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Marijuana plants for the adult recreational market are are seen in a greenhouse at Hepworth Farms in Milton, N.Y., Friday, July 15, 2022.
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Luke Niforatos: Bad things happen when states legalize weed

Mary Altaffer/AP File

Luke Niforatos: Bad things happen when states legalize weed

With Pennsylvania reigniting the debate over marijuana legalization, I recently met with leaders of the General Assembly to emphasize the risks of this irresponsible policy. States that experimented with legalization have experienced increases in marijuana-involved traffic fatalities, emergency department visits, and addiction. It’s also led to more social costs and harmed public safety.

In defense of the state’s way of life, the legislature should reject legalization.

A recent study from the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City determined that legalization is associated with a 17% increase in substance use disorders (addiction), a 35% increase in chronic homelessness, and a 13% increase in arrests. Additionally, it found that “arrests for both violent and property crimes rose, suggesting a potential increase in law enforcement activity.”

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However, this increase in crime isn’t the only post-legalization challenge for law enforcement. Legalization has also created an expansion of the illicit market due to the surge in demand and ability to undercut the price of taxed products.

Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr.
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In New York, an estimated 2,500 illicit shops popped up in New York City alone after the state legalized the drug. In California, which legalized in 2016, two-thirds of sales continue to occur in the illicit market. Legislators must recognize that legalization won’t displace the illicit market for these drugs ––it may even worsen it.

The inability to eliminate the illicit market means that projections about tax revenue will inevitably fall short, as they have in other states. Despite assurances that legalization will be a windfall for the Keystone State, the Federal Reserve report indicates otherwise, concluding, “On net, we do not find a significant effect on overall tax revenues or general sales tax revenues.”

Quantifying social costs, such as lost productivity and increases in crime, legalization results in a predictable net loss. In Colorado, every $1 in tax revenue is associated with $4.50 in costs.

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The study estimated that there are “significant first-mover advantages” for legalization, such as a surge in sales and tax revenue associated with so-called “cannabis tourism,” indicating that Pennsylvania would not be able to capture a potential wave of out-of-state customers and tourists. In fact, some tourists, particularly those with families, will be hesitant to visit cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh if they know the unmistakable smell of marijuana blankets them.

Instead, Pennsylvania’s communities will be left grappling with higher rates of addiction, crime, and homelessness. Marijuana legalization will hurt Pennsylvanians’ quality of life.

Given that the state offers so-called “medical marijuana,” those who think they would benefit from smoking the drug already have access to it. What’s more, Senator Dan Laughlin, who introduced a bill to legalize recreational marijuana, said, “In my opinion, Pennsylvania legalized adult-use cannabis when they legalized the medical program in 2015.” he explained: “I think anybody that is involved in this space at all knows that it’s not difficult to get a medical card.”

At the most basic level, the FDA has not approved marijuana for the treatment of any disease or condition. But what about the qualify conditions for medical marijuana, you may be asking?

Marijuana plants for the adult recreational market are seen in a greenhouse at Hepworth Farms in Milton, N.Y., Friday, July 15, 2022.
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Let’s take a look at the most common qualifying condition in Pennsylvania: anxiety disorders, which were cited more than all other possible conditions combined. Federal agencies — from the CDC to SAMHSA and NIDA — agree that marijuana can exacerbate anxiety.

SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, warns, “Studies link marijuana use to depression, anxiety, suicide planning, and psychotic episodes.” The industry has advanced junk science to mislead the public.

Fortunately, thanks to studies like the one from the Federal Reserve, more Americans are finally waking up to the fact that marijuana is not a safe or harmless drug. Beyond its link to anxiety, 3 in 10 users develop a cannabis use disorder, better known as addiction to marijuana. The use of high-potency marijuana––the type in vapes and in dabs––is also linked to the development of psychosis and schizophrenia.

Moreover, following legalization Colorado and Washington, both saw a doubling of marijuana-involved traffic fatalities. There were 918,028 marijuana-related emergency department visits in 2022, up from 804,285 in 2021. These range from traffic accidents to toddlers eating their parents’ THC edibles.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported, “Calls to the Pittsburgh Poison Center of UPMC for marijuana exposure in children younger than 13 increased from 25 in 2019 to 86 in 2022.” The issue will surely worsen if marijuana is further legalized for recreational use.

The legalization of marijuana has consistently demonstrated negative impacts on public health and safety, with ongoing studies uncovering new harms and unintended consequences. Legalization is not a silver bullet.

Marijuana’s associated risks, ranging from anxiety to psychosis, demand a cautious approach. In turn, I urge Pennsylvania’s legislators to reject attempts to legalize marijuana.

Luke Niforatos is the executive vice president for Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM).

First Published: November 10, 2023, 10:30 a.m.

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Marijuana plants for the adult recreational market are are seen in a greenhouse at Hepworth Farms in Milton, N.Y., Friday, July 15, 2022.  (Mary Altaffer/AP File)
Mary Altaffer/AP File
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