MARIJUANA:FACTS PARENTS NEED TO KNOWKendra McLaughlin, MPHPresentation for Parents at PAS@AccidentNovember 29, 2016

MARIJUANA:Facts

ParentsNeed

toKnow

Presentation Outline• Marijuana Defined• Did You Know?• Is Marijuana Medicine?• Is it Available in Maryland?• Why Not Make it Legal like Alcohol or Tobacco?

• Take Home Messages

What is marijuana?

• Marijuana is the most commonly abused illegal drug.

• It is a dry, shredded green, brown or gray mix of flowers, stems, seeds and leaves from the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa.

• The main active chemical in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinor, or THC for short. This is the mind-altering, psychoactive chemical in marijuana.

• Also referred to as pot, weed, Mary Jane, grass

What is marijuana?• Marijuana is usually smoked

• As a cigarette or “joint”• In a pipe or water pipe (bong)• In “blunts,” which are cigars that are hollowed out and refilled with

a mixture of marijuana and tobacco• Marijuana can also be mixed in food (edibles)• As an extract, marijuana is also available in various other

forms

Photos from: http://kutv.com/news/local/study-teen-pot-use-increasing-in-colorado-after-legalizationhttps://sites.psu.edu/siowfa15/2015/09/17/does-smoking-marijuana-kill-braincells/

DID YOU KNOW

In the past 15 years, marijuana potency has tripled and since 1960 it has grown 5 times stronger.

1960

1970

1978

1983

1985

1990

1993

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

02468

1012

Average THC and CBD Levels in the US

THC CBD

CBD: Non-Psychoactive

Ingredient

THC: Psychoactive

Ingredient

Mehmedic et al., 2010

Did you know…

Did you know…

Marijuana can be addictive.• 1 in 10 adults who try marijuana will become addicted to it

• 1 in 6 teens who try marijuana will become addicted to it

Hall W, Degenhardt L. Adverse health effects of non-medical cannabis use. Lancet. 2009;374:1383-1391. Photo from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-30188527

Did you know…

Marijuana is unsafe if you are behind the wheel.

• Compromises judgment and affects alertness, concentration, coordination and reaction time.1

• Makes it difficult to judge distances and react to signals and sounds on the road.1

• By itself, marijuana roughly doubles a driver’s chances of being in an accident.2

1Ronen A, Gershon P, Drobiner H, et al. Effects of THC on driving performance, physiological state and subjective feelings relative to alcohol. Accid Anal Prev. 2008; 40(3):926-934.2M.Asbridge, JA Hayden, JL Cartwright. Acute Cannabis Consumption and motor vehicle collision risk: systematic review of observational studies and meta-analysis. BMJ, 2012; 344(Feb 09)

Marijuana is associated with school failure.

• Has negative effects on attention, motivation, memory and learning that continue even after the drug’s immediate effects wear off.

• Students who smoke marijuana tend to get lower grades and are more likely to drop out of high school.

• People who begin using marijuana heavily as teens may permanently lose an average of 8 points in IQ by mid-adulthood.

Did you know…

Meier MH, Caspi A, Ambler A, et al. Persistent cannabis users show neuropsychological decline from childhood to midlife. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2012; 109:E2657-2664.

IS MARIJUANA MEDICINE?

• Currently 25 states and Washington, D.C. have legalized marijuana for medical purposes, but the FDA, which assesses safety and effectiveness of medications, has not approved marijuana as medicine.

• There have not been enough large scale trials that show that smoked marijuana’s benefits outweigh its many potential health risks.

• Marijuana does have medical properties, BUT WE DON’T NEED TO SMOKE OR EAT IT.

Is Marijuana Medicine?

• To be considered medicine by the FDA, a substance must have a standardized dose with measurable ingredients.

• The marijuana leaf contains over 400 chemical compounds which vary from plant to plant.

• There are medicines on the market that deliver the benefits of marijuana without the dangers and unpredictability of smoking marijuana. These are marijuana-based pills that have been FDA approved – Marinol and Cesamet

Is Marijuana Medicine?

IS MARIJUANA AVAILABLE IN MARYLAND?

Medical Marijuana Law in Maryland

• MD became 21st state to legalize medical marijuana when its first law passed in 2013.

• MD Medical Cannabis Regulations were adopted in September 2015

• Maryland’s law is regulated by the MD Medical Cannabis Commission.

• Regulations allow for 15 licensed growers in MD, no limit on processors, and propose ≤ 2 per Senatorial district, plus one per grower (potential of 109).

• Types of marijuana included in law are the dried form and cannabis-infused products

Cannabis Concentrates and Cannabis-Infused Products

Photos from: http://forhighschoolcounselors.blogspot.com/2015/01/national-drug-fact-awareness-week.htmlhttps://www.pinterest.com/pin/325174035572891485/https://www.pinterest.com/heatherpadgett7/cannabis/https://www.google.com/search?tbs=sbi:AMhZZitB_11HOEPHpQ8eueJU9gw1VadUe6iCDOPJsPk7oMFw-pE1Vx_1mcIXTGAr3cBccnejOat2HYF0vws_1qIzQTpajSWomoDX37GZYOQOQyU4Q-OxS4UX4ybmf30DbO7Inr_1noBMU4-OM96ZqzDeJbpgoNvsY5Bc22r96OD7ovudUiL69lVCrIbzKlKHc_13HGe6Wkinmm-g20ras3BFqeg6pMBaa524aB-nUPZ6PO6SPCB5F9sozZRL8noSh_1P-IdRBWMIane6rQzlOlEjqsBTklOdQcLYIvspE_1iULXg1va9SCSSkTdFvfK3qMcZXczbwH5HMPrlcU39seSwBKU52fZ5KFCrWc5WJIdF_11QuHxmQ505ZrLpGg9hwQ7d1fnDYQRwGHXLzZWWl8O6Q5iK0gz4TMZ-DVs4piyoH3oUo826KeXXstDrvaBFv91Ncv6HSrK7sx8SRA3v2xH3FYCMWyn_1wbaoMU9RAaB0fZqRgR3IQ5wKzGNF5nBD7JQhozAg1MPEjtFaeTcED73uY91Fk-Q--HR8giNihVHOzmLmvjRGSW3N2HASAe5FqKkehGjR5aZK4Gc8_1sKFTnAmXnd7jHlTrsRH_1txmkxV-d_1QpMWzKyb_1Hb0ymogEgQ8yUA63M8UDngUQZvge95neWD8Zn7JdnD_1sq9B_1zPOUOFUHoDx4uHEvIs3pF-6dcbpHsPSdQLZvwbMV7oyNWtP_1s74LMxBPKX4yay_1I-V3QbuRpPlL4666y2eTtqXQHId6zYo8hPUFJq8q-DJo9RFPINH8uQEIcxlV8My16d-wbasFntpAqHy8idxoc70jTEMcLyZb2vnIktOeiJkAVVkzOXG8FiWUvxNs5UuEopLbCVJVKvQARb8z_1oY8J1xYqnUaUJWZk-SMKoI-owyAPBQ0vTQIJ2DtTreV7lFoflzwEQk3Fyg7XWaMN_1YOIW2u_1-aYBFxCmcsBXGP4c5TYvQy4-SOiiCM9be3hkbs-LSR6gEPlmK-bche1hxsyBTG_1iaV4cqknzR1JoezqVm_1vPjzjJ0G87RmqJxdBOrBy-YB3OKUOqgXq4d8nEdPDRFqrYpJ8ciK7Q_1b1OYbBqgcPk7ng6AFt1i0lZsIJhWk4uAf3fnnRaNI2b3nU2mW2uDUwEUBiTNUuE82M8R5dPbiOYopoWnlYrZ5m7AnGGGeEaQjQ&btnG=Search%20by%20image&hl=enhttps://www.google.com/search?tbs=sbi:AMhZZitSTiNG4ihIoFFJDfzfXY_14BfQACoFUMvlUJHzsEYrePvuRbVyyW54xaqBbPpvldCqZiogs43RSprnTt53_1Z-lMyZVtDcqYUAW49FnI0Bs6EiwweWuAk8544XfRi0hKelFg6EfvSlOmOdvUFMkU1RfcaW8ta0kBp9kR4YdOabUd8BY2EorY4OcgloNAUYZFcKGV-gL8u9bSVlqfdNQfx9MGfguYQvh5hlQE4TzIYAmYNU6nqt7FQGBz5ce9cqFgDg9qG3EeWTGrFrjOD_1P5hHxMDV0ErhDEbBTT0DuA_1ft77sGlT1E8ojkLHxljALL1UYmZjcfqHQGJvJu2SPCpscevkf0X8BmFSVFbkHe-uOjX3TXQQlnv2QjRucLhDo38xxD5nR7ltG3KKL0tDtA6scPnq8Fo8rjKqzyIhhKvnYhwUYK85H-VsWtk2cFT4BOx-0fMyQ-2y1zA1VUcmN2_1_11UU2UZgBI7VBd-sPgVBkokAd2cmufxx0NEx6Cez4-0LHY_14wq_1jY40aAfudpGgS8sn-xdgMddwU-Qq7Kfh17Bk2ObTpBOLbbGVi-jxp7EZrS_1YExf9Gy_1hoLxTXU9_1yzganK6_1TSb8pdDHP6SeP-UB5GXAi5xPhUawZNHnWdJfc-Sdi_1xf6Dt9kZTLfGlXDVZ1Vk4gZuElGBR-eDfxbtU1ZDpaZshQpC6SRD_1s2wOJ389v9rZyCHL8U99oKFttW8yIbZBWOLUKEjzO99P2fmZQe3AGhLh42veACzvh5i8elrgdyhZxQLH4KX62LaHaM3UmpHbwiBzBasvVN_1wzFflE-_1HJvsxazjiMFJuahqYEM2C602UiqGJbcjlddQvj0NxvJeJH7c-KIyS-6Q8TaSK6lo0CYdhukeD8OTmEYN1zrqovF4dVZyyo_1h6YxwftUrA5j9w7CRhqIUU4kVaO4aeEwf8y9VHql22As5CdrZsCbARDhQzTORNeBGuGY5yKZARd1AgQJJzrRw8TS-pxV1P3P0b2zKiCvbdyeYPsqSF2h4nZP8LxSVsP_1NIgFBK2TP_1z1zgkV08Pl1yVR-8LycEia0C02X-l0tbWFBER-QP_1mRuwvk1x2zFYpj6nNhoAOoXCXHsVFz8rEiiIFjVq4T3l408J8yrgQ9UR3fVTyiGfCRu8X8LPop77LsgWF2MKQCGu-hl2il7qVppDMRo4NRVGqDfejaCdE8KBp54Oe77Fy2BwvmhAGtn-I9Xnneml9Znea_1jUKvowux07PV2nqSkYOsNIcFmGHINXk4XTK89xlf4fkBAuZN2eHXtDj3qZeSAUB0acPwY1rQtwiSSSndgaBYkhhPZucO-EWwAReM0xY0emNZNQyBAXggY1OUNzRW9Nf6aEsmEe8u1pZE-2d5cZRtPpqhIJphnVQZMtg4RdXDd8RS9fyIBnejaeKoZb-ShhR46RWUvNfo4QAM4yFERRIwN7UhKJIANmY_1AqsT3sE-shxeFKJ&btnG=Search%20by%20image&hl=enhttps://www.google.com/search?tbs=sbi:AMhZZitn6_1MeHKZisQYigKYqGDRDyQLrnM21GVt3YvaC5iK8ePyU-nb9hBpBSoUKbO1WZY4EGKTEZca0SCFDh_1-DgOWgbTH7wEhFSGI94bply9yaB4kbdQs2tUe5VOpCWQzTee9R0MIHCfBVH_1KK1f8a98G7-iyGHkL3rkpGjdH3yl_1lFzJt_1Ao1k9JbaqckrbuTPVmRBlb6Xwcri0MrRjMjPUxQz4QkQ--6ab-OHFQMEKKRRihQ0bDq3JSDlb2BTzaeIKxNlwAkIZJQqw42apBGqgXXtt3vhQmkEkCUjRLKqVDZ7hhH1DZbMQsj469awVYhRDAbFNk8S8KzBtZDU54mMXtOlzy8siO8Owa3ya7btxA6lwnkUKpaBO5Ao50baKVPkTsWxAE-JySphzJXaSmcyQVn7Dayu5fPMS1hbpAoYFkl6XTmkUtvIvbDCXu-z1xACqNgAU4AzzpmYXCbvLgLuzeAx4UwLhqyocw50qz_1Cs0WJu6ISsh-o8Nf9E4nlpUrWCbr2luEUQvyXOpprPyIHI1qcJXPRDNlUNkNM74xy5p5TvRt56Pv-4U9u0npb3FYIF7NXc1zxjlOLFhvRHrfJMiTSTwMmwaOSrcIqOkayHrKVum0HDuBCnNZPbwvB9kzNGQoi-1khDo3CwmdhYxz1BZjQZvMl4kQS7T3jaudrnUEj06f66U9FtL0EM6-dCacO7v2cYHsUmAJH5OEhQAbGwKoKkdK9t9Mw2SvACJY6uPyr_1Z1XadqdsXRf2pb_1h3sfB7FbVsnNIuqlE59o8Amm2OUAC6JzDmWQLDwHhA1zdH0bLPHHlI7SCNKc5wtVsnc4rspdJtQrWqe8ow20mlLmrDU6JmrPpioTnZaGBI4dYRiYQAEJ1H0eblali_1xqUJfNuoLyzeYZRQosNWR8bUzdmdJ2Z4SISPqkE1q7-vPymfBBmTLqUd_15awjfxjAUdVAndpiKhp5XPdYsKaRRa8BKtEWUSL0mBfj5E4pQZLlMgLizUO094xmodmxeY2ey27sUFbHi9BBmKTlVtks09Jta9R0Oxe5zDAqBZljP4uW-yLRwAXegiEk6G0Wi48LuOeERqLIpaRXGAKEE_1FmIt9Mk17j_12mSB7Not88lwCUUCVNiJhwKXjePK2EQgwB7EMOPDZ9nfdFnXMahSbaRZ2JA8YWtPzMA9FnsXJmwI8sKQPFpS9mzRpMUD65mczL9hiLJdLs6pBgbFYbyAhW-AGreawzVCNTYF0GDvuUdW1v4stjLbjabJurXUKRgaAn5kRHt7mdLDWoHGZ6uN_1xFfadSOZN3jHzXvG7osqLNNuydtdvV9IL16Ke7yJMA9HYiYDzcDPmB4cLvz0GtAqZbpJgDYNl4LvmDRbdbQ4da47X_1ioq8KivJiO1EmpwyrtNL0Ljn0IPTJVX7-Tsp032Qq3Rc6MbDkarDRg&btnG=Search%20by%20image&hl=en

Medical Marijuana Law in Maryland

• Qualifying patient can possess up to 4 ounces of dried flower at one time or 36 grams of THC as an extract.

• MD patient can only get medical cannabis from MD licensed dispensaries.

• MD dispensaries can only get their cannabis from MD licensed growers and processors.

• MD dispensaries will not, at this time, recognize other state medical cannabis ID cards.

• Certain conditions are to be present in order for physician to certify patient for marijuana – end of life care, wasting syndrome, severe/chronic pain, severe nausea, seizures, glaucoma, PTSD

WHY NOT MAKE MARIJUANA LEGAL LIKE TOBACCO AND ALCOHOL?

TAKE HOME MESSAGES

Take Home Messages• Science has proven that marijuana is both addictive and

harmful to the human brain, especially when used as an adolescent. Your brain knows that it wants more of the feeling that marijuana offers.

• Marijuana may not cause overdose, but neither does tobacco. In either case, you cannot deny the harmful effects of the drug’s use.

• Marijuana contains medical properties, but we don’t have to smoke it to get the benefits.

• Today’s marijuana is much more potent than the marijuana of the 1960’s because of the increase in the THC content.

• Marijuana and driving do not mix. Marijuana affects your reaction time and your judgment.

Things to Think About• Most banks won’t take marijuana money because they have

to comply with federal regulations and marijuana is federally illegal. This means that marijuana is a cash-only business.

• Health insurers not required to cover marijuana; private insurers may cover if they choose.

• Veterans should make sure that using marijuana will not disqualify them from benefits.

• Maryland’s law does not prevent an employer from testing for marijuana use and taking action against an employee for a positive test.

• Subsidized housing authorities do not have to allow the use of medical marijuana because of federal regulations.

CONTACT INFORMATIONKendra McLaughlinKendra.mclaughlin@maryland.gov301-334-7730