Coloradans have a higher than average use of alcohol, binge drinking, cocaine and marijuana use overall compared to the national average. The state ranks among the highest, which will only fuel the debate over marijuana legalization. Arthur Schut of the behavioral treatment facility, Arapahoe House in Thornton, CO, says there were several categories studied and they were in the upper 20 percent, which is not a positive for the state.

Department of Human Services Director, Charles Smith, says it is always a concern when they look at mountain states such as Colorado for substance abuse and mental illnesses because they are typically in the top percentile. This often hurts Colorado’s chance for funding with regard to behavioral services in these types of frontier populations, according to a recent article in the Denver Post.

Researchers have to factor in what it would mean to legalize marijuana for medical purposes. Typically, if you increase access there will be increased use and this would be similar to past trials which involved liquor consumption.

Almost half of 18- to 25-year-olds in Colorado report that they drank in a "binge" nature in the past month, which came out to 47.5% of residents compared with 41% nationwide. Smith says it is more of a problem among those who are college-aged. They hope to alter the trends in Colorado, providing programs for screening early on for substance abuse and mental health indicators.

In this particular study, 12 participants – eight male and eight female – were selected as they met the criteria for being dependent upon cannabis and did not want to receive treatment to help them stop smoking pot.

During the study time, researchers determined that participants experienced a decrease in their craving for and use of cannabis. In fact, the decrease was by more than 50 percent after they exercised on a treadmill for 10 30-minute sessions over a two-week period.

Author Peter Martin, M.D., director of the Vanderbilt Addiction Center, noted that 10 sessions were involved, but cravings and use decreased after just five sessions and the maximum reduction was already measured in just the first week.

Martin also noted that there is no way to currently treat cannabis dependence with medication. If exercise could be used effectively to thwart marijuana use, this may be the first time anyone has ever demonstrated that exercise can reduce such use in people with no desire to stop.

According to statistics, the abuse of or dependence on cannabis has increased in all age groups in the U.S. in the past decade. In 2009, roughly 16.7 million Americans aged 12 or older had reported marijuana use in the previous month, while another 6.1 million used the drug on 20 or more days per month.

Merchants say that the bongs and glass pipes can be used to smoke tobacco – although who really believes that?

A recent article in a local California paper, The Acorn, quoted a member of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department as saying that such sales are permitted under California law under the notion that they’ll be used to smoke tobacco. The merchant is only required to verify that the purchaser is 18 years of age or older.

But, the veteran law enforcement officer went on to say that in his 25 years on the job, he’s seen thousands of such items – and every one of them has been used to smoke marijuana.

What about glass pipes – which are also sold in some gas stations and convenience stores? These are known to be used to smoke crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin, yet they are also sold – as permitted under California law – because people can use them to smoke cigar leaves. Santa Claus must be real, too.

What’s the danger to those in recovery? If selling these items is perfectly legal, shouldn’t those in recovery from marijuana addiction simply steer clear of such establishments?

This seems to be the difficulty. On the one hand, no one denies that the store owners are allowing what is permissible under the law, even if it’s common knowledge what these bongs and glass pipes are really used for. On the other hand, when such items are sold in the neighborhood gas station, that’s really putting a potentially harmful trigger smack in front of the person in recovery that happens into the station to pay for a tank full of gas or maybe buy a half-gallon of milk on the way home from work.

It’s a temptation that may be irresistible to the recovering individual – especially if he or she is new to recovery. Whether the addiction was for alcohol or drugs — including marijuana — just the sight of the paraphernalia is enough to jumpstart cravings that the brain cannot ignore.

It’s a real problem for some in recovery. The first six months of recovery, say experts, is the most critical and the time when most relapses occur. That’s when the brain is just starting to heal and the individual is fighting to stave off cravings and urges, to learn new coping mechanisms to deal with stresses and crises, and to become more practiced in his or her sobriety. Sometimes, temptation is too much and any little reminder – like seeing a glass pipe or a bong on a shelf next to the peanut butter – is enough to send the individual into a tailspin.

There’s only one solution for the recovering addict and that is to avoid the particular store, gas station or convenience outlet that sells marijuana paraphernalia. That may seem harsh, but the fact is that a recovering addict simply has to avoid the people, places, and things associated with addiction. They have to take responsibility for their own recovery, even if it means going out of their way to patronize other establishments.

Besides, someone in recovery can’t control anyone else’s actions, including that of store owners who choose to continue displaying bongs and glass pipes in their places of business. But the recovering addict can control his or her own behavior, and knows what is best for recovery.

Still, the proliferation of such paraphernalia in neighborhood stores and gas stations is troubling. While it may be a sign of the times or a relaxing attitude toward marijuana in general, the fact is that for someone in recovery, anything that strikes that euphoric bell in their brain is not a good thing. It has to be avoided at all costs.

And this is not an insignificant problem. Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug. An estimated 16.7 million people used marijuana in the past month in 2009, according to the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Marijuana is also the illicit drug with the highest rate of past year dependence or abuse in 2009, followed by pain relievers and cocaine. Of the 7.1 million persons aged 12 or older classified with dependence on or abuse of illicit drugs in 2009, 4.3 million were dependent on or abused marijuana.

That’s a huge number of people who might need to find an alternate route home or make a conscious decision to choose a different store or gas station for their regular purchases.

Too bad some store owners are more concerned with profits from selling paraphernalia such as bongs and glass pipes than any potentially negative effect the sight of such items for sale may have on some of their customers.

Published in the European Journal of Immunology, a team of researchers from across the globe suggests that marijuana weakens a person’s immunity for diseases and infections. The reaction is believed caused by a little-known variety of immune cell that actually suppresses the body’s ability to respond to cancer therapy. This type of cell – called myeloid-derived suppressor cells, or MDSC – becomes activated when exposed to certain compounds found within marijuana.

Researchers said that when marijuana is used, cannabinoid receptors seem to cause a chain reaction that engages large numbers of MDSCs, resulting in a suppressed immune system and a reduced ability to fight off cancer.

Marijuana remains the most widely abused U.S. drug. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that in 2008, about six percent of people at age 12 or older said they have experimented with marijuana during the past 30 days.

According to the 2008 Monitoring the Future study, conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than ten percent of students in the eighth grade, nearly 24 percent of students in the tenth grade and more than 32 percent of students who were in the twelfth grade had used marijuana at least one time in the year preceding the survey.
Marijuana causes distorted thought patterns, perceptions and memory, as well as difficulty concentrating and responding to problems. Users may also have a dry mouth, faster heart rate and problems with balance. When under the influence of marijuana, users may be unable to safely drive and can experience hallucinations. While the immediate effects of marijuana can pass within a few hours, the drug is stored in tissues including the lungs or liver and will be detectible in urine for several days to several weeks.

Experts have long warned that marijuana is linked to longterm health problems and contributes to a higher risk for cancer, but additional dangers exist for teens. Aside from altering school performance and leading to poor decision-making abilities, teen marijuana users are believed more likely to experiment with other illegal drugs, especially cocaine.

The use of marijuana for medicinal purposes remains under intense debate across the globe. In the U.S., marijuana is listed as a Schedule I drug due to high likelihood for abuse and a lack of formally recognized medicinal benefit, yet states vary on its medicinal use.

Study researchers also said that the results are spawning more overall research into the functions of cannabinoids found in marijuana, not only to encourage people to avoid the drug but to better understand the exact effects of marijuana on the body.
 

The Centre has found that the number of Australians seeking treatment with cannabis-related problems has increased 30 percent since 2002. The increase in the rate of harmful use was mostly found among those over the age of 30.

Overall, the good news is that the rate of cannabis use has been dropping. In the past year, roughly 9 percent of Australians have smoked the drug, down from 11 percent in 2004. The challenge is that according to researchers at the University of New South Wales found those who are using the drug are using a larger quantity and using it more often.

Amanda Roxburgh, senior researcher at the university’s National Drug and Alcohol Centre, reports that the rate of harmful use of the drug has dramatically increased, particularly among those within the 30 to 49-year-old sect.

“We’re seeing an increase in cannabis-related harms, particularly hospital admissions, for things like cannabis dependence in particular,” she said in the ABC News. “And we’re seeing particularly in 30 to 39-year-olds, the admissions have increased quite a bit, as have the 40 to 49-year-old age group. What we think that reflects is a longer-term use over a long period of time.”

Roxburgh also highlighted that hospital admissions are generally for individuals seeking treatment for cannabis dependence, although a small number do seek help for cannabis intoxication or cannabis-induced psychosis. Old users are twice as likely to report daily use compared to the 14 to 19-year-old age group.

State Law Passes in 2004 – But L.A. Issues No Guidelines

When the state of California passed a law in 2004 that allowed for medical marijuana cooperatives, the city of Los Angeles failed to set forth guidelines as to how such cooperatives should operate. In 2005, when the L. A. City Council first took up the issue, there were a mere four such dispensaries operating in the city. It wasn’t too much of a problem, and the issue of guidelines languished. In the ensuing years, however, this lack of guidelines led to rampant growth of medical marijuana dispensaries in the city.

As of December 2009, when the L.A. City Council decided to postpone a vote on the much-anticipated medical marijuana ordinance until the New Year, there were an estimated 1,000 such dispensaries in operation. Medical marijuana in L.A., it seems, was one of the city’s fastest-growing industries.

Chaos and Citizen Complaints

In the absence of specific guidelines, the medical marijuana shops flourished, opening at an increasing rate. Both city officials and residents complained that many of these were simply illegal cash businesses with little or no connection with medical care.

Citizens registered strong opposition to dispensaries that opened in residential areas, near schools and public-gathering areas, saying that they brought an unsavory element to neighborhoods that should be safe, and indicating such operations also lowered property values.

Amid the chaos, the city decided to crack down on the proliferating medical marijuana dispensaries, finally agreeing to take up the issue of operating guidelines. The City issued a moratorium on new dispensaries in 2007. At the time, there were 186 dispensaries. But dispensaries continued to open despite the moratorium, taking advantage of a loophole known as a hardship exemption, which allowed them to open while awaiting approval.

Specifics of Newly-Enacted Guidelines

Some 4-1/2 years after the L.A. City Council first started to discuss the issue the long-awaited medical marijuana ordinance was voted on and took effect in January 2010. Interestingly, the vote took place without debate – at least in the City Council. The new measure imposes some of the most stringent rules in the state.

Medical marijuana advocates are already gearing up to challenge the ruling in court. In early March 2010, Americans for Safe Access, this country’s main medical marijuana advocacy nonprofit, filed a lawsuit with the Venice Beach Care Center and the PureLife Alternative Wellness Center to sue the City of Los Angeles. The suit claims the ordinance, which is due to go into effect the end of March, is so restrictive that even law-abiding businesses will have to shut down. Both centers have been in operation since 2006, before the city’s moratorium on new dispensaries.

Indeed, stricter guidelines for access are part of the ordinance by design. While seeking to curtail and limit the number of allowed medical marijuana dispensaries and where they can be located, city officials also sought to provide safe and legal access to the drug for those in medical need of it.

Of the 180 dispensaries established before the 2007 moratorium, about 137 are believed to still be open. Those businesses will be allowed to remain in operation, but may be required to move to comply with the new restrictions of where medical marijuana dispensaries may be located.

Such restrictions include a ban on any dispensary being located within 1,000 feet of a school, park, or similar facility.

Capping the number of permitted medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles to 70 would, in effect, mean one dispensary for every 50,000 people. In the city of Oakland, by comparison, the only other large California city to impose a cap, there are four dispensaries that serve 100,000 people each. Caps, and numbers of residents they serve, in smaller cities include Berkeley (one for each 34,000); Palm Springs (one for each 24,000); West Hollywood (one for every 9,000), and Sebastopol (one for every 3,500).

Geographically speaking, to put the new ruling into context, in the Wilshire area west of downtown, there would be 6 clinics. In Venice, which previously had 17, only one would be allowed.

The new ordinance specifies that no collective can operate for profit, cash and in-kind contributions, as well as “reasonable compensation” would be allowed.

In mid-March, the City Council recommended a number of fees that dispensaries would have to pay in order to be allowed to operate. In addition to standard charges for inspections and research, special fees have been proposed totally about $1,200 for a manager registering an existing dispensary.

Cracking Down May Be Hard to Do

While the Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley has said he will target pot establishments that operate for profit and sell to people who don’t qualify for medical marijuana, the actual cracking down on the 1,000+ dispensaries currently in operation may prove unwieldy.

It’s one thing to mandate a cap. It’s another for cash-strapped Los Angeles to actually enforce it. Telling the dispensaries to close down may very well be met by either deaf ears or resistance in the form of injunctions filed to stop the city from enforcing the ordinance.

The ordinance also follows a recent California Supreme Court decision that struck down a law seeking to impose limits on the amount of allowable medical marijuana a patient can possess. And it comes months before a possible California ballot measure seeing to legalize marijuana. The Tax and Regulate Initiative would legalize possession of up to one ounce of marijuana for anyone aged 21 or over, allow residents cultivate marijuana gardens not exceeding 25 square feet, and authorize city and county governments to determine whether to permit and tax marijuana sales within their boundaries.

Further complicating the matter is the fact that medical marijuana is legal in 14 states, but marijuana remains illegal under federal law.

Future of Pot Dispensaries Remains Hazy in L.A.

For now, at least, the future of medical marijuana dispensaries in the City of Los Angeles remains hazy at best. There will undoubtedly be months of legal back-and-forth actions on behalf of this or that dispensary, backed by powerful nonprofit advocacy groups. There will likely be some dickering over how and when to enforce the new law, and to fine-tune efforts to step up compliance.

How soon and how many of the existing storefronts selling medical marijuana will be closed – or allowed to continue to operate – is anyone’s guess. One thing that is certain is that the issue in California is not going away anytime soon. After all, a Field Poll conducted in 2009 showed that 56 percent of California residents favor legalization and taxation of marijuana sales in the state – as a means of getting the financially-strapped state back on its feet. But opponents of legalization are just as vehement – free-wheeling access to marijuana will fuel increased substance abuse, especially among the young. It appears there is no middle ground on this issue. One can only hope that, when the smoke clears, intelligence and common sense will prevail.

A recent study by Di Forti, et al., is an examination of the relationship between cannabis use and psychosis. Specifically, the study looked at cannabis with higher potency and the onset of psychosis.

The average potency of cannabis has increased significantly in recent years. Between 1980 and 2008, the average percentage of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol in cannabis seized by law enforcement has increased from 2 percent to 8.5 percent.

The study involved 280 participants aged 18 to 65 from in-patient mental hospitals in London who were admitted initially for psychosis. There was also an enrollment of 174 participants to establish a control group. The control group participants were recruited through advertisements in newspapers, on the Internet and recruitment at businesses.

The participants provided information about socioeconomic factors and drug use history and those having experience using cannabis completed the Cannabis Experience Questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was employed to examine the relationship between cannabis use and psychosis admissions.

57 percent of hospital admissions and 63 percent of control group participants reported using cannabis at least once. Of those having used cannabis, 77 percent of hospital admissions and 33 percent of the control group used cannabis daily.

The researchers also looked specifically at the potency of the cannabis used and the length of time it was used. 78 percent of hospital cases preferred high-potency, or “skunk” cannabis, compared with 37 percent of controls. 59 percent of the hospital cases reported using cannabis for more than five years, compared with 38 percent of the control group.

There are several limitations to this study. The study relied on self-report for drug use history, including the potency and type of cannabis used and the length of time the cannabis was used. Also, the researchers collected information about the participants’ use of other drugs, but did not include it in the study, which may also have an impact on psychosis.

The findings of this study show that patients admitted for psychosis were significantly more likely to have used high-potency cannabis than their control group counterparts. Additional research is needed to evaluate the possible effects of other types of substance abuse on psychosis, since cannabis is often used in conjunction with other drugs.

Researchers will also want to establish a link between different temporal relationships with cannabis and psychosis to determine if length of time used impacts the onset of psychosis.