These web pages are dedicated to our only son Warren as an ongoing memorial.
This essential Cannabis/Marijuana/Dope/Pot data, plus the many URL links to heaps of thought provoking information will challenge many mistakenly held beliefs of parents plus their children and grand parents.
After seriously taking this crucial information into consideration it will certainly demand a paradigm shift for most and should bring into question the foolish attitudes of ALL 'recreational' drug users.
CANNABIS LEGALISATION AND CONTROL REFERENDUM
A grave and unintended consequence
of New Zealand’s seriously flawed MMP voting system is the ongoing, unwarranted, and excessive political influence afforded to many minor
party List MP’s who become electorally untouchable and therefore non-accountable opportunists. This distorted MMP voting system also resulted in an unnecessary and dubious referendum on the legalisation
of cannabis for recreational use after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was
compelled to sign a 'confidence and supply agreement' with Green Party leader
James Shaw.
Jacinda Ardern's government, which was in a coalition with the Winston Peter's conservative New Zealand First party, had exactly the same numbers of MPs as the opposition National Party.
Ardern absolutely required this 'confidence and supply agreement' with the pro cannabis Green Party to get her the Prime Minister's job in 2017.
Green Party's MPChlöe Swarbrick is extremely dangerous, naïve and smug, but perhaps a highly intelligent person, who, if she had succeeded in the legalisation of recreational cannabis, would have gone down in NZ history as that inexperienced young non-accountable list MP who would forever be held responsible for the untoldmisery of far too many of this country’s adolescents, along with their extended families.
And also responsible for the avoidable painful grief inflicted on innumerable innocent New Zealander's as a direct consequence from the inevitable rise in:
suicides
drug driving road toll
mental health issues
NONACCOUNTABLE, EXTREMELY SMUG AND DANGEROUS Chlöe Swarbrick
Debate continues about the consequences of adolescent cannabis use.
Existing data are limited in statistical power to examine rarer outcomes and less common, heavier patterns of cannabis use than those already investigated; furthermore, evidence has a piecemeal approach to reporting of young adult sequelae.
We aimed to provide a broad picture of the psychosocial sequelae of adolescent cannabis use.
Methods
We integrated participant-level data from three large, long-running longitudinal studies from Australia and New Zealand:
the Australian Temperament Project, the Christchurch Health and Development Study, and the Victorian Adolescent Health Cohort Study.
We investigated the association between the maximum frequency of cannabis use before age 17 years (never, less than monthly, monthly or more, weekly or more, or daily) and seven developmental outcomes assessed up to age 30 years (high-school completion, attainment of university degree, cannabis dependence, use of other illicit drugs, suicide attempt, depression, and welfare dependence).
Findings
We recorded clear and consistent associations and dose-response relations between the frequency of adolescent cannabis use and all adverse young adult outcomes.
After covariate adjustment, compared with individuals who had never used cannabis, those who were daily users before age 17 years had clear reductions in the odds of high-school completion, and substantially increased odds of later cannabis dependence, use of other illicit drugs, and suicide attempt.
Interpretation
Adverse sequelae of adolescent cannabis use are wide ranging and extend into young adulthood.
Prevention or delay of cannabis use in adolescence is likely to have broad health and social benefits.
Efforts to reform cannabis legislation should be carefully assessed to ensure they reduce adolescent cannabis use and prevent potentially adverse developmental effects.
Study findings suggest that adolescent cannabis use is linked to difficulties in successfully completing the tasks that mark the transition to adulthood.
Prevention or delay of cannabis use in adolescence is likely to have broad health and social benefits.
The findings are relevant given the movement in some countries to decriminalise or legalise cannabis raising a possibility that cannabis might become more accessible to young people.
In the rapidly changing political and legislative landscape, protection of adolescents from the potential adverse effects of cannabis use is an important facet of legislative reforms for cannabis.
Efforts to reform cannabis legislation should be carefully assessed to ensure they reduce adolescent cannabis use and prevent potentially adverse effects on adolescent development.
Cannabis legalization has led to significant health
consequences, particularly to patients in Emergency Departments and hospitals
in Colorado.
The most concerning include psychosis, suicide, and other
substance abuse.
Deleterious effects on the brain include decrements in
complex decision-making, which may not be reversible with abstinence.
In the most recent data on Colorado adolescent suicides,
marijuana was the most common substance present for ages 10 to 19 in 2016.
Of 62 suicides with toxicology data available, marijuana was
present in 30.6% compared to 9.7% for
alcohol.
This trend has been increasing since liberalization of
marijuana policy in 2010.
This is more concerning as
‘suicide is currently the leading
cause of death of adolescents in Colorado’
For all age groups in Colorado, in the five-year period from
2004–2009 there were 4822 suicides and 7.1% of those were marijuana positive on
toxicology analysis (538 did not have toxicology data available).
In the subsequent five-year period of marijuana
legalization, 2010–2015, there were 5880 total suicides (22% increase), and
12.6% had a positive toxicology for marijuana (1,120 did not have toxicology
data available).
This represents a statistically significant 77.5% increase
in the proportion of suicide victims with toxicology positive for marijuana for
which toxicology data were reported.
Suicides with marijuana toxicology by year and overall
suicide by year data are displayed in Figure 5.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MARIJUANA USE IS LINKED TO INCREASED SUICIDE RISK
Teen
depression and suicide linked to marijuana use
Wednesday, November 18th 2020
SAN ANTONIO — More and more research suggests the high potency of THC or
marijuana is having dangerous impacts on the developing brains of teenagers.
Teens who use cannabis could be at a higher risk of experiencing depression and
attempting suicide.
"In
2019, there were nearly 700,000 youths, ages 12 to 17, that was addicted to
marijuana, which shows an increase of nearly 187,000 new youth in 2019 alone
with cannabis use disorder," said Dr. Kenneth Finn, Pain Medicine
Physician in Colorado.
Finn
has seen the negative effects it's having on teens who live in a state where
marijuana is legalized.
"When you're having a fragile brain that is still
developing and having negative impacts on that, some of those bridges, you
cannot uncross, like the schizophrenic or the psychosis, some of that those
symptoms persist even after cessation of use," said Finn.
According
to the Institute for Social Research, almost 80% of seniors in 2018 say getting
marijuana is very easy. The latest study show marijuana is linked to school
failure. Marijuana’s negative effects on attention, memory, and learning can
last for days and sometimes weeks.
Some students who smoke marijuana tend to get lower grades and
are more likely to drop out of high school, compared with their peers who don’t
use.
"I
mean, the brain isn't fully mature until age 25 ish or so," said Finn.
Not
only were those who smoke marijuana more likely to suffer depression, but they
were also more than three times as likely to attempt suicide between the ages
of 18 and 32.
"But
you know, if you're using a substance that has significant impacts on mental
health, depression, and suicidality, there’s a very strong correlation between
schizophrenia and psychosis," said Finn.
And
according to the DEA, the levels of THC that are out there are much higher and
more dangerous.
“Those
products are ranging in the potency of 40 to 80% THC levels so you are way
above if you want to go to the high of 80% that’s over 10 times stronger than
the marijuana that used to be smoked a number of years ago,” said Dante
Sorianello, the assistant special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement
Administration in the San Antonio district.
But
higher doses of THC doesn’t mean it’s better, a bad side effect is the
triggering of psychotic episodes.
“Those
bad effects are coming from the concentrated THC products which you are seeing
whether it be wax, edibles, or any of the other concentrated THC products,”
said Sorianello.
"So
it's very important that the community understand that it's not good for the
developing brain either edibles, smoking, vaping, or other types of a delivery
device, circumstances devices," said Finn.
In
your neighborhood, on the streets, Fox San Antonio and the DEA will keep you
informed and safe.
In today’s world, students have huge problems and challenges even if they don’t abuse substances. Marijuana is the most likely drug of abuse for teens. Any substance abuse –marijuana, alcohol, opiates, other drugs or a combination – generally makes the depression more difficult to overcome.
The town of Pueblo, Colorado has had an alarming trend of suicides among its teens, at least five this year. Although local officials link these deaths to bullying, Pueblo is infiltrated with marijuana and other drugs. Dr. Steven Simerville, head of pediatrics at a Pueblo hospital, has spoken about the connection between marijuana and teen suicide. In October, 2016, he said that all but one of teens who attempted suicide had THC in their toxicology reports.
A few years ago studies showed that 28% of all high school students are depressed. There are plenty of reasons for teens to be depressed in this society: hormonal change, social pressure, relationships and academics. The social media adds a layer of complication to the problem with cyber bullying. When a teen becomes an adult, additional challenges emerge, and for some, entry into adulthood is jolting.
Suicide is Increasing Above National Rate in Colorado
Suicide rates in Colorado have reached all-time highs, according to a recent report by the Colorado Health Institute. Each one of Colorado’s 21 health regions had a suicide rate higher than the national average.
Those old enough to go into dispensaries can see how the pot industry advertises marijuana to treat depression or anxiety. Dispensaries prey on the vulnerable. For veterans and those without a job, it’s hard to resist.
When the pot industry tells us that “no one ever died from marijuana,”they’re being dishonest. There’s a popular strain of marijuana called Purple Suicide. There’s also a line of vape pens called Suicide Girls, specifically marketed for using honey/hash oil. Makers of the vape pens and marketers of Purple Suicide are onto something: marijuana use increases the suicide risk.
“Investigate asked the Drug Foundation to disclose whether any money has come from foreign donors: “Can you please confirm that
1) you know the identity of all donors to the foundation, as required by law, and
2) how much money has been donated to your organisation since 1 April 2020, and
3) how much of that money since 1 April has come from overseas donors and
4) what are the identities of those overseas donors?”
We also sent texts to Drug Foundation director Ross Bell’s phone. To date, there has been no response.
Bell has previously taken tens of thousands of dollars in funding from overseas foundations directed by billionaire George Soros – a huge advocate for commercially selling marijuana.
Other candidates include NZ-based big businesses that stand to make a financial killing if cannabis is legalised – companies like Helius Therapeutics.
Investigate sent a text to Helius director Joseph Schmidt: “We are just running a story on the cannabis referendum and the important community value placed on transparency these days. How much money if any has Helius donated to the NZ Drug Foundation?” Again, only silence.
So the question remains: is it acceptable in a 2020 election for shadowy foreign groups to “buy” referendum results in New Zealand?
According to the Green Party, who have been heavily pushing the cannabis legalisation, a news release last December says “No”: “The Green Party welcome a law change to help protect our democracy from the influence of powerful vested interests by banning foreign donations of more than $50, Justice spokesperson Golriz Ghahraman said today.
Are secret foreign groups and commercial cannabis barons interfering in New Zealand’s election this year by funneling massive currently-hidden donations through a taxpayer-funded charity?
That’s the uncomfortable question being asked as the New Zealand Drug Foundation goes silent on where the money has come from to bankroll the hugely expensive TV, radio, newspaper and social media pushing a ‘Yes’ vote for cannabis legalisation.
The campaign, one of the most expensive advertising sprees outside of the Government’s Covid-19 alerts, has burst onto TV screens, full page front page newspaper ads and social media, pushing cannabis legalisation “on our terms”.
Set to run from 2 June until the referendum on 19 September, the campaign is estimated to cost millions – far in excess of the organisation’s $2 million budget, mostly provided by the government.
The Drug Foundation at the weekend confirmed to a Facebook question that the massive advertising spend has not been funded by taxpayer money:
“No taxpayer funding is used for this campaign. As a charitable trust, we also receive private grants and donations which are funding the ‘vote yes’ campaign.”
Although the Drug Foundation is audited by the Charities Commission, it is not legally required to disclose its donations for the year to June 30, until 31 December 2020, and if the advertising is on standard commercial terms it won’t be payable until 20 July 2020, meaning the millions of dollars to pay for it wouldn’t have to be received by the Drug Foundation until July, meaning New Zealanders would legally have to wait until 31 December 2021 to find out who bankrolled the pro-Cannabis campaign.
Investigate asked the Drug Foundation to disclose whether any money has come from foreign donors.
Starting off with cannabis as a young person in West Auckland, Vincent's weekend use became everyday use. And then became all day use. He’d do what was called wake and bake & go to work high. And then get high at lunchtime. And get high when he got home. It was a gateway drug to LSD, methamphetamine, cocaine, synthetic cannabis and opioid abuse.
"As an ex cannabis user, I'll be voting no. I do want this cycle to stop. I don't want my children to have to go through what I had. I don't want my children to be told that cannabis is safe. I want my kids to have every opportunity that I should have got."
"The destruction of relationships, the laziness & procrastination, the loss of dreams & ambitions & opportunities that go with it. I love being drug free - I wish I'd done it a lot sooner."
"I'd encourage everybody else that doesn't use cannabis and doesn't want to see the detrimental effects on society to vote no."
In this year's General Election, you can also vote in a referendum on whether the recreational use of cannabis should become legal.
Your vote will be based on the proposed Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill, which has been developed to help give New Zealanders an idea of how the law might work.
The proposed Bill sets out a way for the Government to control and regulate cannabis. This regulatory model covers how people can produce, supply, or consume cannabis.
Joining Corin Dann on Q+A is Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First and Chloe Swarbrick Green Party List MP to debate whether NZ should legalise the use and sale of cannabis.
The proposed recreational cannabis legislation has a received a mixed response.
South Cantabrians against a groundbreaking proposal to change New Zealand's cannabis laws, include a former senior sergeant, youth worker and bereaved father - and they're hoping their experiences may help inform others ahead of September's referendum.
Voters will get the opportunity to decide for or against the Cannabis Legislation and Control Bill at the general election in September. The bill, which aims to regulate production, supply and consumption of cannabis to those aged 20 and over, has already drawn mixed reactions.
One of those who opposes the changes, is former senior sergeant Mark Offen - who spent 30 years working on the front line and has seen the impact of drug use first hand.
"Once the genie is out of the bottle you can't put it back," warns Offen.
Offen, who left the police force four years ago, is concerned that there was no evidence that the legislation was the best thing to do as academic experts on both sides of the argument presented equally compelling points of view.
"If we don't get it right it's too late ... We need to proceed with caution, rather than take a punt, get it wrong and suffer the consequences in the future."
JOHN BISSET/STUFF
Mark Offen has reservations about the proposed cannabis reforms.
He says neither side of the debate has convinced him, so he would prefer the status quo until new evidence appeared.
The former police officer points out that alcohol reform has not protected youth, and he sees the proposed new bill in the same light.
"The alcohol age limit is 18, but the defacto limit is 12 or 13. It will be the same with cannabis, the limit of 20 will see 14 and 15 year-olds trying it."
If the age was set at 25, the defacto age would be closer to 20, he said, which led him to belive the age limit was perhaps a political move to appeal to a certain demographic.
If the proposed legislation went ahead, Offen said there needed to be significant penalties for those supplying cannabis to anyone under age to protect teenagers.
Attitudes towards cannabis use had changed in the time he was on the front line, from a vigorously policed punitive response for offenders in the 1980s with convictions impacting negatively on their travel and employment, to the 1990s when it was more about a holistic approach focusing on education.
Over the years he has seen people start their drug use with marijuana and said it has been a gateway to harder drugs as they look for greater highs. He had also seen children turn up to school with their parents' dope stash, though they did not always know what it was. As young teens had been known to raid their parent's liquor cabinet, as their first experience of alcohol, he expected the same would happen with cannabis if it was legalised.
"If it is normalised, 13 and 14 year-olds may try it if it's available."
The effects of cannabis were different for different people, with some "chilling" while others could become violent and obnoxious. Some people were more prone to react than others, he said.
One of the common effects of cannabis was slow reactions which impaired evasive action and could be lethal on the road.
"Behind the wheel of a car it can become a lethal weapon."
He said a more efficient testing kit on the roadside was needed as currently an alleged offender had to be taken back to the station to be tested.
Offen said he anticipated gangs would continue to find ways to make money through an involvement in the cannabis industry, regardless of legislation.
"It's been a good earner for them (gangs) over the years."
Offen said he would prefer to wait for the evidence that will assure the community legalising cannabis is the right thing to do.
"We're not there yet."
TETSURO MITOMO/STUFF
Christine and Donald Talbot worked with teenagers for more than 30 years.
A retired youth worker is "dead against" the proposed legislation and fears if the drug is legalised it will impact badly on young people.
"Too many 13 to 16 year-olds with promise and potential end up lazy and unmotivated, paranoid and anxious because of it," Donald Talbot said.
Talbot, and his wife Christine, fostered hundreds of children and teenagers over three decades and ran the Barnabas Trust Lifeskills Programme for young people who were excluded from school.
He also thought the new legislation, if passed, would not prevent those under age accessing it.
Older siblings, or older friends, provided alcohol for those under age, and based on his experience, he did not see restrictions changing that with marijuana.
"There were troubled kids and this (cannabis) troubled them more."
They often had to steal to pay for their supply or it went "on tick". If that sum was not paid by a certain date then the young person's mother would get a visit from the "heavies".
"One kid who didn't pay ... his mother, she was visited (by thugs) and she had to pay for it. She knew nothing about it."
Talbot said he would not be voting in favour of the legislation as he thought cannabis should not be available to anyone under 25.
"If it is legal, more will try it. And, if they're under 25 there are more mental health issues ... It does too much damage and would do more damage when it's legal. My gut feeling is, it's not a good move."
BEJON HASWELL/STUFF
Jim Rae is against the proposed changes after seeing his late daughter badly affected by the drug,
Jim Rae would like to see cannabis "outlawed totally".
"It is something we don't need."
The self described a-political voter said his daughter's life was ruined and cut short by cannabis use.
"People are slow at believing the harm it can do."
He said his daughter started using when she was 17 in the mid 1990s and died at the age of 31 from what he was told were complications related to side effects from treatment medication for her drug use.
He said his son also experimented with cannabis as a teenager but was unaffected. Rae did not think any age restriction would make any difference to keeping young people safe.
He said his daughter, who was a promising athlete with a bubbly personality, changed through the use of cannabis. .
"She did well at school. She was a bit of a rebel, and wanted to be a swimmer."
One night she was found lying in the gutter on Wai-iti Rd, stoned, Rae said. She was treated at Claremont Recovery Centre and Mental Health and Addictions at the Kensington Centre.
Rae said she was given electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) which she hated. Though she tried to beat the hold it had on her, and was getting herself together, the effects were long term.
She died in hospital.
"It was a life lost ... I want to prevent it happening to anyone else."
He hoped voters would research the topic and not be swayed by misinformation.
SUPPLIED
Timaru youth worker Sonya Stamp.
Timaru youth worker Sonya Stamp said she was concerned about the drug being made more available and the impact it has on a family and user's mental health.
"In my experience, it is the gateway to harder drugs."
Stamp said it was easy to recognise if a person had been stoned the previous day, as they often lacked motivation and had "no brain power".
"The easier the access, the more young people will try it. An age limit will not make a difference."
Her understanding of the proposed legislation was that because people would be able to grow a few plants they would sell it. Stamp said she was concerned it would be too difficult for police to control as they were stretched already.
"I'd hate this legislation to pass ... They should eradicate it."
MYTCHALL BRANSGROVE/STUFF
Timaru Boys' High School rector Dave Thorp.
Timaru Boys' High School rector Dave Thorp said he would listen to both sides of the argument before making a decision on the referendum, but said whatever the outcome cannabis would still be banned at school events.
"There is a lot of evidence that points to cannabis having a deleterious effect on teenagers' brains and our first priority is the health and safety of our students. Individuals will have their own personal views, but the school's position on cannabis won't change. Even if it does become legalised, it will be illegal for people under 20, and it will still be a prohibited substance at schools and at any school events," Thorp said.
South Canterbury Community College manager Andrea Armstrong said, as an organisation, the college preferred not to comment.
Rangitata MP Andrew Falloon said, as with any referendum, it was up to individual how they chose to vote.
"My intention is to vote against legalising marijuana for recreational purposes."
But, Falloon said he does support the use of medicinal marijuana prescribed by doctors if they believed it would benefit their patient's condition or illness.
SUPPLIED
Rangitata MP Andrew Falloon will vote against the proposed Cannabis legislation.
Falloon says he is disappointed with a purchase age of 20.
"It’s widely accepted that brain development continues to occur until the age of 25. It’s similarly accepted that marijuana use disrupts brain development and increases the risk of schizophrenia and depression. Given some of the very clear mental health issues we already face in New Zealand, particularly in smaller communities like ours, I’m uneasy about any moves which may further harm mental wellbeing."
He pointed out that in 2018, 95 people were killed on New Zealand roads in preventable crashes in which drugs were involved.
"Despite oral fluid testing being in place in the UK, Australia and Canada, we don’t yet have a roadside drug test here in the way we do for alcohol. The Government have finally indicated they’ll look to bring in a roadside drug test next year, but not until after the referendum; it’s putting the cart before the horse."
Timaru builder Dave Gazzard is pro-cannabis and thinks the proposed legislation is "pretty much on the ball" but thought "maybe" the age for access to the drug should be set at 25.
"The bill's not going to introduce cannabis to society, it's already there. It's bringing in rules and regulations to control it."
He said restricting the THC level in the drug was a good idea as then there would be lower numbers of mental illness attached to it.
"Sometimes the strong stuff is too much ... It (cannabis) triggers mental health not causes it."
He believes the impacts of alcohol are worse.
"Look how alcohol affects people ... It's the only legal thing that makes people stupid. When you have alcohol you decide to do something stupid and you do it."
He said anything illegal made it more enticing, so making dope legal would take the thrill away for those under age.
As far as concerns over a black market went, Gazzard said he believed there would always be one.
"Hopefully, over time, it will wipe out the black market if they are realistic with price."
This is part of a Syracuse
University student-driven reporting project through the NewsHouse website that
is being published in USA TODAY Network.
It takes a
deep look at marijuana issues in New York as the state's drug laws remain
in flux.
If
you spend time in Colorado, you might encounter ads that raise difficult
questions about marijuana.
“Would
you let a bus driver high on marijuana drive your kids to school?” asks one.
“Would
you let your doctor perform surgery on you if he was under the influence of marijuana?”
another wonders.
The
advertisements are part of a campaign by the Colorado Department of
Transportation, which struggles with one of the more vexing issues surrounding
legalized marijuana:
The fact that it’s often hard to tell when a person
is too high to drive or perform other tasks where lives are at risk.
Experts say marijuana users tend to
underestimate the drug’s effect on response times and other processes that may
impact a person’s ability to work safely and effectively.
Society’s
better-established rules for measuring and dealing with alcohol intoxication
don’t translate well to weed, which adds to the difficulty.
TCH,
the intoxicating compound in marijuana, stays in the blood for a long time,
well past when intoxication wears off and up to a month for heavy users,
according to the American Addiction Centers.
The effects of alcohol, meanwhile, are gone by
the time it is out of the bloodstream. This suggests that someone with TCH in
their blood may be sober.
“There
are problems, circumstances, and consequences of legalizing pot that aren’t the
same with alcohol in terms of enforcement and driving under the influence,”
said Domenic Trunfio, an assistant district attorney in Onondaga County
Trunfio,
along with many other law enforcement officials, and several state lawmakers
are opposed to legalization in New York as a result of this difficulty. They
don’t want legalization to send a signal that it is OK to drive or perform
other important or dangerous tasks while stoned.
Despite
their opposition, legalization looked set to pass this year. But with state
efforts to combat COVID-19 cutting short discussions on legalization, the plans are on hold while
some of the thornier issues, like dealing with impaired driving, are worked
out.
"We
are also pleased that the legalization of recreational marijuana was
not included in the enacted state budget," the state Parent-Teacher
Association said in April.
"NYS PTA will
continue to vigorously oppose this proposal, alongside our many partners in
education, health, and law enforcement to protect the health of every
child."
Some
feel the key to overcoming the inherent problems with testing for marijuana is
to move away from blood and urine tests and toward being able to recognize
intoxication.
There
is even a job – drug recognition expert – that is in high demand as police
departments and employers struggle to keep up with the changing times.
But
technology is catching up, with at least one company developing a
breathalyzer-type device that would make drug testing easier, if not more
effective.
What we know, and don't, about marijuana
and driving
Just
how dangerous is driving stoned? So far the evidence is mixed.
Fatalities
dropped the last two years in Colorado, data from the Colorado Historical
Fatality Trends shows.
But
in New York, fatalities involving marijuana as a complicating factor are on the
rise, and the drug is still illegal here.
In
the Empire State in 2017, alcohol was a factor in 25% of fatalities, with drugs
a factor in 23% of fatal motor vehicle accidents, according to
the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research.
The numbers
jumped in 2018 to 31% for alcohol and 34% for drugs. The drug category includes
many substances but the Institute for Traffic Safety reports toxicology tests
find THC more often than any other drug in the blood tests of drivers involved
in fatal car crashes.
Drug
recognition experts have become increasingly important as technology has yet to
develop a good method of determining marijuana intoxication, according to Glenn
Davis, highway safety manager for the Colorado Department of Transportation.
More
than 14 million Americans admit to having driven within an hour of smoking
marijuana in the past 30 days, according to a 2019 report by the American
Automobile Association.
“A
lot of times law enforcement may not know what the person is impaired by,”
Davis said, "just that they’re impaired.”
The benefit of experts to check for marijuana
In
those cases, a drug recognition expert is called by the officer who made
the stop.
The
expert, or DRE, is skilled in identifying people under the influence of drugs
and detecting the category of drugs a person is under the influence of,
according to the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
The
drug recognition expert administers a 12-step, 1½-hour evaluation, which
entails determining impairment and whether it is medical or drug-related, said
Sgt. Jonathan Cook, drug and alcohol training coordinator of the Colorado
Division Traffic Services.
“From
a DRE perspective, what we’re looking for is impairment, because you can smoke
marijuana and not be impaired and you can drink alcohol and not be impaired,”
Cook said.
“We
care about impairment. We don’t care about how much is in your system.”
But
Onondaga County’s Trunfio says it is not that simple, and chemical tests are
crucial at trial.
"It’s
going to be an issue for the defense and the prosecution not to have that
concrete evidence,” Trunfio said.
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