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NEW CDC Data Confirms Concerning Trends in Youth Marijuana Use
Today, new data from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS), an annual survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Prevention (CDC) confirms concerning trends when it comes to substance abuse, especially marijuana use, in high school students. Notably, the data finds that lifetime marijuana use is the number one risk factor for prescription opioid […]
New CDC Study Reinforces Alarms Raised Over Pregnant Women and Marijuana Use in “Legal” Marijuana States
Today, a study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that among pregnant women surveyed in 2017, those who gave live birth in marijuana-legal states Alaska and Maine had the highest rate of marijuana use, followed by medical marijuana states Illinois, New Mexico, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. “Marijuana use […]
Marijuana Use During Pregnancy Potentially Linked to Higher Risk of Autism
According to a new Canadian study published in Nature Medicine, women who use marijuana during pregnancy have a more than 50 percent greater chance to give birth to a child with autism versus non-users. The study also found the risk for other neurodevelopmental disorders was heightened. “This is an extremely concerning development,” said Dr. Kevin […]
BREAKING: New Colorado Data Show Youth Marijuana Use Increasing Since 2017
Today, a new survey released by the state of Colorado finds that marijuana use has skyrocketed in the last two years with nearly 21% of young people in the state reporting past-month use. Notably, use in young teens (aged 15 and younger) has increased to 15.5%, up from 2017 (the last time data was collected). […]
New Study: Marijuana Legalization and Normalization is Reversing Decades of Declines in Youth Marijuana Use
A study recently released by the University of Washington finds that marijuana legalization and commercialization may have begun a reversal of previous downward trends in teen marijuana use. The study, which followed 230 teens and young adults, found that young people may be more likely to use marijuana after commercialization, due to normalization as a […]
Diverse Group of Top Researchers and Scientists Send Joe Biden Letter Commending Pro-Science Stance on Marijuana Policy
A broad, diverse group of renowned scientists, led by the first Black United States Magistrate Judge and researchers from Johns Hopkins and Harvard Medical School, sent a letter to former Vice President and current presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, commending him for his unwavering commitment to a well-reasoned approach to marijuana policy. The researchers, members […]
SAM Partners with Social Justice Organizations to Launch #DecriminalizeDontLegalize Campaign
In partnership with the NAACP Illinois State Conference and other social justice groups and individuals, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), the largest, non-profit, non-partisan marijuana policy organization, co-founded by Congressman Patrick Kennedy and a former Obama Administration advisor, launched a national social justice campaign focused on educating lawmakers and the public on smart marijuana reforms, […]
New Report: California Regulations Fail to Protect Youth From Marijuana Industry
A new study compiled by the Public Health Institute, a California-based nonpartisan organization promoting strong public health policy, programs, systems, and best practices, found that regulations on the marijuana industry in California have fallen well short of protecting youths from the drug. The study also found several hypocrisies in marijuana regulations when compared to regulations […]
New Study: Use of High Potency Marijuana Increases Risk of Anxiety Disorders
Today’s highly potent marijuana drastically increases the risk of mental health issues according to a new study published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry. The study, conducted with 1,087 twenty-four-year olds who reported recent marijuana use, found that users of high potency marijuana were four times more likely to abuse the substance and twice as likely […]
Additional 6,800 People Would Die Each Year Due to Traffic Fatalities With Federal Legalization, Researchers Say
Two new studies published in JAMA Internal Medicine added to the preponderance of data showing that the legalization of marijuana at the state level has been associated with an increase of traffic fatalities caused by marijuana-impaired drivers. “While much information on the long-term impact of the normalization of today’s marijuana won’t be known for years, […]
U.S. House Leadership Includes Blatant Giveaway to Big Pot in COVID-19 Aid Package
Leadership of the United States House of Representatives recently unveiled the latest stimulus package as part of the continuing effort to deal with the economic fallout from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Baked into the package is language similar to the SAFE Banking Act, which would grant the federally-illegal marijuana industry access to the federal financial […]
CDOT Report: Colorado Daily Marijuana Users Believe Driving While High Safe; Skeptical of Data Proving Otherwise
According to a new report released by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), daily users of today’s high potency marijuana in the Centennial State believe that driving while high on the drug is safe and are skeptical of laws, policies, and data regarding stoned driving. “Marijuana commercialization has pushed the normalization of the drug beyond […]