1.
Proponents of legalization tell us that legalization does not cause an increase
in youth use. That is incorrect. Colorado, where medical and recreational
marijuana are both legal, has the highest youth use in the nation. Arizona,
with only medical marijuana legalization, has the 12th highest youth use in the
nation (Source: National Survey of Drug Use and Health).
2.
Colorado's legalization of both medical and recreational marijuana has seen the
following consequences: auto-related fatalities doubled between 2013 and 2016
when the driver tested positive for THC, Emergency Room visits increased 35%
and hospitalizations increased 70% since legalization, seizure of “pot” in the
outgoing mail has increased more than 900% since 2013, there are 491 pot
dispensaries in Colorado compared to 392 Starbucks and 208 McDonald as of June
2017, Sargent Jim Gerhardt, Denver law enforcement, advised that taxes have NOT
been a windfall for schools, there are increased regulation costs, Co. jails
are not “freed up”, the criminal cartels have not ceased to do business, there
is a thriving black market, and Colorado kids are “dabbing” high THC potency
oils, and consuming high potency edibles and ending up in ER's and Psychiatric
Hospitals. (Source: Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Study,
2017-and- a speech in September 2017 by Sargent Jim Gerhardt.)
3.
California's unintended consequences of
legalization of medical and recreational marijuana has resulted in
cartels growing in California national forests (Yosemite and the Sierras),
cartels killing endangered species with high amounts of rat poisons and
carbofurans left at grow/camp sites, toxic chemicals at grow sites seeping into
streams/ watersheds and flowing into local city water systems, hunter's game
being compromised by animal's licking/eating toxins and poisons left at illegal
grow sites, gunfire in national forests
aimed at curious scientists and tourists, and dead human cartel members left
behind in forest turf wars. (Source: speech by Dr. Mourad Gabriel, Wildlife
Biologist, Ecologist, Pathologist, Veterinary Medicine expert, University of
California at Davis, September 2017)
4. After
passing Prop. 203 (legalizing medical marijuana) in Arizona, our state has seen
a 652% increase in the number of cardholder patients and a 2,769% increase of
dispensary agents (source: Arizona Department of Health Services, 2017/18)
5. After
legalization of medical pot, Arizona has seen illegal indoor seizures increase
133% since 2011, metric tons of pot produced has increased from 9 to 24 tons as
of 2016, an increase in illegal dispensaries, teens and adults are buying
illegally from medical card holders,
3,550 pounds of dangerous high potency edibles were sold in Arizona in
2016, positive drugs tests by employers increased by 300%, THC exposure
poison/emergency calls have increased, THC-related ER visits have increased,
most arrestees in Maricopa county were using pot at the time of arrest. (Source:
Arizona High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Study, 2017).
6. 61% of our AZ medical pot cardholder patients
are under 50 years old, and 45 % are under 40 years old, most (62%) are young
males patients and the most utilized reason for presenting for a pot card was
“chronic pain”. Most sales of medical pot are on Fridays and the most active
month of purchase is December. (Source:
Arizona Department of Health Services report, 2017, 2018)
7. “Pot”
proponents say that legalizing recreational marijuana will “cure” the opioid
crisis in AZ. According to AZ
Psychiatrist, Addiction Specialist and Prison Physician for 30 years, Edward
Gogek, MD, “No, this is not true. Marijuana makes the opioid crisis worse. There is good evidence that marijuana
increases opioid use. Research published in the September 2017, American
Journal of Psychiatry, found that teenage marijuana users are at least twice as
likely to abuse opioids later in life. This is the “gateway effect” and the
“gateway effect” is real. When adolescent rats are given pot, the opioid
pathways in the brain change. When these same rats are later given heroin, they
use it more often and use more of it. This is a biological effect that pot has
on the teenage brain. I work with heroin addicts and almost all used pot daily
in their early teens. That is not a coincidence. Marijuana makes teens more
likely to use opioids. Where do kids use pot? The 20 states with the highest
rates of teen use have all legalized medicinal and/or recreational marijuana.”
(Source: Marijuana Debunked, By Edward Gogek, MD, Speech by Dr. Gogek,
September 2017)
What
can you do to stop a second attempt to legalize recreational marijuana
in AZ? Save, forward, and
print/distribute this flyer; give it to family and friends. Stay informed by following Arizonans for
Responsible Drug Policy's and MATFORCE'S FACEBOOK pages and websites. Educate
yourself by reading Dr. Edward Gogek, MD's book, MARIJUANA DEBUNKED.
