Welcome to
the Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) e-newsletter providing health
information and resources for Jefferson County service providers and
others concerned about the use and commercialization of marijuana. JCPH
welcomes any feedback about "Marijuana and Health in the Spotlight" so
that we can best assess its usefulness and develop a schedule for publication.
This newsletter is in response to an identified information and resource gap regarding marijuana in Jefferson County. In 2015, JCPH convened two meetings that engaged over 80 service providers, including law enforcement, educators, behavioral health, health care and prevention advocates, in discussions about marijuana and the changing landscape its commercialization has created. The meetings, held in May and July 2015, also provided an opportunity to prioritize potential resources needed to effectively respond to these changes.
In considering what resources may be needed, participants pointed to a lack of local data on youth marijuana use trends as well as a lack of related indicators such as perceptions of harm. This data gap leaves communities to rely on secondary data, data from neighboring counties and input from those “working in the trenches” to anticipate possible prevention and intervention needs.
The following resource lists were identified as needed and are now
being provided via links to JCPH website and creation of this e-newsletter:
- List to help service providers find reliable data.
Marijuana and Health Data Resources - List of prevention and education resources
Marijuana and Health Prevention and Education Resources - List of prevention, screening/treatment resources.
- List of training resources.
Marijuana and Health Training Resources for Providers - Piloting an electronic newsletter for service providers that includes current “hot topic” issues about marijuana. “Marijuana and Health in the Spotlight” has been created and can be found electronically on the JCPH Marijuana and Public Health web page.
- Plan to reconvene service provider/prevention advocates group.
A group meeting has been scheduled for: Thursday, February 23, 201 from 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 pmJefferson County Administration and Courts100 Jefferson County Parkway Lookout Mountain RoomGolden, COThe meeting will provide a forum for continued discussion about marijuana and related issues by service providers and prevention advocates in Jefferson County.
·
Adolescent attitudes about marijuana use and its
harms are changing – in the direction that indicates we could be facing serious
problems.
· Commercialization of marijuana (medical and
recreational retail) appears to be contributing to the misperception by youth
that marijuana is a benign drug. This misperception can lead to initiation of
use by adolescents.
·
Well-designed, longitudinal studies now show
that early, regular use of marijuana may produce serious, irreversible changes
in cognitive functioning which contribute to lower achievement, in school and
life.
View the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Director’s
comments
on marijuana’s lasting effects on the brain. (Study) Participants who used
cannabis heavily in their teens and continued through adulthood showed a
significant drop in IQ between the ages of 13 and 38—an average of 8 points or
those who met criteria for cannabis dependence. (For context, a loss of 8 IQ
points could drop a person of average intelligence into the lowest third of the
intelligence range.) Those who started using marijuana regularly or heavily
after age 18 showed minor declines. By comparison, those who never used
marijuana showed no declines in IQ.
If you have questions about or want to comment on this first
edition of the Marijuana in the Spotlight e-newsletter or the resource lists
provided, please email Donna Viverette at dviveret@jeffco.us
or call 303-275-7555.
