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Tag: Marijuana

Marijuana Legalization in the Midwest: The Potential Impact

The purpose of this report is to examine the effects of marijuana legalization in other states in order to provide drug policy experts and law enforcement leaders with potential impacts and consequences for Midwestern states that are contemplating the legalization of “medical” and/or “recreational” marijuana. This report will utilize data and trends from other states […]

Drug Threats in America: DEA 2020

March 2021 – The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has just released their National Drug Threat Assessment of drugs in American for 2020. This unclassified publication is based in law enforcement intelligence and data from the public health sector. It provides a broad overview of the drugs (illicit and legal) in American society and their connections […]

Impaired Driving in Colorado: 2016 – 2018 (Nov 2020)

In 2017, Colorado passed House Bill 17-1315 which requires the Colorado Department of Public Safety to annually produce a report regarding data associated with impaired driving in the state. One of the requirements was to include data not only for alcohol, but on other drugs to include marijuana. As with all longitudinal data, the more […]

Vaping or Smoking: An Early Look at Impairment

Currently, there is scant policy or guidance when it comes to either smoking or vaping cannabis. Similarly there is no uniform policy as to the potency levels of products available in today’s public market; nor a complete understanding how the two administration methods (smoking v. vaping) can affect the user.  The 2018 study, “Acute Effects […]

THC and Its Effect on Driving

Date: January 22, 2021 The December 1st, 2020 edition of JAMA (Vol. 324, No. 21) released the results of a study into impaired driving from the Netherlands titled, “Effect of Cannabidiol and Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol on Driving Performance” by T. Arkell (et.al.). The near year-long study examined the effects of vaporized cannabis products on safe driving performance. […]

Marijuana’s Impact on California 2020

In 1996, California became the first state to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes with the passage of Proposition 215. Now, in 2020, recreational marijuana use is fully legal within California for individuals 21 years of age and over. This report will outline the current and potential impacts of these policies. The purpose of this report […]

Substance Use and COVID Outcome Risks

Psychiatry Online released a study on November 3rd, 2020 concerning the negative impacts that substance use disorders (SUD) has on adults that have been diagnosed with COVID-19. The authors (Baillargeon, J. et.al.) provide information on over 54,000 COVID-19 patients as it relates to the outcomes of (1) hospitalization, (2) ventilator use and (3) death. Within […]

Cannabis use disorders among people who use cannabis: Potential Risks

Read Time: <10 minutes Date: November 5, 2020 The journal “Addictive Behaviors” (109, (2020), 106479, May 2020) released a study, “What is the prevalence and risk of cannabis use disorders among people who use cannabis? A systematic review and meta-analysis” by authors J. Leung (et.al.). The recent meta-analysis sought to examine the prevalence and risks […]

Associations Between Prenatal Cannabis Exposure and Childhood Outcomes

Read Time: <10 minutes Date: September 23, 2020 A recent publication in the  Journal of the American Medical Association – Psychiatry (JAMA Psychiatry,  September 23, 2020) detailed a study from the University of Washington (St. Louis, MO) by authors S.E. Paul (et.al) regarding the prenatal exposure to  marijuana and later adverse childhood outcomes. The report concluded that the […]

The Legalization of Marijuana in Colorado: The Impact

The Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (RMHIDTA) program has published annual reports every year since 2013 tracking the impact of legalizing recreational marijuana in Colorado. The purpose is to provide data and information so that policy makers and citizens can make informed decisions on the issue of marijuana legalization.