nbcnews.com. 11 November 2018 Web. 29 November 2018
Crashes are up by as much as 6 percent in Colorado, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, compared with neighboring states that haven’t legalized marijuana for recreational use, new research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) shows. The findings come as campaigns to decriminalize marijuana gain traction with voters and legislators in the U.S., and Canada begins allowing recreational use of marijuana this month.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. “Crashes rise in first states to begin legalized retail sales of recreational marijuana” http://www.iihs.org. 18 October 2018 Web. 27 November 2018
Most teens who’ve tried marijuana have used the drug in more than one form, including cannabis products that are smoked, eaten or vaped, new USC research shows.
The study, published Friday in JAMA Network Open, raises concerns about adolescent health amid a booming cannabis market that touts sleekly packaged products claiming an array of health benefits.
“Cannabis use in adolescence increases risk for chronic use throughout adulthood, addiction and impaired cognitive development,” said the study’s senior author, Adam Leventhal, professor of preventive medicine and psychology and director of the USC Health, Emotion and Addiction Laboratory at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
Science Daily. “Teens who’ve tried marijuana have used it in more than one form” http://www.sciencedaily.com. 28 September 2018 Web. 21 November 2018
