CC Coalition hosts Drug Darkness forum

The Churchill Community Coalition is hosting its annual community forum, Drug Darkness, on Thursday from 5-9 p.m. at the Fallon Convention Center, 160 Campus Way.

This free event is held each May and is open to the public. The forum covers drug trends in the state, Churchill County, and with our local youth.

The focus this year is on “Impacts of Medical & Recreational Marijuana.” Speaking on the topic will be Dr. Kevin Sabet, C.E.O. of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (S.A.M.) and drug policy adviser to three U.S. presidential administrations; Shirley Morgan, founder and organizer of the Mt. Hood Coalition Against Crime, who will speak on the impacts that other states and communities have experienced; and Mayor Bill King from Sandy, Ore., who has experienced the impacts of legalized marijuana in his small community.

With recreational marijuana on the November ballot, the Coalition feels it is important to be proactive in bringing speakers to our community who can discuss items that were not implemented in their states and potential policies to protect our youth, citizens, businesses and the community at large.

Marijuana revenue is it true

Money makes the world go ‘round. Acquiring, having and spending money is a strong motivator for many individuals and organizations, and city and state governments are no exception. Desperate for funds, any increase in revenue is greatly appreciated as both state and local governments try to finance various public services and political promises. Therefore, it is no surprise that marijuana legalization is sold to many government leaders and voters on the premise that it can be taxed to the tune of “millions” of dollars.

In Californiain 2005, for every $1 collected in taxes on alcohol and tobacco, almost $14 was spent to repair the vast social damages caused by their use. Legalization of marijuana will see increased use and increased social damage as a result.

The “medical” marijuana experience has shown that growers and dispensaries sell marijuana on a cash basis “under the table” and are not paying taxes. It is also impossible to track sales, unless they are investigated by law enforcement. Therefore the marijuana black market is still very lucrative. This has put a huge burden on the already stretched budget of our police force. (Citizens Against Legalizing Marijuana (CALM) www.CALMca.org)

People in prison

The idea that our nation’s prisons are overflowing with otherwise law­ abiding people convicted for nothing more than simple possession of marijuana is treated by many as conventional wisdom.

However, this, in fact, is a myth-an illusion, conjured and aggressively perpetuated by drug advocacy groups seeking to relax or abolish America’s marijuana laws. In reality, the vast majority of inmates in state and federal prison for marijuana have been found guilty of much more than simple possession. Some were convicted for drug trafficking, some for marijuana possession, along with one or more other offenses. And, many of those serving time for marijuana pled down to possession in order to avoid prosecution on much more serious charges.

The pro pot lobby often uses effective ads, usually with the argument that marijuana brings “Jobs” for our people and “Money” for our schools. Who could ask for more? The idea of drugging for education certainly is a provocative one for any pot smoker: every joint you smoke is helping some poor kids in school. (Citizens Against Legalizing Marijuana (CALM) www.CALMca.org)

Unfortunately, this slick tactic worked in Colorado, where a majority of people who voted for legalization cited “tax revenue” as their reasoning. Yet the revenue, like most promises made by the pot lobby, hasn’t panned out.

Jason Glass, the Eagle County Schools Superintendent in Colorado, fields questions constantly about the windfall of revenue the county is supposedly receiving from the marijuana retail shops (that now outnumber both McDonald’s and Starbucks combined). Glass reports, however, that Eagle County hasn’t received any money from Proposition AA, in which Colorado voters approved an excise tax on retail marijuana that would go toward public schools.

Today the potency of THC is at least three times more toxic than in the 1970s. (ONDCP – marijuana potency project.)

The National Institute on Drug Abuse says the potency of marijuana has been steadily increasing over the past few decades, but a level of 20 or 30 percent THC is even greater than the institute has reported in the past. As of 2012, it said marijuana confiscated by police agencies nationwide had an average THC concentration of about 23 percent.

What is the Harm?

Marijuana adversely affects memory, maturation, and motivation and can cause irreversible impact on young brains that aren’t fully developed until roughly age 25. It is a contributing factor in California’s alarming high school drop-out rate which costs taxpayers $45.4 billion dollars each year ($492,000 per drop-out). (2009 UC, Santa Barbara Study). Since marijuana has been promoted as a “medicine,” it is perceived as harmless and use has gone up (NIDA 2009).

There are 483 chemicals in marijuana and when smoked or ingested, there are 4 to 5 times more tars and cancer causing agents than in tobacco cigarettes. Furthermore, in 2009, the California Office of Environmental Health and Assessment Science listed marijuana as a cause of cancer. It is also known to cause respiratory and reproductive problems, mental illness, birth defect and irreversible brain damage…especially for young people.

“We’ve known for centuries that smoked marijuana is harmful to mind and body. Most concerning are the long-term mental health effects marijuana has on habitual users and the developing brain of a young person. Smoked marijuana also causes respiratory and reproductive problems, including birth defects.” Dr. Forest Tennant (sited from CALM website)

Pot Edibles have grown with intensity. According to the International Business Times newspaper “It can be hard to keep legal marijuana out of the hands — and mouths — of small children as the U.S. becomes increasingly pot friendly, especially when some products look like the kinds of snacks and treats kids crave. As marijuana edibles – foods infused with cannabis for a high-inducing kick – become more popular among adult marijuana consumers, more children are being exposed to the drug. From 2006 to 2013, children’s exposure to marijuana products rose 147.5 percent across the U.S., according to a study published Monday in the journal Clinical Pediatrics. In states with legal medical marijuana, that figured jumped to 610 percent.

Getting marijuana normalized

Pro marijuana supporters have been supporting marijuana legalization since the 1970s. Statements below support this.

“We are trying to get marijuana reclassified medically. If we do that, we’ll be using the issue as a red herring to give marijuana a good name. That’s our way of getting to them (New Right) indirectly.” NORML Chairman Keith Stroup, The Emory Wheel, Emory University

“The key to it [legalization] is medical access because once you have hundreds of thousands of people using marijuana medically under medical supervision the whole scam is going to be blown ... Once there’s medical access and if we continue to do what we have to do-and we will-then we’ll get full legalization.” Richard ‘Dick’ Cowen National Director of NORML while at a conference celebrating the anniversary of LSD.