Marijuana and Public Health
Mike Van Dyke, Ph.D., CIH
Section Chief
Environmental Epidemiology, Occupational Health and Toxicology
[email protected]
Legal Marijuana and Public Health
• Monitor health effects
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–
–
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Changes in use
Accidents
Poisonings
Chronic health issues
• Education and Prevention
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Adolescent use
Pregnant or nursing mothers
Product safety and storage
Harm reduction
• Infused product safety*
• Laboratory practices*
• Waste disposal*
How many kids use marijuana?
65.5
70
% Reporting Use
60
50
39.5
40
30
20
10
36.4
28.7
22.7
9.8
22.4
14.8
15.7
0
Marijuana
Ever used: Middle School
Cigarettes
Ever used: High School
Alcohol
Past 30 day Use: High School
(Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, 2011)
% Reporting Use
How many adults use marijuana?
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
41.3
30.4
27.3
18.8
11.5
8.2
7.9
18 to 25
26 and over
Used in past year: CO
Used in past year: U.S.
Used in past month: CO
Used in past month: U.S.
(National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2010-2011)
4.8
Is marijuana “safe”?
• Regular marijuana use increases the
risk of heart, lung and mental health
problems
• Little is known about infrequent or
casual use
• Natural product
No easy
scientific
answers!
– Contains more than 400 chemicals
– 60 chemicals that can interact with
body’s nervous system
– Smoking increases this to over 2,000
chemicals
• Possibility of contamination
– Mold, bacteria, insecticides, fertilizers
What are the short term effects of marijuana?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Happy, relaxed “high” feeling
Slower reactions
Dizziness
Trouble thinking and remembering
Increased heart rate and blood
pressure
Hunger
Red eyes
Dry mouth
Psychosis (rarely)
Is marijuana addictive?
• About 9% of those who
begin use as an adult
will become addicted
• About 17% of those
who begin use between
13 and 25 become
addicted
What is known about long-term
effects of marijuana?
• Cardiovascular
– Increased risk of heart
attack
• Respiratory
– May increase risk of
lung cancer
– Daily cough
– More chest colds
– Higher risk of lung
infection
• Mental health
–
–
–
–
Depression
Anxiety
Suicidal thoughts
Personality
disturbances
• Social issues
– Relationship problems
– Less success at school
or work
Is marijuana safe for pregnant or
breastfeeding women?
• There is no “safe” amount of
marijuana use during pregnancy or
breastfeeding.
• THC from marijuana can pass to the
unborn child through the placenta
• THC can be passed through the
mother’s breast milk
• THC affects the development of the
brain
• Evidence that marijuana use during
pregnancy can result in low birth
weight and some types of birth
defects
Does marijuana affect the ability to drive?
• Driving while impaired by any
substance is illegal and unsafe
• Marijuana affects:
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–
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–
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Reaction time
Memory
Coordination
Concentration
Time and distance perception
• In Colorado, it is illegal to:
– Use or display marijuana on a
public road
– Have marijuana in an opened
container in the passenger area of
a vehicle
Is secondhand smoke from marijuana
different than other secondhand smoke?
• Many of the same
chemicals as smoke from
tobacco
– Some at higher levels
– Many have been linked with
cancer
• Can cause:
– Lung irritation
– Asthma attacks
– More frequent lung
infections
Is using a water pipe safer than
smoking a joint?
• Limited research available
• Some chemicals in smoke are
filtered out by water
• Water filters THC better than
harmful tars
• More tars inhaled to get the
same dose of THC
• Important: THC itself can cause
health effects
Is vaporizing safer than smoking?
• Vaporizers lower the amount of tars in
smoke
• Fewer respiratory symptoms in medical
marijuana patients
• Some evidence that vaporizers can
cause toxic levels of ammonia in some
cases
• More systematic research is necessary
• Important: THC itself can cause health
effects
Is it safe to eat or drink marijuanainfused products?
• Delayed effects
• Effects last longer (4-10 hours)
• Eliminates respiratory health
effects
• THC can cause heart and
mental health issues
• Possible food safety issues
(chemical or bacterial
contamination)
How should marijuana be stored?
• Large increase in
accidental poisonings of
children in Colorado
• All marijuana-containing
products should be:
– Clearly labeled
– Stored in child-resistant
containers
– Kept in a locked cabinet
How does this affect employers?
Article XVIII or the Colorado Constitution
Section 16. Personal use and Regulation of Marijuana
Nothing in this section is intended to require an employer to permit or
accommodate the use, consumption, possession, transfer, display,
transportation, sale or growing of marijuana in the workplace or to
affect the ability of employers to have policies restricting the use of
marijuana by employees.
• Off-duty use is currently being tested by
case law
Summary
• Strong evidence that regular use of marijuana increases the
risk of respiratory, cardiovascular and mental health
problems
• Earlier age of first use is linked with higher rates of addiction
and mental health problems
• Marijuana should not be used by pregnant or breastfeeding
women
• Driving while impaired by any substance is illegal and unsafe
• There is no risk-free method of marijuana use
• Proper marijuana storage prevents child poisonings
More Resources
www.colorado.gov/cdphe/marijuana
www.learnaboutmarijuanawa.org
www.drugabuse.gov
Contact
Mike Van Dyke
[email protected]
Referrals
ToxCall (303
(303)) 692
692--2700
[email protected]