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Source: @norml @WeedConnection
Posted By: norml@weedconnection.com
media :: news
- Tue, 23 Jun 2015 04:20:21 PST

Federal Study: Passage Of Medical Marijuana Laws Not Responsible For Increased Marijuana Use

New York, NY: The enactment of state laws legalizing the use and distribution of cannabis for medical purposes has not caused an increase in marijuana use by adolescents, according to the results of a federally funded study published this week in Lancet Psychiatry.

Investigators at Columbia University in New York and the University of Michigan assessed the relationship between state medical marijuana laws and rates of self-reported adolescent marijuana use over a 24-year period in a sampling of over one million adolescents in 48 states. Researchers reported no increase in teens' overall use of the plant that could be attributable to changes in law, and acknowledged a "robust" decrease in use among 8th graders.

They concluded: "[T]he results of this study showed no evidence for an increase in adolescent marijuana use after the passage of state laws permitting use of marijuana for medical purposes. ... [C]oncerns that increased marijuana use is an unintended effect of state marijuana laws seem unfounded."

The study's results are consistent with those of previous assessments, including an analysis published last year by the nonpartisan National Bureau of Economic Assessment.

Commenting on the study, NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said, "Claims that legalizing marijuana as medicine increases teen use are not evidence-based and they should not be seriously entertained in the ongoing national discussion about how best to reform America's cannabis policies."


Colorado: Supreme Court Says Employees Can Be Fired For Their Off-The-Job Marijuana Use

Denver, CO: Members of the Colorado Supreme Court have unanimously affirmed that employers possess the authority to fire workers for their off-the-job use of marijuana. The Court held that the plant's legal status under Colorado law does not make the act of consuming cannabis "lawful" under the state's Lawful Off-Duty Activities Statute.

In a decision released on Monday, the Justices opined, "The supreme court holds that under the plain language of section 24-34-402.5, C.R.S. (2014), Colorado's ‘lawful activities statute,' the term ‘lawful' refers only to those activities that are lawful under both state and federal law. Therefore, employees who engage in an activity such as medical marijuana use that is permitted by state law but unlawful under federal law are not protected by the statute."

The ruling upholds the decision by Dish Network in 2010 to fire employee Brandon Coats, a quadriplegic who used cannabis to treat muscle spasticity. Coats failed a random urine screen. Such tests identify the presence of the inert metabolite (byproduct) carboxy-THC, which may be present in urine for weeks or even months after one has ceased using cannabis. Consequently, the Justice Department acknowledges, "A positive test result, even when confirmed, only indicates that a particular substance is present in the test subject's body tissue. It does not indicate abuse or addiction; recency, frequency, or amount of use; or impairment."

The Colorado decision mirrors those of courts in California, Oregon, and Washington - each of which similarly determined that state laws exempting marijuana consumers from criminal liability do not provide employees with civil protections in the workplace.

According to a study published last year in the Journal of Addictive Diseases, employees who test positive for carboxy-THC do not possess an elevated risk of workplace accident compared to employees who test negative.


Milwaukee: Mayor Signs Ordinance Making Marijuana Possession Offenses A $50 Fine

Milwaukee, WI: Mayor Tom Barrett has signed municipal legislation into law reducing minor marijuana possession offenses to no more than a $50 fine.

Members of the City Council recently voted 10 to 3 to amend the city's decriminalization ordinance, which has been in effect since the late 1990s. That ordinance classified minor marijuana possession offenses as violations punishable by a fine ranging from $250 to $500.

Under the new ordinance, offenses involving the possession of up to 25 grams of marijuana are punishable by a maximum fine of $50.00.
Milwaukee's marijuana possession penalties are significantly more lenient than those imposed by state law, which classifies the possession of any amount of cannabis as a criminal misdemeanor punishable by up to six-months in jail and a $1,000 fine.


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