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Colorado Doctor Sounds Alarm on Marijuana Legalization High hopes dashed
freebeacon ^ | SEPTEMBER 6, 2019 | Charles Fain Lehman

Posted on 09/07/2019 4:37:12 AM PDT by MarvinStinson

Colorado's experiment with marijuana legalization has been an epic disaster, according to one doctor seeing its effects on the front lines.

Dr. Karen Randall, an emergency room physician certified in "cannabis science and medicine," said the legalization of marijuana has damaged, rather than helped, her home state. Randall, who spoke alongside former White House drug czar John Walters at the right-leaning Hudson Institute on Friday, said the public is being misled about the effects of recreational marijuana.

"I think the public needs to know that we are not okay," Randall said. "The grand experiment is not going so well. I don't think the public is hearing about this as they should be."

In 2012, Colorado and Washington become the first states in the nation to legalize marijuana for recreational use. The Centennial State is often pointed to as a success story with more than $1 billion in tax revenues generated since legalization. Eight more states followed in approving recreational use.

While the country has plowed ahead with marijuana legalization, less attention has been paid to potential downsides of the weed market. Randall said legalization has brought with it high-potency dope: The average joint in Colorado, she says, now contains 20 milligrams of THC, 10 times as much as the average joint at Woodstock. Concentrated products, sometimes called "shatter," can be up to 99 percent THC.

"My fellow physicians don't understand, they don't understand the potency that we're dealing with in Colorado at this point," Randall said. "The potency has dramatically increased."

Randall has seen a "marked increase in medical problems" at the emergency room she works at in Pueblo, Colo. She's experienced increased admissions for cannabis-related nausea and cardiac issues. Dr. Randall is likely not alone. One recent study found a three-fold increase in marijuana-related admissions in the aftermath of legalization.

At the same time many patients use legal marijuana heavily under the misguided impression that it has medical benefits, according to Dr. Randall. She cited one patient who used marijuana to treat his brain cancer—unsurprisingly, without success.

"Patients routinely use a gram a day, five grams a day," she said. "Why? It's okay, it's legal, it's healthy, the industry has said it will cure all kinds of diseases."

The Colorado state government is also working to perpetuate this belief. Randall cited the state's recent decision to add Autism Spectrum Disorder to the list of conditions eligible for treatment with medical marijuana, which specifically permits the drug's use by minors. The Autism Science Foundation says there is "limited research, and no evidence, on the potential short-term, long-term or neurodevelopmental risks and benefits of medical marijuana or its related compounds in ASD."

There is, however, evidence that marijuana adversely affects developing brains. The U.S. surgeon general warned that chronic teen marijuana use negatively affects IQ, school performance, and is even linked to psychotic disorders including schizophrenia.

Randall said the state government has not only ignored scientific findings about marijuana's effects to push sales, but failed in the regulatory responsibility it promised would accompany legalization. The surgeon general's report noted that marijuana use during pregnancy is linked to "adverse outcomes, including lower birth weight." A recent study of Colorado dispensaries found that 69 percent recommended women use marijuana anyway, with some actually discouraging mothers from telling their doctors about their drug use.

Randall pointed to other commonly cited effects of legalization, including a historic increase in homelessness and a growing population of chronic, marijuana-dependent users. All of these, she suggested, have gone unreported in spite of the toll they are taking on her community.

The glittering image of post-legalization Colorado—with billions in tax revenue and a happy populace—runs up against the uncomfortable reality of poor regulation and patients dangerously misguided about the risks and benefits of marijuana use.

"There are a whole host of us who are speaking out about it, and people need to start listening and looking to the future," Randall said. "This is going to be a crisis with potential long-term consequences that will far outpace the opioid crisis, with lasting damages and lasting injuries, as well as a significant cost to the public."


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: Colorado
KEYWORDS: cannabis; colorado; johndenver; liberaltarians; libertarians; losertarians; marijuana; medicalmarijuana; medicine; mrleroy; pot; realmedicine; reefermadness; rockymountainhigh; snakeoil; wod
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To: MarvinStinson
The glittering image of post-legalization Colorado—with billions in tax revenue and a happy populace—runs up against the uncomfortable reality of poor regulation and patients dangerously misguided about the risks and benefits of marijuana use.

Bingo! This is exactly what is being pushed in NJ. It's sickening. They even put kids out front pushing Medical Marijuana. In NJ's case,it's a complete money grab by the corrupt government.It's pathetic because the left pretends to hate "Big Pharma" with the so called "Opiate Crisis" but "Big Pharma" is in bed with Big Government to get into the billion dollar pot business. NJ gives the nod,wink and tax breaks to the Pharmaceutical Industry while pretending to hate them. The fidiot voters are to stupid to see hypocrisy.

121 posted on 09/07/2019 8:07:48 AM PDT by shanover (...To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them.-S.Adams)
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To: BeauBo

Yes, dogs have some unusual reactions to eating various things, some of those reactions being death. Can’t let dogs anywhere near it, because they will definitely eat it, and they will ail, it’s not good.


122 posted on 09/07/2019 8:08:31 AM PDT by chris37 (Monday, March 25 2019 is Maga Day!)
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To: jmacusa

I will bet she does know about fetal alcohol syndrome, now throw weed on top of it....


123 posted on 09/07/2019 8:09:22 AM PDT by lilypad
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To: chris37

Not necessarily trying to stop them, but certainly intending to prevent their poor choices from affecting me and mine. See how that works? Its called society. Individual Liberty must be tempered by love for your neighbor, unless you are a narcissistic or psychopathic type....


124 posted on 09/07/2019 8:09:47 AM PDT by Manly Warrior (US ARMY (Ret), "No Free Lunches for the Dogs of War")
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To: MarvinStinson

Sucking hot gasses into your Lungs using Tobacco, bad.

Sucking hot gasses into your Lungs using Marijuana, good.


125 posted on 09/07/2019 8:12:23 AM PDT by Kickass Conservative (Democracy, two Wolves and one Sheep deciding what's for Dinner.)
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To: Manly Warrior

My husband gave a ride to an acquaintance of a friend when we were in Colorado. He took him to work at the medical marijuana dispensary . This was about in 2015 or so. My husband asked him about how do they dispense and the guy pulled out a 3 fold pamphlet and showed him this chart for different complaints. Scary.


126 posted on 09/07/2019 8:17:48 AM PDT by lilypad
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To: BeauBo

Nobody has ever died from it. You’re every bit the hysteric as any other person drunk with the desire to wield power over others.


127 posted on 09/07/2019 8:23:40 AM PDT by thoughtomator (... this has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.)
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To: MarvinStinson

Context-appropriate.


128 posted on 09/07/2019 8:24:04 AM PDT by thoughtomator (... this has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.)
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To: MarvinStinson
Dear Drug SJWs,

Let's take care of alcohol first. Fetal alcohol syndrome is a curse on humanity - it turns babies into Leftists:


129 posted on 09/07/2019 8:35:02 AM PDT by wildcard_redneck (Freeper formerly known as WMarshal.......)
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To: Manly Warrior

“Not necessarily trying to stop them, but certainly intending to prevent their poor choices from affecting me and mine.”

“Its called society”

One of the inherent problems of living in a society, I’d say.

Good luck with that.


130 posted on 09/07/2019 8:44:47 AM PDT by chris37 (Monday, March 25 2019 is Maga Day!)
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To: MarvinStinson; AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Arthur Wildfire! March; Berosus; Bockscar; ...
Thanks Marv.

131 posted on 09/07/2019 8:54:14 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: jonascord

“Sorry. They are just too stupid to be allowed to live. However, this Drug War thing is a flat failure. Social engineering doesn’t work.”

That’s right, just like war on crime is a failure. Look at all the crime being committed even though it’s illegal. Legalize crime!


132 posted on 09/07/2019 9:02:17 AM PDT by aquila48 (Do not let them make you care!)
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To: MarvinStinson

Tobacco, pot and alcohol should all be illegal, period.

They are all too dangerous.

I say this as a person who uses pot and alcohol responsibly, and as a former tobacco user. I love my glass of wine at dinner but alcohol is too dangerous to too many, including non-drinking drivers and pedestrians. Pot has the same basic problem, even though I use it lightly and responsibly, too many don’t.


133 posted on 09/07/2019 9:04:17 AM PDT by SaxxonWoods (The internet has driven the world mad.)
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To: MarvinStinson

Tobacco, pot and alcohol should all be illegal, period.

They are all too dangerous.

I say this as a person who uses pot and alcohol responsibly, and as a former tobacco user. I love my glass of wine at dinner but alcohol is too dangerous to too many, including non-drinking drivers and pedestrians. Pot has the same basic problem, even though I use it lightly and responsibly, too many don’t.


134 posted on 09/07/2019 9:04:18 AM PDT by SaxxonWoods (The internet has driven the world mad.)
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To: BeauBo

And how often do you hear of this? For crying out loud Americans die every day because of some clown who got lit and blew through a stop sign and killed someone and here you are pulling obscure info like this out. Let me tell you something, in all the years when I was out there drinking and doing drugs no one I ever knew ‘’shot up’’ weed. Heroin, yeah, lost a bunch of friends to that.


135 posted on 09/07/2019 9:11:56 AM PDT by jmacusa ("If wisdom is not the Lord, what is wisdom?''.)
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To: SaxxonWoods

“Tobacco, pot and alcohol should all be illegal, period.

They are all too dangerous.”

Are they all as dangerous as prison?


136 posted on 09/07/2019 9:12:41 AM PDT by chris37 (Monday, March 25 2019 is Maga Day!)
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To: lilypad
Weed has medicinal uses to it, alcohol has none. I invite you to sit in on an AA meeting, as I do and meet adults whose mothers drink all through their pregnancy. It's heart breaking. The damage is irreversible.
137 posted on 09/07/2019 9:13:52 AM PDT by jmacusa ("If wisdom is not the Lord, what is wisdom?''.)
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To: exDemMom

Drugs are a commodity, murder isn’t. So let’s continue to keep it illegal and the criminal elements prospers. Drugs dealers don’t ask for id. Ever consider that?


138 posted on 09/07/2019 9:15:37 AM PDT by jmacusa ("If wisdom is not the Lord, what is wisdom?''.)
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To: ExTxMarine
So when are we bringing back alcohol prohibition? That was such a sterling success, wasn't it?
139 posted on 09/07/2019 9:17:11 AM PDT by jmacusa ("If wisdom is not the Lord, what is wisdom?''.)
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To: MarvinStinson

140 posted on 09/07/2019 9:19:34 AM PDT by Delta 21 (Be strong & prosper, be weak & die! Stay true.... ~~ Donald J. Trump)
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