A SOBER LOOK AT MARIJUANA: THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND AS USE EXPANDS

Since 420 is tomorrow, we’re gonna tell you a li’l bit about weeeeeed, my dudes.

It’s tradition for the Advocate to cover marijuana close to 420. We think the state is headed in the right direction as far as legalization goes, but still have concerns.

Oregon has made a few major strides in marijuana legislation. It was the first state to decriminalize personal possession in 1973. The state later legalized medical marijuana in 1998, and recreational use in 2015.

Although the state has moved ahead, the country as a whole has not. Marijuana is still federally prohibited. Although a majority of states (33) have now legalized marijuana for medical purposes, there is still a long road to federal legalization.

We at the Advocate are not saying we think it should be legalized immediately without concern for how it would affect consumers. There’s a lot we still don’t know about this complex substance. However, fear of the unknown consequences shouldn’t hinder progress; rather, we as a nation should push for more scientific research.

As of now, 10 states and Washington, D.C., have legalized recreational marijuana, and some other states have worked towards decriminalizing it.

BENEFITS

With some effort, three medicines derived from marijuana have been approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).

Epidiolex is an oral solution that treats seizures associated with two rare, severe forms of epilepsy. The drug is made up of cannabidiol, or CBD. The two other drugs (dronabinol and nabilone) are synthetic cannabinoids, which are used to treat nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy. Dronabinol is also used to treat loss of appetite and weight loss in people with AIDS; the drug also has a synthetic version of THC – the part of marijuana that gets a user high.

Because these medicines were only recently legalized, there are few extensive studies on their long-term effects, but their legal status means that more studies should be coming soon.

Marijuana can also help those with anxiety, stress, or other symptoms such as chronic pain. It can be used as a form of enjoyment, too.

Recreationally, marijuana can be a substitute for cigarettes and alcohol. Many people smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol socially, but with marijuana being legalized they have another option. And, since marijuana can be consumed in the form of food, people can avoid harming their lungs like they would by smoking cigarettes. The liver can be spared the impact of alcohol, by using edible marijuana instead. Marijuana can have an extremely low impact on the body when compared to other popular stimulants or depressants.

CONCERNS

Many people are concerned by the dangers of driving under the influence of cannabis. Oregon, as well as other legalized-weed states, has seen an increase in insurance claims for traffic collisions since recreational sales were legalized, according to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

With cannabis being a complex substance to track in someone’s breath, it’s difficult to create technology to detect how much THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana, is present in someone’s system without blood or urine tests. However, a few companies such as Hound Labs and Cannabix have been developing breathalyzer devices to detect this hard-to-pinpoint chemical compound.

This would allow for more accurate testing on if someone was impaired from the use of marijuana when an incident occurs, because through traditional drug testing of blood or urine, cannabis is often still seen in drug panels even a month after someone smokes or ingests it. A breathalyzer would also provide quicker results and likely be more accurate than a field sobriety test.

That said, there’s still not a consensus on how much THC can be detected in one’s system to qualify them as “impaired” or not, because the scientific research behind it is so new.

As of now, it’s common in Oregon and elsewhere, for trained law officers to conduct a, W12-step drug recognition process that includes some physiological tests, as well as some other steps, such as having people try to cross their eyes, which is typically difficult when high. Another test is having someone stand with their feet together, arms at their sides, then close their eyes and estimate when 30 seconds has passed. Usually if someone is under the influence, they wait for much longer than 30 seconds.

In the end, these tests are fairly subjective, and while there is some science and research behind each part of the process, having something equivalent to the breathalyzers used for alcohol would provide more concrete evidence.

The conclusion we can all reach is that no one should be driving, working, or caring for others while they know that they’re under the influence and impaired from the use of marijuana or any other substance.

LOCAL IMPACTS

According to the Oregon Secretary of State audit report for January 2019, “As of November 2018, retail (marijuana) sales had generated $207 million in tax revenue.” The marijuana tax revenue in Oregon is designated for specific areas, such as K-12 education funding (40 percent); mental health, alcoholism and drug services (20 percent); cities and counties (20 percent); state police (15 percent); and the Oregon Health Authority (5 percent).

The state could be making an even larger profit from excess product (there’s an estimated 1 million-pound oversupply now) if marijuana growers were allowed to sell their products outside of Oregon.

However, since marijuana is federally illegal, it is classified as a controlled substance. This means transporting over state lines remains as a federal crime. Meantime, the Oregon Legislature is working toward passing bills that would allow Oregon to get in the market early, if it does become legal to sell across state lines.

For example, Senate Bill 582 would allow the Oregon governor to create an agreement with neighboring states where marijuana is legal and begin to create more cohesive regulation of licensed marijuana businesses. If, say, a business was licensed, an Oregon grower could sell product in California, (as long as transportation methods used are those which are regulated only by the federal government, which does not recognize legalization of marijuana).

With so much product sitting around, outpacing the demand in-state, there is concern that Oregon farms will turn to, or are turning to, the black market for higher profit margins. There are also small producers/growers that have not been reporting how much cannabis they have on hand; only 15 percent of them are in compliance with the state.

The state is currently understaffed to check all growing sites, so it is turning to administering fines, of at least $200. Growers should expect to receive warning letters in the mail this month, with fines to be implemented in May.

WORKPLACE CONCERNS

There are several other legislative bills that have been brought to the House or Senate floor. One, House Bill 2655, is sponsored by Rep. Chris Gorsek (D-49), an MHCC criminal justice instructor. This bill would prohibit employers for using a positive drug test for a legal substance as the sole grounds for hiring or firing someone.

We at the Advocate believe employees should not be punished for substances they use outside of work on their own time – assuming they show up for duty sober, and not impaired.  Considering that most tests detect marijuana long after the psychoactive effects have worn off, assessing someone’s ability to work because of a trace amount of a substance should not be grounds to decide to hire or fire an individual.

OUR CONCLUSION

To roll this all together (or to be blunt): Since the legalization of marijuana in Oregon, we are seeing more advances and efforts in research, legislation, decriminalization, taxes, and medicines. There’s still much more research to be done on how long-term use of cannabis affects people now that it’s legal, but for now we encourage anyone who does use it to do so responsibly and safely.