Posted on June 12, 2022 View all news
Expanding access to marijuana and more drugs does not benefit Texas families. The Drug Policies Alliance’s primary goal is to legalize and commercialize all drugs, so your commitment to this issue is crucial to protect Texan’s health and safety.
We ask you to please continue holding the line in Texas and ban hemp THC products.
Below is a list of resources to prepare you.
If you have more questions or need more information, please get in touch with us at info@everybrainmatters.org.
We ask you to:
1. Join the Every Brain Matters Community
2. Join Safe and Healthy Texas
3. Donate
4. Use the resources below to educate Texas legislators
Texas Marijuana Policies to Oppose:
Ban THC Hemp Products
Dear
Thank you for taking the time and effort to address the increasing and dangerous sale of hemp-based synthetic THC variants that the 2018 Farm Bill legalized.
This bill allows for the manufacturing and sale of hemp plants that mainly contain cannabidiol (CBD) and are permitted to have a dry weight of 0.3% Delta-9-THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol). Drug entrepreneurs are taking advantage of this loophole and are now using CBD to synthesize other THC-variants, such as Delta-8-THC, to attract more youth users. These synthetic THC products are easily accessible to everyone of all ages at gas stations, dollar stores, and smoke shops and can be ordered online.
These products are very dangerous because they contain deceptively high amounts of THC. Some products are advertised to be even stronger (up to 30X) than the type of THC obtained from the marijuana plant.
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) states:
• THC can cause acute psychotic reactions (paranoia, delusions, hallucinations) in non-schizophrenic people who use THC, especially at high doses.
• It is estimated that 30% of people who use THC are at risk of becoming addicted.
• THC can increase the risk of anxiety, depression, suicide, vomiting, and other GI issues.
And the FDA has concluded that these products can contain harmful contaminants, such as pesticides, mold, heavy metals, and additives.
To make sure all loopholes are closed and to protect our children against synthetic hemp-derived products saturating the market, we ask you to please consider the following changes to the 2018 Farm Bill:
1. Prohibit the sale of synthetic hemp derivatives.
2. Place all cannabinoids synthesized from hemp in Schedule 1.
3. Ban all synthetic hemp products rather than label them for “over 21” use only. We know that “over 21” regulations have failed miserably with other harmful substances, and we need to learn from the past.
I respectfully ask you for your support in protecting our children and families by banning these products so that there can be no question of their legality apart from any FDA-approved medicines.
Thank you for your consideration and service to our country,
Sign your name
Learn more here: https://everybrainmatters.org/protect-families-from-thc-hemp-products/
Do Not Increase the amount of THC from 1.0% THC per 1 gram dry weight to 5.0% in the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP)
- This means just 30 ml of oil could contain up to 1,390 mg of THC. The FDA recommends only up to 20 mg of THC due to psychiatric side effects. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2017/018651s029lbl.pdf
2. Even with the low-strength THC common in the last century, 15% of users reported psychotic episodes:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S037687169601277X?via%3Dihub
Administration of a moderate dose of pure THC would elicit transient psychotic symptoms in study subjects:
https://www.nature.com/articles/1300496.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3055738/pdf/npp2010222a.pdf
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/1107444
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4332941/pdf/sbu098.pdf
For clinical studies showing that THC can cause psychotic symptoms in people with no family history, see:
https://www.nature.com/articles/1300496.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3055738/pdf/npp2010222a.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4332941/pdf/sbu098.pdf
Marijuana is more likely to lead to chronic psychosis than any other drug studied. About half of those who experience a marijuana-induced psychotic break will eventually develop a schizophrenia spectrum disorder:
https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.17020223
https://www.psychiatrist.com/jcp/article/Pages/2013/v74n01/v74n0115.aspx
https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/abs/10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.17020223?rfr_dat=cr_pub%3Dpub
med&url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org&journalCode=ajp
Do Not Expand conditions to treat chronic pain in the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP)
Marijuana (CBD and THC) has not been a proven opioid substitute. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2799017
Marijuana-legal states have higher opioid death rates than non-marijuana-legal
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0027968422000529
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1903434116
Marijuana-legal states fentanyl death rates than non-marijuana-legal https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0027968422000529
Marijuana has not been an approved analgesic/pain reliever.
https://neurosciencenews.com/pain-cannabis-surgery-21701/
MMJ patients have higher cannabis use disorder and no improvement on pain
MJ use increases the risk of developing opioid use disorder and opioid misuse. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7855765/
National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that people who use marijuana are more than twice as likely to be dependent on or addicted to prescription opioids and six times more likely to take pain pills. https://archives.drugabuse.gov/news-events/news-releases/2017/09/marijuana-use-associated-increased-risk-prescription-opioid-misuse-use-disorders
There are ZERO International pain organizations which support the use of cannabis for pain (IASP is the largest one) https://www.iasp-pain.org/publications/iasp-news/iasp-position-statement-on-the-use-of-cannabinoids-to-treat-pain/
marijuana before entering the hospital for a surgical procedure made pain during recovery significantly worse. People who used weed beforehand also needed more anesthesia during surgery, and undergoing anesthesia
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/05/health/weed-pain-anesthesia-increase-wellness/index.html
Print and read our pamphlet, Can Marijuana Use Lead to Opioid Use Disorder?
Oppose Marijuana Legalization
- Increase Youth Use and Harms to Children
Cannabis vaping is increasing as the most popular method of cannabis delivery among all adolescents in the U.S., as is the frequency of cannabis vaping, according to research at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. The study found that the frequency of vaping cannabis among adolescents from all demographic groups is reported at six or more times per month, and rising faster than occasional use. Those who vape and smoke nicotine are more than 40 times more likely to also vape and smoke cannabis. https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/public-health-now/news/major-uptick-reported-cannabis-vaping-all-adolescents
There appears to be some evidence recreational cannabis legalization in the United States is associated with elevated odds of transition to cannabis use among both youths and adults.https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/add.15895
Marijuana and hallucinogen use in the past year reported by young adults 19 to 30 years old increased significantly in 2021 compared to five and 10 years ago, reaching historic highs in this age group since 1988, according to the Monitoring the Future (MTF) panel study. https://nida.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/2022/08/marijuana-and-hallucinogen-use-among-young-adults-reached-all-time-high-in-2021
2. Increases Road Fatalities
Drugged driving surpassed drunk driving as the cause of fatalities in motor vehicle crashes. The #1 drug in those crashes is marijuana- page 9 and 10 https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/56125
In Colorado, Traffic deaths with drivers who test positive for marijuana doubled from 2013 to 2020. – https://www.thenmi.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/RMHIDTA-Marijuana-Report-2021.pdf
The body count will continue to climb if there is Federal legalization, as one study estimates an additional 6,800 traffic fatalities per year. – https://thecrimereport.org/2020/07/22/recreational-pot-linked-to-rise-in-traffic-deaths/
3. Increases Crime and Violence
Cannabis use in this population is a moderate risk factor for violence.https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.19101008
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2775255
As legislation spreads, more Americans are becoming heavy users of cannabis despite its links to violence and mental illness. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6461328/
…dispensaries are associated with statistically significant increases in rates of neighborhood crime and disorder. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07418825.2019.1567807
4. Increases The Black Market
Domestic use of marijuana remains high and
is likely to increase as the prevalence of state
legalization continues to lower the perception
of risk to users and potential users. The high
availability of high-potency marijuana, marijuana
concentrate products, and trendy paraphernalia
will likely continue to entice users and potential
users. Domestic production and trafficking of
marijuana will likely increase as more states
adopt or change current marijuana laws to
establish medical or recreational marijuana
markets, allowing criminals to exploit state
legality.
Mexico-produced marijuana will continue to
be trafficked into the United States in bulk
quantities and may increase in quality to
compete with domestic-produced marijuana
5. Increases Drug Use and Overdoses, Suicides, and Mental Illness.
Early initiation of marijuana is a dominant predictor of Opioid Use Disorder. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376871620300041
Frequent marijuana use by Colorado youths associated with psychotic disorders
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35901795/
Non-Hispanic Black individuals in four U.S. states experienced a 38% increase in the rate of opioid overdose deaths from 2018 to 2019 https://nida.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/2021/09/disparities-in-opioid-overdose-deaths-continue-to-worsen-for-black-people-study-suggests
Marijuana increases the risk for suicide up to 7-fold.
1. Circumstances, Toxicology, and Injury location 2. Select the year slide from 2014 to present 3. Age (dropbox): check only 10-14 and/or 15-18.
6. Higher potency=more psychosis and more cannabis use disorder
Marijuana use can lead to the development of problem use, known as a marijuana use disorder, which takes the form of addiction in severe cases. Recent data suggest that 30% of those who use marijuana may have some degree of marijuana use disorder. https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/marijuana-addictive
Texas deaths related to marijuana:
Learn more about how the Texas Hemp Industry is converting CBD to different variants of THC.
Is Feeding Hemp to Cattle a Good Idea? A Health-Based Perspective
Marijuana legalization was a mistake. Highly concentrated pot is destroying my son’s life.
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