September 11, 2021 – 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[Read More…]
Tag: cannabis
Cannabis Use Disorder in Schizophrenia Cases: Increased Risk
JAMA Psychiatry just released a new longitudinal study from Denmark regarding the association of between a diagnosis of a cannabis use disorder (CUD) and a diagnosis of Schizophrenia in patients. The nationwide study, “Development Over Time of the Population-Attributable Risk Fraction for Cannabis Use Disorder in Schizophrenia in Denmark” (C.[Read More…]
Marijuana & Risk: A new study on perceptions
An analysis of national data by the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, “Joint perceptions of the risk and availability of Cannabis in the United States, 2002-2018” (Levy et.al.) examines the influence that the perception of risk has upon the use rates of cannabis. Using national survey results from over[Read More…]
Prenatal Cannabis Use & Risks: A New Study
A study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), “The Associations between prenatal cannabis use disorder and neonatal outcomes” (Y. Shi et.al) examines potential health issues of newborns of mothers with a cannabis use disorder (CUD) at the time of delivery. Researchers reviewed over 4.8 million California birth[Read More…]
Drug-Impaired Driving: A National Threat
The Heritage Foundation, a Washington D.C. based “think tank”, recently hosted an educational seminar focused on sharing research findings associated to the issue of drug-impaired driving. A summary of the information cited in the presentation is provided here as a reference guide to impaired driving and poly-drug usage. The summary[Read More…]
Marijuana, Youth & The Developing Brain: A New Study of Risks
Just released in JAMA Psychiatry (June 16, 2021) is a new longitudinal study (Association of Cannabis Use During Adolescence With Neurodevelopment) from Europe that examines the association of marijuana and its effects on the developing brain on in youths. The authors (Albaugh et.al.) acquired over 1,500 Magnetic Resonance Images (MRI)[Read More…]
Cannabis Policy: Recommendations from the United States Senate Caucus
The United States Senate Caucus recently issued a report titled, “Cannabis Policy, Public Health and Safety, Issues and Recommendations”. The report focused on five (5) key areas: (1) Barriers to Researching Cannabis, (2) Impacts of Increased Cannabis Potency, (3) Cannabis Use on the Developing Brain, (4) Unregulated Products and (5) Cannabis[Read More…]
Suicide, Marijuana and Depression: Increased Risks
Just published in the JAMA Network (June 22, 2021) was a study examining marijuana use and its association with suicide risks in young adults using data from the 2008 – 2019 National Surveys of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The report, “Associations of Suicidality Trends With Cannabis Use as a[Read More…]
Marijuana’s Impacts in Colorado: A Policy Memo
June 2021 Dr. David Murray, a Senior Fellow with the Hudson Institute, a “think tank” based in Washington D.C. released a policy memo titled, “The “Colorado Experiment”: Legalized Marijuana’s Impact in Colorado”. This brief, yet informative read, offers insights into what has been called the “Colorado Experiment” referring to the[Read More…]
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[Read More…]